talkmagic.co.uk

...by Thom Bleasdale


The Effect
"The Tommy Pad is without question one of the most innocent looking impression pads available for the close up and cabaret performer.

By innocent we simply mean there is virtually nothing to see. The DVD runs for over an hour with Thom Bleasdale, Marc Spelmann and Peter Nardi dissecting every element of The Tommy Pad.

With a reset that takes less than two seconds, a reliable impression every time and a what we believe to be the most innocent looking impression pad this has to be in your pocket, whether you are a close up performer or a stage performer. Words, drawings, designs and numbers are easily seen.

Various peek techniques and routines are performed and explained. The custom supplied pad has been designed to the specifications of Thom Bleasdale and Marc Spelmann. Refills are available and Thom even describes how you can use pads from your local office supply store.

So the question is... What will you see?"

Cost
£19.99 including worldwide shipping
from Inner Mind Productions

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)
2

Review
The package I received from Alakazam contained the following...

The Tommy Pad DVD (55 minutes duration)
Tommy Pad
The gimmick

The first thing you should know is that you will need to do a bit of DIY in order to get yourself a working pad. Once you have the necessary tools to hand (which are easily obtainable, if you don't already have them), this is all of five minutes work; very straightforward and nothing to be concerned about.

The main part of the DVD is about 36 minutes long and contains chapters on construction and materials, basic handling and the reset, amongst other things. It is well produced and Thom, together with Marc Spelmann and to a lesser extent Peter Nardi, all do a good job in "dissecting every element" of the Tommy Pad. Four effects are performed and explained and will give you a taste of what can be achieved with this impression pad.

The other part of the DVD (19 minutes) contains Marc's similar but alternative construction of the pad. It's a little cleaner than Thom's version but I feel both would yield equally satisfactory results. Marc also provides some excellent tips and peek advice. The picture and sound quality of this segment is adequate but not as good as the main part. It looks like it was filmed in the Blair Witch's spooky basement; I trust Marc made it out alive and well!

The Tommy Pad itself is a small pad containing blank pages and transparent covers (slightly frosted), front and back. It's a little larger than a playing card and about half as thick as a full deck. The impression you get is reliable and easy to read. In the DVD, Thom talks about the fact that when you peek the impression it will be reversed (a mirror image of what the participant has written/drawn); however, I have adapted the handling so I can peek the impression "as is" as opposed to peeking it reversed. This will make more sense once you see it in action, but even if you chose to use the reversed peek as described by Thom, I don't foresee any significant problems as most words and all numbers can be easily read in reverse (even more so if you happen to be left-handed like me! I'm special, you know ).

I have only performed with my Tommy Pad on a few occasions so far, but I've not experienced any major problems and I'm very happy with it. Reset takes a few seconds so it would be suitable for walkaround work as well as close-up or parlour conditions. Regardless of your performing conditions, remember that the Tommy Pad is just a tool; your presentation is key here and it is this that will make or break you. Just something to bear in mind.

Apparently, refills are available from Alakazam and Inner Mind Productions, but at the time of writing I have not seen them for sale yet. In any case, if you can find a pad from any stationers that has a transparent front cover, then you could easily use that instead.

Overall
The Tommy Pad, while not as good as the Butterfly pad, is still a practical and very useable impression pad that is reliable and simple to use. Just treat it like you would a normal notepad, practice your handling, work on your presentation, and your spectators will never suspect a thing. I should mention that the DVD also contains the original PDF document that was released prior to this DVD/pad package; the PDF alone sells for £12 on Alakazam's website, so for an extra eight quid you can get yourself the DVD, pad and gimmick. I think this represents good value for money.

The way the pad is gaffed will not surprise most people reading this, so I would say that this DVD/pad package is ideal for beginners to an impression pad. Think about how you would gimmick a notepad to turn it into an impression pad and you've probably correctly guessed how the Tommy Pad is gaffed. I could have easily made my own impression pad for much less than £20, but I chose to purchase this because I value the input and tips from Thom, Marc and Peter. For others, this may or may not be worth the asking price. Hopefully, this review will help you decide for yourself.

Score: 9/10

What is this butterfly pad you make mention of?
Links??

ed crawford wrote:What is this butterfly pad you make mention of?
Links??

I was just thinking the same....I could do with a decent mentalist pad for my new close-up routine, and I was gonna try to shop around for the best buy first (Not just value for money, but for something thats not too bulky to carry around, e.g preferably A5 instead of A4)

Any suggestions anyone?.....

ed crawford wrote:What is this butterfly pad you make mention of?
Links??

Here ya go...

http://www.jonsaintgermain.com/books03.htm

I don't own it but I've seen it in action and I know how it works. It's fab. I've been raving about it recently on TM to anyone who will listen.

Sounds interesting, as does the paperback impression device, I've been working on one of these for a while and so far all I have is a big pile of ruined paperbacks to show for it.
Thanks for helping me spend more of my money!

Do you need to wear a jacket for the peeking of the pad?
Do you need to put it in inside pocket to see what can be seen?

nameless wrote:Do you need to wear a jacket for the peeking of the pad?
Do you need to put it in inside pocket to see what can be seen?

No and no. There are numerous ways of making the peek, some of which are detailed on the accompanying DVD; indeed, you could perform it completely naked if you were that way inclined, as clothing is not required (but highly recommended).

Replicant wrote:No and no. There are numerous ways of making the peek, some of which are detailed on the accompanying DVD; indeed, you could perform it completely naked if you were that way inclined, as clothing is not required (but highly recommended).

After all, where would you keep the pen?

Part-Timer wrote:After all, where would you keep the pen?

There are numerous ways of concealing a pen on your naked self; the DVD, however, does not touch on this subject. If you were that way inclined, I can think of at least one orifice where a pen could be secreted. I won't mention it here as I don't wish to sink to hitherto uncharted depths of depravity and vulgarity.

You've got that in one.

I finally went to get the DVD, and it's looking good so far.

I wasn't overjoyed with the 'stuff' you get with it, so I had a look about and found some in Hobbycraft, a big arts and crafts superstore (there should be a few throughout the UK).

The package I got had white 'stuff' in it (you can have that one on the house for innuendo bingo), but also red, blue and yellow - so if anyone is having trouble finding clear pads, this might be useful for other coloured see-through pads.

It was in the dressmakers section if your looking for it.

Edit: Also, pads with clear covers and see through clip boards can be found in Paperchase, which is often found inside Borders bookshops.

Hobbycraft, Staples and The Works are probably the main suppliers of Magic props in the UK !

Some people maybe disappointed with whats in the DVD, but you have to understand both the pad and the gimmick where included (they could have been left out) for you to practice both the peek and the DIY bit.

believe it or not i made a real mess of the it first time, white stuff everywhere *cough cough* but soon got to grips with it.

It is also important to mention that the gimmick can be used for clipboards too

How inspectable is it then?

I can see it being fine before they use it but afterwards surely if they decide to close the cover for you then the game is up?

Nozza wrote:How inspectable is it then?

I can see it being fine before they use it but afterwards surely if they decide to close the cover for you then the game is up?

Not at all. Like most things magical, it's about audience management. They make their drawing, you take the notepad, put it away and the peek is done. You can even get rid of the evidence, should you wish to hand the pad out afterwards (which I've never done - why would you? It's a normal notepad, after all )