The Camera Trick by Matthew Wright

The Camera Trick by Matthew Wright is an incredible modern magic trick that combines easy-to-master magic with foolproof technology. Available for Android and iOS users, this blend of the world of augmented reality and the physical world of magic leaves your audience with no choice but sheer awe.

Matthew Wright's beautifully constructed routine allows for two separate effects or a longer double effect where a spectator chooses a card and signs the back. Your phone's camera now points at the back of the signed card and instantly "goes through" the back to reveal the front of the chosen card. That's where most of the tricks in this category would stop... but The Camera Trick still has two more phases ahead of it! A second card is now chosen, and the card shown on the screen visibly transforms into the second selection. The magician explains that the signed letter has also changed in the physical world, but the difficult part "is to return it to the original." The on-screen animation begins, but there's a problem... The screen starts to crash and freezes.

Stuck halfway between the first and second picks, the on-screen card is a tangled digital mess. The trick has gone wrong. The magician then flips over the signed card to reveal that the front of the card is no longer the selected card. It is a faulty, tangled, and error-ridden print.

The magician says he's going to "try again." A new card is chosen and signed on the back. This time it's the King of Hearts, also known as "the suicide king" because he has a sword stuck in his own head. Again, the magician's phone camera points to the signed back of the letter. The animation begins and the King becomes visible. Another card is chosen... it is the Four of Hearts. The King on screen now pulls out a blank sheet of paper from inside his jacket. He removes the sword from his head and sticks it into the four hearts in the corners of his own card, rearranging them over the blank card he is holding to create a Four of Hearts. The animation stops. The signed back of the letter is displayed again on the camera screen. The physical card is flipped to reveal that the King is actually holding the Four of Hearts.

This really is an absolutely lethal routine that Matthew has been developing for over three years. It's easy to make and suitable for all skill levels... But don't be fooled by simplicity... This is professional-level magic at its finest.

NOTE: This effect uses Matthew Wright's CTRL'D application. Currently, the app is only available for iOS, but an Android version is coming soon.