talkmagic.co.uk

Has anyone ever tried one of these . I have attached the description to the one I have found to be the most interesting from hocus pocus ($44.95)

The Floating lightbulb has been a featured effect in many professional performers' acts. Popularized by the late Harry Blackstone Jr., little did he know that it would become a signature piece in his act! Everyone who saw it still talks about it today. Now it can be a feature piece in your act with Kerry Summers' newly designed Floating lightbulb!

You begin by showing an ordinary looking lightbulb. Mysteriously, the bulb begins to glow and light up in your hand. It is obvious to your audience that there are no wires or power supply connected to the bulb in any way!

Next, you hold the lightbulb away from your body and simply let go -- the bulb stays there as if suspended in time and space! You can then cause the bulb to float away from you to a full 15 feet away and return upon your command! It even floats to your left, right, and even around your body! A wooden hoop is passed around the bulb while it is floating but the real kicker is: as the bulb floats back to you it can pass right through the hoop!

This effect has such an incredible impact on audiences that they will beg for more! Kerry Summers' Improved Floating lightbulb features:
No assistants required
Will float 15 feet away
Constructed of space-age materials
lightbulb remains lit throughout the entire routine

Would appreciate any feedback

Thanks

Cliff

Does the lack of replies mean that this is a "don't go there item"?

Probably more likely that no-one owns one. I think that the majority of people on the board are mainly closeup workers, and this wouldn't fit in their act. If you prefer to work in the kind of environment where this would work then I'm sure it would be great, I'm sure everyone has seen it done on TV and liked it (was it Blacktone? I always seem to forget names).

Nick

Thanks Nick

No replies did not necessarily mean it was being ignored...

Nick's absoultely right - it would seem that most people here are close-up workers, and that means that there's not normally a stage environment (essential for this type of illusion).

I've been doing a little research for you, and it would seem that you'd need a fairly controlled environment to set this effect up.
And from what I've been told, the 'space age matierials' have nothing to do with the flight of the bulb - although this is a fair assumption to make (clever marketing or what!) - but the space age materials are merely referring to the methods of lighting the bulb (which, if you consider the 'space-age' was the 1960's, this is not really new technology )

I'm sure that this effect looks fantastic if performed in the right environment - i.e. in a dimly lit room, and the fact that it's lateral hook-up allows the bulb to pass through a hoop would dispel any precipitous accusations of the obvious method that one would expect.

I saw this performed on a show by Blackstone many years ago on TV, and it truly was magical. I was VERY young, and the footage was old even then - but it's something that stuck in my mind.

I agree that the Blackstone performance of this was great, very artistic without being poncy. I especially liked it when he sent the bulb out over the audience just above their heads, how much more magical could you get? Do I remember that he was able to give the lit bulb to an audience member in the middle of the performance then take it back and immediately float it again?

The floating isn't what I'd be worried about - that's relatively simple. It's the weight...

I rigged our dining room with 'gimmicks' (You know what I mean!!!) one Christmas so I could do a little show for my family - and the crowning glory was I was going to float a Christmas Cracker out into the 'audience' (8 people!!!). The hook-up was disguised in part by Xmas decorations, and the dining room has no windows - so only artificial light is present. This was a BIG plus.

Everything was fine - except the weight of the cracker (which I'd emptied of it's contents) was sufficiently strong enough to snap the hook-up.
This was the last time I attempted a large-scale routine of this kind!

As for the Bulb trick:
The gimmick would have to be quite strong, which means it has to be quite thick, which means it's more visible, which means that to float out to the audience - it would either be really dark in the room, or the gimmick would need to be reasonably high against a dark ceiling.

This narrows down the venue for this quite a lot, although I would imagine that the other parts of the routine would still be able to be performed.

I once looked into automated gimmicks for this purpose, and a 3D UFO system seemed to fit the bill, with programmed automation etc. Could be used for haunted hanky routines, floats, etc. But the cost used to be about £450 for a basic starter kit. And I was an art student at the time - and £450 was a lot of money...

What got me interested in the floating lightbulb was Braco's floating ball - absolutely incredible effect where a large ball (size of a ten pin bowling ball) travels anywhere you want it to - with no hook up!!!. Looks great - problem was the gimmick needed to make it work - can't find it here in Spain (yet - there is still hope). Braco's floating ball comes only with instructions (for 35 dollars) which i didn't realise at the time - and i didn't want to fall into that one again!!

Hmmm...

I've been sternly steered away from Braco's ball a number of times.
Any chance you can PM me with more info, please?

I have no intention of purchasing it, by the way, as it has no place in my routine - but I'd be interested in your comments...

A psot in the MO section may be in order as we have a lot of people asking about Braco's ball at the shop, and like Seige I have been warned against it but don't know the details to let customers make up their mind as to whether they should buy one of our floating balls or go away and get Braco's from somewhere else. I like to be fair and tell people if our products aren't as good as other's (as long as the boss isn't around) but vague warnings are no good, and if people have decided they want one product then being told that 'someone told me that it's no good, but we have this' won't really cut it.

Ok - I'll send a PM and then you can post it in the MO section - I still have a long way to go before i get invited there.............

Ok cheers.

key points

floating light bulb is stage only or where you have access to proper rigging.

lighting is very important think on the lines of a flying rig.

the effect as i have understand it uses two rigs one for close up and a flying rig.

lovely effect but very control specific

dont let my post put you of floating effects there great

When i got it i was so excited but to be honest i had a good idea on how it was done, i just needed the lightbulb gimmick.
Although i specialise in close up magic. I do occasionally perform stage magic.
This trick is VERY HARD to master without any eyebrows being raised, the main problem is that the so called IT ( you may or may not know what this is-but i don't want to reveal too much!) is not very subtle and unless you perform on a black curtained stage, or dark area, the trick will soon be figured out.
Personally i found it hard but with practise you can perform amazing things. Yes you can floatit over to the audience-but i would certainly never risk that, My advice keep it simple and stick with the floating and lighting up of the lightbulb. Don't float it too far away because you may not be able to retrieve it and if you really want to perform it, PRACTISE. It's the same for everything, the more you practise, the better your illusions will be and the more satisfaction and possibly more money you will recieve.

-A hard trick, but ceratinly worth the effort if your the patient type

8/10

hey all this is my first post and was wonderin where i could find this Kerry Summers' Improved Floating lightbulb for sale? as i cant find it anywhere i would like somthing like this to go in my show. thanks