The Magic Review

The Perfect Coin Pail

2009-07-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

I have been a huge fan of the miser's dream for a long time. Particularly the original ending with the vanish of all the coins. Unfortunately that has fallen out of vogue today and the concentration is entirely on the large quantity of coins produced. Perhaps a correlation can be found between the North American consumerism mentality and the desire to produce endless quantities of money. Or perhaps it can be attributed to the lack of plot or climax with most Miser's Dream routines. In any case, it should come as no surprise that to perform a usual Miser's dream you require some sort of receptacle. Many gaudy coin ladders and unusual contraptions that highlight the coins' sounds and shine have been built but it is hard to compete with the good old fashioned champagne bucket.

I have had the good fortune of handling some of the finest and poorest quality buckets made for the Miser's Dream. At first glance Mr. Sum's bucket appears to be very basic from a production stand point. On the other hand it does appear to be a very real champagne bucket. Unlike the many buckets with unusual handles and far to shallow or deep bottoms on the market today. The coin droppers in the handles are notorious for looking like pieces of metal garbage. Mr. Sum has produced a bucket similar to a favorite bucket of mine. It is similar to the Bertram Coin Pail once produced by Ross Bertram. It has rings on either side but lacks the ability to use them as per the Bertram pail, having the bucket rest on your fingers and your thumb in a ring. The Bertram pail also allowed invisible coin steals.

The Perfect Coin Pail is built to last. This thing could get kicked down a flight of stairs and not get the least bit dented. A very commercial prop for any performer. It produces a nice sound, one that you'd expect dropping a coin in a bucket (too many coin pails today ring like a chime and sound artificial). There is not strange designs or engraving. It is a plain, quality, well made bucket. No frills and no gimmicks built into it.

For the sleight of hand purist and the professional performer I would highly recommend this bucket. While the price tag is slightly higher than some similar buckets at 70 USD without shipping it certainly exemplifies an ordinary champagne bucket with a nice sound, a great feel and remarkable durability. The durability issue being the usual downside coin pails available today.

It is available from JC Sum's website for $70 USD plus shipping.

Following are a few thoughts on the Miser's dream:

In today's standard Miser's dream routines the audience is left wondering where did all those coins come from. It's a mere puzzle despite jazzing it up with endless presentation. The audience still follows the same mindset; "Magician produces a pile of coins, I don't know where they come from, I'm fooled. He tells jokes, I laugh, and feel stupid... What's he going to do with all those coins. If he can really pull money out of the air why is he at my birthday party."
With the Houdin climax of the coins vanishing the spectator gets a fun journey. "Where are all those coins coming from, I'm fooled. Why doesn't he just do this all day. Oh my... where did all the coins go?" While still a puzzle it has a climax to an otherwise monotonous trick.

Illusionary Departures

2009-06-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

JC Sum has done something no other big time illusionist has done before. He has openly described his most cherished secrets in great detail and with building information. What makes this so special is that he is still using the material from these books! Many magicians retire and then publish there work, but JC Sum has published his working material. His only personal request is that it not be distributed in his country (Singapore) and therefore he will not sell or ship any of these books within Singapore. To ensure that these books stay out of Singapore, JC has chosen to be the only distributor of his books.

Illusionary Departures is a collection of ideas and illusions by JC Sum. Some are very original while others are oddly familiar with slight variations. But all of them are suited to the professional illusionist. As you can imagine, Mr. Sum's style and your own may very well clash but the illusions can be dressed however you like.

This book is not just a pile of illusions, there is particular emphasis on a variety of things, base design, black art concepts, stage tricks, presentations for old effects, etc. JC makes it very clear that this book was his first attempt at an illusion book. This book isn't written for the beginning illusionist, or seasoned pro, part time stage performer, etc. This book lacks focus which might prove to be it's downfall. With a price tag of 100 USD you'd expect a lot. Consider the great illusions in so many of Jim Steinmeyer's books!

I'm a fan of the material in this book. For the illusionist with a desire to be the best, this book will provide you with cutting edge ideas and applications. If you are looking for a new illusion to add to the show then read on and hear about the books contents. I'd recommend this book for the right performer. There are tricks for everyone in this book but if they don't ring true with you then it might not be worth the investment.

The book is 126 pages 8.5 by 11. The first illusion presented is called A Walk Through The Winery, and to me this is a brilliant piece of magic. Many magicians try to remain very classical and it is often difficult to find illusions that fit the theme and style of a classic performer. A Walk Through The Winery is a penetration effect in essence. An open front and back wine cabinet is shown, bottles standing upright and light shining through. A bottle of wine chosen by a spectator is removed from the cabinet and a glass poured for the illusionist. The bottle is replaced and the wine consumed (who doesn't need a drink on stage right?). a wooden frame with paper is placed over the front of the cabinet. The magician goes behind the cabinet and dramatically plunges through the front, breaking the paper and slowly emerging entirely. The front cover is taken away and the bottles and shelves are seen to be in perfect condition!

I'm a huge fan of this illusion, it's a classy penetration effect. It's exactly the type of illusion I think many magicians with a classic style would like in their show. I'm personally working on having this one built myself. This is a very practical effect, and one that I think could be dressed up or down however you like. Mr Sum is very proud of this illusion and I would be too!

The next illusion is Visual Displacement, another penetration effect. This time 4 steel bars are placed by spectators running top to bottom in a holder. The illusionist enters behind the 4 bars and holds a curtain around both sides of the bars. The curtain goes up and comes down, the illusionist is now seen to be standing in front of the 4 bars. This is a very practical illusion, other than the length of the poles. Very easy to break down, and construct, I'd say this is possibly the most practical illusion in the book. This illusion is far from original though, JC Sum mentions that it is based on Andrew Mayne's "A-Frame" from his book Solo-X. The benefit to Mr Sum's version is that the performer is visible for all but the penetration. This is certainly a cost effective illusion and one that I think would be a very good first illusion. The downside is the length of time this illusion takes to perform. With a good presentation you could pull a few minutes out of this and in a typical 20-30 minute show this would be great.

The Time Machine is not so much an illusion as it is a stage piece. In short, a clock is taken out of a chest and shown, it is then placed in a futuristic looking box. the doors are closed and when reopened the time has changed on the clock. The doors are closed once more and upon reopening the clock has vanished. The illusionist explains it hasn't gone far back in time and upon opening the original chest the clock is found. The work involved in producing this effect is not nearly worth the effect. Of course this is personal opinion and if you do like this type of effect then it might be worth exploring further. If you are a fan of this type of magic Alan Wakeling wrote a number of wonderful articles in Genii Magazine in the 1950s. Fortunately for all of us without those originals Jim Steinmeyer annotated them and had them republished in a somewhat recent issue of Genii magazine (September 2007). You would do well to buy this back issue of Genii for great stand up routines.

Curtain Call is two original presentation ideas for the Sub Trunk. One being similar to The Assistants Revenge and the other as an escape. The escape isn't so new as it is old. The trick was originally an escape not a transposition. Harry Houdini made it a transposition. This section is good but like The Time Machine, not a good reason to purchase this book. If you are very interested in the Sub Trunk and the other material isn't quite enough to make you buy it then this section should push you that extra inch.

Creation of Life, a very bold title for a stage piece. This trick is pretty much Kevin James' floating rose routine with a flower petal to egg to canary. Fine routining but not much originality here.

Black Art Table Slide, I am not going to go into too much detail as this is one of those secrets that big illusionist likely depend on but this utility illusion idea allows you to have black art while still placing lighting in front of the black art area. Very cool if you have a large enough show to make it work.

Deceptive Base Work, there are not a whole lot of books on the subject of building deceptive bases for illusions. Each builder has a particular preference for certain designs and building methods. JC Sum presents you with his theory and techniques for building bases. Rand Woobdbury has wonderful work on bases in his Base Book, Volume 1 of his Illusionworks videos and Illusionworks Volume 1 book. JC Sum has added some personal choices in illusion base design. If you were ever curious as to how to build a base or you wanted to expand your horizons for base building ideas this section is great. JC addresses a wonderful problem which is reducing thickness of the doors which often saps as much as 3/4" of valuable space! There is also a retractable 1/2" or so that JC utilizes effectively.

Crystal Striptease is our first real "box trick" in this book. It's a bit of a mix of effects. The box is horizontal like a crystal casket, but the strip tease nature isn't quite true, it's more of an undressing. The magician reaches in and pulls out clothing. She vanishes then an outfit is thrown in and she appears with the new outfit on. Wakeling's Costume Trunk and Calvert's Striptease are both referenced by Mr Sum. Personally I'm more a fan of the Calvert illusion. There is something very "caged animal" about this effect. The assistant's inability to stand up straight kills the potential seductive nature of this effect.

New Age Spirit Cabinet is an interesting application for a slightly modified crystal casket. Turning a crystal casket into a spirit cabinet complete with partial appearance of a ghost. I'd suggest you look into Karl Germain's One Man Spirit Cabinet in Germain The Wizard. While JC's spirit cabinet is interesting, it lacks elegance in method. It's exactly what you might expect. That being said Mr Sum does dress it up nicely.

Sweepstakes is a stage trick combining a torn and restored paper with a vanishing radio. While the effects are combined to produce a semi-logical effect I personally can't quite visualize the effectiveness of this routine. A radio is on stage and the lottery numbers are given, the magicians numbers are incorrect and he tears up the ticket. The announcer on the radio then corrects himself stating those were last weeks numbers and that the winning numbers this week are... the magician's numbers! The magician vanishes the radio and restores his now winning ticket!

Back Door Appearance allows you to produce a person/Special Guest, etc. The downside to this is the set up and cost associated with producing this one effect is rather significant. If you have a big company ready to shell out a lot of cash to produce their CEO then you should consider this illusion. The effect is this, a top a skeletal platform with floodlights shining through a square canopy is raised and lowered to reveal the appearance of the special guest. This illusion has it's place, but for us commoners it is most likely not in our shows.

Graffiti Girl. This effect is quite nice. Through this book it's clear that JC Sum like the idea of using doors, as frames for production, means of vanishing people, etc. I suppose the inherent coming and going theme of a door and open/closed implications lend themselves well. Graffiti Girl has a spectator come on stage and with a black can of spray paint, roughly paint his dream girl! Next a paint colour is chosen and her dress is painted in with the chosen colour. The door is closed and immediately opened to reveal the rough painting now resembles a much more detailed painting in full colour! The door is closed once again and upon reopening it there stands a beautiful woman complete with coloured dress! This illusion is strong. I was once told by a very prominent illusion builder that there are 3 types of illusions, Appearances, Vanishes, and To Dos. Something appears, disappears or the box is used To Do something. This illusion is essentially a very involved appearance but with a lot to do. For all practical purposes this could be a fantastic way to introduce your assistant and in a fun way. There is no base involved, which is great. The cost to build this would be very low as well. The only thing that might be a burden is constantly replacing the original canvas that gets painted. JC provides notes at the end of each illusion/trick but unfortunately there is no solution given for replacing the painted canvas.

Motion Delayed Vanish/Appearance presents a handling of a spirit cloth that would allow you to vanish a person or make a person appear instantly! I really enjoyed this idea. It's practical, performable and very easy to produce a potential miracle, lightning fast vanishes/appearances, despite the misleading title.

Modern Flight Case Table, is the detailed plans for any worker. If you do lots of shows and need a great table this design is fantastic! In JC's words, "This is an original suitcase-style table design that is easy to set-up, lightweight and highly configurable to suit your needs. It is a medium suitcase-size ATA flight case that transforms into a central main table with receptacle bin and shelves as well as a side table." A very practical design! The drawing is a bit difficult to work out the details of the table but when you do it's very nice!

Branded is the appearance of a company logo on a previously blank placard in a flash of fire. It's good. Not much to explain. If you require this for a performance or corporate show this will fit the bill!

The Ghost Cabinet and 12 Person Production cabinet are for LARGE shows, very large shows with casts. Anyone who does have this type of large number of people at their disposal should buy this book immediately. It will help the show tremendously in conception and construction.

Illusionary Departures is a wonderful book. It shows a clear evolution of JC Sum and his illusions and magic. The illusions vary from fantastic to okay. The size of the them varies from huge to stand up. Is this book right for you? Yes, I'm very confident you will find a perfect piece of magic for your stage show. There are illusions in here for any stage of illusionist. Starting out to headlining grand illusionist. The biggest downfall to this book is the price tag. It is not a cheap book, but the price is worth it especially if you use anything from it! You can buy this book directly from JC Sum for $100 plus shipping.

Good to be Online Again

2009-06-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I am happy to say I have a new computer now and things are going well. I don't think many of you care about the details but in short I had all my bank accounts frozen because of some fraudulent activity done by someone who cloned my cards. Any who! I am up and running again and there is no better way to get back into the groove of things than with a book review!

Computer Problems

2009-04-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. My computer crashed and decided to implode. In short I am working on a new computer being built but reviews will be held back in the mean time. I apologize for the delay.

Beyond The Stage

2009-04-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

After taking a quick peek at JC Sum's website http://www.illusionbooks.com/ you will quickly realize that most of these books are for the serious magician/illusionist and they have a price tag to reflect that. Fortunately, JC has written a set of lecture notes that is packed with great information and with a relatively low price tag.

These notes are 37 pages long and the broken up as follows:

Forward by John Teo, IBM Ring 115 President.

Introduction

About JC Sum

Magic's Greatest Secret Revealed

Building a Professional Stage Show

Performing Magic for Money

Producing Magic for TV

Annex: Applause Devices

Our forward is a single page with glowing praise, as is expected in any forward. I look forward to the day when a forward is not complimentary, perhaps if it were written by Simon Lovell? Any who, often the forward allows you to see just how high up one's friends are. The president of Singapore's IBM Ring doesn't seem very significant but that is a North American perspective.

Our introduction is also a single page detailing Mr. Sum's intentions. To allow magicians to produce higher quality magic and shows, an admirable goal.

About JC Sum is like reading the dust jacket of a hardbound book, I understand why it is here, but in a short set of notes, unnecessary.

JC now presents magic's greatest secret, which isn't quite correct. It should say magic's greatest secrets, because there is no single secret, rather many many tips to improving your performance. The main point/secret is communication, and Mr. Sum spends the next 10 pages listing and explaining verbal and non verbal ways to improve your communication with your audience. Broken down into three distinct segments, Creating the Magic Experience, Controlling the Audience, and Captivating (Entertaining) The Audience. A great deal of this information presented follows the lines of good theatre. You could learn much from learning about playwriting and screen writing. The only part of this section that seems out of place is the example. Mr. Sum's example is a close up trick (The Ambitious Card) which seems wrong given he is Singapore's foremost illusionist.

Mr. Sum briefly mentions the need for perfection in execution of technique, and I couldn't agree more. It is imperative that your technique on stage be flawless, otherwise the illusion is destroyed for the audience. Unfortunately, again, Mr. Sum presents close up examples, while they are common and familiar to any magician, they are coming from a world famous illusionist, not Guy Hollingworth.

Other points in this section include the importance of scripting and how to improve with scripts. Distance from the audience and connecting, enthusiasm, sincerity, etc. A lot of great stuff!

The next section of these notes covers Building a Professional Stage Show. This section is short considering the topic and the depth is not what you might hope for. That being said, the information presented is very practical. JC immediately recommends a set of lecture notes by Denny Haney of Denny and Lee's. You can see a review of those notes here.

JC highlights 3 steps in building a stage show:

1. Construction

2. Development

3. Evolution

A variety of tips are given on choosing material, and considerations that need to be kept in mind. This is information only a seasoned pro can really give you. We also get other factors that make a trick better or worse for a stage show than another. Your favorite trick is not always a good trick for your show.

The classics are referenced and a short but strong list of classics is given and as JC mentions, a full show of classics can be put together for under $500 bucks, they can all be done surrounded, and they pack small and play big!

Formatting the Show

This is where these notes shine! JC present his way of stringing his tricks together to create the strongest performance possible. This includes which tricks to choose first, which tricks have to take a back seat, where to put what tricks, etc. All of this information justified the price of the notes. It's rare to find truly career enhancing information and I think this might be just that information. If you believe your show formatting is the best it can be then ignore this.

JC has very specific goals for each segment of the show. Opener, closer, personality piece, etc. Following JC's explanations are an example stage show program. You get to see the work in action.

Development

The second stage of the show building process is development, once you have a show it is far from over. Although the initital show is the most demanding process, the show is like a living thing, it continues to grow or shrink and becomes something different. I grows with you as a performer. Development is when you polish up your material, record bits of businss and get really tight on the scripting. The focus shifts from the physical tricks to the specific presentations. This is also when you being to discard your weaker material for stronger material. Some of your original choices will not work out. That's as it should be. JC continues to help you refine your work and make it professional grade material.

Evolution

This is when you can start taking input from other people, performers, magicians, etc. This process never ends. The chapter ends with a timeline of how long these 3 stages should take.

Performing Magic for Money

I'm a bit disappointed with this section. Specifically because it has been dilluted over a number of areas instead of concentrating on a handful of effective sources. While JC addresses a number of common magic problems he doesn't target any one market well enough for an aspiring full time magician to really get his feet wet. A lot of emphasis is given on how to sell a service, an intangible product, like magic!

JC gives some basic promotional tools that every performer should have. Nothing revolutionary, Business cards, website, promo video, and show information (Brochure, flyer, etc.). Some great information is given on how to write up your show for marketing materials.

This section ends with some ways to get started marketing yourself. The first one being Referrals. It's a bit difficult to get work through referrals if you are just starting out, afterall who is going to refer you? Charity work is great for getting those referrals and meeting good people to hire you. JC does give advice on harnessing your social circles for referrals.

Direct Marketing, cold calls, targeted mailings, etc. This requires a very specific market/list of people to approach and market to. This can get very costly as well. If you have the money to back a marketing strategy like this it could prove to be the best money you spend!

The last source is agencies. A google search will uncover many reasons you should and should not work with agents. But the most important one in my mind is that this is work that you otherwise would not get.

The last sections of the notes is Producing Magic for TV. I understand that this is good information but in a book that plans to move you from amateur to professional it seems a little out of place. That being said let's take a look at the worthwhile nature of this chapter. JC has clearly been on TV A LOT. All of that experience is clearly demonstrated in this chapter. How to prepare for a television appearance, what sort of material is good and bad for TV, having your creative voice heard even! All very important information that would be hard to learn elsewhere. Fortunately there is another set of lecture notes available from the Camirand Academy that was written by the late Gary Ouellet on this exact topic! You can take a look at those here. If anyone is interested in those notes and would like to see a review, please email me and I will post one.

Following this chapter is Annex: Applause Devices

Once again this is very theatrical information. More emphasis on theatrical training than magic here but nonetheless some great information. JC presents his techniques for garnering applause and his personal opinions on applause cues. First we are presented with the 3 mistakes magicians make with regards to applause. Next we are given verbal and visual cues to prompt applause. Last, we are given a run down of the different types of applause, from polite applause all the way to standing ovation.

This set of notes is a bit pricey at 30 bucks. I would expect a 20 dollars price tag on something like this. That being said the information presented is very good for the performer very new to performing professionally. If you read the above review and feel these notes are the proper stepping stone in your career, buy them! If you are curious about the demands of performing professionally, buy these notes. If you are looking for information that is very specific, such as magic on TV, perhaps you would do better with the notes from The Camirand Academy of Magic.

These notes are certainly helpful to a me as a professional and I think that any professional magician wouldn't hesitate to throw 30 bucks at the possibility of a tip, trick, or bit of advice that could lead to even just one more booking.

I recommend these notes available from JC directly at Illusionbooks.com for 30 dollars, shipping included.

Update: JC Sum Week

2009-04-11T06:33:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the delay. Many of you have asked for more books so I am working hard to review all the books JC Sum has available on his site Illusionbooks.com. As you can imagine, books take a while to read and review. Once some of these books are done we will be having our first TMR Contest! One luck winner is getting a free copy of JC Sum's book The Event Illusionist!

Details will be posted at The Magic Review Facebook group page.

New contests will follow!

Lunch Is Served

2009-04-02T15:52:00.001-07:00

Paul Romhany and TC Tahoe have put together a book that should have happened long ago! The Out To Lunch principle is a fantastic one. The routines you can do with this rather simple concept are remarkable and fortunately there is a book dedicated to the subject. As per usual I will begin with a general verdict then follow with a more in depth review.

This book is quite good if you are looking to play with the Out To Lunch principle OR if you are a professional looking to add an effect to your repertoire. Due to the preparation associated with OTL tricks it is very difficult to carry more than one or two tricks on you at a given time. If you are an amateur/hobbyist who wants to try magic with a different type of "prop" then this might be just the thing for you. You don't need personal business cards, you can always get blanks from a stationary/office supplies store. For those wanting to try new tricks this book will keep you happy and busy. For the working professional trying to diversify their repertoire, you will find something in this book to add to your line up. The book is available from Paul directly, about half way down this page.
The tricks in this book vary from fantastic to garbage. I say garbage because some tricks are the same as the one before with a slight aesthetic change. A trick where a key bends and then later on a trick where a spoon bends are the same trick in my mind. It doesn't take a creative genius to realize other visual representations of objects can be visually bent. We are also treated to a section on trick by TC Tahoe, another section on tricks by Paul Romhany, and a final section on tricks by everyone else who contributed. While I appreciate the creative talents of all people involved it would have been nice the tricks separated by subject. For example, tricks involving: time, mind reading, transpositions, etc. If tricks were separated by effect this book could be used much more effectively as a desired effect section could be flipped to and a suitable trick found. Because it is sorted by creator you are left with a hodge podge of magic to go through with no defined organization. This works in a library, not so much a magic book covering a single principle in depth.

Since this book covers so many tricks I will highlight the best and most unique tricks, in my opinion. I'd also like to point out something slightly awkward about this book. Paul Romhany wrote his section, and TC Tahoe wrote his section, but the styles of writing are so different that the book lacks continuity.

The beauty of a book with so many contributors is that the creativity flows freely! A number of tricks in this book are just spectacular, some are diabolically clever, and others are basic attempts to use the principle and seem to be in here strictly for political friendship reasons.

Here are a number of my favorite tricks and the accompanying effect as seen by the audience:

Fortune Cookie: This specific routine caught my eye because of the size of the effect. It is meant for a parlor situation. The effect is this, a spectator signs the bottom of a large postcard with a fortune cookie on it, from the folds of the cookie is a large blank fortune paper. The card is removed and set down. The spectator chooses a random fortune from a large plastic bag and the audience gives the magician 3 numbers. Those numbers are added up to determine a fortune number. The postcard signed earlier is turned over to reveal that the fortune and lucky number match. I particularly enjoy the prediction feel and the ability to play large. The graphics required to make your own postcards is included in a CD provided with the book with a number of graphics for other tricks as well.

Signature Transpo: This is a fantastic effect and the reactions will prove that when you try it. A card signed by the magician and one by the spectators switch places in their hands. Then a second card is taken and signed by another spectator. The second card is placed in the second spectator's hand. Passing a flame by the magician's signature it vanishes and is found on the second spectator's card. I don't think I need any commentary here. It's an amazing effect!

Burnt Bill to Anywhere: This is a fantastic application of the OTL principle to steal an item in plain view AND have it signed for verification at the same time. This is a brilliant application and I suggest you take a look at it. Page 39 for those who plan on buying this.

The 8 Ball: While I am not usually a fan of this type of magic, as it doesn't suit my performance style, I know many magicians whom this trick would be perfect for! You draw a circle on the back of your business card. They sign the bottom and you finish making it look like an 8 ball and write "8 ball" above the drawing. The card is removed and given a shake, a large black 8 ball falls into their cupped hands and the card is shown to have "8 ball" written but no drawing.

Look Ma No Bands: Although not really a trick this is a cool concept to use on the fly. TC Tahoe has come up with a way to use the OTL principle without and bands or clips. Pretty cool!

Secret Writing Techniques and the OTL Principle by Christopher Taylor: This is a very unique section of the book. Mr. Taylor takes us through a number of ways to produce secret writings as well as how to conceal various things throughout. A slightly bizarre feel to the effects but wonderful nonetheless. I enjoyed this article. Also an old method of producing smoke from your fingers is given at the end of the article.

Newspaper Prediction: BRILLIANT! This trick blew me away. It's a great solution for producing a headline prediction. Utilizing a balloon and the OTL principle you can predict any headline... A blown up balloon with a prediction inside is seen. Some from the audience chooses a word or headline or what have you an this is written down. The card with writing is handed to the spectator with the rest of the cards. The balloon is taken and popped. Aside from balloon bits is a piece of paper. On this is the correctly predicted word. Although these ideas have been explored in other sources, this trick by Gerard brought it together well.

R248 The Stars: Remember to Forget the Stars: In an apparent feat of mind control/manipulation you cause a spectator to forget one of a few symbols presented to them. This is a trick by Banachek and I must say it is a very clever effect to be done with the OTL principle.

The Exploding Light Bulb: Steve Hocevar performed this effect for a trade show. A light bulb is seen on a card. The bottom of the card is signed, and the card removed from the stack. It is held signature and light bulb face down. A large flash and puff of smoke is seen. The card is turned over to reveal the bulb has exploded! By combining a number of special effects with this simple application, Mr. Hocevar has come up with an effect that people are surely going to talk about! Finally something you CAN use the FISM flash for...

There are many other tricks in this book that will please any style of magician. Due to the setup required for any OTL effect, the tricks in this books will be hard to all use at once. Adding one or two to your existing repertoire will work wonders! Pun intended...

The book ends with an article by Paul Romhany with Tips on Business cards. For the magician new to having business cards these tips will be invaluable.

Although a very niche book, if you are doing close up and do not have an OTL trick in your repertoire perhaps this will change things. I'd recommend this book for the diversity of effects and the wonderful stage applications. Available from Paul Romhany for 24.95.

The Magic Review on Facebook!

2009-03-28T12:04:00.001-07:00

I am happy to say The Magic Review is now on Facebook.

For those looking to join the group and get the low down on upcoming contests.

The Magic Review

JC Sum and I are in the midst of putting together a great contest. Where one of you readers is going to win a copy of The Event Illusionist! An 85 Dollar book available from http://www.illusionbooks.com/ only!

A review of this book will be posted in the weeks to come.

Update: JC SUM WEEK

2009-03-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

JC Sum is one hell of a guy! He's also a brilliant mind and fantastic illusionist. When I mentioned to him that people voting on the site said they'd like to see more books reviewed he immediately sent over a copy of every book on his site all the way from Singapore and he sent his Perfect Coin Pail. I just received the package this weekend and I am very excited.

I was planning a JC Sum week but with this much stuff it is going to be longer than a week! Right now I think it is going to take a minimum of two weeks, and likely longer to review all this stuff!

JC and I have also agreed to a holding a little contest! More details will follow soon, the prize will be a copy of his book The Event Illusionist valued at 85 dollars!

Here is a list of all the books to be reviewed:

Illusionary Departures
The Event Illusionist
Urban Illusions
Beyond the Stage
Equilateral

Business Cardiographic

2009-03-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Continuing with our Out To Lunch Marathon is one of my new favorite things. I am a huge fan of Martin Lewis and his magic. Cardiographic is a staple in my stage show and when I first heard about this smaller business card rising card I was very skeptical. When I saw the DVD only I again was skeptical. Having watched the made the gimmick, I am very happy! The gimmick is a one time build and it will last for a long time if you are a decent arts and crafts person.

You will need to watch the DVD then take a trip to an office supply store. The DVD supports one practice which I don't agree with. Printing your own business cards. NEVER print your own cards. You likely don't fix your own car, deliver your own children or do your own dental work, well don't stop the trend, let professionals, professional print your business cards because that's what professional printers do best. Besides you can get cards printed for as little as 15 dollars for 1000 colour cards front and back. Zooprinting, sign up, its free and they don't bombard you with garbage.

Once you have constructed your gimmick you can use it with any business cards that have white on the back of them. Now part of the DVD explains to have a lot of business cards printed with the card already risen. For anyone who has their own cards already I suggest you do what I did. Go have 2 rubber stamps made for you. They are very small and very inexpensive. I had one for the deck to match the gimmick and one for the risen card. The risen card is red, the rest black, hence the two stamps. Now you an sit down for a few minutes and literally produce a stack of cards. If you are having cards printed for this great! Get the backs printed with the card already risen out of the deck.

The instruction on the DVD is fantastic, including HUGE examples of the components you require to construct your gimmick. There are digital files on the DVD for Winographic and Business Card-iographic. There is always a catch though. As this does require an Out to Lunch cover you need a big ugly Broccoli rubber band or a beautiful Out To Dinner Clip as is mentioned in my review on the Out to Dinner Clip. I highly recommend you purchase this clip for this effect. It's only 15 dollars and will last for years. My biggest problem with this business card rising card, is that the action of the card rising is not done with the cards held stationary, it is done with the cards being held some what awkwardly and moving in a circular direction.

You can see from the above video that the cards are held in a strange way and the motion used by Brian. You can also see the Out to Dinner Clip in action. I do think if you played with some finer points -like the thickness of stock used for the gimmick- you could make a gimmick that would require no motion to cover anything. I enjoy smaller effects that also I do in my larger shows, the main reason being that while in a close up setting I can perform something which is in my stage show and it leads into a very easy conversation about my stage show and how it can work well with the potential client's event.

Oh, and I almost forgot! The reactions are ridiculous! The downside is that everyone will want you to perform it over and over again to get a "magic" business card. Highly recommended from Magikraft for 30 dollars or for 40 dollars which includes Doc's Out to Dinner Clip.

Out To Dinner

2009-03-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Doc Eason has created a very simple, very efficient and very brilliant little utility device. It is a very strong and sturdy metal clip meant to be used to hold business cards and serve as a classy alternative to an elastic band for the Out To Lunch Principle. It is very rare that I have a hard time coming up with proper criticism for a product. This was the problem I faced with Doc's Out to Dinner Clip. This is a MUST have item for anyone considering Out To Lunch effects. Since this week is all about Out To Lunch, you would do well to purchase this item immediately!

The clip is very well made and very strong. It looks fantastic and it works quite well. There are a few downfalls though. First the metal can leave grey/silver marks on white cards -not a huge problem, it only leaves marks if you over stuff the clip. Second because the clip is so well made the clip will NOT bend. Meaning your cards need to be cut very accurately to fit in the clip. Other than those two small thoughts, I can't find much to improve with this device! It works great. It looks great and it classes up a previously unsophisticated idea in magic!

I only wish it were available in Brass or black enamel as well.

If you plan on doing any Out To Lunch magic (and I can't recommend it enough!) you will want one or two of these clips ready to produce classy miracles. Or you could pull your business cards out and hand a card out from that purple broccoli rubber band... A great impression before presenting your business information.

Highly Recommended. Available from Doc Eason directly. Check out Doc's Shop for 15 dollars... that's it, 15 bucks! It also comes with two tricks to do with it but I'd certainly put more emphasis on the beautiful clip. This week will be full of Out To Lunch products that you will want to have this clip for!

Pendragon's DVD Volume 4

2009-03-15T12:37:00.001-07:00

The fourth and final volume of the Pendragon's DVD set. For those new to the site, I will first give a recommendation then follow with a more in depth review of the material on the DVD.

While the first 3 DVDs have provided some wonderful information and effects to add to one's repertoire there are also some that are simply out of most people's financial league. Fortunately volume 4 has a good selection of techniques and illusions for the wealthy and more modest performer. The illusions explored include, The Broom Suspension, 360 degree levitation, The Impalement, and The Election which is a Blammo production followed by a no trap person switch (Leg Drop Switch). There is also some discussion on Interlude, Steinmeyer's famous illusion seen on the cover of volume 4. If you plan on doing illusions this is be all means a wonderful volume to own. If you on the other hand do not plan on doing illusions I would suggest saving your dollars and cents for something else. That being said if you are looking to buy the other 3, it is worth getting the 4th DVD to complete the set and for the discount available from L and L publishing.

First we are presented with the Broom Suspension. A very difficult illusion to do well, it's easy to perform this poorly but to make it look like there isn't mechanical junk strapped all over the place is much more difficult. Again, this illusion is a million times better due to Charlotte and her fantastic athletic and gymnastic abilities. This will be a running theme for these illusions with strong emphasis on the person being levitated, suspended, impaled, etc.

The performance segment is quite good, and you will see why when Jonathan explains his workings. The mechanics of the Pendragon's suspensions are great! If you can get it made like that, wonderful! Jonathan takes us through a brief history of the illusion and where the name came from etc.

The best part of this is the harness explanation and the learning curve/process that Jonathan describes. While it's fun to get illusions and to play without planning to perform them it is much more difficult to recognize and realize what needs to be concentrated on and the most efficient way to go about learning the crucial steps to presenting a good illusion. Jonathan emphasizes a lot of wonderful points that need to be addressed but are often overlooked. For example, if you use a ratchet type, you will have a problem when you try to get the assistant "in place" if it moves at all you will start with a semi-suspension which shouldn't take place. Jonathan also discusses some beautiful thoughts regarding suspension vs. levitation and the strengths of both. There are many great attributes that a suspension has which a levitation does not. Presentationally speaking you need to emphasize different things in a levitation vs a suspension. This will likely be one of the most valuable sections on this DVD. If you want to do a suspension you will need a couple things, this DVD and the special design to Jonathan's harness which is fantastic! Don't get this built by an illusion builder unless they truly understand the Pendragon design. I'm not sure if you need permission from Jonathan to build this, I assume not given the depth in method and specificity of mechanics. If I am incorrect and somebody knows this for a fact please email me and I will adjust this accordingly (erdnasestudent@gmail.com).

I truly hope that more people adopt Jonathan's mechanics as I can't stand that "Click click click" we all know and love in bad broom/sword suspensions. If you perform this effect already you must own this and change your set up. It's worth the money.

Following the suspension, so fittingly, is the 360 levitation. As we have heard many times already, Jonathan consistently refers back to Richiardi and his performance of levitation effects. I have to emphasize once again, it is very important to have a dedicated Charlotte Pendragon as part of the show, otherwise you will never reach full potential. Also Charlotte is more important in these illusions than the magician posing and "acting" as though he matters. Of course he matters but your assistant will be doing the real work and is literally the living illusion. A great history of the levitation is given including a little bit about Alan Wakeling's hand playing a part. I'm a huge Alan Wakeling fan, and if you aren't familiar with him or his work I highly recommend you get his book, The Magic of Alan Wakeling.

When Jonathan explains the workings of things there is a lot of emphasis on presentation as there is in all of these DVDs I would highly recommend taking this advice to heart! Jonathan takes you through the different steps of the prop. For example, bringing the assistant to the prop, Charlotte then kicks in and starts to guide your assistant. It would be a good idea to purchase the illusions on this set and then watch these DVDs with prop beside you and work through it with your assistant.

Next Jonathan discusses the hoops and the variety of hoops you can use. A particular mention to Blaney's hoop is given. Which if you've see or used this hoop before, you know why! Jonathan teaches an original hoop pass using a solid hoop. One of my favorite parts of this DVD set is that many of the things I have only read about become very real. We see a real gooseneck and Richiardi's original hoop passing technique which is fortunately not lost to history as Jonathan feared. Jonathan recommends not stealing Richiardi's hoop pass. I would agree, but it is certainly somewhere to start learning. Try to make it your own and get a feel for the philosophy behind it.

Next we have The Impaled illusion, as I've mentioned already, it requires a very special assistant to make this illusion look as good as the Pendragon's make it look. You can love or hate the illusion itself but you would be hard pressed to say they don't do it remarkably well! It would be nice to have a performances only section instead of the lecture format, where a trick is shown then explained, performed then explained, etc. Jonathan provides a lot advice regarding the graphic nature of the impalement and the fact that it is NOT a good first illusion. Jonathan gets very artist on us here. A little over the top but his advice is sound. Wait 5-10 years before tackling this type of illusion. You require a lot of experience and as you can imagine being impaled on a stick while rotating is very scary for any assistant or magician. I'd relay my personal experience having performed it as the assistant but really that's not needed. Do NOT try this one without some experience under your belt. Being up there on that stick is very scary, it would be much better to concentrate on a broom suspension as explained earlier.

Jonathan explains some wonderful moments in the Impalement and explains that the magic moment is not the impalement it's the resurrection effect. If you dropped a melon on a knife blade and it got penetrated that's not magic, it's magic when you take the melon off and show it to be unharmed. A very good point that so many bad illusionists neglect. The effect is intense and you will appreciate it that way as done by the Pendragons. Jonathan continues to emphasize the requirements, sound acting ability, physically top shape, good flexibility, etc. You can tell this is an illusion that the Pendragon's are very passionate about.

Next we are treated to the technical aspects of the Impalement and a demonstration as well as a bit of Impalement origins. During the demonstration there is a very funny part when Charlotte releases her sword tip and you can't help but laugh at the remarkably phallic implications and the awkward camera close up. Jonathan and Charlotte admire this large phallic symbol and it's ability to wobble. Priceless! The harness will shock many of you and quite honestly your assistant needs to have very strong back and leg muscles to perform this illusion convincingly. You don't realize how much strength Charlotte has until after you get a chance to see the minimalist mindset that has gone into the body support for this and other illusions.

Nearing the end of this DVD we get to hear and then see the Blammo box, a Pendragon original based on the smaller dove to rabbit illusionette. It's truly remarkable to hear how much influence the Pendragon's have had on modern illusions as we know them today! Their music is a little dated in many of these illusions this one especially. They call this trick The Election, which is a production of a big fluffy puppy dog from a Blammo, and a switch of Charlotte and Jonathan. The switch is quite good although the audience reaction and Jonathan's "Oh come on!" would make you think it's less than grand. It feels like the timing is off a bit on revealing Charlotte. Too much time between the switch, the "come on" and the awkward call to Charlotte. Perhaps not the best clip of this but the components are wonderful.

The Blammo isn't anything new to illusionists. Jonathan doesn't explain the illusion quite yet, first, we get an explanation of where he gets his dogs and what kind of dogs they are. Thorough! The effect is that a large fluffy boa (neck scarf thing) turns into a large fluffy dog. A wonderful demonstration follows and some very valuable tips. How to handle the top and which way to move, pull the top, etc. Of course this dog production is meant to be a lead into the switch they use which involves a cape to switch Charlotte and Jonathan. They were trying to get away from that huge cloaked figure switch that always happens and telegraphs a switch and appearance of the magician. This is a very good switch in workings but you need to justify the cape. Very easy for the renaissance style of the Pendragons. A bit more difficult for you or I, but not impossible. The beauty of the switch to me is that there is no need for a stage trap, certainly a significant improvement from other switches like this. Lance Burton is another interesting switch to take note of in his now famous sword fighting vignette.

We get a good look at the Pendragons and how much fun they have so many years into being professionals. There are many people who might question the value of these DVDs but I personally have yet to find anything more in depth and up to date on the effects presented by the Pendragons. I highly recommend this DVD and the other 3. Purchase the set. If you are just working on 1 or 2 illusions then you would be silly to not purchase the corresponding DVD. While these won't be huge sellers in terms of Magic DVD sales due to their niche market, the lucky people who do choose to purchase these AND use the material in them will be light years ahead of the many hacks trying to reinvent it all and make all the mistakes along the way.

If you plan on doing a levitation or suspension, buy volume 4, if you are a hobbyist dabbling, save your money for something more fun and less practical. If you enjoy illusions and history these are invaluable. It's hard to justify NOT spending the 35 bucks on this and the other DVDs in the set. It's a measly 35 bucks! Buy it Here!

The Magic of the Pendragons Volume 3

2009-03-10T16:36:00.001-07:00

Volume Three can safely be called the DVD on Classic Stage Magic vs. Illusions. We are introduced to The Linking Rings, Sands of Egypt (Sands of the Desert), The Kellar Rope Tie, Head Twister, The World's Greatest Feet of Magic, and of course an interview with Jonathan.

As usual, I will give my recommendation followed by a more thorough review. Volume Three is on stage magic, while the Pendragon's are remarkable at Grand Illusion, the Stage Magic I saw left something to be desired. I would recommend this DVD for specific purposes. If you want to learn Sands of the Desert, buy this immediately! Jonathan will fool you with it and it is a great method. If you aren't familiar with The Kellar Rope Tie, buy this DVD set. There is no doubt the material is commercial and works for real audiences, it is scripted and carefully choreographed.

Bottom line, while these might not be great effects for you there are lessons to be learned. Of the set, I would say this is certainly not my favorite DVD. If you do or plan to do paying shows, it would be in your best interest to see a few commercial stage pieces despite the fact that they might not be for you exactly. As for the close up trick... I'm sorry that was included.

Let's go in chronological order. The linking rings routine work for Jonathan. It's something he does often and enjoys. The best part to me was not the routine but the explanation. You would be hard pressed to be able to perform this routine as described and performed. Vernon's Symphony of the Rings would be a much better investment to learn a routine from, or the famous Jack Miller Routine. Whit Haydn's comedy ring routine would be another highly recommended source. If you are looking for how a routine like the linking rings can be choreographed to music then this will certainly be beneficial. The routine is very Jonathan Pendragon. As usual the explanation is thorough and Jonathan explains it very well. The scripting in the routine is well done too. The routine as a whole is a bit much for me. You'll have to see it for yourself. Not the best thing on the DVD, not the worst. There is no question that the safety aspects covered are great and Jonathan is full of stories. In the safety segment the height requirements and tips on how to throw and catch rings without killing yourself are all covered.

The second trick is the Sands of Egypt. This has got to be my favorite version of this trick to date. I am familiar with a variety of methods but this one in particular fooled me and appealed to me on a commercial level. Jonathan makes this an audience participation trick.... How you ask? A little girl comes on stage and pours the sands in her self! What a brilliant take on this trick! Each colour is poured in of course and as you all know Jonathan reaches in and pulls out each colour, dry. There area couple of changes from the usual routine. The blackening chemicals are added openly, and the water is not cleared up at the end. I find the clearing of the water at the end to be unnecessary. Similar logic to Vernon's Traveler's where 4 aces travel to 4 different pockets. There is no need to pull the last ace from an envelope in your inside pocket. That changes the effect. I think this same thinking can be applied here. There is no need to clear the water. The effect is removing dry sands, clearing up the water (which never truly clears up) is too much. Just my opinion mind you.

The explanation for this as I already mentioned is brilliant in method. Jonathan explains the trick very well. You can make the sand yourself but I would suggest a couple of google searches to find the sand you need. You DO NOT have to buy the expensive sand from magic shops. You can get similar types of sands from children's science stores. Jonathan also details the chemicals used to darken the water and how to clear it up again if you like. The explanation is very thorough and insightful, obviously the result of hundreds of shows. There is a lot to learn. Constructing the prop you need for this might be difficult to make at times. If you have purchased the DVD and want a bit of assistance please feel free to email me and I will let you know what to do. I would purchase this DVD for this trick alone, but that's because I will be adding it to my show.

Jonathan now performs the Kellar Rope Tie. There is a lot to learn from this piece. The audience member selection process, the careful words to ensure props spectators, etc. The fun they have on stage, the lines, etc. This is a great routine to learn from. Jonathan does forget their names but I'm not sure if that's on purpose, so it's covered well. The audience interaction is wonderful and the routine is good. Not what I'd expect from Jonathan, but certainly a well received trick. Real audience laughter, great moments, a good routine! Jonathan's routine is a prime example of how to make this routine play on a huge stage. If you are interested in doing this in a small setting, parlor perhaps, I highly recommend The Magic of Alan Wakeling and the Handcuff Escape. Otherwise this is a great trick for a large stage. I'd say it's a toss up between this and the Sands of Egypt for best trick on the DVD. Jonathan explains the trick well, but quite honestly there isn't too much too explain. You will learn more from the performance than from the explanation.

The Head Twister is on here, and I'm not quite sure why to be honest. It seems out of place compared to the other tricks presented. The explanation seems longer than you need. Jonathan truly explains how the effect plays in the stage show. It's a weak effect at best. A bit of apparent miscommunication leads into "Jonathan's head not being on straight" so they adjust him with the twister. It really looks like Jonathan just wanted this to be in there cause he likes the trick. The performance is accompanied by some useful advice but this was thrown in for the performers not the viewers.

The last thing on this DVD is quite frankly, terrible. Jonathan's seated performing a card trick. The greatest feet of magic is Jonathan catching a selected card in his toes. Why is this on here? His technique is sloppy, the trick is weak in his hands. That being said, it is an amusing trick to see live with magician friends. Johnny Benzais' book has a better method for obtaining the card as needed. The effect could be good just not in Jonathan's hands or feet for that matter.

While these DVDs have highs and lows the highs certainly outweigh the lows. Unfortunately the DVD ends on a low. The highs being the Sands of Egypt and Kellar Rope Tie. The lows being the Head Twister and Greatest Feet of Magic, The Linking Rings is the wild card. Might work for some, and not for others.

All in all, this DVD is good the to have if you plan on performing Sands of Egypt or Kellar Rope Tie. Certainly don't buy it for the other tricks. As always Jonathan's insight is interesting and the dialogue is entertaining to listen to. For 35 dollars, I'd suggest you pick it up, but not for the close up magic. Available here. From L and L Publishing.

Pendragons DVD Vol 2. The Sub Trunk / Metamorphosis

2009-03-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

Volume 2 of the Pendragon's DVD set is quite honestly the DVD all illusionists thinking of tackling the Sub Trunk should own. It goes without saying that few in the world come anywhere near the speed to visual illusion that the Pendragon's accomplish.

(Side note: One who did have remarkable speed at one time was Criss Angel surprisingly enough, performing the switch with no curtain but a line of flash pots and the cover from the pyro alone. What happened Criss?)

As per usual I am going to give a straight answer as to whether or not this DVD is worth it then we will go through the DVD contents, commenting on the good and the bad as we go. As always I will post a lengthier recommendation at the end.

Alright! Here we go, first off I can't recommend this DVD set enough. To have the two most practiced magician's on the subtrunk, performing and teaching their specialty INCLUDING the amazing curtain throws and removals is priceless. For the measly 35 dollars this DVD is worth it's weight in gold.

We start off with a performance of the illusion it self in the midst of a larger stage show. It is very clear that the Pendragon's close with this piece. The performance is good although they did seem a little bit slower than usual. Since Charlotte has recently had knee surgery, I will assume that is why. Fortunately you will see the switch a number of times through out and they certainly do it with amazing speed! If you want a lesson and motivated actions take a look at their performance and notice how everything is in it's place. I particularly mean the rope for tying the bag, the lock, sword, etc. It's been meticulously worked out.

We follow this with a general discussion on the history of the illusion with Jonathan, nothing too new here. Houdini, being the first to make it a transposition, the assistants he used, anecdotes, Houdini's method, using a tent in the original versions, etc. If you really don't care for these stories and bits of information (I love them myself) then you could skip ahead.

Next we get into the trunk props. It would have been nice to start with the switch. Quite frankly that's exactly what people are looking for and that's what people want to see. We are made to wait for this unfortunately. Jonathan talks about an initial idea to have the curtain thrown up and switching before the curtain hits the ground, which worked! A brilliant beginning which caused some stir in the magic community! The method for this is revealed and how it worked exactly. We hear about the sub trunk they are known for with the beautiful rich burgundy. This was built specially by John Gaughan for the Pendragons!

With the trunk props section, the beautiful Charlotte takes us through the bag they use and problems you will face, how to set up all the props as they do. This includes space management in the trunk, costumes if you do a costume change, AND fabric, this is one of the most important parts of an illusion. Charlotte covers what ways to test fabric, how to find the right cloth etc. Later Jonathan will talk about the foulard they use and the fabric type the specifically use, etc.

As per the first DVD the sound has good and bad moments but for the most part the sound is good. Charlotte is full of great tips that you could only really come across through years of performance. You could stop the DVD here and get your money's worth. They continue of course and Charlotte even covers tying the top of the bag and how to get out of it and have it in place for a perfect switch.

Next, we get to see the famous Pendragon Foulard and how it works, what keeps it together, the type of fabric etc. A very important aspect being how Charlotte folds the foulard up and what to use as a top support for the switching parties to hold on to. You might be surprised! Charlotte goes into such depth as to explain how to hold the curtain and have it drape properly, the psychology they use behind where the curtain goes and why it's better to not have it covering the whole bottom of the trunk the whole time. Charlotte also covers the size of the trunk and how it changes based on the size of your trunk. Also your arm span and the size of your curtain.

Next Jonathan takes us through the trunks. The styles of trunks, the different ways to gimmick them etc. My one complaint would be the god awful trunk they use! L and L has significant sales, the DVD shoots are all catered, etc. Can't they put the couple hundred bucks together and get a decent trunk for the shoot! Perhaps something with a plexi glass cut away going around the trunk. This would make it very easy for anyone watching to see the action simultaneously going on within the box and on stage.

That being said we do get Jonathan's inside work on the box, custom modifications he has made to make the box the best it can be for him. Jonathan talks a bit about lighting the trunk and being able to drop the trap with people in a balcony and them not seeing anything due to his improvement. Unfortunately I have heard from people who were at a Pendragon show that they saw what they shouldn't have despite Jonathan's statements. I'd suggest not adopting the balcony drop cover. We get a great run down of the different trunks and after seeing the Pendragon's in action you will no doubt use their method for just about everything! The Pendragon trap is the most efficient, intelligent, and well thought out method I've every come across. You will also be disappointed in seeing their locking mechanism. Which goes to show how simple you can get. This is a great section of the DVD but I would have loved to see the gorgeous Gaughan trunk in the DVD explanation section. Jonathan talks about the big old fashioned pad lock at this point and gives a great resource for finding them. If you are looking for those big old heavy locks I highly recommend you take a look here.

Jonathan takes us through the inspection process and the different magician's choices, Doug Henning chose to do a very slow, Robert-Harbin-original-zig-zag presentation where everything is very open and examined. The Pendragon's opt to not examine the box as it just takes too much time for an effect that they are famous for being so fast at! The Moment of Magic is covered very well. Including speed and how it impacts the audience perception of the moment of magic. An escape, a penetration, a transportation, and idealy a transposition. While Jonathan leads into what you assume will be the switch section and the human mechanics, instead we have Charlotte doing the the costume change section.

I'm not complaining (by now I'm sure my Charlotte Pendragon crush is publicly known). The costume change segment contains some good information and some obvious information. for example, don't change from a black skirt to a black cocktail dress. You have to have good contrast between costumes. Now an important point is covered which is your audience. Audience and the costume changed into or out of share a direct relationship. Conservative audience = conservative costume change. Charlotte now demonstrates how she changes costumes out in the open. Which is wonderful and certainly good for any assistant or magician looking for a costume change. This is one of those moments where the sound gets rough. It would be nice to see L and L purchase a professional microphone that are used in movie shoots, the big fuzzy one's on sticks instead of all Lav microphones. Since the sound varies severely from their performance to the actual L and L footage you might have the volume cranked up high to hear better then get blasted with the loud sound of rummaging, or fabric going over the microphone. Won't leave you deaf but it would be nice to not have to constantly consider adjusting sound. This costume change segment seems more like an after the main event section instead of an introduction or precursor.

For some strange reason we have an entire segment dedicated to getting in and out of the bag. I'm not sure it needed this much attention but the information is certainly pertinent. Jonathan takes use through this tips and subtleties about being in the bag and Charlotte on tying it up etc.

Earlier Charlotte showed us the bag now we have Jonathan and Charlotte. Quite frankly, this is superfluous. Although this information is better than previously given one of the two segments should have been cut.

After ALL THAT the moment you've been waiting for! The Trunk Switch! Jonathan shows his part first without any foulard covering. Charlotte gets on top and pantomimes having a cloth. We now see Jonathan's exact hand/foot placement and timing. This is the slow thorough teaching. It would have been nice to see it done full speed leading into the explanation as we have seen so much "extra" stuff so far. The only thing we don't see is Charlotte drop. We also find out Charlotte jumped on Jonathan's head, just as a dangerous quip! It is slightly awkward watching Charlotte standing through the top and Jonathan on top as they chat. There is very good contact and communication through out the switch and the actions are explained progressively with immense detail. As this is clearly the section the majority of people are curious about, hoping to learn from, etc. You will be very happy. Following the explanation we see a behind the scenes view of a full speed switch being done on what I can only assume is the L and L building balcony? This is followed by a front on clip of the switch in full speed on the balcony.

Now the fun begins with the curtain and the reveals. We are all familiar with the toss up and switch. Jonathan gives us the good on his "hour glass" reveal. Appropriately named as the curtain forms an hourglass shape before it is whisked away! There is a lot of danger involved with this reveal and we discover how to determine who should be the one getting in the box or getting locked up and getting out of the box. This is also where Charlotte covers the drop! It's truly spectacular to see! She's just gone. It takes but a second and she's done! Amazing. We get immense detail throughout the entirety of this DVD including where Charlotte rolls her bottom when she gets in the box. The drop Charlotte performs is VERY dangerous and VERY advanced so you are shown a number of progressive actions and training exercises that will get you slowly more comfortable with "The Drop." We also get some great advice on the illusion of one person being super imposed and bringing the effect to it's greatest heights. Only now do we actually go through the Hourglass reveal. The actions seem very simple but it is quite clear how easily someone could get very hurt. Please be careful if you do attempt this reveal. The beauty of this 35 dollar DVD is that with it you have assumed rights for the information FULLY taught. (Clearly Impossible, for example is protected, as it is Jonathan's idea.) We now see the action and the step by step teaching of the curtain throw. It looks great but it's not for everyone!

Next we have the Split Switch. This is the switch that everyone loves so much! Jonathan takes you through the evolution of this split switch and all the research and development that went into something as seemingly simple as a curtain the splits. The detailed explanation is great! We also get a run down of what to do in a fabric store for all magic foulards, once again with more things to consider from Jonathan. The construction details are very thorough and should you want to do this reveal you should have very little difficulty understanding the concepts and applying them to your own split cloth. Again the detail in this split reveal is fantastic. To some this might be a little too much detail. Personally the more information the better. Often the explanation is repeated 2-3 times with various ways of explaining. Redundant? Perhaps, but sometimes you need to hear something a specific way to truly understand and comprehend what is happening.

The last section is on safety. This is also full of safe tips for your box and how to be as safe as possible in all your subtrunk endeavours.

Overall this is the greatest DVD on Illusion I have ever seen to date. It is a seminal work on the subtrunk and ANYONE even considering doing it should own this. The honest truth? 35 dollars for this DVD is ridiculously low. I would have priced the DVD at 100 dollars for the SINGLE DVD. You are receiving all the secrets the Pendragons have collected over the years for under 40 bucks. Stop reading and go buy this DVD.... Here

Update: Magikraft Marathon!

2009-02-26T03:37:00.001-08:00

With the Pendragon DVDs nearly complete I am VERY happy to announce that Magikraft has sent along some beautiful stuff! Once the OTL Marathon is done we will be exploring a week of Magickraft products!

In the meantime check there stuff out at Magikraft

Update: The Magic of Fred Robinson

2009-02-24T10:15:00.001-08:00

Martin Breese has just informed me that a copy of this big book is on it's way for review! When this arrives I will make another post and reviews to follow of course!

Update: More reviews to come!

2009-02-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

I am happy to inform you all that Fantasio is sending along Chameleon Pen, Electronickel and The Miracle Lighter for review.

Of course they will be posted as I get items in stock.

In the mean time, you can look forward to review on Out to Dinner, Lunch is Served, Business Cardiographic, Examining The Thumbtip, and of course the rest of the Pendragon DVDs that are currently being reviewed.

Update: Pendragons DVDs Volume 2 Delay

2009-02-21T10:56:00.001-08:00

I'm currently working on Vol. 2 of the Pendragon's DVD set, which is dedicated entirely to the Sub Trunk! Remarkable!

For those who don't know how my review process works, I am sent items and try to post a review within 1-2 weeks of receiving them. The review process varies for Books, Tricks and DVDs, for example, if a DVD is very involved, I watch the DVD 4 times, sometimes more depending on the subject. The first time I watch, the second time with comments on my laptop and the third time I revise and include bits I might have missed. Additional viewings vary depending on the subject and the depth of information.

Since this Sub Trunk DVD is legendary I am not rushing it and have viewed the DVD more times than I wish to admit but you guys are in for a treat!

Might even have a couple surprises in store!

Update: The Trade Show Magician's Handbook

2009-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Seth Kramer has just been in touch and informed me that a copy of this book will be in the mail tomorrow following our President's Day holiday.

The polls are showing a desire for more book so I will do my best to get book reviews up!

Update: J C Sum Items

2009-02-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

J C Sum has just confirmed a shipment of books and a beautiful looking Coin Pail. I am going to be getting these guys in a couple weeks and reviewing them early March. The Event Illusionist, Urban Illusions and The Perfect Coin Pail.

You can take a peek at all of these items at http://www.illusionbooks.com/ with a few other books and props!

Pendragons DVD Volume 1

2009-02-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

L and L publishing has just released a 4 DVD set by none other than the Pendragons! Aside from this being a milestone in magic history, this is being taught for the first time by world famous and respected illusionists. The only video set that is on the same subject (roughly) is the 2nd volume of Rand Woodbury's Illusionworks videos from yesteryear.

Alright, Volume 1, what do we get? I am going to explain what is on the DVDs followed by my recommendation then a more thorough review.

Contents:
The Hindu Basket
Intro, History and Concepts, Why not to use fire, Sword choice and Safety, Basic Swordsmanship, The Foulard, How to get into the basket, Placing the swords in the basket.

Color of Emotion
Introduction, and Concepts, Materials, Preparation and Presentation.

The Shadow Box
The Work

Clearly Impossible
History and Discussion

Bonus Interview with Jonathan Pendragon by Patrick Martin

Alright, upon initially watching this DVD I was turned off, not because it was done poorly but because I could NEVER perform these illusions with the same presentational flare as the Pendragons. Honestly, while watching I was embarrassed for Jonathan at many of the poses and choreographed sequences him and Charlotte perform. Two minutes later, I realized that it wasn't awkward in performance, it was only awkward because a small segment of a much larger show with no proper video introduction to the Pendragons is presented.

Despite the lack of a full show in this DVD I have to say the information is truly priceless, To say that this DVD is thorough is the understatement of the year. Every aspect you could imagine is covered. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone who is planning on doing illusions. If you are not planning to do illusions and only want to see the Pendragons perform, these might not be your cup of tea. That being said, any interest in illusions would justify purchasing this DVD.

Alright step by step, We start with the Hindu basket, and while I find it to be a particularly weak effect, Jonathan does mention that it is a perfect first illusion and proceeds to list many reasons why. If you look at this DVD from that perspective it is an amazing introduction to illusions. It is very clear and often superfluous with information. There are great pieces of advice imparted and it makes it very difficult to review these DVDs without leaving a few of those along. A great one of course is the section on not using fire, why to not use fire and why it costs so much more to get insurance with pyro in your show.

The only thing that stuck out as strange was the lengthy explanation on swords and sword combat. That being said, anyone using any swords in a show would be stupid to not buy, watch, re watch, and take to heart all advice Jonathan has put in this section. A prime example would be, "Never point a sword towards the audience" if your hand is sweaty or the sword isn't high enough quality you might end up with a blade flying into the audience and a lovely lawsuit on your hands!

The explanation on foulards was particularly information rich, mentioning specific fabric types and what you are looking for in a proper foulard and where to find fabrics for this sort of thing. How it should flow and what type of movement you want. You also get something invaluable, insight into the mind of Jonathan Pendragon, a brilliant thinker in illusions. He mentions the logic and thought process behind the lengthy of a cloth relative to certain illusions and what you must keep in mind for successful presentations.

How to get into the basket was a difficult segment as you can imagine, Charlotte, aside from being remarkably attractive, is also very limber and able to pop in and out with little trouble. The difficulty in this section is the sound, and this is a recurring problem throughout the whole DVD set, there tends to be a lack of consistent volume levels. I'm not sure if this could have been easily rectified but it would have been nice to not have to crank up and crack down the volume from time to time.

Placing swords in the basket might sound like an unneeded section but the wisdom imparted is amazing, especially the solution they used to put flaming torches through despite the current disdain towards pyro.

Color of Emotion
This is a great trick, designed by Jonathan for Charlotte, in short, an emotion is thought of by a spectator and Charlotte paints the emotion on a canvas then writes the emotion though of on the top of the easel. A great trick if you have an assistant to perform this type of effect. This also uses a marketed item by another magician John Cornelius' Thought Transmitter. If you are alright buying it or finding another way to accomplish this, great! Otherwise you might be a bit upset as they don't provide a friendly on the spot alternative. The painting once finished is given away to the audience member. Now you have to appreciate that this is not like close up magic, the tricks are described with more information than you could ever imagine, I suppose like sitting down with Channing Pollock and him explaining the fine touches of dove work, just brilliant!
Information like, how to keep paints from drying up, how to keep your palette fresh, using gloves unpowdered, all the information you might come across if you performed this stuff for years. Truly amazing the amount of "extra" information that you are given. By extra I mean information that you don't need to perform but that makes it much easier, more complete, and more practical for the working performer.

The Shadow Box is another great illusion for the first time illusionist, it can be said that Volume 1 is a great introduction to illusions and the illusions for the most part are great for the beginner!
Jonathan explains how he made his own, perhaps a high school student student looking to build something bigger would look towards this illusion. The Work section is lacking, a lot, there is just a discussion with Jonathan and Charlotte but no prop to examine, no demonstration without paper up, nothing... I was a bit shocked at this and thought there would be more, they also reference that you can find working of a shadow box in Tarbell or Greater Magic. I took a quick look through some books and found the following for plans for the trick:

Tarbell Vol, 4 pg 413 The Girl From The Light
The Oriental Magic of The Bambergs Pg 215 The Girl From The Light
Illusion Builder to Fu Manchu Pg 58 The Girl from the Light
Great Illusions of Magic Pg. 259 Lady from Light

Clearly Impossible is The Pendragon's see through sawing in half and it is tremendous, it fooled me terribly and upon reviewing just the performance fooled me again! Only after the explanation did I have a chance in hell of seeing what was going on. Now that being said, owners of the DVD DO NOT have permission to construct their own. This seems odd to me, and I'll explain why. If you are going to product a DVD set with many of your original things on them surely since they are explaining the effects owners feel there is some entitlement to perform them as shown. That being said, it could be argued that you are purchasing The Pendragon's work on these illusions and tricks and therefore you are only privy to the information, tips, and routines presented to you by them. I tend to sway towards the latter but understand the thought of building what you see. Which is why I don't quite understand why this was put on the DVD. We have 3 wonderful tricks, The Hindu Basket and Shadow Box, for beginner illusionists and Color of Emotion for a stage or parlor piece, why would you go ahead and explain a much more sophisticated, complex, and secretive illusion on what appears to be a very beginner to illusions friendly DVD? While I don't understand or agree with it being on here I think the trick is magnificent and I am sure you will too!

The interview with Jonathan is a fun look back at starting out, meeting Charlotte, etc. Nothing too magic heavy in here.

In terms of cons, the sound could have been improved in a number of places, it would have been nice to have a full performance by the Pendragons, even if it meant taking up half a DVD. While the two intro illusions are great perhaps Clearly Impossible could have been switched out with something more beginner friendly. An actual demonstration of the Shadow box would have been great.

Despite all this I still found the DVD very helpful and worthwhile. Available from L and L Publishing for $34.95.

Update: Out to Lunch Marathon!

2009-02-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to wonderful people like Doc Eason, Magikraft, and Paul Romhany I will have a number of Out To Lunch based products. Lunch is Served, Doc Eason's Out to Lunch Clip, and Business Card-iographic DVD. They will all be reviewed as soon as I get all of them and have time to put them in to action.

How to Produce Your Own Theatre Show by John Pyka

2009-02-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

How to Produce your Own theatre show is a very good example of self publishing. For 25 US Dollars you will receive a PDF emailed to your inbox immediately! This PDF is 27 pages of information written by Mr. Pyka and an additional 6 pages of Press Releases, Contracts, Riders, etc. Followed by 3 pages of ads for Mr. Pyka's other books and booking opportunities.

Reading this PDF I was very excited to get to know some of the real gritty details of working a theatre show, but I didn't receive any of those. Instead I got a lot of common knowledge to any theatre enthusiast. This book lacks the type of depth and clarity I would love to see in a book on producing theatre shows. Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of wonderful insights in this PDF but surely the price and the information could have been a bit more balanced. This 'Book' is shorter than many sets of lecture notes. Those lecture notes might cost between 10-20 dollars tops. Also we are greeted with a lot of spelling and grammatical errors. For 25 dollars, and 26 pages of information, there shouldn't be any errors, spelling or otherwise.

Much of the book is made up of definitions, explanations for some common theatre terms, stages types, etc.

What a black box theatre is like, how a thrust stage changes your performance and choice of material. All information that could be readily obtained with a few google searches or a coffee with an actor. Quite honestly, I am disappointed. Very disappointed. While I don't question Mr Pyka's ability to put on a spectacular show, lecture, etc. I do question his ability to release a PDF with such a high price tag for the information you would be receiving.

I can not recommend this book, but I can point you towards another. For more information regarding touring with a show and the agent/producer/talent buyer relationship please see this book: Booking Performance Tours: Marketing and Acquiring Live Arts and Entertainment it is under 20 dollars and many more pages than 26 with a very extensive appendix section containing riders, contracts, and other forms for all stages of the booking process. Also for those new to theatre, take a look at This Book for under 15 dollars.

For those who would like to read Mr Pyka's book you can find it here for 25 dollars. You've been warned!

Updates!

2009-02-06T09:55:00.001-08:00

I have just received the Pendragon's DVD set, it will be reviewed this week, I have also received John Pyka's book on booking theatre shows and Lunch is Served, Paul Romhany's book on the Out to Lunch principle with J.C. Tahoe and a host of other guest contributors! I have a couple other surprises coming and will publish a week of Out to Lunch items available on the market

I am also going to add RSS so you can keep up to date on all the latest reviews.

As always please send any mail to erdnasestudent@gmail.com and keep voting in the polls, I will be basing the items I review largely on people's preferences.

-Milton

Happy Face by Paul Romhany

2009-01-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

Alright, let's take a look at some of the pros and cons. First let's discuss what you receive then we will get into the routine and the accompanying DVD.

When you purchase Happy Face you receive a 5 cards, printed on very thin stock, that measure about 5.5" by 8.5" semi-glossy on one side only. The lack of coating on both sides means that some cards with faces on them have a semi-glossy face on one side and the same card changes to have a new face with a dull side. Perhaps a small detail but something to consider nonetheless. I would have opted for the extra few bucks to produce the cards with semi-gloss coating on both sides it just lends a better feel and look. I'm also bit concerned with the durability of these cards. They are very thin. I was hoping for something a bit thicker or possibly even something plastic coated or laminated for longer lasting props.

Alright, the cards are a very nice size, easily handled and the provided routine is dead simple. Unfortunately we do not see Mr Romhany performing this for a real live audience. It would have been nice to see what Mr Romhany gets out of this item in a real paid performance.

The effect is this, 4 cards with sad faces are shown, and placed on display. Two of the 4 cards placed down are faces towards the audience and two have their backs towards the audience. The last remaining card is a smiley card! By rubbing the smiley card against the frowning cards they each change into smiley cards as well. This is of course a variation on the classic Wild Card plot by Peter Kane.
Nothing particularly spectacular is taught in this trick, you are really paying for the cards and the smiley/sad idea. I tried this out for a few youngsters and they were quite receptive to it. I'm sure with a little work you could make this a good routine in your children's program.
Mr Romhany mentions on the back of the DVD that he uses it for his Humor Seminars, which is all nice and dandy, except he never teaches it, explains about it, or performs it! This was a let down. For those of you looking to purchase this item for any humor seminar, don't expect to get a presentation from this Trick/DVD.
Onto the actual DVD, which is shot in Mr Romhany's living room with a handheld camcorder. That being said, the video quality is quite good. Mr Romhany presents the trick and uses an artist's easel to hold his cards up, this is great but unfortunately they are expensive and the only solution given on this DVD is take a piece of cardboard and putting a section along the bottom for the cards to rest on. I suppose it would work but I would hope for something bit better than a piece of cardboard or two.
The presentation is fine, but basic, it is clear that this has been performed for audiences before by Mr Romhany. One this that did bother me was the errors made during the explanation. Mr Romhany apparently didn't prepare a script for the explanation and it is clearly seen when he flubs up a few times. Why didn't he just shoot it again? I'm really not sure but the errors seem significant enough to me to do a second take.

All in all, this routine could be good for the children's performer but I would not consider performing this for an audience of adults, especially considering no routine for adults is really given despite the mention of one on the package.

The DVD is short and the routine could be learned in a one or two viewings at most. The sleights involved are a glide and a double lift. Mr Romhany teaches both, part way through the whole packet is turned over which is made out to be a move. I thought this drew too much attention and could easily be replaced with a gentle turn of the body or lowering the cards down and lifting them back up reversed.

For the $29.95 price tag I think your money could be better spent on other items. If you are looking for a piece for your children's shows, this might be worth taking a look at. I'd recommend viewing the demo which is taken right from the DVD HERE .

If you find this routine might be right for you then 30 bucks might be worth it but it seems like a 15-20 dollar item at most especially considering the low quality cards provided. For the 30 dollars I would hope digital files of the card be included in case you wanted to make more cards when these wore out, which I assume would be within a few months for any working children's performer.

Not recommended for anyone but the children's performer and only if Mr Romhany were to provide a link to download the files and print your own cards as well.

Happy Face sells for $29.95 from Hocus-Pocus Magic or Paul himself at http://www.paulromhany.com/

On a happier notes, the music on the DVD was very pleasant! I would have liked to have that in a format I could use, it sounds similar to most royalty free music but you'd have to confirm with Mr Romhany

A Review of an older book...

2009-01-24T08:06:00.001-08:00

Actually, it's a set of lecture notes. I am a big fan of books in magic, they are efficient, beautiful, and often contain the detail and excellent tricks that people are looking for! The practical stuff, a magician's life of magic in a volume. Any magician who has accumulated a significant library knows there are certain hidden gems. Specific books that people disregard, but you know better than that. Under appreciated works full of information most people are constantly looking for.

A common day example would be the Dale Carnegie book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. I recently found a set of lecture notes by Denny of Denny and Lee's in a bargain bin at my local brick and mortar.

Let me tell you first what these notes are not, they are not full of tricks (there are actually no tricks at all!), this set of notes is a very concise clear set of instructions on defining yourself in the magic world and making a real living from magic.

My first impression was that these notes are dated, and this is true in many ways, the advice on using a tape player instead of recorder for example. Also these were written in a time before the Internet, so no info on that either.

But this book does write a few things that are must knows, a formula for a "club date act", how to charge 5 times more than everyone else doing close up magic and have the client be HAPPIER about it!
Some great tips on getting your publicity together, although he advocates black and white photos over colour, I'm not an expert in this field but from an expert, Paul Romhany, states in his cruise ship book, that a black and white is advisable but colour photos are worth the extra cost. I would wager that the artistic integrity and feel of the photo lends itself to being either black and white or color. Take a peek through some posters at a music store and you will see black and white and color ones, if either were the other way (black and white being in color instead) they would lose a certain flavor I'm sure.
The notes are 41 pages in length, and to be honest I was slapped in the face after reading these notes. The ins and outs of performing magic for a living are all covered and I couldn't be happier!

I would highly recommend these notes, although I would love to see them updated. At 12.50 from Denny and Lees I don't know how any working pro or wanting to be working magician can afford to be without these notes. I am sorry it has taken me so long to get them!

Update: L and L Publishing and The Pendragon DVDs

2009-01-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

I am happy to say that L and L publishing has signed on and will be sending the Pendragon DVDs on Illusions for review.

To all other potential product producers, I will begin reviewing items within one week of receiving them.

Update: Review Items

2009-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

I see people are starting to vote in the poll I have set up. I will be reviewing tricks in the near future, including, Happy Face by Paul Romhany, The Shakespeare Experiment by Todd Karr, and Cardiographic Signature Edition by Martin Lewis.

Until then I'd like people to know that I have contacted Stephen Minch, L and L Publishing, and The Pendragons to review DVDs and books that have recently hit the shelves. I will post updates as these suppliers choose to sign on or not.

Update: Miracle Factory News

2009-01-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

I have just heard great news from Todd Karr. He will be submitting a whole host of products for review. I will not be reviewing the very exclusive items from Todd Karr as I believe a certain amount of secrecy should surround products like that. I will be reviewing the Erdnase Scroll though as I am a big fan of all that is Erdnase! Products to be reviewed will include the DVD and CDs from Miracle Factory, The Shakespeare Experiment (Which I have yet to find a real honest review on) and hopefully The Erdnase Scroll.

Again anyone who would like products reviewed please email me first.

Update: A Paul Romhany Update!

2009-01-20T14:20:00.001-08:00

I have been in touch with Paul Romhany following the review of his book and have some wonderful news! First, Paul is doing very well financially and the startled feel at the cheap prices was because of the shock at how inexpensive things in South America were, not so much today sadly. Also Paul is a "citizen of the world" you can google it to find out more information about that. I am also very happy to let people know that Paul is sending me a copy of Lunch is Served his new book on the out to lunch principle. I will be reviewing it as soon as I receive it and look forward to more releases from Paul.

Anyone else liking a review of an item can email me and we can discuss it then. Also a big THANK YOU to Paul for appreciating that this review site is not the pat on the back boys club that we seem to finding so frequently in magic magazines available at your favorite magic store or mailbox.

Entertaining on a cruise ship: The Ultimate Guide

2009-01-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of business books in magic. Unfortunately my magic brethren often do not share the same feelings. So with that in mind let me introduce you to Paul Romhany's most recent book, Entertaining on a Cruise Ship: The Ultimate Guide.

For many magicians the cruise industry seems like a dream come true. This can be the case but it is also hard work. Aside from seemingly high pay, the industry also has a high school feel to it in terms of on ship politics as Mr. Romhany explains. You also need a truly spectacular act... 2 of them. So before you consider jumping in to cruising remember that you need 2 acts 50 minutes each and perhaps another 15 minute act, all A material. Without this you have no chance. So if you don't have this already, you might be better off working on the stage shows before diving into a book on how to book shows you are not able to work yet. That being said, if your GOAL is to be on ships then this book is a must buy at 30 bucks it's a deal and a half. As per usual I will be hyper critical where necessary.

Let's take a quick peek at some basics of the book. You can buy it at Amazon.com for 29.95 which should get you free shipping. So buy it there if you choose to. Second the book is a misleading 265 pages in length. We will discuss this more later on.

Let's take a quick peek at the table of contents for this book.

Chapter One is a history of cruising, the ships, and the destinations. Not a must have in this book but I actually enjoyed reading the history behind it.

Chapter Two Dives into the life you could live on a ship. Whether or not you are a passenger or crew, nightclubs on board, your potential accommodations, dos and don't, etc. A great chapter for prepping but really I was more anxious to find out magic related specifics.

Chapter Three is a good look at things you need to know, who people are on board, there positions and power, who to be nice to, etc. This is the chapter I was looking for because it discusses at length, Requirement of Shows, Length and Number of Shows, Your Schedule, Performance Material, Cue Sheets, Live Animals, Theatre conduct, Contracts, Dress Code Gratuities on board, Money, Passports, Selling DVDs of your show or teaching DVDs, baggage, Even how to travel with a guest who IS NOT part of the act for a small fee, How much money you can make (You will likely turn here first so I will ruin it, 1500-3000 per week US Dollars, but your agent will take 10-15%, something to keep in mind).

Romhany does a good job of being honest with you about cruising. Some books glorify everything, this book does not. Sea sickness, disease and viruses on board, what type of visas you need. (Romhany is from New Zealand, lives in Canada but is a resident of nowhere, so pays no taxes. A very strange place to be in for anyone!)

There is also a great section on EXACTLY what you need to find work on ships. This was a fantastic section! This is not all business Romhany goes into relationship issues. What about cruising with a wife or kids at home? That's a lot of problems potentially!

We also get a few travel tips, which covers things like viruses on board and then we get to a fun chapter. Cruise Line Entertainment Bookers. This is the chapter that is very difficult to put a price on. Essentially it is priceless. Certainly worth 30 bucks at this point. To me at least. But we are only on page 101!

Okay, now Romhany talks to us about some business ideas, professionalism, attitude while on the job, Dress, Performance, Preparation, Back up shows, Promoting yourself, business cards, brochures, photos, websites, even free publicity.

We are at about page 123 and my biggest complaint has to be the lack of editing. The book is riddled with spelling and grammar errors, it makes the book very difficult to take seriously sometimes. I suppose this is the bi product of self-publishing. While it has opened the door to everyone to become an author it has also dropped the quality control tremendously.

Paul, you need to send your books for review by friends before publishing!!

There are over 15 errors within less than 50 pages. That is way too many in my mind.

My favorite has to be on page 157, this is the "Excerpts from Journal" Chapter, and we start with.

"Note: This section has been taken direct from my journals - no editing has been
applied in order to keep it real."

I am a fan of keeping it real, that is what this review site is all about! But I like to keep it real easy to read and real professional. This book should have been sent to a professional proofreader. Also, after about page 125, it is a lot of blog entries, journal excerpts and stories, including a section entirely dedicated to cruise ship jokes, which are funny. It just seems a lot of pages are used poorly. The blog chapter is 11 pages long, too much if you ask me, then the journals run another 43 pages!! WHOA 43 pages of journal entries! This was too much.

But reading them did give me insight into Paul Romhany the man. They often focused on the price of things and how cheap things were, which leads me to believe that perhaps the money you make on cruise ships looks like a lot but somehow isn't then again I know very little about Mr. Romhany's personal finances. To me it just sounded like the money working a ship isn't as great after the fact as it sounds.

I would love to be in a position to be on a ship performing to let people know first hand what costs are like and how much you come home with. When it comes to cruising the only alternative to this book seems to be Fred Becker's book, The Cruise Ship Magician's Handbook, but it is difficult to find, Mr. Becker doesn't even have any for sale! He should consider republishing perhaps.

I would recommend this book by Paul Romhany to anyone with 2 solid 50 minute stage acts or a VERY intense desire to work cruise ships. If you are merely curious then pass on this book. I should also mention Romhany has thrown in a handful of magic tricks and routines in the back of the book. One I will be using immediately is the production of a bottle of wine at the end of a paper balls over the head routine. The tricks are decent but I wouldn't buy the book for the tricks. At 30 dollars this book is a steal if you ARE SERIOUS about cruising. Otherwise spend your money on Rick Marcelli's book, it would do more for your career over all than this book will. Paul's book is available from Amazon.com with free shipping in the US. Rick Marcelli's book can be bought here

Update: Voting

2009-01-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

I'm glad to see people voting on here. I'd also like to let people know that if they would like an item reviewed please email me via erdnasestudent@gmail.com and I will let you know how we can continue. Also the voting on our poll for what types of things to review is very important for me to know where people's interests lie. So for those voting please email me and let me know if there is specific magic you'd like reviewed.

Verbal Magic by Juan Tamariz

2009-01-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

The other books I have reviewed so far have had rather lengthy reviews. This book is a little bit different. I am going to attempt a rather brief review and see how I feel about it afterwards.

This is a remarkably difficult and amazing book to read. Sometimes the effects are mind blowing and other times you get the feeling the effect is a little bit childish and perhaps something is lost in translation or perhaps it is cultural. But I have never had so much fun fooling myself over and over again with the items in this book! I would recommend it ONLY to those who will be doing magic remotely, or to those who want to fool themselves and experience a childlike joy that we had upon our initial introduction to magic.
This book is a compilation of translated tricks that Juan delivered to audiences over the radio in Spanish. So you can imagine that a little bit will be lost to an English speaking audience. That is understandable. Many of the tricks float around an oil and water idea with cards separating. I enjoyed playing with many of the effects and some of them just left me bored, so I skipped them. But one thing is for sure, this book is a treasure trove of cool trick that will fool YOU! I've rarely come across a book like this.

Anyone who reads this bad boy, and likes it, would do well to get copies of Impuzzibilities and Further Impuzzibilities by Jim Steinmeyer. Both are very cheap and have very fun routines!
If you have every wanted to magic over the phone then the set of three books mentioned will be a treasure trove!

*Also if anyone has any other titles similar to these in nature please let me know! I'd love to read, review, and recommend them if they are good! Even individual items from magazines would be nice. Thanks!!*

So in short, this book will teach you the tricks by following along exactly as written, I first did them with my partner beside me following my reading from the book, cards in hand, and they all worked! I tried again with a conference call and found the tricks from Verbal Magic were better received than those from the Impuzzibilities books but I am sure that it was presentational and some refining could turn all these tricks into amazing miracles! That being said I would not be surprised to see many YouTube videos performing the tricks from Verbal Magic. It would be nice to see Juan doing a few videos like that online for us to follow along so the impostors get squashed before they ruin this brilliant, fun book!

For a nice change of magic, go get this book, then call a buddy on his cell phone and make sure he's got some business cards or better yet a deck of cards!

Mind Blowing by James Biss

2009-01-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start off in a rather unorthodox order. In reading my previous review it struck me that there was A LOT of reading before you got to a conclusion. So I am going to begin each review with my recommendation for those with little time and then elaborate.

As a magician mentalism never struck me as particularly fun to perform, and it still doesn't. I'm much more in touch with magic as a visual or physical medium. That being said this is truly one of the very very few book on mentalism I can work my way through without wanting to slit my wrists.

I'd buy this book again even with the DIY aspect of many things and the few expensive gadgets to buy to utilize this book properly. If you DON'T want to spend extra money don't buy this book there will be about 500 bucks in extras to buy if you want to do EVERYTHING in this book, possibly more. I HIGHLY recommend this book for many reasons, the most prominent for EVERY performer being:

Part Seven-Mental Devices

Mind Changer Bags

"The Mind Changer Bag is a transparent plastic force bag. Unlike most change bags available they look completely innocent because they are made from ordinary Ziplock-type bags." Detailed instruction on how to make this with images is included.

Remote Control Change Packs

This is a modern version of the magicians double envelope. Created using those padded mailers from the post office. Opaque and brilliant in design. Again a great deal of detail in how to make these yourself, and I highly recommend you do.

Felt Tip Thumb Tip

A secret writing device similar to a swami but allows you to write in felt tip marker. A vast improvement. Who on stage write with pencil and expects the audience to see it?

The Rock Star Writer

Similar in concept to the above writer but allows you to use just about any type of writing implement. Also explains the use of one which appears to be marker and is easily wiped away afterwards. Very clever!

Loonie Page Force

Using a coin (loonie is the slang term for a Canadian dollar), Mr. Biss teaches you how to do a book test on the spot. I believe this idea might have been published before but don't have a reference to compare to. If anyone knows I'd love to hear from you.

Magical Markers

This details the construction of a magnetic marker, I needn't say more.

Digital Retrieval Devices

I enjoyed this so much I'm not going to comment on it. It is diabolical, the biggest leap in mentalism in 100 years.

Okay, now for some other info, the book is the same as Mr. Biss' first book Messing With Minds in that all the effects are presented and the methods explained at the end of each chapter. Contrary to most books with effect, method, effect, method, etc. Personally I find this particularly frustrating to read. That is a personal opinion, mind you, and I would not be surprised if those not familiar with previous magic literature found it to be easier to choose material. I suppose it depends how you read your magic books. I'd like to make one more complaint, the effects are described in GREAT detail, which for the performer skimming for something makes it a very involved process to read through 4-5 pages of just the effect/script as seen by the audience. It would be nice to have a brief high-concept sentence or two. For example,
"Reproduce thought of images by spectators without any assistance."

Part One of this book is a series of intriguing essays.

It appears as though Mr. Biss is quite spiritual and it is reflected strongly in his writing, I'd also assume rather left wing, but nonetheless the essays are well written and the points are quite fascinating with regards to bullies on stage, progression as a performer and various looks at topics like Verbal vs. Visual, Matter vs. Method, Empowering vs. Egotistical, etc. I particularly enjoyed this part of the book.

Part Two details the Impressionable Mind Board.

A utility device available for about 60-70 bucks from your favorite magic supplier (who has it in stock). It is a white plastic board with the ability to provide drawings for you made be the audience. It is a great prop but with all the devices explained in the book and about 32 pages devoted to a 10 minute, minimalist routine which is also our first introduction to the mentalism in this book, you'd expect instructions on how to make one would be included. Otherwise don't make it the first tricks in the book! Now the routine if very good, very very good, and it will fool the magi in your life. But shouldn't the first tricks be performable right away? The routine is a solid routine but please don't detail the tricks which are available to me when I have to purchase the board, it wastes paper and time.

Part Three, ESP Mind Set

This is an introduction to ESP cards and a plug for Magication, the producer of large, stage suitable, vinyl ESP cards. We open with a few pages of the history of ESP cards, more specifically JB Rhine's story. The effects to follow are good effects but I could see some not liking them. A design duplication to the Nth degree, out of this world with esp card, and a routine requiring double backed ESP cards that I just couldn't read through. There are a number of either grammatical or logical errors that I wasn't in the mood for, sorry. Again I am a touch perturbed by the author for presenting something requiring me to purchase magic specific items from a dealer. So far you can do nothing from this book without going out and buying a few magic props. That's all fine an dandy, the routine are good, but for the magic enthusiast this might be discouraging and this book might find it's way to a shelf near you or to someone else's shelf via E Bay.

Part Four, Saving the White Taggers

Once more the tricks in this section require you to have Mind Changer Envelopes, something you will have to make or purchase, most of the routine could be done without though. The routine as it insinuates requires a "tagger" label maker, but the routines produced are brilliant. unfortunately again nothing that can be done without a bit of leg work. The routines are remarkable mind you, drawing random things written down and sealed in an envelope left with a spectator and finally asking the spectator to pull out a random one, which you immediately duplicate! A spectator successfully reads a crystal ball and the numbers another spectator has dialed on his phone, and fortune cookies successfully predict information. Now, there is a bitching recipe for fortune cookies in this book, so top marks there! The effects as you read them above are diabolical and there methods even better. I'd say the run around is worth it for sure.

Part Five, Psychic Segues

A compilation of tricks and thoughts on mentalism including a sudoku effect, how modern and pop culture appropriate! "If you really are psychic why don't you pick the lottery numbers?" I assume a common question to mentalists. Well Mr. Biss does just that! We also have a few impromptu-esque tricks to perform with much less preparation than the previous tricks mentioned. An interesting take on the Koran Medallion type effect, a card revelation with breasts (always fun). I've omitted a few tricks for you to find out about yourself.

Part Six, The Tesla Vision Files

This chapter interested me particularly because of the types of tricks. First, you have eyes closed back to a couple spectators on stage and you successfully with back turned determine who put their hand up by free will and which shoulder they tapped and how many times...
Finding a spectators keys hidden in the audience while you aren't looking. We get a tale of Nikola Tesla and Tesla vision and finally the methods for these effects, which I must admit shocked me pleasantly.

Smoke and Mirrors by Rick Marcelli

2009-01-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

This book has received some significant hype but with one key problem. I have yet to find a review for it in a major magic magazine. Okay, so the book has yet to be reviewed by the big shots, Magic and Genii, but wait... that's odd, Magic gave Rick Marcelli a spread in the magazine to promote his book and it doesn't appear to be a paid advertisement. Something isn't right here. Let's take a look at this books introduction to the market. The first advertisement for this book was on page 3 of Magic magazine, and pg 49 of Genii both September 2008. Naturally this issue of Magic also contains an article by Mr. Marcelli on page 52, The Secrets of Show Biz, which gives your essentially some well edited excerpts from the book. A very good article for those wanting to know the feel of this book and type of information. October 2008 Magic Magazine has another ad on page 41 for the book but no article by Mr. Marcelli, an ad on pg 49 in Genii and once again no reviews! Nov. 08, Magic Magazine, ad on page 31, Genii magazine ad on pg. 46 but no reviews... no more ads from here on and as you can imagine no reviews!

This is a very unfortunate start for this book. The author claims he is David Copperfield's first manager and this is true. In forums online (The Magic Cafe) Rick Marcelli takes a bit of flack and Charlotte Pendragon chimes in on his behalf. There is something seriously strange going on here. Did all the magic magazines choose to ignore this book? It certainly seems that way.

Here is my take on this book. The book is a slim softcover book, 8.5 by 11, About 140 pages long. Here is where it gets scary, 75 bucks! 100 if you'd like it personally autographed. I will say this though, that includes shipping to the US and Canada. Which is an added bonus I suppose. I purchased the 75 dollar option.

The book is true to it's word, Secrets of Becoming a STAR in Magic! Let's take a peek at the table of contents shall we?

Ch. 1 Getting Started

Ch. 2 Getting Your Act Together

Ch. 3 Do You Need Representation?

Ch. 4 It's All In The Package

Ch. 5 What Makes a Star

Ch. 6 Show Biz Secrets for Magicians (sound familiar?)

Ch. 7 The Present

Ch. 8 The Future of Variety and Magic

Ch. 9 People I Sometimes Agree With

Ch. 10 Reading and Resources

Ch. 11 List of Contacts

Ch. 12 Final Thoughts

Well there it is, but at 140 pages this certainly seems like a lot of chapters and therefore not a lot of information per heading. Our first chapter takes us down the life story of the author, why you ask? Because it is to make a point, all celebrities were just like you and I at one point.

Our next chapter gets more into it! How to build an act, this means what lengths of time each trick should be and how long the act should be (20 minutes is suggested). We also go into some priceless information, including! How to spot trends in pop culture and television, where people really make it. If you want to be famous you have to be on TV there is no question about it. You also need to take risks and develop a persona, fortunately it is clearly explained how to do that.

Chapter three, Do YOU Need representation? In short, if you have an act, a look, and a promo package, YES you do need representation. This chapter goes into much more detail. A very good read! Truly lays out what your manager does and doesn't do. We finish this chapter with a five-step plan to jump-start your career at any level, it is very accurate and it works!

Chapter four, your promo package. It is covered in here head to toe. I'm not going to go into too much detail as that is the purpose of this book but it lays out everything you need, from what promo you need, how to get the best quality photos, even photographers to research to get pose ideas, website or no website? Choosing photos, writing bios, Video all these are addressed. I hate to say it but this really is invaluable to any performer! I'd pay the price of the book for this chapter alone.

Chapter five, What makes a star? If you ever wanted to know this chapters answers it. Enough said.

Chapter six, Show Biz Secrets for Magicians. Want to know why you aren't as big a success and the talk of the town as you think you deserve? This chapter has some answers, how to be professional (might surprise you), timing your career, your big break(s)!, it's all in here. This is where Magic magazine got there chapter from. I'd recommend reading Magic Sept. 08 to get some info before the big buy.

So far we are on page 60 roughly, the rest of the book is a little bit odd. Next we have a chapter titled The Present, a strange chapter telling us where big name magicians are, Las Vegas. Also where is Rick Marcelli now? It is clear that writing this book was about stroking one's own ego as much as providing very real, practical information. Chapter eight present Rick's assumptions about Magic in the future. Sort of useless for the time being but I suppose it is an assumption to consider.

After this we have a VERY long chapter titled, People I sometimes agree with. This is tales, stories, and testimonials from Rick's friends telling you how great he is. A bit tacky if you ask me. We signs of ego stroking going on. The pretentious title to this chapter doesn't help either. These tales go on for 37 pages!! Holy shit!

Following this we have reading resources, a VERY good chapter with fantastic book recommendations. I happened to own many of the titles given and they are truly spectacular reads. So my hat is off for this list!

The list of websites on the other hand is useless, I know pages like the Genii and Magic magazine websites, The Magic Circle website is not a needed website, anyone who has visited this site would agree it is utterly useless unless I wanted to book the space, not to mention the actual location only allows magicians to visit 1 night per week... Truly a shame!

The chapter on contacts is terrible, it is a list of magic clubs around the world basically, a contact name and phone number with address if available.

So you might think I am being harsh on this little book, I think it is a brilliant book, well the first half is. The second half could have been easily edited down to a handful of pages or improved. I don't need to know magic club info I am more interested in agents perhaps. Where to find agents and their information, the proper way to contact them etc.

I truly like, perhaps even love this book! It delivers what it promises and the information is invaluable IF you are a dedicated magician trying to make something of yourself. It will help you form a nice career. No doubt about it there. But you can't expect to do it being a lazy ass.

At 75 bucks I'd say it is steep compared to other magic books. You'd expect a hardbound book with glossy paper and colour photos perhaps. Well, this isn't a magic book, it's a business book and a small text book targeted to magicians. There are no tricks to perform, just tricks for success and real world advice from a real manager in the business. I do feel the book is a must buy, but 75 bucks is hefty. I'd say it would have flown off the shelves at $55 with a couple reviews in 2 unnamed magic magazines (Where's JIS when you need him?).

So the verdict? NOT GUILTY. If you are serious about performing magic on stage and making it a career, go buy this book, 75 bucks is not a lot of money compared to a career in magic and this information and advice will CERTAINLY improve your career!

Available at Smoke and Mirrors Book for $75 USD don't bother getting it signed.

Update: Three books for review

2009-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

I am going to open this blog with reviews of 3 semi recently released books. I have yet to find good reviews on them myself and as such I am dishing the dirt on the following titles:

Verbal Magic by Juan Tamariz

Mind Blowing by James Biss

Smoke and Mirrors by Rick Marcelli

All three books have some hype and hoopla surrounding them. So let's set the record straight for each book over the next week.