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Details

On/Off

Lawrence, Nicholas

SM Productionz

(Based on 2 reviews)
A modern approach to the classic moving finger trick, making it a highly visual and impactful everyday miracle.

Imagine asking your spectator "Have you ever had a ring on your finger for too long and had a difficult time taking it off?" As you try to take the ring off your finger, you accidentally pop the finger off along with the ring!! It is an absolute bizarre moment that gets CRAZY reaction.

Multiple versions with single ring, double ring, no ring, and gimmick taught thoroughly in the ON OFF project.

** Gimmick included.

Reviews

James Sanden

Official Reviewer

Mar 03, 2015

The basic effect of “On/Off” by Nicholas Lawrence is that the performer removes his or her finger in order to remove a ring. It’s a visual, convincing and unexpected effect. It’s also only a slight variation of an effect published almost 25 years ago.

The effect itself is fantastic and looks great. The plot of removing one’s finger to remove a stuck ring is delightfully absurd and surprising. And the idea of solving the problem of a stuck ring by removing one’s finger is just the sort of solution a real magician might come up with. It’s a far cry from the standard card and coin effects one typically sees performed. The method itself is clever, convincing and most of the handlings are impromptu. Either as a quick “one off” effect, or as part of a longer routine, this is a great piece of magic.

The instruction on the DVD is clear and well thought out, with good camera work and multiple angles. Many subtleties are shared, and a large number of variations are taught. Some of the instruction is a bit repetitive, but that’s far more preferable to instruction that’s made up on the spot with little rehearsal or preparation.

My main complaint is that no credit was given to David Harkey, who published the exact same effect using the same method (the only difference being that Harkey did the effect with the ring finger, not the little finger) in his book, Simply Harkey, in 1991. In addition to the basic “ring off finger” routine, Mr. Harkey explores a wide range of effects using the same principle, then goes on to explain another 59 or so effects in the book. I say this not because there is anything inherently wrong with single trick DVD’s. But I do miss the days of magicians investing time and energy into fully exploring and honing their repertoire and only after years of performance sharing them with the magic marketplace.

As it is, Simply Harkey is out of print, unlikely to be reprinted and is quite expensive on the secondary marketplace. At the very least, SansMinds should have done their research, contacted Mr. Harkey and gotten permission to teach a version of his effect.

Crediting aside, this is a wonderful, quirky effect that looks exactly like it would if someone really could remove their finger to remove their ring. If you like the effect as seen on the trailer, and don’t mind spending $30 for the addition of one effect to your repertoire, this is a great DVD.
(Top ▲)

Stuart Philip

Official Reviewer

Dec 26, 2014

On Off is one in a series of recent Sans Mind products by Nicholas Lawrence. here, the performer places a ring on his pinky and then seemingly separates the pinky from his hand, pulls it away a few inches and then re-attaches it a second later. It is similar to the thumb removal trick that your Uncle used to do to you when you were five, but this is for audiences of all ages and it will really fool you. It is incredibly visual and when done with fluidity it will get a great reaction and often freaks out the spectators. Be expecting to hear “Do it again!”.

On Off is a 41 minute DVD which teaches you the two moves and finger manipulations necessary to be able to perform this cool effect. Nicholas Lawrence presents the effect and goes into to clear, easy to understand and very detailed step-by-step instructions. Lawrence teaches how to do several pinky removing routines, including without a ring, with one ring and also a version with two rings. This impromptu trick is great for close-up. The production quality, as it is with Sans Mind products, is excellent.

The DVD starts off with some live demonstrations, but mostly shows the spectators’ reaction, instead of the actual trick, although the trick is executed on camera a few times. This is done because the audience reaction is so fantastic – it is what you would expect from an effect that creates the illusion that your finger was removed from your hand.

Getting the moves into shape will take a bit of practice and Lawrence encourages you to practice and stick with it. It is only with a bit of practice that you will be able to present the effect perfectly.

The DVD also comes with some material that you can use to build a gimmick, which is not necessary to the effect.
This effect is very angle sensitive and positioning of your audience and your hands is crucial to avoid being burned and ruining the illusion.

The ad copy is accurate as well as the promotional video. What you see is what you can learn to perform. Lawrence accurately says that this trick will freak your audience out. The cover photo on the DVD of a finger levitating above and separated from the hand is not possible and may be misleading to some. My only criticism is that some may find the price tag just a bit too high for a DVD that basically teaches one effect.

This is a great instructional DVD to be used alone or in conjunction with a multitude of close-up ring routines.
(Top ▲)