Title: Unveil
Artist: Hyunjoon Kim
Producers: Hyunjoon Kim
Link: Available From Your Favorite Murphy’s Magic Retailer.
Retail Price: $99.95
Length of DVD: 44 minutes each (roughly)
Learning Difficulty: Expert

Notes: 2 DVD set including special gimmick for Hyunjoon’s card production.

Disk 1 Features:
• Trailer
• Card Basic Lecture
◦ Single Card Vanish
◦ One Hand Fan
◦ Back Palm Production
◦ Split Fan Production
◦ Twirling
◦ Perfect Production
◦ Tenkai Regrip Production + Picket Vanish
• Card Original Lecture
◦ Double Perfect Production
◦ Center of Card Production
◦ Eagle Production
◦ Color Change False Production
◦ Rainbow Phoenix Production
◦ Four Color Change Card
◦ Five Card Spin Twirling
◦ Hyun Joon Production
• Credit

Disk 2 Features:
• Trailer
• Ball Basic Lecture
◦ Ball Roll
◦ Basic Ball Vanish
◦ Catch Ball Vanish
◦ Two Shell Routine
◦ Three Shell Routine
◦ Cross Ball Routine
◦ Spin Ball Change Routine
◦ Cross Ball Color Change
◦ Nine Ball Production
◦ Rainbow Color Ball Routine
◦ Silk Ball Routine
• Ball Original Lecture
◦ Perfect Ball Vanish
◦ Special Pivot
◦ Interlock Ball Production
◦ Interlock Ball Color Change
◦ Interlock Color Change combo
• Credit

Trick Introduction or Dealers Marketing Copy reworded.

Before Unveil if you wanted to learn card manipulation there was Jeff McBride’s videos. Don’t get me wrong, Jeff will always hold the title King of Cards but when it comes to class, style, speed, and sheer technical knowhow 2012 FISM winner in manipulation Hyunjoon Kim is king.

Card and ball manipulation is a beautiful and difficult stage act to master. Learning to perform the moves needed to take your spot on stage can be intimidating, and learning them from Hyunjoon Kim is like kneeling before the feet of the master himself. For such a young artist Kim’s grasp over manipulation is jaw dropping. I’ve seen his award winning FISM act before and I was flabbergasted to see that he made it available in his Unveil manipulation lecture DVD set. Never before have I seen such grace and mastery on display for the intent to be instructional, and the entire package containing his personal gimmick for mass card production is beautifully constructed.

Let’s get clear about one thing. You have to know what it is you’re buying before you can appreciate this DVD set. This is all about card and billiard ball manipulation. This is stage material and not something you’d want to do if you have audiences surrounding you. If you are looking for lecture type discussions over how to do manipulation you’re not going to get that here. Kim shows you what you need to know to do each little production but there is no vocal discussion. It’s just him showing you the moves. This is not an introduction to card or billiards manipulation! You’re not going to learn about what types of cards to use or where to get them. You’re not going to learn about fanning powder or things like that. This is strait up “Here’s the move now here’s how to do it.” If you’re already at least somewhat familiar with the art of manipulation then this DVD set will be a master course in perfecting it.

The gimmick for the Hyunjoon Production will require you to construct it to fit into your performance attire. This is another finer point of this video series that most magicians will have an issue with. Card manipulation is a stage act. Everything you do, from the smallest movement of your body, to the wardrobe that you wear must be thought through in how it affects and complements your performance. Most magicians are going to look at this gimmick and not bother to take the time to construct it properly into their wardrobe. This is why they will fail at the Hyunjoon Production. Even I haven’t fully built this gimmick yet because I don’t even have a performance costume that I’d wear for card manipulation on Kim’s level. This requires some forethought. Sadly not everyone who buys this DVD will be as devoted to the art of manipulation to respect the value of this gimmick.

The second DVD is all about ball manipulation. Kim is super smooth and very slick with his handling. Even knowing exactly what he’s doing your eyes are fooled, he’s that good. Like the card manipulations on the first DVD this second disk does not give you any verbal discussion on the finer points of ball manipulation. So if you’ve never looked at billiard manipulation before you may feel frustrated at this DVD because there are lots of things Kim assumes you’ll understand before you watch Unveil. For example there are no discussions on how to get into the ball holds or how to transition between acts. There are no discussions for things like ball holders or the like. For someone unfamiliar with manipulations and Unveil being their first exposure I’m afraid Kim is going to come off as a show boat who doesn’t really teach as much as he briefly shows you this is how it’s done. But for the student who can look past that to see what is really being demonstrated (that being amazing skill at manipulation) this DVD set is essential. On a parting note I wish Kim would have included a video of his full billiard ball routine on the second disk. It would have been nice to see that with the material he does teach.

Overall this is a hell of a DVD from a very skilled performer. You’re either going to love it or you are going to hate it. At a price tag of nearly a hundred dollars I wouldn’t buy this as my first DVD experience into the art of card or billiard manipulation, however as a student of manipulation I view having this DVD set as vital to the educational process. There are very few things in the world of magic you can learn to do that plays well on a large stage and doesn’t cost you a fortune to acquire. Manipulation acts represent one of those low rates of financial investment, high yield of returns. The only trick is it requires a hell of a lot of time mastering the moves. To which extent I consider it time well spent. I would certainly recommend this DVD.

When I give my product scores below I am measuring them on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 Being absolute the worst score possible, and 10 being the absolute best, making a score of five average. The four points that I grade upon is Product Quality, Teaching Quality, Sound & Video Quality and Overall Quality.

Product Quality: 8
Really pricy, tough material to learn, and more flashy show with less verbal tell. This is a great product for the right person.

Teaching Quality: 9
Forget language barriers, just watch the DVD and follow along with your hands. Muscle memory folks!

Video & Sound Quality: 9
Good sound, and video. Easy to navigate DVD. Well put together package over all.

Overall Quality: 8
You’re going to love it or hate it. Personally I highly recommend it!


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Thanks for the review!