"Blank!" DVD by Kenton Knepper
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Blank!", a DVD by Kenton Knepper, contains two excellent pieces of card magic where the accent is on the spectators and the power is in the simplicity, producing a one-two combination that is stunningly good stuff.

The two routines are thematically the same. Essentially, a spectator's "intuition" is used to choose cards from a deck which matches a prior prediction made by the performer. The kicker is that those chosen cards are the only cards in the deck that are printed; all the other cards in the deck are blank. However, both routines have some key differences that set them apart.

"Sleightly Touched", the first routine, begins with a deck being cut face up a few times, showing the faces of the deck. The performer removes a card from the deck and places it aside. The spectator is handed the deck and told to deal off any number of cards they want. Once that's done, they use two card from this packet to assist them in matching the prediction. After that, the spectator's intuition is shown to be correct beyond belief as all the other cards they could have selected are blank. This is a good, quick, powerful piece.

"Mates For Life", the second routine, is based on "Sleightly Touched" but uses two spectators, a couple, for a nice romantic theme. Beyond that, though, there are some added touches that places the emphasis squarely on the complete freedom the spectators have in the proceedings. Swapping the deck back and forth between each other, the spectators find mated cards in a deck that is blank. With the accent on emotions here, this is a great piece for those occasions when a couple is present.

I can't go into many details here with the handling or the like because "Blank!" is just too easy to give away. I will say that it's based on an idea by Daryl, that it's incredibly simple to do (mechanically speaking; there are some presentational pieces you'll want to work on, but there is no palming, switching, or the like), and that it is a stunning effect regardless of how you present it.

I should also mention that, according to Knepper, parts of this were previously published, both in "Pabular" and in his lecture notes. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that their previous appearances were overlooked; "Blank!" is something that you have to see done to truly appreciate just how good it is and how solid the reactions are.

As is becoming the norm for Knepper's releases, his teaching of this is as thorough as you can expect. You'll have no problems learning the two routines and getting all the ins-and-outs down pat. As an added bonus, there's a section of other ideas and tips, including my favorite take taught by Knepper student and business partner, Tank. In Tank's version, even more choices and more freedom is allowed the spectator, which is so interesting because of the remarkable freedom given to the spectator to begin with.

But then "Blank!" is all about spectator involvement and, as anyone can tell you, that ups the entertainment value -- and the effect's strength -- considerably. If you can involve the spectator in the deeper workings of an effect, the dealing, the choosing, and all of that, so much the better. "Blank!" does that and it pays off considerably.

At the end of the day, "Blank!" is one of those things that is a clever idea, taken up a notch with the spectator in the thick of things, and worth a look by anyone looking for an entertaining piece of unique card magic that will have spectators bugging their eyes for a good long time.

"Blank!" DVD by Kenton Knepper
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 10
The two routines on the disc -- "Sleightly Touched" and "Mates For Life" -- are variations on a theme and they are excellent. The first is perfect for most performance situations, but the second is a perfect working for couples. Both of them are worth learning and doing.

Practicality: 9
It uses a blank deck for a climax, so you'll have to pack one of those (I can do nothing if not state the obvious). Doing that pretty much negates worrying about the minimal set-up. All in all, this is extremely practical work.

Quality of Production: 10
The production values here are excellent. Great video, great audio, simple navigation... no problems here.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Knepper does an excellent job teaching his two effects, covering all the bases both mechanical and psychological. Tank makes an appearance to offer some ideas of his own to add icing to the cake.

Presentation: 10
It's all about spectator involvement here and it's plentiful. The spectator is the focus of all the action and all the magic and it pays off handsomely.


Shane

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