Price$9.95
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedJul 13, 2016
Jumping Gem Pen
Prace, Jeff
Jeff Prace
(Based on 2 reviews)
Presented as an eye exam, a circle jumps all around the pen's body before visually splitting into two! But the eye test does not end there! The text on the pen instantly becomes blurry and can be handed out for examination at the end.
INSIDE THE PACKAGE:
-Jumping Gem pen
-Additional pen for kicker ending
-Video instructions by Genii columnist Jeff Prace
Reviews
(Top ▲)
This is a very nice, plain - no frills, fun and entertaining effect. This is not a fooler for Magician’s that occasionally we get caught up in especially when the ad copy says something like “will fool Magician’s too!”.
We sometimes forget that our passion is to entertain and fool people with our craft, those people being the lay audience. This effect will certainly do just this using an ordinary pen, an item most of us do or could carry on us. What better item to use to fool your spectators, an everyday pen. The pens will last you a long time and you can even write with them. Just like a Bic pen, if the pen runs out of ink just change the refill and ‘presto’ you are ready to go again.
If you have been in magic for a lot or even a little amount of time you will readily recognize the the move, it’s not sophisticated but it works. It comes with 2 pens, the second one for a different finale to the routine but not really necessary as the main effect is good on it’s own. I must mention here that in the demo video is a little deceiving due to some editing in the fact that it looks like the same pen is used to accomplish the finale where the writing looks blurry. If you do decide to use it, you will have to switch pens - so what, that’s just another thing we do. There are relatively no angle issues unless you decide to switch pens.
The video tutorial that you have access to is well done, teaches you what you need to do to perform this very entertaining little piece of magic. Just like any other paddle item, you would not and cannot hand this out for examination without revealing how the magic happens. I do really like it and will keep it with me ready to perform for some impromptu unsuspecting audiences. Great buy for the price.
We sometimes forget that our passion is to entertain and fool people with our craft, those people being the lay audience. This effect will certainly do just this using an ordinary pen, an item most of us do or could carry on us. What better item to use to fool your spectators, an everyday pen. The pens will last you a long time and you can even write with them. Just like a Bic pen, if the pen runs out of ink just change the refill and ‘presto’ you are ready to go again.
If you have been in magic for a lot or even a little amount of time you will readily recognize the the move, it’s not sophisticated but it works. It comes with 2 pens, the second one for a different finale to the routine but not really necessary as the main effect is good on it’s own. I must mention here that in the demo video is a little deceiving due to some editing in the fact that it looks like the same pen is used to accomplish the finale where the writing looks blurry. If you do decide to use it, you will have to switch pens - so what, that’s just another thing we do. There are relatively no angle issues unless you decide to switch pens.
The video tutorial that you have access to is well done, teaches you what you need to do to perform this very entertaining little piece of magic. Just like any other paddle item, you would not and cannot hand this out for examination without revealing how the magic happens. I do really like it and will keep it with me ready to perform for some impromptu unsuspecting audiences. Great buy for the price.
(Top ▲)
PROS
I have already said in another review that the Pizza Paddle is my favorite paddle trick. However, this one is one of the most versatile effects, as it has a more universal theme of eye care. You could perform this in almost any close-up situation.
With this product, you get two pens and a ten minute download instruction video. The two pens are both gimmicked. With one pen, a dot in the middle of ”Dr Prace Eye Care” jumps to the end and then to the beginning. The second pen starts out where the first pen left off and the writing turns blurry when you give the pen a little shake.
The download video instructions are only ten minutes long, but the explanation is very good. Jeff cuts to the chase and gets to the explanation quickly. He covers the handling of a routine that starts with the first pen and ends with the second pen.
The quality of the pens is excellent. These pens should last you a very long time even if you carry them around with you every day. They are standard BIC pens that you could use as everyday pens for writing. If the ink runs out, you could easily take the insert out of any similar BIC pen and insert it into one of the two gimmicked pens.
The moves are really simple. You will need the same dexterity in your fingers as you would for any other paddle trick. If you have reasonably good hand movement, you should be able to do this. In fact, this product makes the paddle move easier than other paddle trick props because the cap of the pen serves as a guide to do the moves perfectly every time. The pens are very easy to handle.
The routine is very angle proof. You could do this entirely surrounded. The only angle that would present a problem is directly underneath.
As for ad integrity, it is mostly accurate, but..
CONS
In the ad, he shows the same routine that he shows in the explanation. However, there is a cut in the video because it looks like you can go from the dot moving from the middle to one end, then to the other, to the blurry letters. What you don’t see is that in the routine, he does the dot moving from middle to one end to the other end with one pen, then puts that pen in his pocket, then comes back out with a different pen for the last phase. I think it is still a great routine, but the ad copy was not accurate at that point.
The video does not include live performances. I don’t see it as a problem as he demonstrates what the routine should look like in a “studio” environment. So, you don’t get to see live audience reactions, but frankly, I don’t put a lot of weight on live reactions in a product video. Many times audience members in live reaction scenes are hyped up to over-react and that doesn’t give you any indication of what reactions you may get. On the other hand, it can be helpful to see how real audience members react, and that is not provided here.
I think it would have been nice for one of the pens to look un-gimmicked and be fully examinable. The video explanation says the second pen is examinable, but I say it isn’t. If you have it examined, they are going to see evidence of the method. They may not know how you are doing what you appear to be doing, but they will have a clue. I would suggest you treat these like any other gimmicked paddle and don’t hand them out for examination. See the suggestions section for a thought on how to handle handing out the pen for examination.
AT A GLANCE
The skill level required: 2 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 2 of 5.
Performance angleS: 360 degrees
The reset time required: None
The DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
This is a really nice jumping gem style paddle routine using what appears to be a BIC pen from an Eye Care Clinic. The props are high quality and should last a very long time and the instruction is good. It is a great value for the low price.
I have already said in another review that the Pizza Paddle is my favorite paddle trick. However, this one is one of the most versatile effects, as it has a more universal theme of eye care. You could perform this in almost any close-up situation.
With this product, you get two pens and a ten minute download instruction video. The two pens are both gimmicked. With one pen, a dot in the middle of ”Dr Prace Eye Care” jumps to the end and then to the beginning. The second pen starts out where the first pen left off and the writing turns blurry when you give the pen a little shake.
The download video instructions are only ten minutes long, but the explanation is very good. Jeff cuts to the chase and gets to the explanation quickly. He covers the handling of a routine that starts with the first pen and ends with the second pen.
The quality of the pens is excellent. These pens should last you a very long time even if you carry them around with you every day. They are standard BIC pens that you could use as everyday pens for writing. If the ink runs out, you could easily take the insert out of any similar BIC pen and insert it into one of the two gimmicked pens.
The moves are really simple. You will need the same dexterity in your fingers as you would for any other paddle trick. If you have reasonably good hand movement, you should be able to do this. In fact, this product makes the paddle move easier than other paddle trick props because the cap of the pen serves as a guide to do the moves perfectly every time. The pens are very easy to handle.
The routine is very angle proof. You could do this entirely surrounded. The only angle that would present a problem is directly underneath.
As for ad integrity, it is mostly accurate, but..
CONS
In the ad, he shows the same routine that he shows in the explanation. However, there is a cut in the video because it looks like you can go from the dot moving from the middle to one end, then to the other, to the blurry letters. What you don’t see is that in the routine, he does the dot moving from middle to one end to the other end with one pen, then puts that pen in his pocket, then comes back out with a different pen for the last phase. I think it is still a great routine, but the ad copy was not accurate at that point.
The video does not include live performances. I don’t see it as a problem as he demonstrates what the routine should look like in a “studio” environment. So, you don’t get to see live audience reactions, but frankly, I don’t put a lot of weight on live reactions in a product video. Many times audience members in live reaction scenes are hyped up to over-react and that doesn’t give you any indication of what reactions you may get. On the other hand, it can be helpful to see how real audience members react, and that is not provided here.
I think it would have been nice for one of the pens to look un-gimmicked and be fully examinable. The video explanation says the second pen is examinable, but I say it isn’t. If you have it examined, they are going to see evidence of the method. They may not know how you are doing what you appear to be doing, but they will have a clue. I would suggest you treat these like any other gimmicked paddle and don’t hand them out for examination. See the suggestions section for a thought on how to handle handing out the pen for examination.
AT A GLANCE
The skill level required: 2 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 2 of 5.
Performance angleS: 360 degrees
The reset time required: None
The DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
This is a really nice jumping gem style paddle routine using what appears to be a BIC pen from an Eye Care Clinic. The props are high quality and should last a very long time and the instruction is good. It is a great value for the low price.