talkmagic.co.uk

Spin- by Matthew Sconce

Available from:
http://www.papercranemagic.com/spin.htm
And many Magic retailers

Price: $24.95 - £32.95 depending upon choice of DVD, download or combo-pack

PK/Mentalism

Difficulty 2

1=Self working
2=No sleights, but not self working
3=Some sleights used
4=Advanced sleights used
5=Suitable for experienced performers only

They say:

A strange and mysterious character walks into the room he has an unusual talent for distorting the laws of nature and making them follow his command. Is it possible can someone have this much power? I have seen this before in movies but this was no movie this really happened, it just looked so real.
This is Spin.
Matt Sconce, creator of Power Word: Fall, has released another devastating PK effect. Spin stands on the shoulders of effects that have come before it and takes those concepts to a whole new level. Spin large objects or small objects seemingly with the power of your mind with impromptu ease, with no gimmicks, blowing, threads, or magnets. Instantly repeatable, and absolutely dependable. This effect takes a new "SPIN" on what magicians of the past have done and takes it to a level that increases its practicality, power, and impact. With the "Force" start, and focus on techniques to make the method transparent to the audience, Matt Sconce spends over an hour teaching you how to use this effect in your arsenal of heavy hitters, how to move large objects, and two bonus applications from the creative minds of Shane Black and Shaun Dunn using the same Spin method in a different way. Spin is a new tool in the arsenal of Psychokinetic effects. It is time to step up and Spin the world.


I say:

Matt Sconce is, in my mind, a clear thinker and a strong proponent of uncluttered magical presentation and his latest offering “Spin” proves this out.

The ad is true enough, however the phrase “new tool” needs clarification. Spin uses a nearly timeless technique with a new mindset and presentational approach/technique that makes all the difference. The Devil is indeed in the details with this one!

The effect is so clean you feel guiltless if not genuinely gifted performing it and Matt admits as much, it really is a treat to perform. Clean up is actually part and parcel with the performance and reset is pretty uncomplicated and swift. Matt offers plenty of ideas and approaches to set up and reset. Matt covers the “science” behind the effect very well and that helps a great deal in understanding the workings and presentation of your new “powers”. You will need to practice to get a truly masterful grip of the full effect but Matt has you up and running with almost no delay. Chances are you won’t need to even get out of your seat to start!

The effect looks like the real deal. Period. There is no contact with the object no matter how closely spectators care to observe and the “back story” for your presentation is well supported. The spinning effect can be a subtle or maniacal as you like (or can manage) and that really can be startling and weird. The use of the larger objects like DVD cases, VHS tapes and even a rather scary looking chef’s knife are very impressive. The scope for bizarrists with the use of a knife is worth the price of admission alone. It is worth saying that this is a close up (ish) effect and cannot be performed remotely. It will pretty much read as a power that the performer has and can use to affect objects. The additional effects and presentations offered in the DVD are nice variations if not a bit more “magic-y”, no bad thing I say. They help to (as far as the back story is concerned) distance the performer from the happenings a bit more.

The instructions are about as thorough as you could wish, no stone is left unturned and every minute detail covered. I got the downloadable version and although I felt a little more structure is wanting in the layout and organisation of the information it is all there and very well presented by Matt who gives you a real sense of guidance and confidence throughout.

There are limitations to the technical workings of the effect and again Matt is crystal clear on these. They aren’t onerous and are nothing to worry about but worth going over and this is done very fairly indeed.

Rating:
8.5 out of 10

Overall:

A genuinely powerful effect and VERY well covered in the instructions. Offers the spectators a truly impressive and clean demonstration of PK and is a real joy to perform. It will take a bit of practice to develop your own skills to the level of Matt’s but that gives you an excuse to “spin and spin again". I’m loving it!

Personally I think this looks terrible, I spotted the method straight away and it wasn't one I was aware of before seeing the promo vid. I really can't seee this working, it just seems far too obvious to get away with.

Perhaps I'm the only one?

Magick wrote:Personally I think this looks terrible, I spotted the method straight away and it wasn't one I was aware of before seeing the promo vid. I really can't seee this working, it just seems far too obvious to get away with.

Perhaps I'm the only one?

Nope, I noticed it as well.

Just out of curiosity, have you downloaded the video? The demo suggests a method that is not the method used.

Mr_Grue wrote:Just out of curiosity, have you downloaded the video? The demo suggests a method that is not the method used.

I was wondering that as well. I have been doing this effect for quite a while and it is surprisingly hard hitting. When you spin a butcher knife, people are floored. When you get the technique correct to make a pen rapidly shoot around and around or any other object spin without touching it, people freak out. Each magician will obviously have their own opinions, and many of us can watch a video demo and see or recognize a method but, for laymen, it is quite powerful, at least in my experience and the experience of many many others who have bought and reviewed the trick. Once you set the knife or other object down, you never touch it again, and it can be immediately handed out to the spectators leaving them unable re-create the effect. Thanks for reviewing this Tom! -Matt Sconce

Here is a quote from someone who just bought this at E. -Matt Sconce

MickeyDavis;801817-
I have purchased a lot of things from this site and I'll say this is one of the best. You can do it IMMEDIATELY. And as others have said, no gimmicks, strings, magnets, NOTHING. No angles. No clean up. Simple and great, which is the best kind of magic.

is this what Blaine used in his latest show with the mbile phones 'causing' the ring to spin?

sorry but cant access the video in work

Mr_Grue wrote:Just out of curiosity, have you downloaded the video? The demo suggests a method that is not the method used.

I have only watched the demo video, but I am pretty certain I can see 'a method' being used. This is just my personal opinion and I'm not putting the effect down but... I did look very obvious to me and I'm not usually the quickest to spot how things are done. I just can't imagine getting away with this, I don't think it will take a spectator very long to work out whats going on, no matter how well you present it.

I love PK effects and often perform Banacheks PK pen. When I watched the promo video it was in the hope of parting with some cash for an effect that I had got quite excited about, I just felt disappointed by the end of it.

PM sent, Magick.

I've not used this in anger yet, as there's something very specific I want it for, but I'm having great fun "practicing". I also have a boyfriend sporadically examining my aftershave bottles and bic crystals.

I think one always needs to be careful in terms of buying any effect. It is all-to-easy to fall into a trap of expecting a "magician fooler" or something close to real magic. It is also easy to look at pure technicalities and fall in love with a clever method and overlook the honest fact that the layman sees the obvious. Both are pitfalls. That’s the way the ball bounces.

Some people may expect something from Spin and therefore avoid buying it, they may be correct in their technical deductions but they also may be wrong. They may be right and be disappointed when it is confirmed. I was 50/50 as to method. In the end it doesn’t matter. Just because I suspected the basics of how it was done and even laymen may be aware of the means of doing Spin it is really up to me to "sell" it. So why did I like Spin or even want it?

Matt has gone to a good deal of effort to construct a presentation of the effect that goes quite some way to camouflage the method. He directly acknowledges that some purchasers might feel a pang of DVD or download "rage" and sympathises in a humourous way in the DVD but he also asks that one hears the whole story and sticks with it past their own doubts as the proof of the pudding is in the “spinning” and I’m glad he did this. I’m glad I stuck with it. I can sell the effect well once I become sufficiently skilled and confident. I might be caught out but heck that happens all the time; it’s the hazard that comes with the “trade”. Sometimes they just see though it.

Is it the second coming? No, but Matt has put some meat on the bones of a classic type of PK effect and that’s to be celebrated. It does have impact and it does genuinely get a LOT of people. Now I too find myself mentally cataloguing possible spinning objects and aids… my Wife’s gonna’ kill me soon, I’m sure of that!

Thank you for your take on things, Tom. After several people PM'd me, they were indeed mistaken on their concept of the method. As you know, it is just what is stated in the ad copy. Invisible, impromptu, with no angle restrictions.

I recently opened a bank account and had the opportunity arise to do magic for the teller. I was NOT prepared to do magic when I went into the bank and took nothing with me, so when the opportunity arose, I needed something impromptu and powerful. I chose SPIN. Here is the story:

I was recently in the bank, opening a new checking account when the lady behind the desk commented about my business-Magician and Filmmaker. I picked up her pen and asked her if I could use her computer mouse. (It was then I prepared the pen) I then set the pen down on her mouse and told her to watch carefully. I pressed my hands toward the pen and slowly, slowly it begin to move. It picked up speed, whipping around through a complete 360 degree revolution then another 180 before falling onto the desk next to her. She stared at me with an amazed and creeped out stare. "How did you do that?" She exclaimed. "Let me see your hands!" I of course showed her my hands, and my sleeves had been rolled up already. She stared for a moment then said..."Wow..I am totally freaked out." I smiled and thanked her for opening our account then my wife, two year old baby girl and I walked out, leaving a speechless and entertained bank employee in our wake. I love this effect.

-Matt Sconce

Just got this...beautiful effect, brilliant teaching and a lot of room for your own ideas...something I think is extremely important.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone simply because then they'd know how it works and that is one less person I could fool with it!

OK I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong and this is one of those occasions.
I initially thought that the obects were being moved by the ball of the thumb to get them going, I could not have been more wrong about that.

I bit the bullet and got this effect after receiving a PM from Matt assuring me that he was not touching the objects at all in this effect.
All I can say is WOW! I've not performed this yet as I want to perfect it, but it is VERY easy to do and it's absolutely mindblowing!

My apologies to Matt for my initial scepticism and I'm so glad that I was wrong about this.

The only other thing that I can Say is... GO BUY THIS 10/10.

What a stand up man!