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by **Tomo** » Aug 18th, '07, 12:45

catweasel wrote:|"Um, I'm not putting you down and it is a little off topic, but do you know what your amygdala actually do"?

erm it was meant as light hearted fun,you know taking the p***?. as I said found it on the net - sorry tomo

Ah, no problem. It's just that... I had a late night last night and I've run out of coffee.

by **Part-Timer** » Aug 18th, '07, 14:23

bronz wrote:In that vein I'd be interested to see why you think levitation effects with thread aren't effective Part-Timer. Do you assume that people know what's going on?

Clearly my advancing years are catching up with me. Would you mind pointing me in the direction of my comments on levitations? I haven't mentioned them in this topic. I think they can work very well indeed, although I haven't really done much IT work myself, so definitely.

I might have changed my mind if the comment in question was some time ago!

by **catweasel** » Aug 18th, '07, 14:29

no probs tomo i will stick to knock knock jokes to avoid confusion in the future

by **bronz** » Aug 19th, '07, 10:16

Sorry Part-Timer it was TylerMason that said that, my bad. Keep up the floating!

by **Part-Timer** » Aug 19th, '07, 10:50

bronz wrote:Sorry Part-Timer it was TylerMason that said that, my bad. Keep up the floating!

Phew! I thought I was losing (more of) my senses.

by **Michael Jay** » Aug 19th, '07, 18:32

This post edited out, since (as Siege points out) it said nothing anyway.

by **Replicant** » Aug 19th, '07, 19:02

bronz wrote:Isn't it nice to see a thread with some strong opinions being discussed in an adult way rather than falling into a slanging match? In that vein I'd be interested to see why you think levitation effects with thread aren't effective Part-Timer. Do you assume that people know what's going on?

I've found levitation and animation to be among the most powerful effects I do, I was at a barbeque recently where it was nice and hot and I was only wearing shorts and flip-flops. I performed a bill levitation using Jon LeClair's hook-up and it left the three people who saw it speechless. One of them spent a good 10 minutes with a crumpled bill on his palm, staring at it and willing it to float, rubbing it to 'build up static'. The other two wandered off and spread the wildly embellished word which did my reputation no harm.

Now, did the thought of special fine string cross their minds? Probably but as Ortiz points out in Designing Miracles, the aim when presenting an effect is to leave the spectator with no possible path back to the method by burning all the conceptual bridges that lead there. So in the case of the floating bill above they may have thought about the possibility of magic string but I was topless (calm down ladies) so there was nothing it could have been attached to so I can't have used it. Plus the beauty of the LeClair hookup is that the levitation is so isolated, straight off one hand with no movement from any other source.

I know this is a bit off topic but I'd be interested to hear your views.

I also use LeClair's Animator and it's just great - as close to real magic as you're likely to get. Fantastic reactions every time. I don't own any other reels or pens - LeClair's method does the best job as far as I'm concerned.

by **IAIN** » Aug 22nd, '07, 12:08

just cos someone hasnt got their own website, doesnt always mean they're not a pro or a worker though does it..just means they're either not very good at web design or just cant be bothered...

anyway, i've only just started to read this book, and for twenty quid, its pretty good actually..i was under no false impressions when i ordered it, its just a good collection of thoughts and useful "How to's"...

handy, we have plenty of clouds but not much sun in england...but im sure opportunities will arise...

i dont feel its a rip off at all...and maybe, this was just a missed opportunity by others rather than anything else...but these fellas seem to of put the work in doing it for real people...so full marks to 'em i say..

by **seige** » Aug 22nd, '07, 12:13

Michael Jay wrote:Jeez, Mr. Mason, you sure are taking a lot of stick for your honest opinion. A shame you've wasted your time giving your honest opinion, only to be told what an idiot that you are.

Jeez, Mike... that was a really long post with absolutely nothing to say...

Have you read Cloudbusters?

There's a lot of good ideas in there...

Mr Mason was indeed entitled to an opinon, but it was the manner in which the opinion was projected which was at question.

by **Michael Jay** » Aug 22nd, '07, 15:06

seige wrote:Jeez, Mike... that was a really long post with absolutely nothing to say...

It has been dealt with.

Mike.

by **matthewshepherdmagic** » Oct 2nd, '07, 20:39

Hey. First time post here. I just got this book and i offer a different review. The book is certainly not for beginners. The methods described in the book require a lot of showmanship and ability to entertain the audience. I understand why some would be disappointed with the book however this would be because they would not be able to accomplish the feats involved. Each section is clearly explained and very in depth. The reader is left with a very clear unerrtanding of what clouds to vanish. 10/10 awesome!

by **sly** » Oct 3rd, '07, 10:57

If the method just waiting and acting... the book is truly a shame...
No beef with anyone does it,but you have to have really good crowd control.

by **justinsane** » Oct 9th, '07, 06:16

I am reminded reading in a book about a card effect, where you have a selected card placed in the middle of the deck, and you or the spectator just nudges the deck and it separates right where the card is. The secret is very simple, requires no expensive gimmicks and anyone can do it in a matter of seconds. However back in the day, many were so impressed that the secret actually sold for as much as 100 dollars. I believe it was Dunninger. Back in that day a 100 dollars is worth even more than it is now. Sometimes the value is just the knowledge of a well guarded secret. That is why it is vitally important to never expose a trick. Not only does it make you seem less of a magician, but that one weak thread could easily unravel the tapestry of magic. I have seen many magical effects very stunning, impossible and would even fool the cleverest of Magicians. And it would be something similar to what cloudbusting is.

by **Michael Jay** » Feb 10th, '08, 14:47

A bonus for all you cloud busters:

Coming up on the 20th of this month there will be a full lunar eclipse. You'll have to be in North America to get the full effect, but what an opportunity. Columbus used it back on Feb. 29, 1504 to save himself and his crew from the Jamaican tribes and now here's your chance to be hailed as a god.

Go out, bust a cloud and vanish the moon. As an added bonus, make it rain.

Mike.

by **Lownatic** » Feb 19th, '08, 12:31

Thaks for the review Tyler. I shall NOT be buying this.

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