Mixed Perception is the latest BBM release from Cameron Francis, and packed full of magic it is too. It is a packet trick which is designed not to look like a packet trick. Here’s a brief description of the effect before our review.
The effect
The spectator chooses 6 cards from the deck and after they have been mixed selects one of them. The packet is shuffled and then mixed face up and face down a la Triumph. Then in an instant all the cards turn face down apart from the spectator’s chosen one. If that weren’t enough their selection is then shown to have a different colour back. And in a final kicker all the other cards are clearly shown to be blank.
Our thoughts
There’s a lot of magic here for very little effort. You are supplied with the necessary gaffed cards, succinct printed instructions and a link to a 16-minute video download. I love that you have both options for learning, because some of us still prefer written instructions (I know, we’re a dying breed…).
The teaching, in both formats, is clear and the routine is easy to do with little in the way of sleight of hand. You could do this as a straight ‘packet’ trick – but I think it is much stronger when the cards are taken from a full deck – so you’ll need to supply a matching red Bicycle deck to go with this.
Purists may not like this since you’re adding some ‘unusual’ cards to the deck which means you can’t use it for anything else. And John Bannon would tut quietly under his breath since the effect isn’t ‘fractal’ i.e. it doesn’t end clean and examinable. However, in return you get some very visual and strong magic in return. It really does play exactly as described above.
Mixed Perception is a neat little effect. And if the ‘one trick’ aspect puts you off, then you could use it as an opening effect, ditch the blank cards and then keep working with a normal (if slightly short) deck.
There’s not much to dislike about this. If I was being really picky, I didn’t like the contrasting back with my set. It came from the Karnival Fatal deck which is one of my least favourite Karnival decks. But more than that, the back design is so different from a normal deck that it may in a funny sort of way lessen the reaction from the spectator. A simply contrasting colour Bicycle card would be stronger in my opinion. But then you could very easily add one of those yourself!
I don’t think Cameron has ever put out a bad release and Mixed Perception is up to the usual standard. Great magic, easy to do, ready to go. Go out and get yourself a set…
You can pick Mixed Perception up directly from BBM (who kindly supplied the review copy) for £21.49
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