Has anyone seen, and/or operated this item and, if so, what is their personal opinion of it? I'm thinking about spending a good amount of money in the near future and I wonder if this would be worth it.

Please let me know.

---Malak

Malak,

I have worked it a little, but it is just a box illusion system on top of a thin model base. The problem is it's just a box and all you can really do is appear or disappear people. The version I used had smoke machines and some small light built in but as far as building an act around it, you would have to use a "Magic Box" theme for it and even then it is very limited.

I don't have one but it looks a little over priced to me. Even if you found one used I think that you would do better buying different illusions.

Hi Malak,
Do you have a website for this box where I can see some pics?

http://www.magiccrafters.com

First - let me say that I do not own the Magiccrafters system although Ross and I live in the same town. He has put a lot into developing a system for the guy who has to put together new stage/cabaret shows and carried the ideas I first learned from Karrel Fox into a new dimension.

NOW IT TICKS ME OFF -- for anyone to say "it is just a box that" with any system of trick. To me it says this person wants to order off the menu board at McDonalds rather than appplying the needed creativity to think of variations. So if you think the box can only dissapear persons or appear them -- that is all it will do.

But -- spirit cabinet use?
Spirit Writing Use?
Inanamate loads?
Transposes?
Other hidden rigs -- floating, effects?

Now, you must know, I did not note whom above I might be insulting -- but I feel too many "magicians" are not extending their creative and craft sides. I did not for years -- and bemoan that as lost time, and must accept my evaluation as it applies to myself, also.

GC

Thank you very much wmhegbli. I have been searching for this for a longtime.

Wouldn't the audience notice if the same base cropped up in two or more apparently different illusions, and wouldn't that lead to suspicion?

I doubt it. Let's consider the fellow who purchases several illusions made by say, Chalet. Each of them will have base that is similar to the others. Is anyone going to suspect that the Crystal Casket works the same way as one of the other illusions that has a similar base. Probably not.

How this system appears to the audience will depend a lot on the emphasis that the performer places on the things that are attached to it.

This is an extension of (as Gregg Chmara points out) an idea first proposed by Karell Fox, which he called the "Utili-base." Now, the idea isn't that you do an illusion, push it offstage, do something in front of the curtain while your crew madly takes one illusion off the base and gloms another one onto it, then wheels it behind the curtain so you can do it. The idea is that you might do one or two illusions per show with this base. If you do that, then it becomes a valuable addition to your show. The base actually gives your act some continuity.

A savvy performer would have some other items that were styled in the same way as the base, so that it becomes part of the scenery instead of the star of the show. That's YOUR job.

Mr Palmer,
What you said were thoughts from an experienced Magi and I hope it helps others too.
But then if we have to buy this Illusion and also a super x and also a shadow cabinet seperately,{so we can do all these in the same show} but use 2 other illusions using this box, isn't it a waste of money?
IMHO.

I am one of Ross Horwitz' clients.
I am satisfied with the product but dissappointed with the time it took to get the project completed.

Understand that my order was delivered about three years ago. His priorities and his design might have changed somewhat. Corey King also purchased Ross' Asrah form which I didn't like.(too flimsy, it doesn't hold up to repeated use)

This was around the same time Dutch Haling was looking at it in person. Dutch and I talked about Ross' design and so I drove to Tucson to check it out Live.

The base I ordered from he was very well made.
Mine was custom built out of different materials than those on his website. Two medium sized individuals can fit into it. You can also fit two people into the trunk for a mini "Six-Pack" production illusion.

At the time of my custom order he didn't have all of his priorities in order so the delivery date was nearly two months late. When I arrived in Tucson he still didn't have everything he promised together. He did drop everything to get my order finished which caused some flak with his wife because they had plans for the weekend. Ross never flinched. I was even planning on staying at his house if he didn't deliver the goods. I had paid extra for the custom order of remember?

I did however recieve each and everything he promised.
The base design has withstood the test time. It still looks sharp. He included remote pyros and smoke effects within the base unit.

Would I do business with him again in the future? Only if my time permitted it.

The product is not overpriced for the quality you get.
The dual subtrunk/tipover design is lacking in the hinges and the seams design. He uses velcro instead of alternate means to hold the hinged doors in place.
I retrofitted the performance design flaws to better suit my needs. The velcro isn't sufficient to support the weight of the doors. It needed more surface area of velcro to hold up the weight. Since there wasn't room to increase the surface area, I used another means.

I also had some panels which hang on the sides to mask the base. Ironically enough they fasten over the top of the base with velcro to change the look of the base for different illusions so that it doesn't look like the same table rolling onto the stage. It isn't absolutely neccessary. "Why run if you aren't being chased eh?"

The Indiana Pacer's Mascot uses the base during some halftime performances. Patrick Smith from Indianapolis is the performer for the unit.

Ross is a student mentored in illusion design by Mark Wilson according to what Ross conveyed to myself.

I am free to answer any questions via pm. Ross and I are still close friends.

Adios Amigos!~r2

Not at all. How are you going to stage these illusions. You have to remember that there is some time involved in switching one thing for another.

Besides, you could easily do, say the tipover, then the Asrah and one other item with the base and you would be fine.

Think about your priorities. Are they to save money or to do an entertaining show? What you lose in time and crew obligations, you may make up in some other aspect of your show.

Do you actually DO an illusion show? If so, what kind of venues are you working in?

Thanks for the reply Mr Palmer,
Back in 1999 I was still performing Illusions in pretty huge auditoriums but currently, I stick to doing Corporate Close up and walk around.
I use to have my own team of 15 people and more than a dozen Illusions, all built by myself except for the Snowstorm and the Gamolo levitation{both of which I still use when I do occassional stage shows.

Then you should be aware of the kind of logistics I am talking about. With the Gamolo, then you don't really need the Asrah or the Super X.

So then it boils down to how much you want to troupe.

Think about what you could do to dress the base so it would appear to be different each time you brought it out. A bit of Velcro here and there, and various kinds of fabrics could make that base appear to be several different items.

The thing that doesn't mske sense to me, is why anyone would need a base to preform a sub trunk.
Kyle

Exactly what I said Mr palmer. But then the other suggestions you gave are worth it. This may suit someone who is just starting out on Illusions and the price would be a steal too. I was interested in the base as I am working on an Illusion which would be similar to Copperfield's Barclay house but not the same. My climax is the production of a school choir who were killed in an earthquake and I think it will do the trick.
Thanks for your valuable comments and suggestions.

The base offers a way to switch folks within the trunk. This isn't possible if you just use the base alone. Since it is also a tip-over trunk you can figure out the many possibilities this has to offer?

You can vanish the first member to go into the trunk via the base supplied and have he or she return from behind the audience by removing the trunk from on top of the base and rolling away the base downstage. This leaves all of the focus on the trunk. You can now have a different person to be found in the trunk.

The base is not required to perform with the subtrunk and vice versa. The trunk he supplies is a dual top loader and tip over trunk. The top loader is held closed using a thin strip of velcro. It isn't sufficient to hold the weight of the door. It doesn't hold up to repeated performances. I had to stiffen it up and use magnets to hold it it place. This gave me the reliability that, I needed.

You can perform a "Six-Pac Production" routine by using both the subtrunk and the base in combination. Two slim adults fit into the base and up to three can fit into the trunk. I guess this only makes a "Five-Pac Production" then?

Best of luck, r2

Forgive me for saying this...

But that has to be the most UNDECEPTIVE base design I've ever seen...

That looks incredibly thick...

But that's just MY OPINION of course...

Sorry, had to mention it... Hope no one's offended...

It is undeceptive and it's stupid. it packs huge. and you could probably but a swordbasket. SuperX suspension. sub trunk and some killer talking material. and do a WAY! better illusion show than if you spent the 5000 or what ever the heck it cost for this giant monstrosity. but this is just my opinion. Basically, use your brain and you will find better ways of packing small than this all in one ilusion show.

With all due respect Farrell, you really don't know what you are talking about if you haven't seen it in person or own it.

The base is modular and it fits into the trunk he sells you. The design that Ross has on the website isn't the one that he built for me. He has redesgned it for those who don't choose the custom version which I have.

I agreed that the design in the photos looks way too thick and that is why he custom built my base and then chose to redesign and modify the new ones which he currently sells.

I will state that his subtrunks are substandard designs. He doesn't build the trunks, but he does gimmick them.