Close-up Animations and Levitations
The Effect
”A single length of IT can create true astonishment, and the secrets to that potential are on these videos.” –Michael Ammar
Well, that’s what he reckons, and, to be honest, I like the man so much that I’d even trust him with my bank details.
Here’s the contents of the DVD, as from Murphy’s Magic Supplies description, and the back of the DVD case:
Section One – Introducing Elastic Thread
Section Two – Accessing the Threads
Section Three – Magic With Invisible Elastic
Tahoe Tessie and the Magic Postcard
The Rising Business Card
Whirling Business Card
Dan Harlan’s Financial Attraction
Ammar’s Portable, Permanent Wallet Hookup
Section Four – Finn Jon’s Elastic Loops
Phenomenon Fork
Finn Jon’s Bill That Falls Up
The Floating Bill
Electrostatic Straw
Things That Affect Thread Visibility
Section Five – Visible but Hidden Threads
Stefan Schuster’s Self-Folding Bill with Kicker, featuring Ammar’s Self-Contained Wallet Hookup
Acrobatic Matchbox
Section Six – The Traditional Reel
Knot Absolutely Instant
Knot Automatically Undone
Clearly Penetrated Mike Stand
Section Seven – James George Interview
Comparing Every Available I. T. R.
Care and Management
Cost
£22.99 from World of Magic. I don’t think I’d ever used them before, but I ordered the DVD late on Tuesday night and it arrived yesterday (Thursday) morning – basically it was next day delivery. Also, orders over £20 are delivered free. Result. I will be using them again.
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)
Not a matter of sleights, more a matter of confidence and precision. I reckon a 3 for any IT work – rising to a 4 occasionally.
Review
There’s been a recent conversation about loops, the Stelth Jig and other IT stuff, which resulted in me taking another look at this category of magic. I knew I’d brought it up before (in this thread, no less), but since then all I bought was a pack of Yigal Mesika’s Loops and broke them all, bar one, within about a week. That one loop has been tucked away for ages. Until a couple weeks ago. I took it out with me one night and made a ‘no-smoking’ table-top sign move, then float, over the course of an evening with a few friends. Brilliant. I re-examined TalkMagic for recommendations, and decided to buy this Ammar DVD, so I could get up and running with IT again – but this time, properly.
Section one is a concise history of IT – who did what, when and what with. Section two, for me, the most important part of the DVD, shows you how to obtain your own IT, without buying it ready-made from your favourite magic supplier. Michael Ammar actually sits there, takes off his glasses, grabs his tweezers and strips some thread from its original source, near enough in real-time. Just knowing how this is done, and seeing it done, is worth the price of the DVD alone. Especially if, like me, you’re not really sure exactly what you’re looking for.
Then the effects start to roll in. The routines in section three are all usable – “Tahoe Tessie” is a basic version of Cosmosis (floating match on playing card), but with different motivation behind it. “Whirling Business Card” is, from what I can gather, an effect similar to the Hummer Card – Michael Ammar explains that Bob Hummer’s original hook-up was a bit more complex… you really have to use your head a bit to figure it out. Dan Harlan’s “Financial Attraction” is a full routine with a bank note, although I don’t think it would suit me. Finally, Ammar’s “Permanent Wallet Hook Up” is explained and a variety of effects are shown using it. I think I can safely say that this will be permanently hooked up and with me at all times.
Ammar starts section four with an explanation and history of Finn John’s Elastic Loops, then goes on to show some effects, all the time suggesting slight nuances and subtleties that can be applied. The section on thread visibility is extremely helpful, too – basically, only perform if you know the lighting situation is right. An obvious point, but one that I’m sure many have fallen foul of.
Section five details two effects using thread that is visible, but not in the spec’s view. The “Acrobatic Matchbox” will be part of my “In A Flash” routine as soon as I’ve practised enough. I’m not convinced with the self-folding bill, but I’m sure it can be done with IT rather than visible. We’ll see.
Sections six and seven are all about reels, and their uses, including an interview with James George, the guy who invented the reel (at least that’s the impression I got) back in 1992. He’s sold over 200,000 since.
Overall
Well, I honestly think this is the best £22.99 I’ve spent on a magic good of any description (I’m sure I’ve said that before). Ammar’s teaching is brilliant, and his knowledge is out of this world. It feels good knowing that credit is given where it’s due, and that you are being taught by a man who cares that things are done right.
Acrobatic Matchbox, the Whirling Card and Ammar’s Permanent Wallet Hook Up are three things that I’ll endeavour to get into my ‘know it well enough to perform to people’ range of effects, and the Accessing Threads section is absolutely priceless.
There is only one thing I wish this DVD had, and that’s how to make your own loops – but I know that the Stelth Jig is readily available for when I want to take the plunge (Seige, Tom; please feel free to post the details again here).
This is a whole new branch of magic for me, and to have it set out, properly, by an expert, for just over £20, is an absolute bargain.
Well done, Michael Ammar. I will be buying your products again, and again, and again.
10/10
