Counter weight by Mathieu Bich

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Counter weight by Mathieu Bich

Postby Jerome the French » Sep 7th, '06, 16:17



1st review here for moi... :)


The Effect
The easiest is to see it by your self: http://www.mathieubich.com/images%20et% ... nterHI.wmv
For those who don't manage to see it, basically you balance a pack of cards impossibly on your forefinger, with your fingers spread out.

Cost
16.5€ (~£12)
For that you get the gimmick and an instructional video (on CD ROM).
You can buy it in various retailers (magictrick.co.uk etc), but I believe the cheapest and easiest would be off Mathieu's website: www.mathieubich.com


Difficulty: 1.5
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
Basically you need to get used to the gimmick and the handling, but nothing difficult. You need to work on your angles.


Review
Mathieu Bich is a French magician (and a friend of mine), who got a price at FISM this year for his inventions.
This trick looks really good when mastered, although, it needs a gimmick to be done.
As a working close-up magician, I try to stay as far away as possible from gimmicks, as I like to feel clean (well depends with who I hang out, te he he). So I have to admit that I haven't performed it yet for general public.
Although, I did show it to my girlfriend who loved it. I am thinking about using it as an opening, as it is a good way to introduce the pack of card...
So basically, the handling once mastered, looks pretty natural to the audience, then the deck is balanced, and then you spread out the card, and ditch the gimmick in your pocket once done.

The only part that makes me feel uncomfortable is the angle thing. It is clean from almost all angles, and even if people caught a glimpse on the "hot spot", I am not sure they'd see it; but if it is more than a flash, you'll get caught.

I find it difficult to practice in front of a mirror for the angle; what you (the magician) see is not the same angle as your audience... So I guess you need to perform it to see if your angles are good...

Besides that, the effect is fab, and changes from the usual "pick a card" trick. Again, I think that's a great opener, and I will try to insert it as an introduction of my cards.


Overall
The gimmick is very simple, and could be made by yourself (like most of the greatest gimmicky tricks), but I think it is definately worth the money.
The demo video shows quite well the angles where your audience can stand.
Well... buy it...
:wink:
Mathieu's got a range of VERY visual tricks, more or less gimmicky, but the effects are VERY strong, and get STRONG reactions.
If he got a price at FISM, that shows that he isn't a joke.

Jerome the French
 

Postby krazy ace » Sep 10th, '06, 13:09

I have the trick but once i bought it and read how it was done and the angles i just chucked it into the corner of my room and it is still there today (i hope).

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krazy ace
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Postby Jerome the French » Sep 10th, '06, 13:11

krazy ace wrote:I have the trick but once i bought it and read how it was done and the angles i just chucked it into the corner of my room and it is still there today (i hope).

i still think it can be used as an opener. I guess you need to work on the routine to have it fluid, and end being clean...

Jerome the French
 

Postby krazy ace » Sep 10th, '06, 13:13

yes i could be used as an opener but are people going to stare and not move they will naturaly look from all angels which would expose the gimmik

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Postby Jerome the French » Sep 10th, '06, 13:16

You can end it soon, and hey that it is a demanding thing to do (just go on psychic powers and s***)... If you see they start moving towards THE angle, just end the trick and hand them out the cards while you drop the gimmick in the pocket...

Jerome the French
 

Postby krazy ace » Sep 10th, '06, 13:44

never thought of that
thanks

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Postby MagicIain » Sep 10th, '06, 22:08

This looks like a good investment - is the gimmick simple enough to hide when ditching? I'm assuming it's got the same ingenuity as the TT - something very obvious to the magician, but the spec would never dream it existed...

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Postby Jerome the French » Sep 10th, '06, 22:47

Zack wrote:This looks like a good investment - is the gimmick simple enough to hide when ditching? I'm assuming it's got the same ingenuity as the TT - something very obvious to the magician, but the spec would never dream it existed...


It is indeed a very simple and relatively small gimmick.

Jerome the French
 

Postby krazy ace » Sep 11th, '06, 19:37

but i don't like the thing which holds the gimmick to your hands (trying not to reveal too much) as you have to have the right conditions for it not to be seen.

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Postby Jerome the French » Sep 11th, '06, 20:53

krazy ace wrote:but i don't like the thing which holds the gimmick to your hands (trying not to reveal too much) as you have to have the right conditions for it not to be seen.

It is invisible.
people do not pick on it at all. All the heat is on the pack!

Jerome the French
 

Postby krazy ace » Sep 11th, '06, 22:31

i admit when you use it it seems to work and people love it

but it is marmite...

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krazy ace
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Postby Jerome the French » Sep 11th, '06, 22:33

krazy ace wrote:i admit when you use it it seems to work and people love it

but it is marmite...


ha ha ... i guess you can put it that way... :lol:

Jerome the French
 


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