Hey guys,
I was just wondering, which hook-up do guys think is the best?

I like the ITR, just pinned under my shirt collar, or jacket collar. Also, the around the ear one for flying card and whatnot is also good. My favorite ITR is the KRT (Kev*ar)

It depends on what you are doing. There are many different ways to set up your IT. Since I only do the rising cigarette (which I haven't done in years) I just attach one end to my shirt button in the solar plex area and the other end attaches to the cigarette. Reels are good so are loops. My suggestion is to get a book or video on the subject and read up on it and experiment alot.
Iven

I like the Fearson hook-up for the floating ciggarette (I use a bill because I don't smoke).

I agree with the Fearson hookup by far the best

Fearson is the best, but also the hardest to use. Lance Laska is also a master of this technique. Kevin King's Floating Bill hook up is great and easier to wear all the time. Ask Kevin about it!

I like the Fearson hook-up for a floating Lifesaver effect (I don't smoke either), and sometimes use an ITR for the Floating Bill.

My favorite, though, is the method taught by Jon LeClair in his book "The Art of Invisible Thread" and video/DVD "Who's Afraid of Invisible Thread".

You can animate objects, float bills and napkins, I even float rubberbands and rings. It's easy to get in and out of the hook-up and the same set-up can be used many times throughout the day or evening.

Bill Beach

Vary your hookups, if you perform with it a lot...

Steve Fearson's, LeClairs, Dushek's, The Loops, all have their advantages...depending on the effect.

Jaxon's site is extensive, and I recommend visiting, and making notes, as I've learned a LOT, reading the posts there...

A good source for the uses of the various hookups (I've mentioned this before) is a book called, "The IT Manual", by Ralph Wichmann (Reese Books of London).

You'll find one and two-point hookups, the "free-point" Ball & Cane, the TWO-ball floating setup (using two, two-point hookups), and, one of the most valuable secrets in this book is, Mike Danata's "Floating Golden Stick", where he SPINS a hoop over and around the stick as it floats! Ingenious!

Dusheck's Wunderbar can be done in full-light, as long as the IT is not cross-wise to the viewer, instead, straight-on. No floating, just make it pop the cork on the test tube, and let it "take a bow", and put it away...just keep everything at eye-level, and one-on-one, not a bunch of people...

It works!

Doug

To be honest I've never seen, heard of or thought of any bad hook ups for IT. I've seen and heard of bad performances of them though.

That's one of the things I love about IT work. If you think up any animation or levitation trick. All you have to do is figure out a way to rig the IT to make it work (So long as IT is the best method for that trick). You don't have to limit yourself to one length of IT either. You can cross them, tie them, slide them. Anything you want as long as you can control it and it stays invisible.

But I agree that Fearsons Hook up is a very, very good one. The position of the hook up allows for very natural movement (I.E., You have to follow the floating object with your eye, and that's a very natural thing to do). Is it hard to do? Kind of. It's actually very easy to do once you obtain the feel for it. it's like the old "riding a bike" saying. Once you've obtained that feel you'll never loose it.

I use the ITR every day. So that's a definite plus of you like these kinds of animations and levitation effects.

My bottom line on this subject is this. Try not to look for the best IT hook up. Try to look for the best tricks and when IT is the best method of accomplishing that trick, then search or figure out the best way to use IT. There are no rules to this. No one will see it anyway. It's the end effect that's important.

I know that's exactly answering the question of this topic, but it's another way of looking at IT..

Ron Jaxon

What’s the Fearsons hook up? I’ve always used the scotch tape at both ends (one end in my mouth) but I don’t know what this hook up is called.

Also, I’ve never used a reel. Could some of you give me some advice on good reels? I’ve looked at the micro itr, alligator clip, and the regular itr. I’ve also looked at Z-webs and loops. This has all been online however, so I haven’t actually seen any of them. Would you please give me some knowledge on any of these? Thanks

Is it the Horizontal Hook-up?

the Fearson's Hook-up can be found at http://www.downloadmagic.com

I don’t know the name of it, but it is done horizontal so I guess that’s what it’s called. Thanks for the link.

Has anyone here watch Peki art of floating??
I think is pretty *** gd, espically the part where the small pearl rolls onto the bigger ball.

Does anyone have a video where I can see the Leclair hook-up?

Ammar did IT at his lecture.

During the effect he performed, the hookup changed from one to another and then to another.

This was great because the change in hookup cancelled out your previous possibile answer.

At the end, he plucked the floating bill from the air and handed it immediately to a spectator for inspection. no unfolding, no fiddling, no nothing.

just a gentle "take" from mid-air with finger and thumb and handed it out.

beautiful..


And I don't do much of IT

You can get Jon LeClair's video here:
http://www.leclairanimator.com/products/

It's also covered in Michael Ammar's Easy To Master Thread Miricles videos/DVDs.

Bill Beach