talkmagic.co.uk

hmmm, really pricy. from ellusionist

i havent looked at the demo video yet but im guessing it could be good. anybody getting it?

hopefully somebody might get it for me for christmas



Message from Mods: This was originally in the Reviews Request area but has been moved as no review was forthcoming - or even promised!

It looks to me like it really is just flashy and offers only a little bit of new stuff. Really is just a 'snazzy' way to do effects like ash on arm ect. There are some new effects possible, but personally, I think it would have too gimmicky of a feel to be using a UV light. Depends on your style I guess.

Th Uv light they supply looks tiny and pathetic i think i'd be better off getting a Uv torch from somewhere and a Uv marker pen and just make my own effects - i doubt i need any 'test tubes' or 'fuel' - and i don't think i want to carry small stones in my pocket.

And Brad Christian does tend to overhype everything - sometime's the ellusionist dvds are good to watch just because that's so funny - but it can also get really annoying.

I don't do much street magic, anyway - think i've saved myself £70 there...

Hi there!

I don't want this to turn into a Brad Bashing thread, as I must admit I really like some of his material (the ambitious card and Kard Klub - 2 card monte DVDs) - ok not the best DVDs on these subjects that are out there, but I just like the way he presents them and his ideas for spectator handling.

Anyway, saying that, he does make me laugh with some of his comments. I guess it is all about his target audience. On one of his early videos - Ninja - he is explaining a sleight where a top card is shown face up on top of the deck (slightly jogged to the right). The deck is turned over, and the card pushed off onto the table (but a change occurs) - forgive me, as I don't know the real name of this sleight ( ) - but neither does Brad as it seems ! Apparently it's a :

Really cool gamblers move, done throughout the ages, but only by the best gamblers

Sorry, I don't mean to sound facetious, and I wish my card skills were up to Brad's level - I just love his scripts !!!!

a mechanic is a term for a person who controls cards for the purpose of cheating (bottom dealing, second dealing. punch deals etc). a mechanics grip is like a dealers grip but the deck is held deeper in the hand to facilitate certain moves

Also I thought that dealer's grip had all four fingers on the side but mechanics' had the index finger on the top short side...or maybe the other way around.

You can buy cheap UV marker and light sets for a fiver in Maplins - they're used for security markings. I really don't understand the chutzpah of ellusionist of selling a light and a pen (and some other miscellaneous junk) for £70!

Kati

That's my point, if you really want to 'boost your creativity' - then get the Uv pen and light yourself, and work out some effects from there.

You can also get those little Uv light keyrings.

you can also get cataracts from u.v light.
I personaly would avoid this rather daft toy.

apart from anything else, to get u.v to work properly you MUST have control over ambient light.

and in an impromptu setting, you just dont.

yeah there are some funny clips in his DVD's. I think in his Ambitious Card Routine DVD, theres this part where I think hes teaching a DL, reveals the card and notices that the card is very badly printed, it was like the whole card was shifted to the right. Brad comments on this and said the guy at Bicycle must have been drunk. I don't know why but i couldnt stop laughing, sad isn't it lol

I must admit this thread confuses me. Apparently, nobody who actually bought the Scorpion Kit and the instructional videos replies.

Instead, we only read from people who did not buy them and don't know about the quality of presentations and ideas that come with it.

Besides, the thread is full of exposure. Is it OK to give parts of the secrets away if a product comes from Ellusionist, but not OK if somebody describes techniques from the Public Domain which are sold for $10 on Penguin?

rumburak wrote:Besides, the thread is full of exposure.

Is it? What part of it is exposure?

Kati

I've read through all this again and, unless you know what the effect actually is, it's unlikely that any real secrets have been divulged. However, perhaps we need to just double check what's being posted in case of inadvertent exposure?

Hm ... basically, everybody mentioned that the kit consists of an UV light and an UV marker. This is like saying that the M5 Pro PK kit is just a powerful m****t. Or the floating bill uses a special type of t****d.

If it was inevitable to mention such facts for the discussion of a specific routine - like one you have invented yourself and want to share - then it can't be helped. Although it should probably be shifted to a non-public board.

But everybody just mentions these things to rant about Ellusionist and make their product look bad. It is true, I can buy the central component of the M5 Pro PK kit on ebay for about 10 Euros. I can also buy the basic component for floatations in lots of stores for less than 10 bucks. Or do you think it is OK that Neil Tobin markets a ****** *** for $20? It is actually worth less than 1$ if you just consider the material alone. So why don't you run around and tell everybody what it is?

None of this knowledge will put me in a position to perform any convincing effect with any of these gimmicks. So there is more to an effect than just part of the method. But part of the method can be enough to spoil the effect for a lay audience.

Ellusionist - to my knowledge - were the first ones to market the idea the Scorpion Kit is based on and they have invested into thinking about the presentation. So we have no right to disclose crucial parts of it. If they didn't give proper instructions - you can say so. If the items have bad production quality - you can also say so. But you can do so without saying what the instructions are or what the gimmick is.

If we cannot comment on these things - for example, because we didn't buy the product - then what's the point in responding to the inquiry at all?

rumburak,

I fully agree with what you are saying, but I’m not sure that applies here. Log onto the Ellusionist forums and you will see a section that has Pre Purchase Questions and product reviews – good and bad. In there, Brad openly tells you that then M5 is a _______. There is no hiding this. Ellusionist say that the product won’t be suitable for all people due to health reasons – therefore they tell you what it is.

As for the Scorpion UV kit – it is described as a UV kit – you plainly see this in the promo video, and they basically show you what it is, they show you the special fluid to use, how to where to apply it and what it can do, and to some degree – how these effects are created. I feel this marketing approach gives the buyer the choice – “OK I know what this is and can do – I therefore will / won’t buy it”.

I didn’t mean to start an Ellusionist bashing thread with my comments about Brad’s scripts / comments – I meant them in a light hearted way – if you have seen any of his DVDs you will know what I mean (check out his mini Slim Shady routine on the Revolution video  It’s great!) – I guess all these come out of his unique style and showmanship. I personally think it’s very entertaining on all levels – but that’s what magic is about though isn’t it? !

This was originally a request for a review and, unsurprisingly, has changed to something completely different so it's been moved to Miscellaneous.