by monkeyman » Jun 14th, '07, 17:42
I've been giving this one lots of thought... I've read all the reviews and studied the video like a scholar. I've thought about it again and again but couldn't figure out 'Labelled'. An impresive trick, similar to 'Osmosis' but with a plastic bottle instead, labelled is an impresive piece of close-up magic. I spent days deliberating and thought I was so close to figuring it out but I just couldn't do it with a SEALED bottle.
Eventually I succombed to the download and gave Ben his dues for this fantastic effect.
The video is around half an hour long and covers the entire creation and performance of the effect. Ben begins straight away by showing you how to make the bottle, and yes I do agree with the previous post, it does look like Ben's about to take you down a glaringly obvious path that's not worth a penny; but persevere, the actual answer is more ingenious than E=MC2.
Ben meticulously goes over the creation of the effect and is very helpful with little hints, to add greater success, throughout. Once you've watched it, you're not left with unanswered questions. This is an improvement on previous 'single-street-magic' tutorials (I'm thinking 'Passing thru' by Kevin Parker) which often leave something to be desired. However, as previously mentioned, what you're really paying for is the secret, I doubt you'll watch this video more than twice, so you have to decide whether this effect is worth it for you.
Overall I rate this effect highly. Very highly. Once I'd studied the video, I got straight ahead with making the bottle... and wow, some bottle. Once I'd made up a Coke bottle I just sat on the floor in my room looking at it, holding it in my hands, feeling my synapses buzz with electricity as I considered the enormity of this effect. The label, inside the bottle, with my signature on and the seal unbroken. This is strong magic. And hits spectators harder than Chris Eubank could.
However, it is just one effect and you have to decide whether it is suitable for your style of magic. If you do long, serious, story ttricks: I doubt this is for you. However if you're into the new wave of, patterless, Guerrilla magic that is all about being visual rather than psychological: then this is certainly for you. You make your mind up...
I love this effect and thick the method and handling is excellent. However I do feel that it becomes more of a puzzle to spectators than a trick. They watch the label penetrate the bottle and they scream in amazement, however this lasts seconds before they pass the bottle around trying to figure out how it was done. Fear not, they'll never ever get it, the bottle ends completely clean, but you need to chose whether you want your audiences reaction be "That was incredible that guy is very talented" or "That was incredible, how did he do it?"
'Labelled' - Ben Williams: 8/10
Chris.
Last edited by
monkeyman on Jun 15th, '07, 19:41, edited 1 time in total.