"Fade" DVD by Titanas
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 6 Out of 10

"Fade", a DVD by Titanas, is one of those things that performers will want to perform many more times than they will be able to, but when they can, they'll leave a mark on their audiences brains.

Well, I call 'em as I see 'em and that's the first thing I thought when I saw it performed on the disc. Chances are you'll be in the same boat.

So what is "Fade"? Well, it's a way to vanish or switch a coin without the usual work: no lapping or sleeving, no props or gadgets, no secret pockets sewn into your clothing, or anything like that. It's a technique for performing a ditch that, done well, is as invisible as you could ask for and allows for some very stunning routines. Learn "Fade" and you'll find yourself with a world of stuff to play with and possibly improve upon.

If you're not in an overly-creative mood, no worries; Titanas includes a truckload of routines and effects utilizing "Fade". Some are incredibly simple in effect (and probably added to illustrate the necessary moves and techniques you'll use) but others are more involved and much more magical ("Coin Through Glass", "Coin to Matchbox", and a few coin bends come immediately to mind). You'll find something here to make learning "Fade" worthwhile, even if you don't perform it much.

Ah, but there's the rub.

You see, "Fade" has to be performed sitting down. It also has to be done without a table or anything else covering your knees and lap as you're sitting. In fact, some of the routines supplied with "Fade" have you performing using your knees as a table upon which you rest coins and the like.

Now if you're into little impromptu miracles when the opportunity presents itself, say with friends or family or a similar relaxed performance venue, those requirements present no worry for you: "Fade" will be your cup of tea. But if you perform more formally, say strolling or table-hopping or the like, "Fade" is not going to be something you find yourself relying on much at all. Shoot, as much as I like what can be done with "Fade", I have to admit I have no use for it professionally at all.

However, I'm glad I learned it. It's like most of the magic that we pick up, almost from day one: we don't have an immediate need for it but we might and it's always good to know for that rare time when we do need it.

"Fade", you see, is good enough to be learned and remembered and stowed away in our cerebral prop box to be whipped out when the time arises. It's an old technique, taught well and dissected into workable parts by Titanas, that deserves a bit of a revival if for no other reason than it is quite good.

But if you're a worker and you're after something slick to throw into that coin routine you dearly love, "Fade" is going to disappoint you, big time. It takes little imagination to see the mental image of the disc sailing across the room and shattering into little pieces after you watch it.

Consider that a warning to hold onto your money.

For others, and I'm solidly in this category, that like to see new ideas that don't work for them just on the off-chance -- that weird, one-in-a-hundred-or-a-thousand time -- that it may come in handy and help me knock people into the middle of next week, then "Fade" is a good, solid purchase. You'll love the thinking on the method.

And if you're into performing that strange aberrant area of our art erroneously called "street magic", then "Fade" will probably make you do handstands, shout for joy, and wake the neighbors. It fits that "style" quite well and will thrill you to death.

That's about the best advice I can give on "Fade": it's good if you're into "street", worthwhile if you're into clever ideas you may use later, and just plain irritating if you're a worker in most professional arenas.

"Fade" DVD by Titanas
In a Blink: 6 Out of 10

Material: 8
Essentially you're learning a ditch here, and it's a good one, though limited in real-world application. Flexible, easy, and impromptu, it has a great deal going for it for performers working in less formal venues and atmospheres.

Practicality: 5
You need to be sitting and not behind a table or other obstruction. In other words, you need to be working pretty much off your own lap. That kills "Fade" for a lot of professional work, but for the casual performer this is a great piece of work.

Quality of Production: 5
The production values are fine, but split-screen shot is as distracting as the "shaky-cam". This is an instructional video, not "Cloverfield: The Sleight"; distractions are not welcome.

Quality of Instruction: 7
Titanas does a very good job of covering the material, including a truckload of tricks using "Fade" in a number of ways.

Presentation: 8
"Fade" is one of those things that is invisible and depends entirely on what you do with it, so we'll ignore this category for the move itself. The presentations of the included routines, though, are all fairly powerful things -- with "Fade", it's all about being clean and, brother, these pieces are.


Shane

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