I'm surprised I can't find much on the Café about these. Can someone give me a review of these please? What's the difficulty level? Number of gaffed objects used?

Difficulty Level Varies, from experience, As far as I go there is maybe two pieces that I use on here, only because I have not put in the time to practice the effects, or actually watched them %100. They effects are mainly to use for loud environments, where the magic is Visual and not to much Patter. Don't get me wrong this Set is Incredible, but some of it was just out of my reach because I tend to use more Patter. I would recommend them though, I have them both and then I got Shoot in Hollywood. Get them, is my honest opinion.

I have Cultural Xchange 1 and I like the material. Not only is it good stuff to perform in loud environments, but the effects are good when there is a language barrier between magus and audience. Shoot has an effect on part 1 that requires some jumbo coins and a japanese-style purse frame. Apollo has one that involves a billiard ball production. At least one requires a coat.

Difficulty level varies just as Paisa said. A lot of time needs to be put into some of the best ones. I don't regret the purchase.

Btw- there is a ton of information about these dvds on the forum. I know because I referenced said information multiple times before finally taking the plunge and buying volume 1. Just type the word "cultural" into the advanced search form and narrow the field to "title" only. I think you should find enough reviews and thoughts to keep you occupied for quite some time.

My opinion is that it is a wonderful dvd. Some people are suggesting that just because the material was presented as perfect for loud environments that you should also refrain from speaking when doing this material. I don't agree with that. I think that the reason these effects work as well as they do (and silently ta boot) is because they are direct. A few minutes worth of thought should be sufficient to produce presentable patter to accompany any of these effect. As for actually nailing the technique required to perform some of these miracles... that might take more than a few minutes. Good luck!

This is an exerpt from a friend of mine:

CULTURAL xCHANGE by Apollo Robbins and Shoot Ogawa

Ready for some serious card and coin work? If so, this video is definitely for you.

Cultural xChange contains a compilations of creative magic from the minds of Apollo Robbins and Shoot Ogawa.

I'll go into brief detail of each effect in the video.

“Trinity”: This coin routine is worth the whole video. It is a very beautiful appearance, vanish and change of a coin using only bare hands. It is very astonishing in Apollo's hands, so smoothly performed. Needs much practice.

“Neo-Purse Frame”: This is the highlight of the video. Shoot has made a great routine with a Purse Frame and series of vanishes and productions of coins. Not so easy to do but worth the practice.

“Right on Cue”: A clever bar trick using cards where a ball mystically appears in between cards. Simple but a real fooler by Apollo.

“Royal Transpo”: A very astonishing transposition effect where the 4 Kings
take the places of 4 Aces and where you do a color change in the spectator's hands. An effect worth learning by Shoot.

“Slide”: 2 Words from me on this coin vanish-SUPER HARD! But attainable with practice. You'll know what I mean once you get this video. This is a clean complete one hand vanish by Shoot.

“Coin Exercise”: Apollo devised this coin exercise to develop the multiple concealments of a coin and like it says, an exercise. You vanish a coin and show it is completely gone. A very useful exercise.

“Shoot Shot”: Another complete and clean one hand vanish by Shoot. This move requires much practice too. You'll be wondering "where did the coin go?"

“Pits to Pockets”: This is Apollo's card to spectator's pocket with his pickpocketing flavor. A very useful move which uses the spectator as a temporary concealment.

“Fore Coins”: This is a do anywhere coin routine by Shoot. It is a magical appearance of 4 coins with a kicker.

“Changing Tebe”: Apollo's handling of the Tebe Change by Ross Bertram.

“Pit Palm”: A useful move by Apollo that can be done in various routines.

“Anniversary Salsa”: Shoot's handling and variation of Doc Eason's Anniversary Waltz with a kicker.

“Toast Aces”: A very cool Ace Production by Apollo using different card shots with the most difficult being Lennart Green's Top Shot.

“Shooting Kennedy”: Shoot's Jumbo Coin Routine where 4 jumbo coins appear from nowhere.


Overall, the video is jam-packed with pure eye-candy. The routines require no talking and is designed for loud places. The only thing you need is your hands and the spectator's eyes.
A must have for every close-up worker and walk around magician.

It receives a 9 out of 10 from me.



==========



CULTURAL xCHANGE 2 by Apollo Robbins and Shoot Ogawa

This is Apollo and Shoots second video together and as usual, the results are astounding.
These two guys have really brilliant minds in magic that's why the magic they create is totally visual and to the point. Their magic hits the eyes so hard that it looks like you're in a twilight zone.

Here are some of the effects and I'll give my opinion and description on each.

SON OF RECAP- This is Apollo's handling of a routine popularized by Gregory Wilson called recap. With Apollo's handling, the pen and the cap appear from different places and finally in the spectators curled elbow. This handling is sleightly different from Greg's handling but it is totally worth the practice.

COIN TO GLASS- Another effect from the mind of Shoot. This effect alone is worth the whole video. Not the traditional coins to glass. It has shoots flavor in it with a kicker finale. You must be able to muscle pass to complete this routine.

HEEL TAP- "What the hell?" was my reaction when I first saw this move. Imagine having a coin in your cupped hands, you close it for a split second with a tap of the hands and instantly, the coin changes to another object. It looks like trick photography but it is not, just pure sleight of hand. This is a very useful utility move by Apollo.

IMPOSSIBLE CHANGE- A very visual Matrix effect that requires practice. An idea of Shoot.

KELLY IN THE BOX-This is Apollo's signed card to box using pure sleight of hand. The handling is so easy but as always requires much practice to get it right.

GREAT TRIUMPH- Probably the longest routine in the video. Shoot has devised this triumph where a red deck changes to blue (or vise versa) and all the faces turn blank except for the two chosen cards. Worth learning.

PERP TO POCKET- Apollo's Sandwich effect using the 4 Aces. He adds his pickpocketing flavor in it where the selected and signed card vanishes from the aces and appears inside his coat pocket. A very cool card effect that gets very good reactions.

NO STEAL MATRIX- A very easy Matrix effect beginners could instantly do. Very startling to the eyes too. An idea of Shoot.

KELLY CUTS ACES-Apollo's version of Spectator Cuts the Aces where the whole deck could be brought back to its original order. Useful if you use a memorized or stacked deck.

GAMBLERS TRANSO-A transposition card effect where the 4 Jacks change places with the 4 Aces in the spectator's hands by Shoot.

TIP FLIP-Stretch out your fingers because this routine requires very serious coin work. It is an instant vanish of a coin that is clean and a reappearnce of a coin where the coin jumps out from thin air.
Another very good coin routine by Apollo

QUICK MATRIX- A standard Matrix with a quick ending by Shoot.

TRAPEZE TRIO- This is partly coins across and partly 3 fly. This coin routine by Apollo can be done surrounded if you put the right thinking on it.

8 WAY CHANGE- A series of color changes in finding 2 selected cards. A nice touch to the classic Erdnase Change where instead of changing it once, you change it 4 times. An idea of Shoot.

2 BE GONE (TWO VERSIONS)- Both versions have the same effect. A bare handed production of 2 coins and a bare handed disappearance of the 2 produced coins. This routine is taught by both Apollo & Shoot. Both have different handlings that are a bit similar. This routine looks really good, very startling.

I recommend this video to those who have a background in coin magic. Beginners would have a hard time in my own opinion if they jump start to this video.
The video was shot professionally and Apollo and Shoot are very good teachers.
I give it a 9 out of 10.