Ca plane pour moi

Post-instructional thoughts:

There are no live performance videos. Hope to see some soon. Vid had some significant focus problems from time to time. None of the cards can be handed for examination (not a negative point, as I didn't expect them to be).

Blurred - could be ok, I suppose, but my card has blotches that appear near the edges of the card, all around when oriented in one way in a lighted environment. In the instructional video you can see the odd light reflection that comes off the card from time to time.

Coin Change - these come on a blank playing card, which you must cut out with scissors. Would have been better if they had been professionally cut. Maybe there's an argument against this. You get a copper/silver gaff and a heads/tails gaff. Big problem is that it is tough to represent a 3D object with a 2D object. Distance will help. Gimmick is used in combination with a real coin.

Headphone Penetration - couldn't see this one working at all. Watched the instructional vid. Went to a mirror and found the proper angle for a spec, but found it wasn't as clear as it would have been in a darker room because of all the glare coming off of the card (!). Feel that specs must ALL be viewing from the exact same height - in other words, you can't have one person sitting and the other person standing. That simply will not work.

Jumping Angels - well, I didn't expect this. In my comments above, I said that I didn't care for the Jumping Angels because the changes were so sensitive to movement. Well, the routine that is taught involves you openly showing the angel moving from back and forth from circle to circle as you do the necessary with the card. IOW, you must do what gives the method away in order to make the method work. Do your favorite switch and hand out a regular card. Daniel Madison assists with some routining ideas. No, thank you.

Red to Blue - the color-changing card. Daniel Madison assists. The effect: spec selects and signs a card. Card is turned over and openly shown to change color, back and forth, red to blue to red as you do what is necessary to effect the change. This is done rather quickly. Card is turned over onto the deck and then handed out for examination. Once again, you must do what (imho) gives the method away in order to make the method work. Quote from the instructions: "You don't have any angle issues." Well, doing it that way, that is certainly true. No, thank you.

Once again, you need to be very sensitive to how light hits the cards.

Pants.

Many times, this would apply, and I certainly see your point of view, in general. Here, in this specific case, I didn't feel that way.

Thanks for the honest review Chessman

I believe this may have the worst expectation to reality quotient of any magical effect I have ever purchased. Even when expectations are not met, I will try to 'find another way'. I simply don't feel even that much effort is warranted with this release.

Most of the time, you want to try an effect out on someone because it may play better to the spec than you think it will. I honestly don't even see going that far. If the changes had been limited to once each way, there might have been some real hope for 2 or 3 of the effects (for me), but such is not the case.

"...a principal so advanced it looks like" it came out of a box of Crackerjack.

Once again, here is some of the emailed ad copy:


#ChangeMagicForever

It's been called "The last color change you'll ever need", but it's a concept that applies to WAY more than just that.

We've kept this a secret for long enough, and we've got a ridiculous surprise for all of you. Well 5 surprises to be exact.

It's a new concept that could help CHANGE magic forever. Can you guess what it is?

We've been slaving away for the last year to bring you an exclusive new release that made Brad Christian say this "HOLY ^&*)....WOW!"

Brad has seen, learnt or perfected every magic trick that's crossed his path in the last 15 years of Ellusionist. He saw it, and flew the artist 5,000 miles from the UK to San Francisco before he'd managed to get his jaw back up from the floor.

The hype train has arrived, next stop...The impossible. You need to get your ticket. Only 999 available. That's it. We're not lying.


AND...


CHANGE Volume 1 is five visual miracles that will change your life.

Lloyd Barnes (creator of Diffuse, Icon, Glimmer, Light Switch & more) has harnessed a principle so advanced, it allows you to perform what people will swear is REAL MAGIC.

A no-sleights, no-cover concept that will destroy the limitations of what's possible in magic.

I'm sure the other 998 will be very happy with their purchase.

Ah, but remember, there were 2 runs of these

Send the package back to E for a full refund inc postage.

I will, though I admit I hesitated at the thought of them turning around and selling them to someone else!

Not according to E-

http://www.ellusionist.com/return-policy

If I'm not happy I will take it up with PayPal.

I have a feeling I will be doing that.

Sorry to hear about that, Chessmann. Meant to ask, what were you talking about when you mentioned tungsten lighting before? Is that the only condition that this looks good in? Or were you being good-naturedly sarcastic?

Once again.......NEVER....PREORDERING...AGAIN!!!!!!

No refunds "...unless approved by Ellusionist..."

Edit: I sent E this email about 10 minutes ago:

***

Hello ~

I just received "Change" by Lloyd Barnes and watched the instructional video.

I am returning the god-awful set to you for a full refund, including postage. This is the most shameful example of effect & hype I can remember running across.

You will find my order information below.

***

I just received an email approving the refund.

Ah, well. I had hopes, and thought for once it might be fun to jump on hype machine

The tungsten reference is on page 2. Geraint mentions it.

"I'll leave that one for Lloyd to answer. I think it's tungston light that's the one to avoid. Other lighting should be perfect (indoors and out)"

I'll just leave this here...

Well that's nice that they're willing to give a refund, a lot of places wouldn't.

If they didn't with all the hype they generated I believe a lot of people would simply not look at their next release. Though it seems they sold close to 2000 of these!! I wonder how others feel. I guess we will see but it's definitely not off to a good start for Lloyd and the team.

RNK

In the UK at least they don't have a choice:

Your right to cancel Your right to cancel an order for goods starts the moment you place your order and ends 14 days from the day you receive your goods.
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/r......ulations

I don't know how it works in the USA, but here at least you can send it back if you don't want it

I've often seen stores with statements like "You are buying the secret. No returns on magic items"