Side-Swiped

Discuss products and their reviews in Genii.
Tim Trono
Posts: 101
Joined: July 16th, 2008, 3:50 am

Side-Swiped

Postby Tim Trono » July 26th, 2002, 8:11 am

A few people have e-mailed me inquiring about Side-Swiped. Some time ago, I learned and used a much overlooked routine by Simon Aronson all of the time in my work for real people. I finally convinced Simon that we should put it out as I considered it to be one of his strongest and most commercial items. Simon agreed and it is one of the items he uses all of the time when he is asked to do magic for people (in fact, if you look on the back cover of the instruction booklet, you will see Simon doing this routine when asked to do something for Larry Jennings). In effect, you display both sides of a small printed Instruction Card for "The World's Greatest Card Trick" which you just received in today's mail and offer to try it out with the spectator's help. As you read off each step, the spectator follows the instruction. The instructions guide the spectator to select a playing card from a shuffled deck, sign its face, replace it in the deck and finally wrap the deck up in rubber bands, "magician-proofing" the pack. The spectator's signed selection remains in full view the entire time until it's cleanly buried in the deck. The spectator wraps the deck herself and then drops it into your jacket pocket. The final instruction is then read, but it simply says "magically produce the card." You make a magical gestured over the Instruction Card-which you've been holding in plain view since the very beginning of the trick and when you turn it around, the other side is shown to have magically changed into the spectator's selected card, complete with their signature! The Instruction Card is immediately given to the spectator to keep as a souvenir. It's an "impossible object" which she'll keep forever. The effect requires no memorization (!), is very memorable and totally baffling. It is extremely easy to do with really only one sleight if you can call it that. Instead of heavy sleight of hand Simon put on his thinking cap in a huge way and devised this devious item so that it looks like real magic with no movey actions. If you see this done it will fool the hell out of you. One of the main strengths is that it leaves the spectator with a permanent, personalized, impossible object which is one of the strongest things you can do (others such as Michael Weber, Michael Ammar, James Lewis, etc. have realized the strength of leaving them with an object in an impossible state and devised effects which do precisely this). Andrew Pinard sees LOTS of magic and is a full time professional worker of a very high caliber. When Andrew was laying out the instruction booklet, he called me and wanted to start using this in his work for real people and Andrew is very selective of his material. Simon has also thrown in some devious new ideas.

Tim Trono

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » September 4th, 2002, 2:09 pm

This effect sounds wonderful -- is anyone here using it? Without tipping method, is it problematic for a performer who doesn't wear a jacket?

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » September 6th, 2002, 7:48 pm

A jacket is certainly not necessary. Simon does use the outside breast pocket of his jacket for the opening phase of the routine. However, a shirt pocket could be used if the shirt is opaque, and Simon gives a couple of alternatives in the instructions which would also make using the pocket unnecessary.

I agree with Tim, this is a great trick. For table hoppers, be aware that you will need to buy refills.

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » September 6th, 2002, 8:43 pm

I saw the ad for it on the Stevens' mailer today and was completely intrigued (sic?). I just purchased, and have been working on, Red Sea Passover, and fell in love with the routine. Knowing how powerful that was, I quickly noticed the ad for Side Swipe.
Again, without giving away the method, are the "refills" anything that one can make themselves, or does it require specifically made gimmicks for this trick?
Thanks for the info, Dennis.
Rick

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » September 6th, 2002, 8:50 pm

The refills are sold by the same dealers which handle the trick. I suppose you might be able to do it yourself, but they won't be as nice as the commercially printed ones.

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » September 6th, 2002, 8:56 pm

Thanks Dennis. I guess what I was actually wondering was if it was something that was a "generic" gimmick, like a double face or a double end card or something.
I do quite a bit of walk around, and if it's that strong of a routine, it may be worth it to add in to the act. At least the price is low enough I could try it and see what results it gets.
Thanks.

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » March 4th, 2004, 10:43 am

I just happened upon Side-Swiped, started reading it, and realized, to my great surprise, that this is a fabulous effect.

It's your classic Signed Card to Impossible Location, with the added advantage that the location is in plain view and attention the entire time.

I'm doubly fascinated with it because it's rather close in effect to Darwin Ortiz's "Dream Card." There's the signature jump, first of all, and then the back-change convincer. In fact, as I work on it, I wonder if I can possibly perform my own variation on "Dream Card" (which I call "The Man with the Artistic Eyes") in the same set with Side-Swiped. It might seem like a duplication.

I'm surprised that Side-Swiped is so good, because there are so many tricks released that claim to be the best trick you could ever do, and yet turn out to be non-workers. The instruction booklet, too, is uncommonly well written, almost as well as could be hoped for.

The main drawback of this routine, of course, is that it contains a gimmick that requires constant refills. The refills are cheap, but to a worker, this is a major bother.

The other drawback is that it can't be done surrounded. Can't be done on the street, then.

I will play with this routine and see if it becomes a permanent part of my walkaround repertoire.

Ralph Mackintosh
Posts: 32
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Newport Beach, CA

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Ralph Mackintosh » March 8th, 2004, 4:12 pm

I use it all the time in my trade show work with custom cards featuring the clients name and logo. I use a line something like "Did you know that in addition to being the top supplier of widgets, XYZ company has just released a magic trick for its customers, etc."

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » March 9th, 2004, 12:46 am

Ralph, I suppose that the trick kills.

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » April 13th, 2004, 7:59 am

I've heard a lot of good things about this trick, and if I were going to buy it I would just go ahead and buy some refills at the same time. It sounds like I'd need them anyway since it's such a killer.

Scott Fridinger
Posts: 234
Joined: March 16th, 2008, 3:36 am

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Scott Fridinger » April 15th, 2004, 8:30 am

I just found this string so I have to add.

Side Swiped may be one of the best tricks you can do right now.

When I first got into magic about 10 years ago, a friend of mine was doing the predecessor to this trick which is found in one of Simon's books, Simply Simon, (the only one I don't currently own)but I can't remember the effects name. He had made some custom cards, and they look pretty good. The trick looked even better.

When I saw Side Swiped come out I bought it up. The cards are beautiful, and the little added bonuses added to the effect are what puts it over the top. I am suprised more people do not do this effect, WHICH IS OK, because it leaves it for the rest of us. I give it 3 thumbs up, two from me and my wife lends me one. I think the Simon's work is just a step above, and it is nice to see that he is selective, and release commercially only the best effects from his books. As mentioned earlier, Red See Passover is another excellent effect.

BTW Simply Simon is the next book on my list to get my hands on.

Scott

Guest

Re: Side-Swiped

Postby Guest » April 15th, 2004, 8:27 pm

There's a video clip of Simon Aronson doing Side-Swiped at his site, here:
http://www.simonaronson.com/tricks.htm


Return to “Light From the Lamp”