Slomotion

Instead of mentally projecting your mentalism thoughts, type them here.
Dusty
Posts: 15
Joined: March 29th, 2010, 8:01 am
Location: Scotland UK

Slomotion

Postby Dusty » October 4th, 2011, 8:27 am

Just recently received Slo-motion fro Hocus Pocus, and have to say if you want to add a PK style presentation to your repertoire, they don't come much better than this.

The effect is super-clean, with no pre show set up. Everything could be borrowed and examined before and after.

I doubt if I would put this in my standard act set, but I would prefer to keep this for situations where you are seemingly put upon to "do something" the apparent impromptu nature of the props will knock them dead! 10/10 for impact.
regards,
Dusty aka Max Gordon
Original publications at:
http://solutions.yolasite.com/

JFox
Posts: 213
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Hollywood, Ca. USA

Re: Slomotion

Postby JFox » October 6th, 2011, 3:52 pm

I agree 100%.

A killer effect - that looks totally impromptu.

A steal at $35.

Use it before some smart-A** kid exposes it on Youtube.

I'm buying a 2nd just as a spare.

User avatar
Tom Frame
Posts: 1344
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Del Ray
Location: San Francisco
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby Tom Frame » October 6th, 2011, 5:11 pm

I agree that it's a very cool effect with a brilliant method.

I bought one, but couldn't use it because it was noisy. I returned it and Paul promptly send me a replacement. It was also too noisy. I returned it and asked for my money back. Paul promptly refunded my money. His customer service is top notch.

I really wanted to perform this effect and I'm disappointed that I won't be able to. I envy you guys who received a silent unit.

JFox
Posts: 213
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Hollywood, Ca. USA

Re: Slomotion

Postby JFox » October 6th, 2011, 5:49 pm

Mine DOES have a very low audible "hum" sound, but with some room background noise (a fan, people talking) - there's no problem.

It is not for a TOTALLY silent room - especially when you intend to use it close-up, right under their nose.

Standing perhaps just 3' away while pattering - should suffice.

Ideally, I do it in a bar---dim lighting & crowd noise...6" away and people hear nothing.

In short - use it only when the conditions suffice.

Make sure that your stir-stick is without cracks nor warped...such tends to increase the noise.

Pete McCabe
Posts: 2332
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Simi Valley, CA

Re: Slomotion

Postby Pete McCabe » October 6th, 2011, 6:08 pm

It's hard to believe that any item that uses this method could be silent. But here's one way to cover the sound:

Have the audience chant "om," (or whatever) in unison, several times. Then work the trick so that the motion only happens during an om. That way, the sound will always be covered. Much more importantly, the closer the movement is correlated with the chanting, the more the audience will interpret the chanting as the cause of the movement.

aireM
Posts: 19
Joined: September 27th, 2011, 10:23 am

Re: Slomotion

Postby aireM » October 6th, 2011, 8:26 pm

My word, I like the idea just seems a little pointless if you ask me?

Spinning a polo mint around a pencil...Okay I am sure the gimmick is ingenious but where is the relevance.

Not a point for argument and I am sure it comes down to personal preference.

JFox
Posts: 213
Joined: January 18th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Hollywood, Ca. USA

Re: Slomotion

Postby JFox » October 6th, 2011, 8:30 pm

Well, its a pretty good "spur of the moment" demonstration of TELEKINESIS (especially when all of the props may be borrowed)

User avatar
erdnasephile
Posts: 4770
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm

Re: Slomotion

Postby erdnasephile » October 6th, 2011, 8:38 pm

I think the impact totally depends on the performer--I have no doubt that someone like D. Brown could start a cult with this, whereas in the hands of a tyro, it'd be a bore.

(Mike Caveney said in an interview that once you know your performing character, you develop the ability to instantly look at a trick and say: "Great trick, but I could never see myself performing that." Slomotion may be a nice litmus test in that regard.)

aireM
Posts: 19
Joined: September 27th, 2011, 10:23 am

Re: Slomotion

Postby aireM » October 6th, 2011, 10:58 pm

Derren Brown wouldn't perform something like this; it is too straight forward, there is no reason for it. Every effect Derren performs has a reason. Example; Strippers that say they have been touched when there is a strict no touch policy (he uses pk touches)and makes them question the fact that the times they say they were touched were they really. That is what makes him so spectacular to watch.

How many people carry polo mints these days? Can it be done with a subjects ring? or has the hole got to be a tight fit to the pencil. I really avoid all the telekinesis stuff as it is bordering on too 'REAL ABILITY' for me and I hate anything that cannot be explained with a psuedo explanation.

How would someone begin to describe a fake logic for this? you either moved it with your mind or you didn't (whats the explanation for didn't?) which tells me there is no excuse. If you are claiming it is real then it displays there is such things as people with powers therefore psychics may as well be real and your job is not as spectacular as there are plenty of psychics around.

If you claim it is a trick it somewhat takes the shine off of it and you may as well not of bothered getting it out.

I dunno it is a difficult one and as it isn't logical I wouldn't use it even as an impromptu effect. I completely agree with erdnasephile.

El Mystico
Posts: 1087
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Leamington Spa
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby El Mystico » October 7th, 2011, 2:09 am

What was the point of Geller bending forks?
What is the point of exploding lightbulbs with your mind?

- but darren took the lightbulb thing, and built it into one of his TV shows. And he built Multidimensional into one of his stage shows. Not in a "How cool is this" way, but integrated into the thread of his act.

Jonathan Townsend
Posts: 8704
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Westchester, NY
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 7th, 2011, 7:36 am

The video says it's silent.
Is it gonna work deceptively closeup standing at the coffee tray where one finds the stirrers, straws etc?
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

User avatar
mrgoat
Posts: 4242
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Brighton, UK
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby mrgoat » October 7th, 2011, 8:35 am

Jonathan Townsend wrote:The video says it's silent.


And I can't believe a promo video would ever totally lie to mislead people into buying it.

aireM
Posts: 19
Joined: September 27th, 2011, 10:23 am

Re: Slomotion

Postby aireM » October 7th, 2011, 9:40 am

El Mystico wrote:What was the point of Geller bending forks?
What is the point of exploding lightbulbs with your mind?

- but darren took the lightbulb thing, and built it into one of his TV shows. And he built Multidimensional into one of his stage shows. Not in a "How cool is this" way, but integrated into the thread of his act.


There is no point to Gellar bending forks, he claims his powers are REAL (that is the problem I have with it as expressed in the post above)and how many people pick him apart for such things?

You have taken the bulb thing completely out of context, he is using his performance as a metaphor for explaining belief systems (it has REASON) he is using visual representation to explain how belief systems work.

Bending a fork or metal in general is just as useless as the polo (in my opinion) and it pi**es me off how many people have a problem with gellar lying about his abilitys and then performing it themselves as if it were real.

My point is, I understand you are bringing to the table the whole enigmatic character where you let the subject decide for themselves whether it is real or not but it using these sorts of things (as a pure mentalist) only decreases the value of your other material.

What separates mentalism from magic is the fact that we know magic is a trick yet we sit back and let it entertain us and leave thinking how clever it is.

Mentalism is about giving reasoning as to why a trick is NOT a trick.

Example -

Magic - you can force a playing card let them put in the deck and use your skills as a cardy to fire it out. (people know its a trick)

Mentalism - you can force a card (in the fairest sense) tell them to place it in their pocket and look at them and pretend to be analizing their every movement, eye flicker/little smirk to reveal the card using natural psychology. Which comes across as plausible and the audience do not percieve it as a trick but a very clever way to guess cards by using clues that we all leave.

Now lets look where metal bending fits in here, is it LOGICALLY possible? NO, it is not (unless you are ready to concede to the public that uri gellar is really doing what he claims therefore there must be others out there with abilities) as stated earlier. If you are saying it is a trick you might as well be performing a magic trick as the spoon bend has just lost its mysteriousness in the fact it is no longer catogorized as a mind effect.

Watch the Derren video again

As stated earlier this is just my personal preference and in no way is meant to represent the views of other people. Now on a final note, tell me where a humming product that requires a cocktail shaker to rotate a polo mint fits into any routine?

I could see it being cool if you was in a bar and a guy or gal came in and offered you a polo mint; that is the only way I can see this thing being sweet as a throw away type effect. How often have you seen that happen? I almost forgot polo mints existed! ;)

User avatar
mrgoat
Posts: 4242
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Brighton, UK
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby mrgoat » October 7th, 2011, 9:45 am

So now we can only use a prop is someone has it on them?

Why does Derren use hundred of buttons? Why that clip board? Why get people to write their jobs down, only to tell them what they are a few minutes later?

User avatar
Tom Frame
Posts: 1344
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Del Ray
Location: San Francisco
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby Tom Frame » October 7th, 2011, 9:47 am

Jonathan Townsend wrote:The video says it's silent.
Is it gonna work deceptively closeup standing at the coffee tray where one finds the stirrers, straws etc?


Jon,

Indeed, in that video there is no noise whatsoever and the camera is very close. The purported silence is the only reason that I bought the damn thing. The two units that I briefly owned could be heard from five feet away.

If I was forced to perform the effect more than five feet from the crowd, they probably couldn't see what was happening.

I considered asking the crowd to make some kind of cover noise, but that would have felt hokey to me. I thought about making sounds of my own, but that didn't feel right either.

Since I couldn't perform the effect up close and silently (as demonstrated in the video), it wasn't for me.

User avatar
mrgoat
Posts: 4242
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Brighton, UK
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby mrgoat » October 7th, 2011, 10:50 am

How come magic is the only field where people get away with totally and utterly lying in their ads?

I'm not asking his to say "there's a loud vibrating motor in a thumb tip", but I do expect him to not totally lie about it being silent, then film a video clip where he edits out the motor noise.

Simone M
Posts: 30
Joined: February 7th, 2011, 1:13 pm
Location: Italy

Re: Slomotion

Postby Simone M » October 7th, 2011, 10:53 am

aireM wrote:My word, I like the idea just seems a little pointless if you ask me?

Spinning a polo mint around a pencil...Okay I am sure the gimmick is ingenious but where is the relevance.

Not a point for argument and I am sure it comes down to personal preference.


A lifeless object that all of a sudden starts to spin by itself could be used as a metaphor for anything...you just have to put a good, honest and meaningful content inside the presentation.

You can make a trick like this more relevant than any prediction trick etc. Very good trick, if one is clever enough to avoid pointing out that it is just a mint spinning on a plastic stick.

El Mystico
Posts: 1087
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Leamington Spa
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby El Mystico » October 7th, 2011, 10:56 am

aireM
I do have a lot of time for your views.

But, I'd say that for every effect we do, magic or mentalism, we need to find a way to stop people thinking (or saying) "so what". If I did your suggested card trick on my sister, she would say 'so what'. We have to add something, a presentational hook, a story, an entertaining style, whatever, to engage the audience. (Sure, some people like card tricks just for card tricks. But they're in the minority).

Now, yes, there is the issue of presenting mentalism as real.

But I think it is as possible to make a rotating polo mint entertaining, as there are ways to make finding a selected card entertaining.

User avatar
erdnasephile
Posts: 4770
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm

Re: Slomotion

Postby erdnasephile » October 7th, 2011, 11:45 am

While I would agree with the importance of imbuing magic with meaning in the vast majority of cases, just as with any rule, there are notable exceptions.

For example, silent manipulation acts often lack overt storylines, but if you have otherworldly skills and/or style (as El Mystico notes) it can still be very effective. Burton and Pollock fall into this category.

In the talking category, Guy Hollingworth's presentation of the Reformation actually pokes fun at the fact there is no reason for the effect other than he felt like doing it. It works because it fits with his performing character.

For certain tricks, trying to come up with some lame rationale just undercuts the effect.

Mike Rogers once wrote: "In addition to being good liars we can also be honest when developing a patter line. Many times the most sensible patter line is simply and honestly telling them what you are doing. Rather than creating a [censored] and bull story it might be better to tell them just what they are to see, or think they will see. An example might be patter for the cups and balls. Just tell them what you have, what you intend to do, and then do it."

I'm not arguing for "cooking show presentation" magic, but I do believe this is an issue with many nuances.

(To the UK magi: is "Polo" a brand of candy like "Lifesavers"?)

Jonathan Townsend
Posts: 8704
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Westchester, NY
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 7th, 2011, 1:07 pm

IMHO it's the performer who does the imbuing by way of his actions and attitude more than the palaver which serves to accompany the procedure.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

User avatar
mrgoat
Posts: 4242
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Brighton, UK
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby mrgoat » October 7th, 2011, 1:09 pm

erdnasephile wrote:(To the UK magi: is "Polo" a brand of candy like "Lifesavers"?)


Similar shape and size, but it is a white mint.

El Mystico
Posts: 1087
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Leamington Spa
Contact:

Re: Slomotion

Postby El Mystico » October 7th, 2011, 1:48 pm

erdnasephile: I completely agree!

I think a good example is the Tamariz multiple coincidence card routine (can't remember what its name is, but i bet you know what I mean).
In his hands, it is hugely entertaining. But it involves a lot of dealing, and I'm sure there are a lot of people out there boring the pants off people with this routine.
now, he isn't claiming paranormal powers, or telling stories about one-armed gamblers; but - what an entertaining personality!

aireM
Posts: 19
Joined: September 27th, 2011, 10:23 am

Re: Slomotion

Postby aireM » October 8th, 2011, 9:27 am

I never said we couldn't use props, I am saying if they had Polos it would make this cool as it would almost be able to be used as a throw away effect in the fact it would be like.

'Can I show you something cool?'

El mystico I agree completely about a presentational hook and I just used the card effect as an example (with no performance details).

It is one of them subjects that depends on the performer and I just would hate to pull something this cheesy out of my arsenal.

Simone M how is this just as relevant as a prediction 'effect' (I agree with this if you are presenting the prediction as seeing the future in a psychic sense)then yeah it is equally relevant. Predictions are very nice if based on 'random' choices people get to make, I.E as though you knew the random actions people were going to make before they made them, or you influenced them to think of a random word or image I can see more relevance in this than a polo spinning round a stick.

Headline Predictions (I hate almost the same) as they are another form of seeing into the future and I don't want to promote that. If I was going to do these sorts of feat I might as well Lie and tell people I am psychic and make money as a medium (which is a thriving thing at the moment and people pay big time for it) but I stay true to my values and make money entertaining.


Return to “Mentalism & Mental Magic”