Title: Project Ultima
MSRP: $ 35
Skill Level: intermediate
DVD Run time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Type of effect: Combo DVD of tricks, flourishes and controls
Manufacturer's Write Up:
The first section is focused on The Glimmer Principle. Basically a FRESH card control system that allows you to control 1 to 4 cards extremely cleanly, and we mean so clean that people are 100% convinced. It is very sneaky, and works all of the time! This principle allows you to achieve more - a beautiful color change, a devious dribble control, and a switch as well. This is the perfect secret weapon in any magician's card arsenal.
Next we have some powerful visual card magic effects. Everyone of these is a real worker and has been audience tested thousands of times. The Ninja Grab we are sure is a brand new concept in card magic, and blows everyone away. Andrew's Ultima Aces is a working mans show stopper and a sure fire crowd pleaser! For the perfect surprise check out Are You Sure? This section also has 321 and we teach the Infinite Twirl which is awesome.
The last section is called OHUH - meaning overhand and underhand, and focuses on Andrews's core work and secret love - flourishes. It is a unique Card Cut System focusing on Ariel Packet tosses while still maintaining the deck in full order. Because of the acrobatic nature of these cuts all believe the pack is thoroughly mixed. They look crazy cool. This will fascinate anyone who likes Flourishes and also performs Magic too.
How accurate is the ad copy? No deception or false promises
What's in the box? DVD with an hour and a half of content
Key points: this DVD is jammed packed with a lot of content covering a wide gambit of card magic - you will get routines, controls, flourishes and theory.
How are the production values: I'd say it's a good first try. The menus are very colorful and splashy and each submission is backed with very upbeat techno music. The "teaching" moments are done with absolutely no audio or on screen instruction. So in effect you're taught through pantomime, and several times I felt that there was something lost and there were moments that were hard to follow. For instance watching the GLIMMER CONTROL tutorial.... I had no idea what was going on.
It might just be my own personal learning style, but I benefit greatly from audible instruction.
There are some Q&A "theory" entries where Andrew is able to discuss his methodology and those moments I am sure are meant to be the helpful "audio instruction" that are missing from the tutorials, but as they don't cover patter or routine and since there are no live performances, it's hard to grasp it all on an initial viewing. My thoughts are if you want to follow along and really learn these tricks - you'll need to view this DVD a few times over.
What is taught on the DVD?
Ultima Aces this is a straightforward 4 ace reveal with a flourish
Glimmer Switch + change, control, and multi (w/theory) this is a card control for bringing a returned card to the top of the deck. Andrew teaches this as either a straight forward invisible change, or a face up "switch" (which to me was not as convincing). Andrew teaches this with either one or four cards.
Ninja Grab this is a palm reveal that "appears" as if you grabbed the card invisibly from the center of the deck
Are You Sure (w/theory) card change routine that takes place in the spectator's hands, very similar to David Blaine's In the Hand, two card Monte.
321 (w/theory) another card change, this time two cards are "combined" into a third card (1+2=3) using a very familiar sleight. Seemed similar to previously published effects that use "splitting" cards into two.
Plus several flourishes: Infinite Twirl, OHUH + Flip, Arial Cut, Grip Flip, Slider plus Combos.
My thoughts (what I personally liked/disliked): I liked the amount of work that was put on this DVD, it was very ambitious; and there certainly is a lot of material here - you get a lot of bang for your buck. But, I would have appreciated live performances so I could see these in action, or at least audio teaching during the tutorials.
How practical is this in the real world? (can it really be done?) all of these can be done in the real world, nothing knacky or outlandish.
How original is this idea? to be honest, I felt like I had seen a lot of these moves before. Nothing leapt out to me as being that original. The Glimmer additions all felt like moves I have seen in someone else's Ambitious Card routine. There were "thank yous" to famous magicians at the end for "inspiration" but no direct credit for anything and to me a lot of this did feel borrowed or directly inspired by other people's work.
Overall score: 8/10
+ If you want to see my full review with even more of my opinions and ideas you can visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PHQJ9QEo-o
MSRP: $ 35
Skill Level: intermediate
DVD Run time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Type of effect: Combo DVD of tricks, flourishes and controls
Manufacturer's Write Up:
The first section is focused on The Glimmer Principle. Basically a FRESH card control system that allows you to control 1 to 4 cards extremely cleanly, and we mean so clean that people are 100% convinced. It is very sneaky, and works all of the time! This principle allows you to achieve more - a beautiful color change, a devious dribble control, and a switch as well. This is the perfect secret weapon in any magician's card arsenal.
Next we have some powerful visual card magic effects. Everyone of these is a real worker and has been audience tested thousands of times. The Ninja Grab we are sure is a brand new concept in card magic, and blows everyone away. Andrew's Ultima Aces is a working mans show stopper and a sure fire crowd pleaser! For the perfect surprise check out Are You Sure? This section also has 321 and we teach the Infinite Twirl which is awesome.
The last section is called OHUH - meaning overhand and underhand, and focuses on Andrews's core work and secret love - flourishes. It is a unique Card Cut System focusing on Ariel Packet tosses while still maintaining the deck in full order. Because of the acrobatic nature of these cuts all believe the pack is thoroughly mixed. They look crazy cool. This will fascinate anyone who likes Flourishes and also performs Magic too.
How accurate is the ad copy? No deception or false promises
What's in the box? DVD with an hour and a half of content
Key points: this DVD is jammed packed with a lot of content covering a wide gambit of card magic - you will get routines, controls, flourishes and theory.
How are the production values: I'd say it's a good first try. The menus are very colorful and splashy and each submission is backed with very upbeat techno music. The "teaching" moments are done with absolutely no audio or on screen instruction. So in effect you're taught through pantomime, and several times I felt that there was something lost and there were moments that were hard to follow. For instance watching the GLIMMER CONTROL tutorial.... I had no idea what was going on.
It might just be my own personal learning style, but I benefit greatly from audible instruction.
There are some Q&A "theory" entries where Andrew is able to discuss his methodology and those moments I am sure are meant to be the helpful "audio instruction" that are missing from the tutorials, but as they don't cover patter or routine and since there are no live performances, it's hard to grasp it all on an initial viewing. My thoughts are if you want to follow along and really learn these tricks - you'll need to view this DVD a few times over.
What is taught on the DVD?
Ultima Aces this is a straightforward 4 ace reveal with a flourish
Glimmer Switch + change, control, and multi (w/theory) this is a card control for bringing a returned card to the top of the deck. Andrew teaches this as either a straight forward invisible change, or a face up "switch" (which to me was not as convincing). Andrew teaches this with either one or four cards.
Ninja Grab this is a palm reveal that "appears" as if you grabbed the card invisibly from the center of the deck
Are You Sure (w/theory) card change routine that takes place in the spectator's hands, very similar to David Blaine's In the Hand, two card Monte.
321 (w/theory) another card change, this time two cards are "combined" into a third card (1+2=3) using a very familiar sleight. Seemed similar to previously published effects that use "splitting" cards into two.
Plus several flourishes: Infinite Twirl, OHUH + Flip, Arial Cut, Grip Flip, Slider plus Combos.
My thoughts (what I personally liked/disliked): I liked the amount of work that was put on this DVD, it was very ambitious; and there certainly is a lot of material here - you get a lot of bang for your buck. But, I would have appreciated live performances so I could see these in action, or at least audio teaching during the tutorials.
How practical is this in the real world? (can it really be done?) all of these can be done in the real world, nothing knacky or outlandish.
How original is this idea? to be honest, I felt like I had seen a lot of these moves before. Nothing leapt out to me as being that original. The Glimmer additions all felt like moves I have seen in someone else's Ambitious Card routine. There were "thank yous" to famous magicians at the end for "inspiration" but no direct credit for anything and to me a lot of this did feel borrowed or directly inspired by other people's work.
Overall score: 8/10
+ If you want to see my full review with even more of my opinions and ideas you can visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PHQJ9QEo-o
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