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CTW

David Forrest

(Based on 1 review)
The acclaimed Card Thru Window effect that had EVERYONE talking is now available on DVD by popular demand!

This in-depth DVD walks you step by step through the construction of the very special gimmicks that will allow you to totally fry your spectators mind! VISUAL, PRACTICAL and MINDBLOWING, CTW is an ingenious approach to the Card Thru Window plot that is as EASY as it is VISUAL!

The DVD includes live, on the street performances and includes vital materials required for the construction of the gimmicks inside the box!

Their selection vanishes... then it appears taped to a window... THEN YOU CAUSE IT TO MELT THROUGH THE GLASS!

SPECIAL BONUS: SEE HOW IT ALL BEGAN!! THE CTW DVD INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT IN PDF FORMAT!!

Running Time Approximately 121min

Reviews

Bryce Kuhlman

Official Reviewer

Dec 16, 2007

This is something completely new for me. I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of magical methods (unlike my friend Max Maven). But I've been around long enough to at least be familiar with the standard methods for most magic effects. But Card Through Window (CTW) is completely new to me. I've seen it performed on TV (David Blaine, maybe?), but I have no idea how it's done.

So I chose to review two versions. The first is this one and the second is Scraper. I picked this one first for two reasons. First, the author of Scraper references this version and tries to improve on it. So I thought I should start with the “source” first. Second, this has a DVD so I can watch the performances (Scraper is just a printed manuscript).

Before I watched the DVD, I had a concept of what CTW should look like. A card is selected, maybe even signed. It's lost in the deck. The deck is held up to a window, preferably a store window or some other place where it doesn't appear that you have control of the window. Then the card penetrates.

I'm sure a lot of my desires for this routine are based on whatever I've seen on TV. Obviously, there's a lot more control over the environment than what's actually aired. But maybe my naivety is a plus in this situation. I'm guessing that a lot of people who buy this have also seen a TV performance and now want to reproduce it.

So let's start with the effect. The card is chosen. A corner is torn out. Now the card is vanished. The performer leads his helper around to the side of his van and their card has reappeared taped to the window of his van. A wave of a card fan in front of the stuck card causes it to penetrate the window. Of course, the torn corner matches both before and after the penetration.

It's not exactly what I was dreaming of, but it's not bad. Another performance has the card taped to the window on the side of a house... a bit better.

At first, I didn't like the part where it was taped to the window. I thought it just got in the way of the main effect. But after thinking about it more, I think it's not so bad. It actually lends itself to a bit of comedy, if that's your thing.

The explanations of how to make the feke are thorough and quite amusing. The guys are obviously having a good time. They also confirmed that it was Blaine that I saw on TV.

“Some assembly required.” Actually, quite a bit of assembly is required. There's nothing terribly difficult, but it will take some time to make. The authors provide PDFs on the DVD with various templates. You also get some of the materials that would not be readily available. Everything else you can find at an office supply and/or home improvement store.

The sleight of hand required is well within the grasp of anyone familiar with basic card moves. In fact, you can replace many of the moves with something from your own repertoire (e.g. a different force). The hardest move is an Erdnase Color Change, which is made even easier thanks to the torn-out corner.

Keep in mind that you're going to need a lot of duplicates of your force card. You'll need two for the CTW part, plus you're going to waste another one for each performance.

If you're a card mechanic, there's an “advanced” routine that requires more difficult sleights but has some nice moments in the performance.

There's even a “curtain” on the PDF that can be used to cover the setup until you're ready for the effect. If you're working a party, you can set things up before the guests arrive. It not only keeps them from messing with things, it also adds a bit of mystery to the whole thing (think locked box secluded on stage).
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