"Snap Shot" by Thom Peterson
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

"Snap Shot", an effect by Thom Peterson, takes a fairly standard plot, throws a striking visual at it, adds a nice touch here and there and, in the end, delivers an entertaining, attractive piece of magic.

"Snap Shot" is very straightforward to explain: it is, after all, a very simple card revelation. The spectator looks at and remembers a card. Three pieces of "photographic paper" (that is, double-blank cards) are brought out and shown. The spectator takes one of these and signs it. This is inserted between the other two cards in a fan. With a snap of the fingers, the image of the spectator's thought-of card appears on the signed card, a bit blurry but plainly there.

The end.

What? You wanted something comparable to parting the Red Sea? Well, that ain't happening here.

This is, after all, a packet trick used to reveal a chosen card. That's been around for ever, in more flavors than we care to count. With rare exceptions, these things always play pretty well; once in a thousand or so is something miraculous. "Snap Shot", while not a miracle, certainly plays better than most. Peterson built a lot of things into this one to give it a lot more power than is usually found in such things.

First, he made the handling very clean. Simple and effective, it works. Second, he used an old Ben Harris idea (fully credited, bless him) for the visual change that is, in a word, striking. Third, he added the touch of the spectator signing the card to be changed which makes this even more unfathomable to a spectator (and represents a nice step-up in change). Fourth, and last, he created a weird card that is different enough to get good reactions from spectators.

Put all of this together and you've got a very good piece of card magic.

As to the specifics, this is a very practical piece of work. Put the specially-printed cards in your pocket, grab a deck, and you're off to the races. The handling itself is simple, but that change will have you working at it for a while to get down pat. You are given a decent amount of different cards to work with, but you'll probably need to by refills quickly since you lose one every performance (giving away that signed card).

All in all, "Snap Shot" won't get you booked on Leno and it won't have spectators naming their children after you, but it's a very good piece of card magic that hits spectators as unexpected and visually shocking, not to mention entertaining. These are all good things and "Snap Shots" got 'em.

"Snap Shot" by Thom Peterson
In a Blink: 8 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
A simple set-up, a quick reset, packs small, easily repeatable... This is a very practical piece of card magic.

Workmanship: 10
The cards (on Bicycle stock) look great and have just the right touch of weirdness to get attention. You are supplied with a variety of them, enough for a dozen or so performances before you'll need to order refills.

Documentation: 10
Peterson does a great job on the DVD, covering all the necessary moves excellently and quite thoroughly. You'll have no problem learning this one.

Effect: 7
Let's be honest: this isn't reputation-making stuff here, but it's weird and visual and audiences respond to it really well. For what amounts to a packet trick revelation, that's pretty good.

Presentation: 7
Yes, weird cards almost always play well -- they have a novelty value that works -- but Peterson's presentation would be quite ordinary if it wasn't for the visuals he added and the structure he uses. That make this more than your average card revelation.

Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.