Redemption by Chris Ballinger

Jun 1, 2009
1,066
6
What it is: "Use Redemption for visual vanishes, restorations and changes or as a secret switching device. You'll be miles ahead of your audience before they even realize that something has happened."

Where to get it: Right Here

First impressions: When I first saw the preview, I was in awe. I actually watched it several times to make sure what I was seeing was real. It looks so clean and fair, it's pretty close to real magic when someone says "make something disappear."

Package: The package is just like Chris talked about. You get a deck of cards (red or blue, your choice) with half the gimmick installed; a packet of extra cards to tear up, fold up, burn, write on, whatever you want; a little envelope with the other half of the gimmick, and the instructional DVD.

DVD Breakdown
Menu: The menu is easy to navigate. You get the option of looking at individual routines, and within that menu you can select just the performance, explanation, set up, tips and hints, or play the whole thing. There is also a construction section that tells you how to repair the gimmicks, and how to make a new one, just like he said he would. My only problem is the DVD just cut out and said "unable to read disc" for a few of the routines, which is a little annoying. Also, it would fade out at parts and pause, then get right back into the video, which was a little weird. Other than that the DVD was an easy watch.

Routines:
There are a total of ten routines included on the DVD, but I'm sure one can create a few more with some good thinking. Difficulty ranges from extremely easy (sleight free, even) to fairly moderate. So it's no knuckle buster, but it will take some practicing to get it just right.

The routines are fairly similar in that they involve tearing up the card, but the way the effect ends, or how the card restores itself is what separates them. That being said, I don't feel like I need to go over each individual effect, but if you do have a question about a certain one, just PM me.

Chris does a great job of explaining each routine and the little things that make it work, he also teaches a few simple sleights in case you're just starting in magic, but most of us will already have our own ways to accomplish the same thing. The camera view is over the shoulder in the explanations, so you really get a good view of how it should look while you are doing it.

Construction: This section is broken down into repairing the gimmicks as well as making a new one for a different deck.
One half of the gimmick is pretty durable, but the other you need to be a little careful with. If either part breaks, wears down, or you just want a new one, Chris explains how to do all of that. It's not too difficult, but you will need to get some supplies of your own. They are not too difficult to find, an office store has everything you need. Repairing is easy, but making a whole new one for a different deck is a little more challenging. You'll need to be fairly precise while making it, but Chris does a good job of walking you through it. Overall, you shouldn't be worried about getting a new one or breaking it, because reconstructing one is clearly laid out for you.

Gimmick: Now let's get to the main part of redemption: the gimmick. The gimmick is very clever, but it's not a "why didn't I think of that" because it's a little in depth (you find that out when you watch the construction part). Nevertheless, it's pretty genius and very discreet as well. Chris goes into ways you can ditch the gimmick to hand the deck out for examination, to loading it in a deck you've been using all night, even to multiple applications that are not just with a torn card. It hides very well in a deck and you barely even know it's there, you can even use the deck for multiple tricks before going into Redemption while the gimmick is in the deck still, it's pretty awesome. When you start playing around with it, you will almost fool yourself. It looks KILLER! Chris said it'll look even better in person than on the DVD, and he was right. It's so much fun to do, and I can't wait to perform it for people once I get it down really well. The gimmick can only be "installed" in one deck at a time, however, unless you are able to find and purchase the "super secret" part of it that Chris does not tell you where to get it. I think you'll be ok without having Redemption in every deck you own, though, and you'll see why when you watch it. It's just a tiny bit awkward when you do the move, but it's nothing the audience is going to notice. Everything you do with it is justified in someway, and Chris makes sure to point that out.

Final thoughts: Redemption is a fantastic gimmick with a lot of versatility with some imagination and has lots of room for adding your own little spin on how it's done. The gimmick is very clever, but you do need to be a little careful with it, but the beauty of it is that it won't be suspected and you can make a new one fairly easily. All in all, it was worth buying because it will fry people and I'm expecting some impressive reactions out of this one.

I tried to answer all the questions I had when buying it in the review. If you have a question I did not answer, feel free to shoot me a PM. Thanks!

Jacob
 
Sep 1, 2007
5
0
It sounds really good, although the problem with the DVD sounds more than just a little annoying.
 
Jun 1, 2009
1,066
6
Yeah, I emailed them trying to find a solution. It's a bit of a bummer. Do you have any questions on it?

Jacob
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results