Equivocation

Masterclass and download by Dan Harlan
Price: £59.75£71.70inc VAT
34 reviews
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Equivocation
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6+ hours on one of the most powerful tools you can add to your arsenal. Available now for a LIMITED TIME DISCOUNTED PRICE! Join Dan Harlan for a one-of-a-kind download that will make you a better overall magician or mentalist.

Nearly every magician or mentalist has heard of equivoque, but few have studied it to the extent Dan Harlan has. "Equivocation" will make you reconsider everything you’ve ever thought you knew about this versatile tool. If you don’t use equivoque and/or don’t think it’s fooling, we guarantee that, after watching this special lecture collection, you won’t be able to stop using it every chance you get.

You'll learn tons of techniques and complete routines—including a bunch of unpublished material. Dan even shares a system for equivocation that is so easy to perform and so deceptive, that even those familiar with equivoque will be fooled. To prove it, Dan invited someone knowledgeable about the concept to watch some performances and they were still totally blown away.

Dan has included many effects straight from his working repertoire that have been road-tested in front of real audiences. Highlight include his delightfully unique spin on Bank Night using lollipops, a heartwarming and inspiring routine that's great for keynote speakers or those who have motivational messages in their shows, and an amazing effect that uses a new secret Dan has found hidden in the bestselling “Snaps” deck. Undoubtedly though, the most talked about piece will be his version of Seven Keys to Baldplate which uses a brand-new technique in which the participant chooses what to keep and what to discard. It doesn’t look or feel like equivoque, but it is!

You receive two complete lectures plus a recording an exclusive Q&A session that occurred when they were first released as part of Dan Harlan's Masterclass.

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You can buy this individual Masterclass OR you can stream it AND 250+ hours of additional Masterclass content for the same exact price!

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Video 1 Contents

Garage Sale
Under the premise of having a garage sale, a random item is selected from a selection of flash cards. It is predicted in a rather novel way, and it even proves that you foresaw another decision that was made in a previous routine!

Duplicator
Two paper bags are on either side of the stage. The participant is asked to go over to one of the bags and to look at what is inside. There a a bunch of random objects, and the spectator selects one, which they replace in the bag on its own. The magician explains that the other bag, which has been left untouched, is a “duplicator” and it will mimic whatever is selected. When it’s opened, sure enough, it contains one item, which matches the spectator’s selection.

Suckers
The participant is handed a glass full of lollipops of all different colors and flavors. They are instructed to give all of them out to members of the audience…except one. And the one lollipop that they don’t give away contains a surprise. It’s not a lollipop at all. It’s a $100 bill!

Greetings
One of the stand-out routines from the Masterclass. Eight envelopes are hung across the stage. One by one, they are eliminated. Every time one is removed, the message inside is read out loud. Each one contains a motivational message, such as “keep going, you’re doing great”.

Key-rection
Dan comes on stage bound in chain handcuffs, which are held shut by a padlock. Throughout the routine, the spectator chooses one key, which ends up being the only key that unlocks the padlock.

The Blue Messenger
A bunch of jokers are shuffled and one is chosen. Somehow, the spectator chooses the only blue-backed joker. All of the others have red backs.

Video 2 Contents

Doggie Bag
Audience members call out different dog breeds and the participant selects one. A color is then selected. A Blue Poodle (balloon animal) is then shown to be in the bag the performer holds. It’s a perfect match!

Heads Up
Not only is the value of a coin predicted but also whether it will be heads or tails!

Tattoo, Too
Under the premise of wanting to get matching tattoos, a card is “created” and is shown to be tattooed onto Dan’s arm! The spectator even decides the color of the tattoo!

Cashmere
A fun variation on the 50/50 premise. The spectator is tasked with guessing which hand the quarter is in. They get it right! But had they chosen the other hand, they would have won $100.

Proxsymmetry
A simple, yet impossible prediction. The spectator selects any object from a mixed bag. Of course, you perfectly predict it!

Fast Four Way
A continuation of Proxsymmetry, but the odds are made more difficult. Now there are four objects involved.

The Greatest Magician Ever
Your helper is holding a glass with a deck of cards inside. They name a card, and the card box is shown to have just one card in it. This can be done anytime, anywhere.

It’s A Date
A freely selected date matches the spectator’s date of birth.

Bonus Video

A recording of Dan answering questions for magicians and mentalists during a live Q&A that occurred when this Masterclass first aired.

Magic live lectures

Customer reviews for Equivocation

Josh
Dan is just a legendary teacher. His cadence, thoughtfulness and thoroughness is some of the best out there. Dan constantly finds ways to take something most magicians know and just finds ways to teach everyone something new. Well done Dan!
Gregory
Mr. Harlan's lecture was very thorough and well done. I especially liked the circling back to explain the variations and the numerous performance demonstrations.
James
Absolutely masterful! Probably the best investment in mentalism I've ever made.
Wayne
Dan is a natural-born teacher. He has taken the "magician's choice" and reimagined it in such a way that it doesn't look fishy. Mainly because it isn't. Looking forward to session 2.
Jacob
Absolutely one of magic's brightest, best and most generous out there.

I've watched day one so far, though to be fair, I've seen Dan do Equivoque for over seven or eight years as I went to the Penguin Live shows in Columbus, OH (AND he was always so generous and kind to help me with my ideas I had for the related methods as well) so I recognize some of the material presented, but HOLY CRAP is this guy seriously one of he smartest dudes on the planet. Dan's style and approach is lightyears ahead of most, it's like the Hector Chadwick material was put into a time accelerator and aged into a mature barrel aged whisky.

Mine is "Suckers," I saw him do a version like 6 years ago and loved the routine! I actually didn't suspect the sacred E technique when I saw him do it.

Congrats Dan for finally getting this material out there on a small scale. The passion and love you have for this really shines through the screen and I'm loving learning more with you.
Bob
I have studied equivoque for some time, but this series of approaches outshines anything I have explored up until now. Dan ranks deservedly at the peak of the pantheon, alongside Eugene Burger and Max Maven. The thinking is that good and the teaching is amazingly clear. This material is completely worth the effort of careful study and patient practice. Thank you so much. I am inspired.
John
Dan is a superb teacher. He is energetic and engaging. It is obvious that he loves magic and is passionate about performing and teaching. His instruction is concise and thoughtful. Equivoque is a powerful technique when done properly. This first session has given me much clearer insight on how to execute this system with unambiguous accuracy.
David Richard
good stuff
Frank
Excellent instruction on Equivoque. Dan discussed in great detail, and using precise wording and labeling in describing many different types of routines. Much more detailed than I have ever heard before.
This will enable the performer to navigate various circumstances with ease. Also the routines taught are able to be adapted readily with not too much trouble as they were performed with readily available materials. Excellent first class!
Ethan
This was really great! Such an awesome and fascinating masterclass. Dan gives you some just awesome tricks to perform with this. However, if you think that this is just a lecture with some tricks, then you’re wrong. This is Dan teaching you the system of equivocation. How to perform it well. I loved every second of it. I know you will too.
Eliyahu
I am a massive Dan Harlan fan and have purchased at least 50 of his products over the years. This is way below his usual standard and was honestly incredibly disappointing.

There is a lot of brilliant thinking on this that adds next to nothing to the equivoque concept. His massive breakthrough improves the weakness with using multiple equivoques by an incredibly small amount. It was originally B or C level material depending how well you presented it, it's still B or C level material depending how well you presented it.

Could you get a decent reaction out of this? Yes, but you could by doing the same thing without using his breakthrough. Are some people still going to be suspicious that there were other ways the selection process could have gone? Yeah, probably about the same percentage as any other time you used equivoque to whittle down from 8 to 1 using the more standard routes.

Additionally, even if one did want to learn any of these effects, it's very difficult to learn from the video. For the price you are paying, VI really should have provided a written script for each of the effects.
Samuel
This MasterClass is an EXCELLENT CHOICE!
I believe that this is the finest set of material on equivocation to date. There is lots of good material out there. I’ve been studying and using this technique since attending a teach-in with Eugene Burger in the mid-eighties. I have tried to read/watch as much as I possibly could because I am fascinated with the technique.
All of that to say that I knew some things about equivocation before the Masterclass started. I was blown away by how much farther Mr. Harlan has taken this technique than anything I have read before. There are several “breakthrough” ideas here (e.g. every action should have an intention before the action, recap and reveal) that can change your use of the tool and make it much more effective.
Week one deals with the nature of equivocation, problems with some versions of this tool (generally done badly and readily apparent), and how to use it on small sets (generally 8 or smaller). Mr. Harlan explains different forms and nuances for getting from eight to one quickly. Generally, these classes last about an hour and fifteen or thirty. Dan went almost three hours this week!
Week two opens with a great piece that I could see working for children’s shows. With nothing more than a paper bag and a balloon animal the performer has a nice piece of material for older kids. Again, almost three hours.
Week three hasn’t happened yet but I’m sure that it will be great. I have several questions that I am planning on asking and I’m looking forward to hearing other questions. This should be a great part of the class.
I cannot recommend these lectures highly enough.
Michael
This Masterclass is centered around equivoke. You get a bunch of routines using this technique, including one that uses Dan's Snaps deck. More valuable than these routines are Dan Harlan's insights and thoughts as well as his system that helps improving the use of equivoke.
Luciano
I got really interested by the subject of this Masterclass. I liked the idea of focusing on a single technique to study it in detail. Dan Harlan presented a different approach to equivoque and how to handle with the situation as it goes, which I have rarely seen other magicians do. I personally was not a big fan of using equivoque purely, but Dan showed in this Masterclass how powerful it can be on its own. I did like the plots, the ideas and the conditions presented as well.It is very likely that you use some equivoque in your routines, and if you don't, you will probably consider doing it after this masterclass. So I really recommend it to anyone.
Terrence
Dan Harlan's Master Class on equivocate is brilliant! I laughed with glee when I understood the simple logic of his methodology and the ease with which his methods could fool an audience. His teaching style is excellent and easily understood. I loved the chain & lock routine which I plan to try. This class is worth more than the price asked. Thank you Vanishing Inc.
Claudio
I liked to focus on one particular technique.
Peter
Great material and a wonderful presentation.
Thank you Vanishing Inc for persuading Dan Harlan to deliver this Masterclass.
Henry
What an interesting masterclass on equivoque! Dan Harlan goes into multiple methods and thoughts on the process across more than 4 hours, which really increased my understanding of the process. Loved his 'world's best magician' routine. Highly recommended.
Christopher
Excellent routines and a very thorough examination of equivoque. I highly recommend this masterclass.
Jose
Great first lesson of the Masterclass, truly a different approach to equivoque, very useful and different from lets say Max Maven's Multipilicity... I think this one is easier to apply.
Jack
Just finished the first session, and my mind is already racing with ideas. Dan makes sure to leave no idea out, but always suggesting additional ideas on to how you might want to achieve the effect or similar. Can't wait for session 2, my mind will probably explode with the amount of possible ideas!!
Robert
Very Interesting
Philipp
Do not underestimate the depth of this masterclass! This is not a masterclass that you should just watch and then proceed to the next. Dan Harlan explains his ideas very well. Yet it will take you some practice to master the principles behind Equivocation.
Dave
Yet another brilliant stand alone download or part of the master class!
Dan harlon is a fantastic and creative magician who doesn't hold back sharing his ideas in these lessons, I love these effects and how dan breaks them down for us.
Clyde
Dan talks too much. Too much redundancy.
Vincent
Wow! There was a TON of content here!

It would be better, in my opinion, if the Masterclass included notes, summaries or key points that can be printed and reviewed.

I can make my own, but it would have been a nice accompaniment.
Jorge
Love this session, love the way it was explained and various out come for the performance. . .
Erik
What a worthwhile purchase! Lots has been written about equivoqué, and I’d thought I had a solid grasp of the principle, but oh my goodness there is so very much more to know! The basic method is relatively easy to understand, but throughout this Masterclass that basic method is applied to so many different situations that by the end you really know it inside and out. Ranging from a simple choice between 2 objects, to choice from a full deck of cards, to a choice within the 365 different days in the calendar, I am feeling more confident that I can use this method in almost any situation in which I want to “help” an audience member to make a choice. There is so much nuance in these 4 hours of teaching! I do have one quibble: I’ve found some of the stories woven around effects to be a little weak. For example, the story of “Blue Messenger” seems to me to be more than a bit contrived and really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. That said, the application of the method to this scenario is not dependent on the particulars of the story. There is no question … this teaching is well worth your time (and money)
Gordon
I hate to go against the effusive reviews here, but I gotta say this class is a little too repetitive. There is much to be learned from Harlan's technique -- without a doubt -- but I feel like a lot of it could have been conveyed in a much more streamlined and cogent manner. Oh you'll get something out of it, but in keep in mind what Watts said -- "When you get the message, hang up the phone." The Fast Forward button is your friend.
James
Fantastic masterclass with Dan, so many great ways to use Equivoke. The freely selected date was very impressive and so seamless in getting to the final date. There are so many other ideas that can be used with this. It will take some time to perfect some of the routines but it is definitely worth it. Great work Dan!
Kris
I love Dan's teaching. Equivoque is one of mentalism's most fundamental building blocks and Dan presents some interesting ideas. It's worth the money. It's all in the wording
Bruce
The standard method behind E is verbal ambiguity. Cunningly choosing exactly the right words and speedy responses are critical. Its drawbacks are well known: high skill levels are needed, and there is the risk that participants openly challenge the embedded ambiguity.

Harlan proposes a novel (?) way to strengthen E by instead having unambiguous instructions. Furthermore, resulting actions always follow a coherent, and apparently preset, narrative flow. Although Harlan’s approach may indeed be more forgiving for beginners, the issue is whether it’s as ‘bulletproof’ as his experience leads him to believe. He’s right that minor discrepancies (‘so throw those away’) slip by more easily than in the standard approach because prior actions pull the focus. Accurate scripting is still required of course; indeed the approach invites, almost requires, healthy creativity.

Harlan’s approach sometimes leads to long-winded stories, ones that lack the strong momentum he strives for. Some of the strands in the story take time to return to the cable. On the other hand, his performance style can itself be conversationally verbose at times, and easy informality can support the notion that the participant had complete freedom.

There are middle positions to E to consider too. Hector Chadwick’s “The Art of Equivoque” is excellent in stressing the need for actions and justification, and Eugene Burger (Thought Sender) has scripting that always says ‘yes!’ to whatever the response is.

And there is even the opposite remedy that sometimes makes sense, i.e. stripped-down and speedy procedures giving no time for the participant to think.

Harlan’s work here and elsewhere deserves study and respect. The latter part of the Q&A video is extremely helpful both in crystallising the overall process and in structuring its specific applications. It brilliantly shows how to create interesting scenarios and stories.

I’m becoming persuaded. At full price 4; at half price (which I paid during a rare sale) 4.5 stars. It’d be a bit mean of me not to round it up, but I affirm a couple of other 4-star reviewers who found things slow and repetitive in parts. By the end, I better realised that the apparent repetition was sometimes to illustrate and compare slightly different methods and solutions.

Itai
Very good explanation of equivocation
Douglas
Might just be the best Masterclass so far. Dan totally transformed my understanding of the use and practice of equivoque techniques and process. I have successfully been using Max Maven's Heads Up coin effect, but Dan's performance is a major improvement and upgrade. Thank you very much!

Community questions about Equivocation

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  • Michael asks: How much is it after you pay $1.00?????

    • 1. Haig responds:Regular price: $50.00/month
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  • John asks: Hey is there any way to have the script in pdf version

    • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds:Not that we're aware of I'm afraid.

  • Russell asks: I just signed up for the 2024 March Masterclass. If I am unable to watch live, the replay can be downloaded to watch….correct? Thank you

    • 1. Vanishing Inc. Magic responds:Yeah you can watch this as many times as you wish

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