The Social Print is a routine in which the performer takes out a small light blue box with the Facebook “f” logo on the outside. He explains that he will use technology and use technological terms in the routine. First he shows a white handkerchief with a light blue background. It is in fact nothing more than that. Both sides are shown. There is nothing to see (yet). The performer explains that the handkerchief is in fact an LED computer screen. He then folds it up and rolls it into a small package. The performer takes a rubber band, says it is the “bandwidth” and secures the small package with the “bandwidth”.
The performer then shows several 5 by 7 inch cards with pictures of celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Will Smith, Jennifer Aniston, Whoopie Goldberg, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, George Clooney and Leonardo DeCaprio. Each card has a blue and white back with the Facebook “f” on it which represent different “profile pictures” of the celebrities. There are many more cards, but not all are shown. The performer then moves a card from the top of the stack of 25 cards and when the spectator says “stop” a celebrity is chosen (without seeing who the celebrity is) and then the celebrity is shown.
Let’s assume that the celebrity chosen by the spectator is Angelina Jolie. During the routine the performer holds up a cardboard hand with a thumbs up (the Facebook “like” button icon) and plays various computer sound effects. The performer then explains that he will “cut and paste” the image from the chosen card and, with a hand movement, gestures towards the bound handkerchief. The handkerchief is then opened and then the blank screen amazingly has turned into the image of Angelina Jolie.
For $50 you get a password protected Vimeo instructional video that is an hour and seventeen minutes long and taught by Alvarez who is a very likeable and nice fellow. You also get the necessary handkerchiefs, profile picture cards, a pdf written patter of the routine and a zip file in which you can download the computer sounds with 15 different files (such as the “like” button sound, the computer shutting down, etc…). The quality of the cards and hankerchief is excellent.
The instructional video starts with a super edited segment of the performance of the routine in Spanish and with no subtitles. It is a useless 5 minutes – even if you speak Spanish because it is so heavily edited. Overall, the instructional video is too long and too tedious. However, the instructional video contains an uncut live studio performance with two spectators and a performance of a virtual show. This is very helpful because you can see how the routine plays. For my liking, the jokes in the routine are a bit cheesy using social media lingo i.e. he puts a post-it note on the spectator and says that he “tagged” them.
For this trick, you are buying the routine and the pieces that make up the routine, which some people will absolutely love. There is no new effect here and the originality is with the presentation. You also received different audio files with computer sounds that you can play during the routine.
The trick is very easy to learn and simple to perform. You can tell from the ad copy below that the reveal is forced and the handkerchief is switched. The rest you can figure out.
This trick is not really for walk around, but for a parlor or virtual show. It has some potential for the right performer and the right audience.
The ad copy states:
“Twister Magic and George Iglesias are proud to present the new Social Print routine by Juan Alvarez designed for virtual and live shows!
It’s more than a trick. This is a full routine created for the amateur or professional magician. During the past 10 years, Juan Alvarez from Colombia, has been presenting Social Print with great success in-person, on television and recently through Zoom virtual shows. This routine easily adapts to any situation and is themed around social media. Packed with entertaining moments, it’s a proven worker that’s very easy to do.
Inspired by the trick “Silk,” by Lewis Davenport, Juan has reshaped everything, created a full script and audience tested the routine hundreds of times. You will receive everything you need to perform: A card box, 26 specially printed cards, two custom-printed silks, a Facebook hand accessory, and even Juan’s script. Of course, you are more than welcome to create your own routines, gags and lines!
Effect:
You display a silk, it is printed blue and white in the center spot, and ask the spectator:
Do you know what is this?
Naturally, the spectator will say it is a handkerchief, and the magician will say…
No! This is the last piece of technology created by the human being, it is actually a very thin and foldable LED screen, capable of printing your thoughts. You display a silk, it is printed blue and white in the center spot, and the magician and spectators have a conversation like this:
Then the handkerchief is folded in half many times until it is very small. A rubber band is shown and you say…
Do you know what is this?
The spectator will say, “A rubber band.” But the magician will say…
“No. This is the bandwidth, remember we are talking about technology!”
The rubber band is placed around the silk and this is held by the spectator in his hand or it could be put inside of a glass in full view. If you are doing virtual shows.
Now you show a box of jumbo cards with a FB logo on it. Removing the cards, you show they are printed with photos of celebrities: Will Smith, Lady Gaga, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian, Elon Musk, Whoopi Goldberg, George Clooney, and many more!
You invite your audience to play along as you state a celebrity’s first name and getting them to guess the last name. For example: “George” and the audience says “Clooney“!
Then you show another card as you say, “Lady” The audience answers “Gaga“.
Then you say “Leonardo” and audience answers “DiCaprio” you can now throw a gag pointing to someone on the audience or screen saying “Who said DaVinci?”
And so on with others! (You even receive a blank card so you can put your own picture in the famous list or the picture of any other famous you want to add or do a switch that is explained in the video explanation)
So, the audience gets to see many different famous people. Now you starting passing cards from top to bottom and ask someone to say stop any time. Alternatively, you could pass the cards, one by one and have them say “Stop” anywhere.
Now you show the selection (Angelina Jolie or Leonardo DiCaprio depending on the version you bought)
You can make comments now about the celebrity selected, come up with your own gags here.
The card now can remain in the spectator’s hand or if you are doing a virtual show, it can remain facing the camera over your table or on an easel in full view.
Now, the magician asks the spectator his or her name. He writes it on a Post-it note.
“Do you know what am I doing?”
The magician now sticks the post it on the spectator’s jacket.
I am tagging you!
Now the magician point to the spectator’s head and asks…
Do you know what’s in here?
The spectator will say “My brain?” but once more the magician replies and says…
“No! This is your hard drive!”
Now the magician takes out an envelope and give it to the spectator asking: (Not included, you provide your own envelope)
Do you know what is this?
The spectator will say “An envelope?”
“No! You receive a message!”. “Open it!”
When open any funny message can be read out loud… “I love you!”, “See you at 5 pm!” “Whatsapp dude!” (You can customize any message you want)
And of course, you can also come up with more jokes about the mouse, USB port, pen drive, power supply, fake news, virus and much more.
Then the magician shows a Facebook “Thumbs Up” accessory and says…
“Hey, don’t forget to like me on Facebook!” as he gives the audience his Facebook page or social media info.
Now the magician asks the spectator one last question…
“Do you know how to copy and paste?” Control+C and Control+V?
Then the magician or the spectator, as desired, make some gestures of copying and pasting from the card to the silk.
Once the magic gestures have been made, the rubber band is taken off, the silk is displayed and amazingly the selected celebrity is now printed on the handkerchief in high resolution.
Now the magicians say goodbye to the spectator, but before the spectator leaves the stage, he says…
“Sorry I forgot to log off!” (The sound of windows log off sound plays)
The possibilities are endless! You get a complete routine that includes everything you need to perform Social Print.
YOU RECEIVE:
- 1 special card box printed with FaceBook logos
- 1 special printed handkerchief – White and Blue (Made from heavy silk, great printing definition, high durability and also washable)
- 1 special printed handkerchief – Leonardo Di Caprio or Angeline Jolie (depending on the trick you purchase) (made from heavy silk, great printing definition, high durability and also washable)
- 1 Facebook hand (made of thick cardboard and plastified for high durability)
- 1 instructional online video card
- 1 Link to download: sound effects and a PDF with a written routine.
- 1 special set of 26 printed jumbo cards:
Containing:
– 10 different cards: Jennifer Aniston, Will Smith, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Whoopie Goldberg, Sofia Vergara, Angelina Jolie, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, Donald Trump.
– 1 blank card (To add your own picture or any other picture you wish)
– 15 repeated cards to force: Leonardo Di Caprio or Angelina Jolie (Depending on the trick you purchase)”
This trick has real potential if you take the bones and add your own personality. Don’t read from the script that you get because when you make this your own, you bring it to life. It’s fun and easy.
Thank you Murphy’s Magic for asking me to review this trick and to let me kick the tires. If you are interested in this product go to any Murphy’s retailer and it will appear.
