Here is a link to Zenneth's performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCKMm-XYmwM
No offence to Zenneth, but this trick looks very similar to Wayne Houchin's Distortion and I am sure the handling can be improved on such as getting rid of the double backer altogether which gets rid of the 'TL' in the end. I am sure it doesn't matter to your regular layperson but I reckon that would be a cleaner ending. And also the routine that is slightly long.
P.S If Zenneth is reading this, do you happen to have a performance clip of Lu Chen doing this effect as it says on the coterie site that the T.V performance right is sold to him in 2012. Thanks.
I just realized as of now there's a discussion on the Entwined Hearts.
Start off, I don't own "Distortion" so I can't really judge it, but I am sure Mr. Wayne Houchin must have some of his personal touches into it. "Distortion" is, essentially, the "Moving Pips", which was created long time ago. The gimmick has been created/marketed probably decade(s) ago before this was published under the name "Distortion".
My variation of the "Moving Pips" is to give it an "Emotional Hook": two hearts visually come close to each, the effect and the meaning speaks for itself, and most importantly, you created a unique and magical gift for your audiences.
You are right about that TV performance clip being too lengthy, but the video clip wasn't all of it, some previous tricks (build up) were cut away, which destroyed the structure of a magic routine- use visual quickies to start your performance and then when audience are convinced of your ability, hit them hard with something more elaborated, touching or truly impossible.
In the video, it looks like I spent a lot of time on this trick alone(and they put some silly background music to it).... I was disappointed about that too.
Anyway, If you purchase this from Coterie1902.com, you should be able to access to a 30 mins instructional video, in which you will see the my favourite handling:
a blurry image of 2 of hearts appear on a blank face card, and then it becomes solid colored 2 of hearts, finally the 2 hearts come close to each other until they are entwined.
I wrote a book in Chinese about commercial magic performance theories and advice, a whole chapter in that book was devoted to why we should give away impossible souvenir and what kind of souvenir is actually considered as impossible. As a matter of fact, the KH gaff card in Coterie Bee deck was primarily designed to perform a Fusion/T&R type of trick that end up with an impossible souvenir(too bad they can't print it anymore). I don't want to bore you with dry theories, but if you work professionally, you'll know you will actually get a lot more for what you giveaway.
Lu Chen has not performed this trick on T.V. yet, so there's no TV footage of him performing Entwined Hearts.
Hope this helps,
Zenneth