Price$75.00
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedDec 25, 2013
The Box
Mark Southworth
Mark Anthony Southworth
(Based on 4 reviews)
A box with a folded card is clearly displayed trapped in rubber bands & placed into a spectators hands or pocket or nearby table. 52 cards are displayed & your spectator takes anyone & signs the card. The card is lost back inside the deck, shuffled & place away in the magicians pocket. The Box is now displayed & rubber bands removed... the card is tipped out... The spectators signed card.
2 Sec Reset
Interchangeable Gimmicks
Examinable
Portable
Includes Marks Impossible Banknote to impossible location using The Box in a way that looks like TV Magic...
The Box
- 1 x Red Backed Bicycle Card Gimmick
- 2 x Extra Gimmicks... For Banknotes, Predictions etc
- 1 x Resetting Tool
- Routines
- Live Chat Session With Stephen Leathwaite
BONUS!! A $15.00 dollar Value FREE!
1-Spare box
1-lockable Prediction bag (cloth bag with eye for a padlock)
1-extra gimmicks ( to make various card etc.)
What Others Are Saying:
"The Box is a mechanical marvel! Kennedy's Mystery Box updated and ultra portable. A very powerful utility box that all magicians should carry on them."
- ANGELO CARBONE
"What a step forward in the box plot, love it !"
- STEPHEN LEATHWAITE
"Outstanding, one of the most beautifully deceptive bits of kit in my arsenal, this should be called the sniper box, because it kills every time."
- WAYNE GOODMAN
"This is ingenious!"
- PETER EGGINK
"This is THE best card to box I have ever had the pleasure to witness. It has everything that REAL magic should look like. Organic, open, and a diabolical method that sits right under their noses."
- JUSTIN MILLER
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Effect
A Card To Impossible location is a classic plot. There have been numerous ways this has been done. Cards have ended up in wallets, lighters, pens and juggling pins. There have also been several card to box routines developed over the years as well. "The Box" by Mark Southworth can now be counted as one of the latest Card To Box effects. A spectator signs a card, the card is lost in a deck. The card disappears from the deck and ends up in a small plastic box which was locked in a pouch.Method
This trick like all the other box tricks all utilize basically the same method. The signed card is folded and palmed, the box is produced from a pocket and in the box there appears to be a card. The card is dumped out of the box and when opened it is the actual signed card. By now we now that the card in the box is a fake and when dumped out it disappears from view. The disappearance of the card sells the trick.Product Quality
What you receive when you purchase this is the gimmicked box, a bag for the box, some shim material, a resetting magnet and a second box in case the first gets damaged. The box itself is a simple black box with a clear lid. the gimmick that holds the folded card and ultimately gives the illusion that the card disappears is well made and thought out. The bag is included if you want to add another layer of mystery. You will need to use a small lock as the bag has two rivet holes and no drawstring. The instructions themselves is on a DVD and although not a very well produced video, the instructional part is thorough. It covers using the gimmick, resetting the gimmick, splitting cards to customize the box, and numerous tips on handling and presentational ideas. What is most appealing about the box is that it doesn't look like a magic prop, it looks like what it is, a simple every day pill or parts box. Other versions of card to box, although much prettier and polished, look out of place. In addition The Box is perfect for walk around where I see this effect performed the most.Ad Copy Integrity
There is no exaggeration in the ad copy. Performed correctly The Box will definitely create the impression that the signed card came out of the box. If you prefer your props to be more organic looking than magic props then The Box may be what you are looking for.(Top ▲)
Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Rock 'n' Roll Children by DIO
Mark Southworth: The Box Review
Two boxes, 1 gimmick, 3 "stuffs" for making more gimmicks, a small bag, 1 hour and $75 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect/Method
What you're getting is a utility device that can be used to switch objects, vanish objects, etc. There are many effects possible, most notably: signed card to impossible location (i.e., the box with the clear lid that's been sitting on the table the whole time). There are many products like this on the market for showing an item in a box, dumping it out, and secretly switching the object.
However, this one has several advantages over any that I've seen before. First, once the object is "dumped out," the box is examinable. There is something to find, but they won't because the device locks. Further, the object (e.g., playing cards, dollar bill, billet, etc.) that is showing in the box is easily interchangeable. You can (in just 2 seconds) swap out the card gimmick for the dollar bill gimmick, for example.
The method is mostly dependent upon the box/gimmick itself. There is, however, sleight of hand involved as well. For example, with the card versions, you'll need to be able to do the MCF. For other effects, there's less sleight of hand needed. The box can be used as an incredibly clean vanish that requires no sleight of hand. There is also an effect shown near the end of the DVD that requires no sleight of hand with the gimmick. You'll still need to be able to force a card. The effect is that you have a $20 bill (or whatever denomination) in the box.
You claim that if you can't find their card, they can have the $20 bucks. After several failed attempts, you have them cup their hands together. You open the lid of the box and dump the $20 in their hand, but instead of a $20, there is a small note that says, "Your card is the Five of Hearts" (or whatever card you forced). Other than the card work, the effect is sleight-free. The gimmick does all the work automatically, and very cleanly.
Included with the DVD is a card gimmick already made up. If you're planning on doing it with money or a billet or something else, you'll have to make your own gimmick and add a little extra something to it. There are three extra somethings included, so you can make three more gimmicks. Let's say you make a $10 bill, a Billet (for confabulation or other predictions), and blue-backed card — you're already supplied a red-backed card gimmick.
You can have one gimmick set up in The Box, and the other 3 can be in your pocket or even a vinyl wallet — they take up very little space. Then you can do an effect with the red-backed card gimmick at one table and on the way to the next table, in 2 seconds, swap out the gimmick for the $10 bill and do a bill trick at the next table.
All of this is very doable and very simple. Practice will be required, but none of this is a pipe dream and the reset is 2 seconds.
Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy is accurate, but I do have one issue, and one point of clarification. First the point of clarification. The claim that the box is examinable is true. However, when it's set to display the card (or whatever), it cannot be opened by the spectator. They will "find stuff" if they open it. However, they can hold the box as long as they don't open it. Mark Southworth gives several simple ideas to prevent them from opening it. One simple one is to just wrap a rubber band around the box.
Once the gimmick is activated and the card has been switched, the box can instantly be handed to the spectator to be examined. I don't know that it's needed, but it can be done. The box is gimmicked, but it locks into place leaving them with nothing to find.
The "issue" I have is found in the video ad trailer. The moment that shows the card being "removed" from the box is different from any techniques shown in the DVD. The DVD teaches you to dump the card out into your hand. That dumping action is what activates and locks the gimmick. So I'm not sure exactly how he did it in the trailer. I have an idea of how to do it, but in order to do what I think he's doing, some finer points need to be discussed. None of that was in the DVD.
Product Quality
The gimmicks and stuff included are very well made and of excellent quality. Plus they went the extra mile by giving you the stuff to make the interchangeable gimmicks, and they give you an extra box in case the first one breaks or gets dropped, etc.
The DVD, on the other hand was poorly produced, had no menu, bad lighting and less-than-average audio. When clicking the forward button it just skips ahead to a seemingly random spot, so it would appear that there are no chapters either. The teaching segment was also a bit rough. There were several problems.
Over Explaining
For the first part of the DVD, you get Mark Southworth explaining how everything works. He does a good job, but then he repeats the same thing as he says, "from the beginning." In some cases he went through the exact thing 3 times in a row. It was too much.
Rambling
The teaching on this can be best described as scatterbrained. He was all over the place, and it only got worse when he was joined by Stephen Leathwaite — more on that in a moment. A lot of the material was covered in what I felt was an out of order sequence. It was just a bit messy.
Literally
Ok . . . This one won't affect the star rating, but I've got to know, what is the deal with people from the U.K., saying "literally" in almost every sentence? For example, "I just literally hand them the pen, and they just literally sign it, literally right on the face of the card." WHY!? If you know, please post a comment below.
Too Many "Chapters"
As I mentioned earlier, there are no meaningful chapter breaks. However, at the beginning of the DVD, the first 4 minutes (ish) of the DVD had three or four fade-out, chapter title, music, fade-in moments. This actually happened: the screen faded in to Southworth sitting at a table and he said, "Let's look at how the box works." That's all he said. Then the screen slowly faded to black. Then fancy effects with a title comes on the screen that says "How The Box Works" (or something like that). Then the screen fades in to Southworth at the table again. Then he says "Let's look at how the box works." Then he explained how The Box works. Was that really necessary? I think: not!
No Performances
This one bugs me quite a bit. Nowhere is there a performance of the effect, not even in the trailer. You see the moment of how the gimmick works, how visual it is, etc., but no performance. I'm not even asking for one in front of spectators, but how 'bout one for the camera, so we can at least get a sense of the flow of the routine.
To add insult to injury, he explained with words only a variety of different effects. Imagine someone, with no props, just words, explaining a cups and balls routine or in this case, a Chop Cup routine. The worst part was that the explanation was extremely all-over-the-place.
Over Talking
Finally, we come to the worst part of the DVD, I was literally ready to literally throw my laptop literally across the room. I was getting irrationally angry. Stephen Leathwaite joined Mark Southworth, and they discussed several different ideas. For the record, they were very clever and good ideas. They, of course, were mostly just "talked" about and not shown or even "walked through."
That aside, the problem came when Leathwaite and Southworth would just talk over each other and they were both so passionate and excited about what they were saying that I could barely understand anything. Though the talking was all friendly and positive, it was very much like watching two people argue over the top of each other without listening to
Final Thoughts
I know that's a lot of annoying stuff on the DVD. However, other than the fact that there is no full performance shown, everything else is covered eventually, and if you just block out an hour and watch it from start to finish, you will learn everything you need to know. You might be a bit more cranky by the time you're done, but you'll be well educated. Couple that with the fact that the gimmick is top notch and well made, and very easy to use, it's hard to give this a horrible rating. I feel like the majority of the negative stuff mentioned above is more like "something you need to be aware of" before you buy, but not necessarily something to say that this is a bad product and give it a bad rating.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
REVIEW
There are so many card production boxes, I thought I would share my view of The Box compared to a few other "clear" production boxes.
David Penn has the Mystery Solved box,
David Regal has the Clarity Box, and
Mark has The Box.
I think Mark's The Box is the best device for walk-around.
Several reasons:
1. It is smaller than the other two.
2. It looks more familiar than the other two. It looks a bit like a little pill box.
3. It comes with cloth bag with rivet holes. This bag is designed so you can place the box inside and place a small padlock through the rivet holes for a more dramatic routine (you must supply your own padlock).
The instruction is very good and this device lends itself to many very good applications.
For Parlor or small stage routines, I think David Regal's Clarity Box is best because it is the largest of the three and it has some decals that convey something "hazardous". I think this box is more visible and the "hazard" theme is one that works very well.
My least favorite is the Mystery Solved Box because it is a bit larger and less versatile than The Box for close-up, and smaller and less versatile than The Clarity box for parlor or stage.
CAUTION
The only caution I have is that you need a magnet to reset the box. This can be a bit cumbersome, but Mark provides an idea of gluing a magnet to the inside of a card box bottom and using it to reset. I think this is a great solution. He also explains how he frequently resets the box right in front of an audience if he forgets to reset it in advance.
VERDICT
For close-up, I think The Box is the best "see-through" card production device out there.
There are so many card production boxes, I thought I would share my view of The Box compared to a few other "clear" production boxes.
David Penn has the Mystery Solved box,
David Regal has the Clarity Box, and
Mark has The Box.
I think Mark's The Box is the best device for walk-around.
Several reasons:
1. It is smaller than the other two.
2. It looks more familiar than the other two. It looks a bit like a little pill box.
3. It comes with cloth bag with rivet holes. This bag is designed so you can place the box inside and place a small padlock through the rivet holes for a more dramatic routine (you must supply your own padlock).
The instruction is very good and this device lends itself to many very good applications.
For Parlor or small stage routines, I think David Regal's Clarity Box is best because it is the largest of the three and it has some decals that convey something "hazardous". I think this box is more visible and the "hazard" theme is one that works very well.
My least favorite is the Mystery Solved Box because it is a bit larger and less versatile than The Box for close-up, and smaller and less versatile than The Clarity box for parlor or stage.
CAUTION
The only caution I have is that you need a magnet to reset the box. This can be a bit cumbersome, but Mark provides an idea of gluing a magnet to the inside of a card box bottom and using it to reset. I think this is a great solution. He also explains how he frequently resets the box right in front of an audience if he forgets to reset it in advance.
VERDICT
For close-up, I think The Box is the best "see-through" card production device out there.
(Top ▲)
“Signed card to impossible location” is one of the strongest card effects one can do. The two most popular approaches are “card to wallet” and “card to box.” Countless versions of both effects have been released over the years, including the current product being reviewed, “The Box,” by Mark Southworth.
In “The Box” the performer displays a small box with a clear lid, containing a folded playing card. At the end of a signed card routine the performer opens the box, dumps out the card inside, and immediately shows the box to be empty. The card is then opened and shown to be the signed selection. For those familiar with popular marketed methods, the appearance of “The Box” is similar to John Kennedy’s “Mystery Box,” but with a clear lid, or David Regal’s “Clarity Box,” but smaller.
“The Box” comes with two boxes, the gimmick, a bag for the box, and an instructional DVD. I appreciated the inclusion of a second box as a backup, should the first one be damaged. The box looks normal and familiar, and will not arouse suspicion. The included bag is an option for those performers who would prefer that the contents of the box not be seen until the end of the routine. Keep in mind, the bag does not have a drawstring and is designed to be locked shut with a small lock that is not included. While not a big drawback, it’s a useful piece of information for a potential purchaser to know.
The instructions are clear and well thought out. Mr. Southworth covers the use of the gimmick in performance, how to reset it, as well as a basic routine. Part of the gimmick involves the use of a split card, and as a sort of bonus the DVD teaches how to split cards, though the product does come with the gimmick already premade with a red backed bicycle. The DVD also includes a number of presentational ideas and approaches, ideas for non-card routines (that require altering the gimmick, which isn’t difficult), practical tips during performance, prop and pocket management, alternate handlings, and, lastly, Mr. Southworth includes explanations of both the Mercury Card Fold and the Double Undercut. The lion’s share of the extra content is clever and useful, and will provide food for thought and ideas for ways to use and apply the prop.
Content aside, the question is how does it compare to other versions. First, unlike the “Clarity Box,” it fits in your pocket. It also looks more normal than the “Mystery Box.” And unlike the “Clarity Box,” you can choose to hide the contents by using the included bag. At the end of the day it rivals any version that allows the performer to display an empty container after dumping out the folded card.
At $75, it’s right in the price range of the other popular marketed boxes, is well made, reliable and practical. Given that, it’s really a matter of aesthetics and appearance. Check out the trailers online and choose from there. If you like the look of the prop and how the effect appears, you’ll be happy with “The Box.”
In “The Box” the performer displays a small box with a clear lid, containing a folded playing card. At the end of a signed card routine the performer opens the box, dumps out the card inside, and immediately shows the box to be empty. The card is then opened and shown to be the signed selection. For those familiar with popular marketed methods, the appearance of “The Box” is similar to John Kennedy’s “Mystery Box,” but with a clear lid, or David Regal’s “Clarity Box,” but smaller.
“The Box” comes with two boxes, the gimmick, a bag for the box, and an instructional DVD. I appreciated the inclusion of a second box as a backup, should the first one be damaged. The box looks normal and familiar, and will not arouse suspicion. The included bag is an option for those performers who would prefer that the contents of the box not be seen until the end of the routine. Keep in mind, the bag does not have a drawstring and is designed to be locked shut with a small lock that is not included. While not a big drawback, it’s a useful piece of information for a potential purchaser to know.
The instructions are clear and well thought out. Mr. Southworth covers the use of the gimmick in performance, how to reset it, as well as a basic routine. Part of the gimmick involves the use of a split card, and as a sort of bonus the DVD teaches how to split cards, though the product does come with the gimmick already premade with a red backed bicycle. The DVD also includes a number of presentational ideas and approaches, ideas for non-card routines (that require altering the gimmick, which isn’t difficult), practical tips during performance, prop and pocket management, alternate handlings, and, lastly, Mr. Southworth includes explanations of both the Mercury Card Fold and the Double Undercut. The lion’s share of the extra content is clever and useful, and will provide food for thought and ideas for ways to use and apply the prop.
Content aside, the question is how does it compare to other versions. First, unlike the “Clarity Box,” it fits in your pocket. It also looks more normal than the “Mystery Box.” And unlike the “Clarity Box,” you can choose to hide the contents by using the included bag. At the end of the day it rivals any version that allows the performer to display an empty container after dumping out the folded card.
At $75, it’s right in the price range of the other popular marketed boxes, is well made, reliable and practical. Given that, it’s really a matter of aesthetics and appearance. Check out the trailers online and choose from there. If you like the look of the prop and how the effect appears, you’ll be happy with “The Box.”