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The Effect

In this limited edition manuscript Luke Jermay details two routines that are designed to be performed in casual settings. Jermay recommends they be used in interview situations in which the performer is being interviewed for a newspaper, radio station, school newsletter or any other printed media.
This is intended for the serious mentalist and we feel we must warn you that the material contained in this manuscript could probably start a cult! The power of these routines lay in their intelligent construction and Jermay offers performance tips to ensure the maximum myth building potential is achieved with the effects in the manuscript.
The routines are designed to become myths and legends after the performance. As the story is repeated to others the effect will grown and grow.
Jermay details his personal feelings on how to use these effects to their maximum potential as well as providing all the details you will need to perform them.
Unlike the previous limited edition releases these routines are not designed for formal stage performance but rather casual performance to impress potential clients, agents, newspaper reports, radio personalities and your friends.
The first effect "Big Spender" is a surreal display of influence in which the performer seemingly pays for lunch with play money with no objection from the waitress who even brings him change. This routine can be performer anywhere and at anytime. No pre-show work is needed prearrangement.
The second routine in which the performer seemingly remembers all the results for any single word in the English language searched on Google.com is a truly reputation making effect. It is modern and fresh and with three methods provided you will be doing this to your friends very soon.
These effects are designed to be performed in coffee shops, restaurants, offices and homes rather than the formal performance areas of the stage or parlor. They are designed to further your reputation as a mystery worker and will serve you well in your every day life.
Telling Tales: The Power Of A Story Repeated will get you talked about of this we are sure.
The manuscript is a 17 page PDF featuring both routines in full detail along with Jermay's approach to performing each of them. This is the first time either have seen print and the manuscript will be limited to 200 copies.


Cost

$40 - £20 – http://www.alakazam-usa.com/acatalog/Downloads.html

Difficulty
(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)

I would put it at about 2-3 – very easy, but you have to perform correctly

Review

Now, I guess you get what you asked for…and I was looking forward to this. I guess I am now able to perform the effects, but meh…I was expecting better. It is easy though.

I brought this manuscript for the “paying without paying” effect. I believed that this manuscript, being by Luke Jermay and all, would potentially give details on suggestion, a few subtle tips, especially at £20.

But to be honest…all you get is a basic idea.

If you think about how this could be achieved to yourself…

OK, now think about how it could be achieved by anybody, with no knowledge with psychology at all, handing monopoly money to waitress, without setting it up with her beforehand.

Now you have an idea in your head…yes I know what your idea is…yes I know it sounds silly…but yes, that is the method detailed in this manuscript

Now about the effect “Google Google”.

This effect is something I will never use…ever. It is impractical (in the sense that if you don’t have the necessary “items”, it may cost in excess of £100 to get those said “items”…needless to say I don’t have them…), you have to go out planning to perform it, and a third very negative con which I won’t be able to say for exposure reasons but…well…think about what is generally negatively associated with Criss Angel (and no…not camera tricks…)…now you see why I don’t believe that I shall be in the position to perform this…and not just with the money side.

And this manuscript comes with a little story? Meh…coulda fooled me…a few paragraphs on a magician who never performed on TV, which allowed rumours to spread like “Chinese whispers”

Oh fun

OK…now here are a few questions I believe some of you may be thinking about this manuscript and it’s contents:

Big Spender:

impromptu?

No…you set up, and then can perform at anytime. So no…you have to have the “stuff” on you to perform…not “anytime anywhere” as the hype suggests

“No pre-show work is needed prearrangement.”

True enough…no pre-show set up with people…just set up by yourself. This can, however, be done in about a minute in the toilets

Is it something you Chris, shall be adding to your repoiture and performing?

Yes. But only because I am moving more into the psychology based performance style. This isn’t something everybody will be comfortable performing. There is about a 90% hit rate methinks, with a 10% chance of looking a fool. Either way, if you present it right, you should always miss that 10%...I will be adding this, but there is a slight chance it will fail. I am only adding this because I have a good presentation of it…Jermay doesn’t give a presentation in the manuscript.

“Google-Google”:

impromptu?

No, no, and…no. Did I mention no? There is a lot of pre-show work done…with lots of expenses if you don’t already have the necessary item…which I would say most of you don’t…if you are still a teen, I would be 99% sure you don’t

is this, as the hype suggests, a “truly reputation making effect”?

No. You would do just as well saying you memorised a book and doing a book test…cheaper…less hassle…and no need for…errr…”Angels”

Is it something you Chris, shall be adding to your repoiture and performing?

No…not in the slightest…go do a book test on a dictionary. Easier to do, less hassle, and depending on what book test method you use, potentially no pre-show work.

Overall

Overall this is way overpriced. And limited to 200 copies? Bah…at that price and what it entails, they are lucky that they hyped this up in the description…this wouldn’t sell anywhere near 200 copies at this price compared to its worth.

Not an entire waste of money, I will be using the effect “Big Spender” with my own presentation, but for £20…well…Mr Brook’s new manuscript came out yesterday…I wish I had brought that instead

Overall marks out of ten?

Big Spender = 6-7/10
Story included = 2/10
Google-Google = 1/10
Presentation of the PDF = 3/10 (spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and most definitely written in one evening with barely a thought)
Price – 4/10

Overall = about 4-6/10

The manuscript was pretty bad…the only thing that saves it is that I, personally, shall be using the effect “Big Spender”

Way overpriced, and the “limited edition” was probably only there to make people buy it…

Between £8-10 would what it is worth…at most

Come on Mr Jermay! At least proof-read the damn thing! “google” is not spelt “goggle”!

Thanks for the review. It's a shame items like this are released when it is obvious that their primary objective is to part you and your cash. And Jermay is not doing himself any favours by putting his name to it. I have purchased numerous effects in the past where the price simply does not justify what you get in return. Magic must be the only business where they can then turn around and give the usual excuses, like "it's the secret you're paying for"; I feel that some dealers use this as an excuse to sell rubbish. Very disappointing.

Thanks for the review. It sounds like you got exactly what I thought was on offer, which is a bit disappointing. It was one of those things where you rather hope you are wrong. At least you got something you will use out of it.

Ergh, I should've waited for this review before I bought into the hype.

By the way, how long did it take for any of you to recieve your email with the attached manuscript?

took about 24 hours...thursday night-friday evening

Hmm, mine has taken two days so far...

Must be the weekend in the US...

Question…

If you are caught performing Big Spender, won’t you be subject to arrest and prosecution?

If someone catches on later that you paid with paper, won’t you again be subject to arrest and prosecution?

Assuming you are not out to rob people…if no one realizes you performed the effect, is there a reason to perform it?

I suppose if you have a camera crew following you around like DB, there’s a point. Otherwise, I am not sure I understand. At best, isn’t it like that proverb where a tree falls in the forest but no can hear it?

It sounds very interesting. Does the manuscript provide an approach to make the effect both worth performing and risk free?

ElliottB wrote:Question…

If you are caught performing Big Spender, won’t you be subject to arrest and prosecution?

Without tipping anything, as far as I can make out you won't actually be doing anything illegal when performing this

Just recieved my copy of this, despite the synopsis of the effect being for 'serious mentalists.'

And that's exactly what it is. Not for the beginner, as I am myself.

Here's my take on it:

Review

Telling Tales is a manuscript concerned with reputation building for the performer. It is great for sparking the creative side of the professional mentalist, into finding ways to build oneself a reputation, and gain publicity; ie., useful for those performing who want to draw the largest possible crowd; those that want to advertise their new product; etc.

Two effects, and an entry on the magician Jimmy Grippo are given to assist with this.

The first effect contained within, Big Spender, to those that don’t know the method (the earth's population minus two hundred ), must appear absolutely amazing. This can be imagined from the synopsis alone.

The method to this is unbelievably simple. As Blapsing Beard stated, if the layman could think of a (seemingly ridiculous) method to do this, without doing anything illegal, that would most likely be the method. (I sure did )

Bare in mind that the person you are most concerned with convincing of your 'powers' is the person that can directly affect your reputation / gain you publicity, ie, an interviewer from the local radio station / newspaper / etc. The effect achieves just that. It is not COMPLETELY impromptu, but comes quite close. The effect should be performed sparingly, and is not very suitable for 'street magic' type magicians. Luke suggests not performing this for camera, and I agree with him 100%

Difficulty (TalkMagic basic review template)

For the basic effect: 2
For the effect with a slight variation in technique only: 3


Luke then gives us a page-long entry on the legendary stories of Jimmy Grippo. The entry gets you thinking about stories you’d like to hear people telling of yourself… I think it is a fantastic little push in the creative direction. Personally, I believe that this little section coupled with the introduction to the manuscript are the most valuable sections from ‘Telling Tales’.


The second effect, ‘Google Google’, like ‘Big Spender’, if performed correctly, would be a simply unbelievable effect. Two methods are given.

Method one, in addition to a fairly expensive piece of equipment, as Blapsing Beard has said, requires a ‘tool’ he refers to as an ‘Angel’, after Criss. You know, that ‘tool’ that many magicians believe that when used it’s ‘cheating’. You know, that ‘tool’ that Derren Brown claims not to use?

For those that have read the manuscript, I agree fully with Luke when he states that using this ‘tool’ doesn’t matter, given the context that the effect is designed to be performed in (gaining publicity for your ‘real’ show / book / whatever).

A separate method for method one (a sub-method?) is given. This is quite ballsy, and it too requires quite an expensive piece of equipment, though in this day and age, some might find that they already own one.

Method two requires the interviewer (or whoever you’re performing for) to select a word from the dictionary, and enter that word into the Google search engine. Like method one, the first 10 results, or page, is then revealed by the performer. …Hmm, I’m sure many of you are wondering how this variation could possibly work

I do have one problem with Google Google, which is purely speculative, and that is with its presentation. Presented as a memory feat (as suggested in Telling Tales), being able to remember the first page of search results for every word in the English language (or A-H, again suggested in Telling Tales), seems to me literally unbelievable, and I would expect would arise suspicions from the interviewer, to gimmicks being used, or at least enough to suspect that the effect is one of a ‘psychic’ or ‘psychological level.’ And if the effect is presented as a psychic or psychological test, then it is really no different from a standard book test. If this is the case, then there is really no need for the expensive equipment used in method one.

Difficulty (TalkMagic basic review template)

Method one: 1, 3 (Basic, sub-method)
Method two: 2


Overall

‘Telling Tales’ is a manuscript concerned with building a name for yourself, and as such, the two effects contained within are tools designed for doing so. They do not work fantastically for performances to random spectators, as a ‘close-up’ or ‘street-magic’ type setting.

Because I am a beginner in mentalism, I cannot give an accurate overall rating, as I lack the skills that the type of mentalist ‘Telling Tales’ is directed at. I will, however attempt to rate it as what I believe it to be worth to others.

For the beginning mentalist, it is not at all worth buying this, except for maybe as a future investment, if you intend to turn your hobby into a source of income.

For the newly, or ‘minor-league’ PRO mentalist, for the initiative to create a reputation for yourself, and for the raving interviews Big Spender is sure to get you, I can imagine ‘Telling Tales, being well worth it’s asking price. Is $40 worth the few extra tickets sold to your act, and the effect that that would have on your future shows? I would think so.

The manuscript could also be worthwhile for a ‘major-league’ pro, looking for a fresh kick in the form of some new material.

For the reasons stated above, I give Luke Jermay’s ‘Telling Tales’ a 7.5/10
(Half a point deducted from 8 due to my speculative worries over ‘Google Google.’)
The manuscript does what it’s intended to do.


On a side note, I feel that the negative feedback given to the manuscript is a tad unfair. Luke clearly recommends the effects be used for publicity interviews in the synopsis, something which I think has been ignored by many.

–Adrian Norman


P.S: Whoooo, second review in two days! What fun

cheers for another opinion

I may have been kind of harsh...but I guess that is just my opinion.

It is always good to have different perspectives...and as I said, I will be using Big Spender...I just don't think, for me, the manuscript was worth the price tag that I had to pay for it

In all honesty, after first reading the manuscript I would've given it a harsher rating than you did.

Though I then took a step back, and realized that the manuscript wasn't aimed at me at all.

I guess I just got over excited about the description of Big Spender...

'Oooh, wow! Not only can I be like Derren Brown, I can also get me-self a few freebies along the way! Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck!'

Oh well, for that huge hole in my e-wallet, at least my curiosity about that particular effect has now been sated... now if only they released a book on how to perform Derren's 'Russian Gypsy Scam', as a close-up effect...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8ZohpDS2aMc

...You probably now have an idea of why I'm curious about such effects... erm... I wouldn't perform them, I swear! That's morally wrong!

- Adrian

haha...dont worry sir, Im the same

Out of interest could the Big Spender thing be taken to the next level of casuality (is that a word) and done across the bar in a pub? If so it would be a cool thing to randomly drop into an evening.

bronz wrote:Out of interest could the Big Spender thing be taken to the next level of casuality (is that a word) and done across the bar in a pub? If so it would be a cool thing to randomly drop into an evening.

yes. best have a good rapport with the barmaid though

and also best that people dont take too much notice of the money she holds.

in other words...it would be tricky, but possible

I used 'Big Spender' a lot and it's a really good effect.
But the Google effect was a big letdown, well, mostly because there are so many other ways of performing this effect in a better way !
Maybe I expected too much from this manuscript, but personally, the Google effect was unexpectedly low in standard, especially when considering Luke Jermay