Gimmick It Yourself 2 by Ben Williams

Gimmick It Yourself 2 is… surprise surprise, the sequel to the first Gimmick It Yourself project!

After the success and great reviews of the first Gimmick It Yourself project I have decided to keep them coming! These projects are where I share how to make DIY gimmicks that I have used in order to create different routines and pieces of magic, whether it be for casual performances, working environments or online performances.

Gimmick It Yourself 2 teaches how to make 4 gimmicks that I have used over the past few years to enhance my performances and make fun and visual magic moments for my social media and online performances. In the tutorial I give a quick run down of what each gimmick is, then teach how to make them all and finally I teach lots of ideas and full routines you can perform with them.

The whole idea of this project was inspired by the multi trick releases that were a lot more common when I started out in magic. The sole aim is to provide you with value, to give you more routines, ideas and inspiration than from a single release.

Here is a run down of the gimmicks.

EVO

This is the most versatile of the gimmick, it is both practical and versatile. It is a great tool to use to create fun and ultra visual pieces of magic for social media, although you will also find some great uses for it in the real world too.

The EVO gimmick will enable to you to perform a multitude of effects from a vanish of a coin that happens in mid air all the way to a deceptive card to pocket. The best thing about this gimmick is that the item you are changing or vanishing doesn’t need to be magnetic, it can be, but it doesn’t NEED to be.

The tutorial includes ideas like how to switch items both visually and deceptively, vanish items, restore items, push practically anything through a glass table and also how to perform PK effects. Also, nearly any effect you use a PK ring for you can use the EVO gimmick for.

Another HUGE plus is that it is practically silent too, this means no more nasty audible “CLUNK” when vanishing items.

UTILIGHT

Utilight is a practical tool that can help you do an ultra clean coin vanish with no sleight of hand at all. Imagine the cleanliness of a Scotch and Soda gimmick without having to use two coins!

Along with incredibly easy, no sleight of hand vanishes the tutorial includes how to use Utilight to perform super clean switches, you can easily switch regular coins into other items, right in front of your spectators with no hassle. This technique can be used for a routine like a coin bend routine or done deceptively as a way to switch in gimmicked coins like a coin bite gimmick.

Also taught is a straight forward and super simple coin in sugar packet routine that is perfect for both casual and working performances, you will learn a very easy and quick way to seal a coin inside a sugar packet for this effect.

PHONEY

Phoney is a gimmick idea conceived many years ago. It originally was simply to give a more versatile and modern approach to the classic bottle through table. As there are phones everywhere Phoney allows you to perform this amazing illusion with something very accessible. No more waiting for a formal dinner or banquet to perform this very memorable close up illusion.

As well as the classic ‘through table’ routine also taught is a routine in which the phone is vanished and reappears inside a sealed Pringles can (please note this will only work with phones that can actually fit inside a Pringles can!). In addition to these routines also included is Foney Phoney, a super quick, extremely cheap and easy to make alternative to the main gimmick. You can make this right away, so you can have a play around with the concept immediately.

REAL WORKER

The real worker is a simple pull based gimmick. This gimmick is great in all situations so you will be able to easily and cleanly vanish and retrieve any bill or banknote without the need for any plastic appendages! It is simple and cheap to construct and has multiple uses. As well as ideas of what you can do with Real Worker and included are the routines – signed bill in spectator’s wallet, signed bill in orange and signed bill in Sharpie – Sharp Money.

The tuition video is well over 2 hours long and is filled with my favourite ideas and routines using these gimmicks. But as with the first instalment of Gimmick It Yourself all the gimmicks and ideas could easily compliment or add to routines that you are already performing.