A relatively short and concise DVD (circa 22 minutes in total which includes a couple of Craig's routines)
but one that refreshingly gets straight to the point and gets on with the job of teaching you how to perform
one of the more difficult sleights in card magic - properly!

The tutorial is clearly broken down into 6 key steps:
The Flesh Break, The Finger Break, The Tilt, The Movement, The Swing and The Squaring. There is also a couple of
very short tutorials on variants of the move such as; The Turnover Pass and The Riffle Pass. Craig then demonstrates
The Classic Force in one of his show / routines.

The steps are described in detail and repeated numerous times to help ensure you have a clear understanding of
what is going on and how you should be doing it. Further to this all of the moves are shown from different
camera angles which really does allow you to get a very thorough understanding of exactly what is required in each
step. As with all good things in magic to learn what Craig teaches will require dedicated practice. However,
this DVD ensures you know exactly what to do, how to do it and when to do it.

The DVD then moves on to show you Craig in action - he is different! I think you will either like his style of
presentation or you won't. I do!

My overall score for the DVD is 9/10. As stated above, it is short concise and to the point - exactly what you want
when you purchase a new magic DVD - to stick it straight into the computer or the TV and get down to business with
card in hand!

It's by Chris Dugdale, not Craig.

Does that make a difference to the review? SORRY!!!!

Touchy lol, the info should be correct incase someone wants to look into buying the dvd and is confused

Of course it makes a difference TheGreatDesmondo! Chill!

I reviewed this during the last Magic Marketplace product review show and here are some of my thoughts from the review...

Overall:

You're getting a very short DVD that is shot in the Bahamas and briefly goes over a few different versions of the pass. First I must say that I'm a big fan of the pass and have studied it for quite a few years. I use a lot of different versions so I was excited to see a new source pop up. Sadly this DVD really rubbed me the wrong way and I felt it didn't bring much to the table for someone looking to learn the pass.

I believe in total there were about 12 mins of teaching included on this DVD. There are 4 passes included but I don't think you can teach anyone even 1 pass in 12 mins let alone 4. For a move as difficult and intricate I also felt the 'fun' feel they were going for just didn't let me take what they were saying very serious. I mean Chris is standing in the ocean and literally doing a few passes as the water runs over his feet. He then spends literally a couple of mins then teaching you how to do the moves so you can start doing the pass.

This DVD is $30.00 and I honestly think there are many better sources out there to learn the pass. Ken Krenzel has an excellent DVD which was converted from an old VHS that while the production quality isn't what most DVDs are these days the information provided is top notch. Jim Swain also has a set of DVDs out that includes various passes and effects you can do with them. Gary Ouelette also wrote an excellent book on the pass that includes a few different versions and is a great resource.

I just couldn't recommend this DVD and think that if you seriously want to learn the move stay away from this DVD and either find someone in person to help you or check out one of the sources mentioned above.

luke

Thanks for that Luke.

Here's a demo video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WrKg7rtU_w

At 0:42 of the video, it shows him doing it live. He's giving three big outer riffles to the deck before doing the move itself. Is this the way he teaches it? Is there a rationale for that?

The rationale for the riffles is to condition the spectator & decrease suspicion when the pass is done.

"The performer who constantly riffles the ends of the pack, who rushes through his feats as though Beelzebub were hard on his heels, whose movements are quick and jerky, is defeated before he starts, for his spectators always are conscious of the fact that he is employing sleight of hand; his every action betrays this fact." - Hugard and Braue Expert Card Technique

"The shift has yet to be invented that can be executed by a movement appearing as coincident with card-table routine; or that can be executed with the hands held stationary and not show that some manoeuver has taken place, however cleverly it may be performed. Nevertheless upon occasion it must be employed, and the resourceful professional failing to improve the method changes the moment; and by this expedient overcomes the principal obstacle in the way of accomplishing the action unobserved." S.W. Erdnase, Artifice, Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table: A Treatise on the Science and Art of Manipulating Cards