talkmagic.co.uk

What they say ...
The magician borrows a bill from the spectator. The bill is folded in half, and a pen or pencil is placed in the fold. Instantly and visually, the pencil penetrates through the bill, but this time the pencil melts through in slow motion! This is so visual, it's like watching a special effect in a movie! Of course, both bill and pencil remain unharmed.

Artificial Experience 2.0 is THE one effect you'll perform anytime, anywhere. It's easy to do and it uses a diabolical, clever method that even fools magicians!

Key Points:
• Can be done with a borrowed pen or pencil
• Perfect for table-hopping and walk-around performances! Perform it surrounded!
• Extremely visual!
• Easy to do.


Cost
19 euro, i got it from http://www.my-magicshop.com
There's also a demo video for those who haven't seen it yet.

Difficulty
1
(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)


Review
When reading the review (or rather advertisement talk) on the website's you can buy it from, it seems like you get any bill and any pencil from a spectator and you can do the trick. But that's not the case.

It's only fair to tell everybody that there is a gimick involved here. You have to make it yourself, so you can choose any bill from your own currency. And here is where the first thing comes in: if you want to do it with a borrowed bill, you have to do a bill switch.

So let's see what they tell you...
Can be done with a borrowed pen or pencil
True

Perfect for table-hopping and walk-around performances!
Table-hopping, yes, but i would not do it surrounded. There is a big change spectators on the sides will see something you don't want to, but that can be solved by a little covering with the hands while inserting the pencil in the bill. Still, i would not do it surrounded.

Extremely visual!
True

Easy to do.
True


E.A. 2.0 vs Misled
I've been using misled for years now, and spectators seem to find this very impressive. If i compare EA to Misled i can give some + and - point to both:

+ / - points E.A.
+ You can show the bill on both sides after inserting the pencil
+ You can borrow a pen or pencil from somebody

- When borrowing a bill, you need to do a bill switch
- Must make your own gimick
- Need some extra stuff to make the gimick
- If you want to hand out the bill after the effect, you need a switch again

+ / - Points misled
+ Can visual show the pencil penetrated the bill
+ Can borrow any bill and perform it
+ Don't need to make your own gimick

- Can't borrow the pencil (but you can hand it out afterward, so no need to use a borrowed pencil)
- Can't show the bill on both sides after inserting the pencil


Overall
Overall A.E. 2.0 is a great effect, and it's so easy, it almost makes misled a hard trick. But if you already own misled, i don't think you need it. Sure, showing the pencil is really inside the bill is more impressive than the misled version, but to who ? For the spectators it doesn't matter, it's us magicians who wonder how somebody does it.

After viewing the demo, i saw the instructions, which made it look like there was no gimick involved, since everything can be borrowed. Actually, i thought i knew how it was done when i saw the video, but that couldn't be done with a borrowed bill ... Seems i was right after all, so if i had know it used a gimick i would have sticked with misled.[/b]

I think that using a borrowed bill is a lot more impressive than using a borrowed pencil...also, nobody carries around pencils anymore but most people carry cash...

Remember, if you can get the right type of pencil you can use a borrowed pencil with Misled...

Kati

Update on the effect:

i used it on 4 people as a test up to now.

Reaction 1 - impressive

Reaction 2 - He already saw Misled from me and remarked that with the other effect i showed him, he clearly saw the pencil had penetrated the bill.

Reaction 3 - Blown away, could not understand how i was able to show the bill on both sides after the pencil penetrated the bill. But, he aslo does some magic, and as i said before, only magicians will wonder how it is that you can show it all around, spectators are more impressed to see the penetration (as with Misled)

Reaction 4 - Also impressive, but i showed it first to spectator 3, later number 4 sat down at the same table. 3 was sitting across from me, 4 next to me. While showing it to spectator 4, my side was a little turned to spectator 3 and he could see how it worked in the second phase of the trick.

And i must conclude from this, showing the first part where the pencil goes straight through the bill is almost angle proof. But the second phase where the pencil melts through the bill is angle sensitive. So they say you can do it surrounded, i say NO
Also, making the gimick involves glue (mods remove this part if I'm telling too much here) and if you don't get the right glue, your gimick might do something you don't want to and give away the trick.

You need the make the gimick from real money, so you can't spend it anymore
I haven't done that yet, i made it from some bills i printed myself. I want to make sure I'm gonna use this effect before spending some real money on the effect. With the normal printer paper i found the gimick is usable for 10 performances or so, then you need to make a new one. Get's a bit expensive to use real money every time then ....

I haven't used the glue they recommend yet, because i haven't found it anywhere in the shops around here, but i used similar glue from another brand.
So, maybe real money or the recommended glue will keep your gimick working for a longer time ....

And seeing how much text i already put up there, i better stop before boring you all to death

(last remark: Misled still is my favourite bill penetration trick)

Bundy, thanks for posting this review. I was very curious about AE2 after reading the promo material.
I think it is pretty outrageous when vendors misrepresent their products. (OF COURSE you can do it with a borrowed bill IF you switch the bill. But likewise, you can do ANY trick IF you have the skills). Anyway I guess, that's what MT reviews are for!!! Thanks again.