The Effect
(Official Spam)
The performer offers a demonstration of Human Energy. A bill is borrowed, signed and placed on the table. Held at the performer's fingertips, the bill starts to move. The performer lets go of the bill and steps a few feet away… the bill continues to move! Finally the performer gestures and the bill falls over! This DVD goes over every detail you will need to know to be doing this right away. Performance notes and subtleties are included along with Andrew Gerard's personal presentational ploys. Andrew Gerard has become known as a creator of effects that connect with your audience. Energy Bill has the potential to devastate even the most hardened skeptic....
* No Threads
* No Magnets
* No Static
* No Blowing
* Performed with a borrowed bill / no switches
* Examinable before and after
* No Devices used of any kind
Skill Level
No sleights as such but you HAVE TO get the presentation right or else your audience is just going to be confused at what is going on.
Review
Brilliant. This one word will suffice. IMO this is the best one-trick DVD ever, simply because if someone could actually magically make a bill move, it would look EXACTLY like this.
The DVD itself - production quality is top notch, Clear instructions and an I really had fun watching the DVD.
In effect, you borrow a bill, give it a good crease and keep it on the table standing up on it's horizontal side. You apparently control the energy in and around the bill and use it to make it move with your hands ( obviously without touching it ). As the bill starts moving, you then let go of the control of the energy and the bill falls over.
The ad-copy says you can get the bill signed but I find the idea quite ridiculous - there's no question you're using only a single bill - and yes, to answer some of your incessant doubts, you CAN perform it completely naked. Also, all the stuff said on the official spam is completely true. You really don't need anything apart from a borrowed bill to perform this.
Now, just to re-iterate, the effect is quite useless if you perform it without a solid presentation, and Andrew Gerard gives a lot of tips on the DVD - a lot of subtleties to make it look like you're the "REAL DEAL". ( Yes, I have been accused of that after performing this. ) Andrew's presentational ideas on the DVD are phenomenal and will get you out of any tough spots you may be stupid enough to venture into, if you don't present the effect properly.
All said and done, Pros and Cons :
Pros : - Completely impromptu ( everything is borrowed )
- Makes you look like a real psychic if you're into that sort of thing.
- Very easy to perform technically, but you must present it properly
- Andrew offers everything you need to perform this - including a history of the effect and how he came up with the idea, and also the psychology behind the presentation.
- Andrew is very honest when it comes to coming into the clean with everything, and unlike some clever misleading advertisements, this one justifies whatever it states.
- Can be adapted to many other paper items ( but there are some restrictions - that's all I can say without giving anything away )
Cons : - Pricey for a single trick DVD, at US $45. But, worth it, to say the least ( Note : It's available for US $33 at Penguin right now ) Still, this does come into my head sometimes as a guilty thought of having spent so much on one trick. Then comes the thought that I purchased the original Tarbell volumes from Lybrary for pretty much the same cost and the Jinx for a third of the cost ( and I think we all know how valuable these two classics are ) Not to take anything away from Andrew Gerard, but probably after performing it more, I could justify the money I spent on this.
- Cannot be done on plastic bills if you're Down Under, but as I said other paper items would also work ( I feel this should have been in the advertisement, but pah, that's for the Aussies to worry )
- Wayne Kawamoto of about.com fame said in his review that he figured out the effect and it looked obvious to him. Call me stingy but that gives me a warning to watch out for such people
I'm yet to show this to a lay person who has it figured out. Trust me, with Andrew Gerard's presentational ploys on your side, you're going to have a tough time finding someone who can figure out how this is done. All this said, the borrowed bill version COULD tip the method to some people if you don't present the effect properly. Andrew offers advice in this regard too, and provides an alternative solution.
Final Verdict
An impressive 9/10 with one point being cut for the high cost. I cannot take away anything else from this wonderful creation.
