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.