Howdy!
Cris Johnson here, with a new review this week. Before I get to it, a few housekeeping notes...
- The contest to name my monthly ezine is almost over - it ends the end of the month! Send suggestions for the magic ezine to: crisjohnsoninfo@verizon.net. Also, if you simply want to get on the mailing list, shoot me an email. The contest winner gets an Infinity Deck by Jon Allen...and eventually a copy of my still unfinished book of routines and essays.
- Also, for a day or two, my block link (on Hocus Pocus' main home page) with my mug on it vanished! It was hilarious because I sent Paul a frazzled, panic-stricken email asking if I did something wrong. Paul assured me that it was simply a case of the web causing something bizarre to happen...and that it falls under the "HUH?" department.
Fortunately, the blog is back, so let's get to the review.
It's Sean Bogunia's Lamp & Floating Lightbulb effect. Here's the link: http://www.hocus-pocus.com/magicshop/inc/product_detail.cfm?item=8887 It's not cheap, available for $1750 from Hocus Pocus, but MAN is this SO worth it.
EFFECT: A lightbulb vanishes from a lamp, floats in the air, lights and blinks, lights up while floating in the air and so much more.
WHAT YOU GET FOR THE LAMP: You get the incredible gimmicked lamp, spare 12V lightbulbs, two remotes, battery, charger, DVD instructions and much more.
WHAT YOU GET FOR THE ZOMBIE LIGHTBULB: You get the Zombie gimmick. foulard, charger, battery, lightbulbs, DVD instructions and a silver carrying case that's padded with foam on the inside to protect your investment.
VALUE: This is not one of those effects where you’re paying for a routine or a script. This is totally about the goodies.:) You get some really cool gimmicks and cool technology. The lamp is programmable, so you can program up to two routines that will play while you do nothing. NICE. The lamp can be programmed for the lightbulb to blink, turn on or off, “disappear” or “reappear.” Very nice.
The floating lightbulb can shift side to side and the bulb can light up while floating, so while this is based on the ancient Zombie principle, it is jacked up and VERY cool. High value indeed for your investment.
INSTRUCTION: Sean puts out superior instructional DVDs, second only to Bob Kohler, and this is no exception. In the case of the lamp, Sean walks you through the simple programming of the lamp, and the use of the remotes. For the Zombie lightbulb, Sean walks you through the handling as well as a few different ways to get into the routine if you decide to purchase just the Zombie gimmick without the lamp. Personally, using the lamp & zombie gimmick together is really the way to go.
ANGLES: The angles for the Zombie are pretty standard for regular Zombie users..in some ways, more forgiving because this is not designed to do the fancy zombie moves like “behind the back” so your angles are easier.
The angles for the lamp are a bit more tender, at least for the “disappearing/reappearing” lightbulb, but if you use this with the Zombie, the zombie foulard can be effectively used to mask the disappearance or reappearance of the bulb, so with care, the angles can be very good. If you’re looking to make the bulb appear or disappear without the Zombie, your angles are somewhat harsh, making the lamp (in this case) suitable only for stage in a controlled situation.
As I said, using the two together is really the way to go – it gives you more to work with for the routine and helps your angles.
DURABILITY: This stuff is extremely well made, but since it’s electronic, treat your investment with care. Sean appreciates the investment his customers make when buying his stuff, hence the cases he provides. With Sean’s padded cases, your props will be well protected. I’ve been using this for nearly a year and have had ZERO problems.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I love all of Sean’s stuff and this is a no-brainer. It’s visual, beautiful and most importantly, something different. I used this twice today and both times my clients cited this as their favorite part of the show. It’s a great investment and highly recommended. A 10 out of 10.
Soon I’ll be back to review Jim Kleefeld’s water CD ROM book of routines. I’m half way through and so far it looks like a big winner.
As always, I welcome any comments at crisjohnsoninfo@verizon.net. Til next time…
Best,
Cris Johnson
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