Iain Moran has been a Big Blind Media contributor for many years. This project, Zen Magic, is an absolute gift on so many levels. This is an amazingly strong set of tricks. This DVD (or download) is superb not just because of the tricks, but because of the thought behind each move, each sleight, each phase of every trick.
Moran performs each trick in the Big Blind Media red room and then explains it to fellow magician Liam Montier. The production quality is excellent as per Big Blind Media standards and the explanations by Moran are equally brilliant. In these tricks, Moran heavily credits the magi who have inspired him and explains the bits and pieces of each trick. It is inspirational to see intellectual thought behind each trick, something that is frequently missing from magic projects.
Most of what is presented is card magic, but there are a couple of coin magic routines which are excellent. If you watch the performances of these tricks, as a magician, you will be please and often fooled – not knowing when and where the move or the magic happened. Some of these tricks will require some practice if you are not already an intermediate card handler.
In addition to the great bevy of tricks that you learn, Moran teaches several great moves at the end of the DVD for those that are still on their journey from novice to advanced beginner to intermediate.
The ad copy contains brief descriptions of the 10 effects which are listed as follows:
“Iain Moran’s ZEN MAGIC is a collection of absolute barns storming close-up effects – 10 routines (eight card tricks and two of Iain’s signature coin routines) – and each is a SOLID GOLD winner. Indeed, each one could have been a best-selling single trick release. Iain has truly honed and perfected each one into a tour-de-force of magical jujitsu.
Perfectly constructed for maximum impact and pure magical content, Iain also prioritizes a ‘belt & braces’ approach to handling. With the practiced hand of a man who performs professionally day in, day out, these tricks are built to WORK.
Counting on Them: Imagine performing a trick that fools everyone, and then explaining how to do it…and then leaving them even more fooled than before!
Magician’s Nephew: You and your spectator both choose cards, and lose them back in the deck, and then, astonishingly, find each other’s cards!
Thanks to Lance, John and Dave: A signed card vanishes and appears back in your pocket, time and time again, before the kicker that they never see coming!
Quantum Sandwich 2.0: A baffling double sandwich routine, with a signed card, then finishes with a visual and shocking kickback! Brains will fizz!
TUC3: Fast and furious is the vibe for this unrelenting coin routine, with productions, transpositions and vanishes that will leave them reeling!
Easy To Find: A super-clean sandwich style effect with a dash of mentalism to finish them off!
Fifty Some: A double whammy that you can build into any card box! First a chosen card appears inside, and then a prediction impossibly appears on the case – and it’s examinable!
Prime Importance: A visual shocker where a blank card visibly prints into a selection, first the back design, and then the face, and then finally the signature!! This is a keeper!
Silver Sequence: Another coin routine that will leave you spectators picking their jaws from the floor!
Picking Pockets: Easily the most astonishing version of the ‘Interchange’ plot ever conceived. Four jacks, isolated in four different pockets, slowly and cleanly change places with four signed aces, which are then removed from the pockets the jacks had been in! KILLER!
And, you’ll also learn these utterly indispensable sleights:
CONVINCING CONTROL
ACKERMAN VARIES KELLY
JK HARTMAN RS BLUFF CONTROL
UNDERSPREAD FORCE
GARY KURTZ SLIP-CUT FORCE”
And of course, the ad copy comes with quotes of praise from fellow magicians:
““Iain Moran fools the hell out of me every time I meet up with him, his magic is practical and great for laymen and magicians alike. Love his stuff.”
– Chris Congreave
“Iain is back with another collection of strong working material. Strong magic, clear teaching and routines you WILL USE.”
– Daniel Chard
“Iain mentored me 30 years ago, with his new DVD set he is still schooling me, beautiful, natural light touch in his card and coin work.Move over cullfather here comes Zen Master.”
– Gary Middleton
“Don’t let Iain’s softly spoken charm deceive you, his magic is devious hard-hitting commercial stuff that will knock your spectators for six!”
– Shaun McCree”
These tricks are good for all magicians from hobbyist to pro. If you didn’t get it from the 9.5 rating, or the praise above, Zen Magic is an example of excellence in magic thought, construction and presentation. I solidly stand behind any of the 10 routines presented on Zen Magic.
I don’t know how they do it, over and over, but Big Blind Media must have an group of captive elves, slaving away in the BBM workshop, pumping out amazing projects month after month. Keep it going guys!
