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pslaughter Loyal user 270 Posts |
Hey there,
A week or so my Death In The Family Elite set arrived. I couldn't open it because I was knee deep in finals at the time. Well, finals are over and I finally dug into it last night. I wanted to write a review and let everyone know what I think of the prop and what they can expect from the effect if they too were interested in this routine. This idea has turned into a harder task than I thought it would be. So this is the track I decided to take... First the props... The first thing I just have to mention is the smell. Yep, that's right, the smell. Something about all of AM's stuff just smells old, musty, and creepy. Smell aside, the props really are lovely. I was one of the first to receive one of the new elite boxes. Everyone knows Chris makes great boxes, and these are no different. The most important thing is that it does look like something you'd find left over in an attack. The secret compartment in the lid is also pretty cool. The neat thing about it is that you can arrange for the compartment to become visible by "accident" in order to reveal some interesting things/props for the climax of the routine. Mine also has a heck of a good looking pendulum/talking board built into the lid. The other props that catch you attention right away are the Photomorphic plates. I'm not sure what authentic Photomophic plates/film should look like, but I'm pretty sure these are as close to the real thing as you can get. They look old, they smell a little funky and they just seem right for what they are meant to be. AM also includes a few other what I call ephemera items such as a news paper article, an old key, and a few other objects that help add an element of authenticity to the props and the story line. As an addition I also purchased Paul Prater's Secret Key a while ago. I wrote up my ideas of the Secret Key in this forum some time ago, so I won't belabor the point here. Suffice it to say the Secret Key is the perfect addition to DITF. The Secret Key can become such an integrated element to the DITF routine, it really is worth considering. Now, the effect... This one is a bit harder to describe. Really the AM website pretty much tells you exactly how the audience will perceive the routine. I want to be careful not to go into too much detail as it would give away too much. The idea for me (at least the way I'm going to present it) is that this is a seance type of routine that is predicated upon contacting the spirit of a dead woman who disappeared under mysterious conditions many years ago. One of the really cool elements of this routine is that you don't have to follow Chris and Paul's ideas for the script. You can create you own completely unique presentation. You aren't stuck with the Music Hall star of days gone by if you don't want to be. Don't get me wrong, I like the story that AM gives you and I'll probably be using a lot of it. I just want you guys to know you aren't stuck with it if you don't want to be. So what happens? Well, first you establish a rapport with your audience. I think the Secret Key is a perfect opportunity to accomplish this task. The Key also gives you a few introductory effects that set the mood. Then images develop and the audience really helps create their own experience. In the end, everyone comes to understand some key aspect of the targeted person and the mystery that has driven them to become the center of a seance. This isn't the kind of routine that ends in one dead bang climax. This is the kind of routine that just lingers. This is the kind of thing that seems real. This is something they won't forget about well after the performance is over. What do you have to do? The mechanics of the effect are dead easy. There are no complicated slight of hand maneuvers. All you really have to worry about is the presentation. That being said, the one thing I can see is that you have to be willing to let the audience take the lead on this one. You can't prattle on and on trying to convince your audience to believe something. You have to be willing and comfortable allowing your audience to speak, and comfortable in the silence that is there until they have found their voice. If you have the patience, this can be one of the stronger effects in a bizarre repertoire. So while the mechanics may be easy, be sure to give it the attention it deserves. Are there any negatives? None that I can see so far. I haven't performed this for real folks yet, but when I do I'll let you know. I'm expecting this will go over really well. It doesn't ring of a "magic trick," which for me was just what I was looking for. The only things that I wish were added to the props were more of the ephemera objects I mentioned earlier. It would be nice to have more show bills, and newspaper clippings. This is probably not a big deal for most of you. I know you guys can create all of those things you want. I'm not so good at this kind of thing. There is, however, psyclop's tutorial on aging materials on the AM web site. I just haven't taken this kind of project just yet. If any of you do and are willing to share, PLEASE let me know! :0) Well that's about it for now. If you have any questions or I can be of assistance in any way just ask. |
Jinx13 Regular user Toronto, Ontario 119 Posts |
Congrats on the DITF Elite pslaughter and great write up. I received mine a couple of weeks ago, and am looking forward to getting it in front an audience once I have all the subtleties mastered. Have also been playing with working in some of Voodini's seance work as well.
As for the additional bills and such, they are easy enough to make and making your own would also allow you to customize it to match your presentation. Psyclop's write up is great, and way beyond what you would need to do to create what you are looking for. Just some basic paper again will probably do the trick for you. |
Intrepid Inner circle Silver Spring, MD 1178 Posts |
I'm envious
Bob
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Lord Freddie Inner circle 1093 Posts |
DITF is a fantastic piece of work and the plates look wonderful!
There is a piece I use which mixes the plates with Paul Voodini's 'Kiss of the Clairvoyant' which should appear on the AM wiki at some point and in the next volume of the Occult Magic series. DITF is another superb release from Alchemy Moon. Well worth getting hold of, great idea and props and a lovely booklet that goes with it. |
Roth Inner circle The 18 5090 Posts |
I love AM stuff. I've seen the Cuss Cards and they are very cool.
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Christopher Gould Inner circle in special pants. 1029 Posts |
Thanks all of you guys - I am particularly fond of DITF. It does play very powerfully.
I do want to add a couple of my thoughts to what you have put here. First of all thank you Mr Pslaughter for the fantastic review - after that, I may get one myself! As to the additional ephemera. Well, Roni gave me some great ideas some time back and I promised that I was going to make a poster and some theater tickets and god knows what else. Again, time is the enemy. I have so many projects up in the air at the moment, that if I lived to be 200 years old (er, not far off that!)I would not get a fraction done. It would be great if someone in the community DID do this, the Wiki awaits! Otherwise, one day, one day....it will be done! One thing about DITF, as the reviewer pointed out, it is not a fixed idea and can mutate, breathe and take on the persona of the performer. Which brings me onto..... Freddie has sent me a fantastic piece of work where he combines DITF with the splendid work on Mr Bell. (Freddie, I thought I was waiting for the all clear and ok from Paul? I have been so snowed under recently that I have not caught all of my Email. Are we OK to put it on the Wiki?) The idea of mixing DITF with some of the imaginative work described in Mr Bell's 'Midnight' is VERY exciting. I really want to put these ideas into practice myself. Big thanks Freddie for opening my third eye to this. I am also talking to 'someone' about incorporating actual spirit photography into the effect. It is really exciting for a creator when the community takes his work to heart and adds their own ideas and breathes their own spirit into the work. It seems that Tilly's spirit truly does refuse to be at rest. Incidentally, I may well be putting the Elite DITF to bed soon. However, the Lite DITF will continue to be produced, so none of you need to miss out.
The Moon is now to be found in the constellation of Gemini:
https://www.geminiartifacts.com |
Godzilla Inner circle Tied & Untied Witches on 5316 Posts |
All the extra props that could be added to DITF...WOW !
Chris, may be starting to make customized ELITE DITF Trailers,or Caskets to pack your show in !
"If you watch Godzilla backwards, it's about a big ass lizard who helps rebuild a half burnt-down city, then moonwalks back into the ocean"
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Joshua J Inner circle 1014 Posts |
This is making me more excited for my order. I may well have to put in an order for the pendulum board at a later date when funds allow. It sounds ideal for me.
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steven-gibson Special user Eastcoastspiritsessions.com 893 Posts |
DITF Elite is one incredible looking piece. I am especially fond of the box. Is there a video of the performance anywhere? I would love to see it performed, as the description is difficult for me to visualize. Probably just me being stupid. At any rate, IMHO this is one of the best looking pieces out there. I am thinking hard, is there a DITF in my future?
http://www.alchemy-moon.co.uk/deathin%20......elte.htm |
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