Marc DeSouza – Master Works of Conjuring ( 4 Vols , Instant Download )

Marc DeSouza has an international reputation in the magic community, having won some of the most prestigious magic competitions in the world. These prizes include three First Place wins in stage and close-up magic competitions from the Society of American Magicians and three silver medals from that same organization. Additionally, Marc is a three-time gold medal finalist in stage magic at the International Brotherhood of Magicians competition and won first place in close-up magic from them as well.

This four-volume DVD set is a departure from what you have seen Marc do. This is the material that he has used to entertain lay audiences all over the world. These are fully routined and scripted presentations that come right out of Marc’s performing repertoire and are a unique offering in the world of magic-real performance pieces that stun audiences. If you are looking for the latest card moves, these DVDs aren’t for you. However, if you’re looking for fully crafted magical presentations that you can adapt to your own performance style, look no further. Every detail is here; not just tricks, but the thinking that goes into the creation of magical masterpieces.

Whether you are a close-up, parlor, cabaret or stage performer, there is certain to be something of real interest to you here-classical magic brought up to date, stunning mental magic, and brilliant story-telling. You’ll enjoy and be inspired by the performances. Then, you will learn the real secrets behind these Master Works of Conjuring, most of which are being shown and taught here for the very first time.

Volume 1
Music and Magic: Stand-Up Magic for Cabaret and Stage

MULTIPLYING BALLS – This is one of Marc’s regular openers for his stand-up show. Based on Alan Wakeling’s neo-classic routine, Marc has varied and tailored the original by adding ideas from Chanin, McComb, Rooklyn and others.

THE FULL CIRCLE ROPE ROUTINE – A unique rope routine which begins and ends with a single length of rope. This piece combines ideas and sequences from Sands, Daryl, Tabary, Sanders and some unpublished ideas contributed by Tim Conover. A great commercial routine with lots of magic happening in three minutes.

CARD AND BALL ROUTINE – A wonderful sequence of card manipulation, which culminates in the cards changing to a ball several times. Marc published just a small portion of this over 20 years ago, but it is taught here in its entirety for the first time. There are numerous card sequences that have never been seen in the U.S.

LINKING HEARTS – This routine is right out of Marc’s award-winning act. It uses three heart-shaped golden rings, but everything is easily adaptable to standard ring sets. Also, Marc’s Floating Ring, created in 1980, is taught for the first time.

BILLS AND COINS – This is in homage to the late, great Fred Kaps. It combines Marc’s handling of Kaps’ Diminishing Bills to Coins with an unpublished Pierre Brahma coin vanish sequence and ends with Marc’s handling of Kaps’ incredible manipulation routine with jumbo coins. This is all being explained for the first time in thorough detail.

TEQUILA – Jerry Andrus’ brilliant Zone Zero on steroids! You will need to know the original Andrus routine to be able to perform it as shown, but all of Marc’s variations are fully explained. A lime appears and vanishes when dropped into a hole in a plastic board. At the end, a shot glass, a salt shaker and a full-sized bottle of tequila are produced. This is a killer opener!

Volume 2
Mentalism, Metalism and Ghostly Visitations

NEWSPAPER PREDICTION – A killer method for a classic effect. A double sheet of newspaper is torn to pieces. The pieces are eliminated by a participant from the audience in the fairest manner possible. They bring their finger down onto the center of the piece they are holding and read aloud the word beneath it. An envelope which has been held by an audience member through all of this is opened and a digital recorder is removed. They turn it on and the word is revealed. So clean…and so devious!

UPC OUTDONE – The bar code gag has been used often since its creation in the 70s, and it was usually just a gag. Now there’s a real payoff where an item is selected in a very free manner and finally revealed in a large, very visual, prediction. The real work on a great commercial effect for mentalists and magicians alike.

MOTHER OF A WALLET – This is the final effect that Marc uses in his multi-phase book test routine and it’s a brilliant, hands-off approach that provides the definitive culmination for any book test. A book is opened to any page and a word is merely thought of. The performer writes down his impression of the word and places it aside in full view. Another audience member is encouraged to try and read the first participant’s mind, but, usually, to no avail. The performer comes to the rescue by revealing the word he previously wrote down.

BABY HUGH-Y – One of Marc’s personal favorite routines. He destroyed a room full of magicians at the 2008 4F convention with this. In fact, several pros asked him not to release it so they could have it exclusively. It starts out as the classic Baby Gag, but goes on to a real payoff that is unexpected, hysterical and a real fooler. This one is worth the price of the whole set.

LINKING FINGER RINGS – There have been many versions of this classic effect, but none so clean and fair looking as this. It combines a number of known ideas, but the addition of a Tim Conover idea takes it to new heights. Marc uses the Joe Porper version of the Himber Ring and he teaches his handling with that set, but also teaches it using the more standard Himber Ring.

GHOST BOX – It starts with Dean Dill’s Box, but that’s only the beginning. This 11-minute presentation is about a real haunted house. In fact, the box Marc uses was crafted from wood that actually came out of the house. The routine begins with Dean’s sequences (which are not taught) using drapery tie-backs, a candle snuffer and a napkin ring. Then, knotted napkins untie themselves, first behind closed doors, then in full view, with the doors of the box completely open. The routine culminates in a book test with a pair of slates. The selected page vanishes from the book and appears between the slates, but the selected words are written on the slates as well. This is practically an act in itself.

FLOATING TABLE (performance only) – A wonderful presentation for Losander’s fantastic floating table. This is a seven and a half minute, fully scripted performance based on the history of spiritualism. The moment when the table floats is so unexpected that it often elicits screams from the participant.

Volume 3
A Gift for Fiction

GOOD DECISIONS – A simple, but effective poker deal routine for parlor and stage workers. This is one of Marc’s favorite corporate routines. A spectator is asked to take an unusual test to get a job-a game of head-to-head poker. The applicant makes all of the decisions in an attempt to impress the boss and despite his apparent failure, the applicant makes good on his goal in a surprising finish.

CURSE OF THE RASTA – This is Marc’s stand-up handling of Fred Kaps’ version of a Peter Kane classic. It’s a Wild Card effect, but all of the cards are examinable at the end. A very practical, high-impact packet trick

DREAM CATCHER – A beautifully emotional presentation for the Gypsy Thread. A dream catcher is shown and the thread is ripped out of it. The thread is restored and then the dream catcher itself is restored (but that’s like saying E.T. is a story about an alien coming to Earth…)

THE THING – The classic sci-fi film brought to life with a deck of cards. A wonderful adaptation of the Universal Card combined with a truly great script!

THE CONTRACT (limited explanation) – The Torn and Restored Card without a card? Here is an unusual presentation where you offer to teach a spectator the “real secrets of magic,” but first they must sign a contract where they pledge not to reveal the secret to anyone else. The contract is torn up, restored piece by piece, then vanished and reproduced. Logical, compelling and magical. Although Marc uses Daniel Garcia’s Torn (which is not taught), it is adaptable to any method you may already know.

THE WAY TO INNER PEACE (limited explanation) – A charming story to accompany Troy Hooser’s Charming Chinese Challenge. You get the full performance of this story of one man’s search for enlightenment, plus the minor variations Marc has made to Hooser’s original routine.

ISABELLA’S FAN – Based on the classic Germaine/Wakeling effect, this is the story of a woman who took many lovers. Three cards are chosen to represent three of them. The cards are placed into a stemmed wine glass and every time Isabela’s fan passes in front of the glass, one of the selected cards appears on the face of the deck. This is a new handling of a classic technique that opens many new possibilities.

GAMBLER VS. DEVIL – The classic story that has been told in movies such as Crossroads and The Devil and Daniel Webster as well as in songs like The Devil Went Down To Georgia. This time, the medium is magic and Harry Lorayne’s classic Magician Vs. Gambler gets some twists, turns and great characters that add up to major entertainment.

ALICE THRU THE WINDOWPANE – Marc’s closer for nearly 30 years; the perfect card routine for adults and children alike. It’s a magical tale in which a selected card shrinks, grows and disappears, only to become imbedded in a mirror…then the rest of the deck turns to mirrors!

Volume 4
The History of Magic Through Performance

This is the full presentation of Marc’s 90-minute lecture/demonstration that he presents for colleges, historical and literary societies and even the occasional magic conference. It is a multimedia presentation that takes us through the entire history of magic from ancient Egypt to present day. Woven into the tales of magical history are performances of ten historically significant routines including:

• The Cups and Balls
• Cut and Restored Rope
• The Egg Bag
• Everywhere and Nowhere
• The Die Box
• Nixon’s Checker Cabinet
• The Magnetized CardsThe Chinese Sticks
• The Linking Rings
• The Hydrostatic Glass

After the performance, go backstage and learn Marc’s personal handlings and tips on these classics of magic. There are full explanations of The Cups and Balls, Cut and Restored Rope, Egg Bag, Everywhere and Nowhere, The Linking Rings and The Hydrostatic Glass.