Price$34.95
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedJan 23, 2014
Senses
Wiehl, Christopher
Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.
(Based on 3 reviews)
Senses: Have a spectator take a coin, ring, dice, or whatever they can and put it into the cup and close the lid. You take the cup and shake it. They hear the item, but it slowly starts to fade away until they hear nothing. You then can show the inside of the cup and the item is now gone. You can then bring it back right in their own hands.
Ketchop Cup: A neat update to a chop cup style routine. You have a coin put into the cup with the cap on. You put the cup face down and wave your hand over the cup and instantly the coin jumps to the top of the cup. You can then make it penetrate back into the cup for a visual ending.
TCOC: using one cup you can take a coin and have it penetrate the bottom of the cup, and then through the lid of the cup and even through the bottom of the cup off the spectator's hands.
Quarterly payments: Show an empty cup and one half dollar. Your hands are completely empty. Take the half dollar and drop it into the cup and it instantly turns into two quarters.
Beggars Dream: Show an empty cup and empty hands. Grab an imaginary coin out of the air and drop it into the cup and the coin instantly materializes into a real coin.
Contained: Have a cup with a prediction card inside. Have the spectator pick a card and loose it in the deck. You then show the card that is sealed inside the cup. It is not their card. With a wave of your hand the card sealed inside instantly changes into their card.
This is just a sample of what you can do with the Senses methodology. Start performing right from the box.
- A simple, single utility
- Unlimited ways to perform
- Six polished routines & tricks (list routine names)
- Penetrations
- Vanishes
- Appearances
- Changes
- Endless possibilities
"When I saw the demo video for Senses I knew right then and there I had to have this product. There's actually enough potential with this product that an entire close up show could be constructed around just using this product alone." - Draven
Reviews
(Top ▲)
PROS
This is a clever prop. Chris has taken a ketchup or salsa cup and with a little gimmick, he has created a prop that can be used for a wide variety of effects.
He has a variety of effects and routines using the cup and coins, bills, and playing cards.
The prop is merely a plastic cup, but you could easily make replacement props if needed. I see these cups all over the place, particularly in hamburger restaurants, Mexican restaurants, and almost anyplace with a salad bar.
The instruction is very good.
CONS
The prop is a plastic cup. If you are working a fancy restaurant, this may not be the prop you want to use. Anywhere else, it is a great “organic” prop.
VERDICT
This is such a clever, fresh idea with so many routine possibilities.
This is a clever prop. Chris has taken a ketchup or salsa cup and with a little gimmick, he has created a prop that can be used for a wide variety of effects.
He has a variety of effects and routines using the cup and coins, bills, and playing cards.
The prop is merely a plastic cup, but you could easily make replacement props if needed. I see these cups all over the place, particularly in hamburger restaurants, Mexican restaurants, and almost anyplace with a salad bar.
The instruction is very good.
CONS
The prop is a plastic cup. If you are working a fancy restaurant, this may not be the prop you want to use. Anywhere else, it is a great “organic” prop.
VERDICT
This is such a clever, fresh idea with so many routine possibilities.
Suggestions
I think this prop lends itself to both multiple routines and could function well with ongoing gags. I could see packing a “lunch” bag with some gag items like a banana, perhaps some sponge fruit, and one of these cups. An act could include a coin routine with the cup, a card routine with the cup, a few gags, etc. I think it is just hilarious to break out a banana at some point or points during a set and taking a few bites. For example, when waiting on a participant or when waiting on the “magic to occur”.(Top ▲)
This is a clever principle, with a lot of applications, and in my opinion, very little performance venue options.
The main prop used in these effects is a plastic ketchup cup with a clear lid. if you are a restaurant performer where these kinds of items are plausibly available, then I think you are golden. As a full time professional, I have many routines that use straws, napkins, ketchup cups, and other items that can found in the space.
To do the effects performed on this project you need the exact kinds of cups and lids provided. While there is a gimmick, most of the time, these cups can be examined by the audience.
The principle is VERY cool, and made me smile when I followed along with the DVD. However, none of the uses for this principle made me excited enough to warrant carrying these cups around with me all the time at restaurant gigs. Also, one of the restaurants I work at is VERY high end, and these cups would look VERY out of place in this particular context.
This could be good for at a school cafeteria, outdoor picnic, or casual family restaurant. At an elegant cocktail party, it will be out of place. I think as long as the context fits the props, you will be overall happy with your investment, and you will enjoy playing around with the possibilities.
Four Stars
The main prop used in these effects is a plastic ketchup cup with a clear lid. if you are a restaurant performer where these kinds of items are plausibly available, then I think you are golden. As a full time professional, I have many routines that use straws, napkins, ketchup cups, and other items that can found in the space.
To do the effects performed on this project you need the exact kinds of cups and lids provided. While there is a gimmick, most of the time, these cups can be examined by the audience.
The principle is VERY cool, and made me smile when I followed along with the DVD. However, none of the uses for this principle made me excited enough to warrant carrying these cups around with me all the time at restaurant gigs. Also, one of the restaurants I work at is VERY high end, and these cups would look VERY out of place in this particular context.
This could be good for at a school cafeteria, outdoor picnic, or casual family restaurant. At an elegant cocktail party, it will be out of place. I think as long as the context fits the props, you will be overall happy with your investment, and you will enjoy playing around with the possibilities.
Four Stars
(Top ▲)
Senses by Christopher Wiehl Review:
Nearly two hours, one simple prop, $35 bucks, a butt load of ideas, tricks and tips. Is it Gem or is it Rubble? Stay Tuned.
Effect
When it comes to utility gimmicks, it's hard to nail down any one specific effect. Basically, this set of gimmicks allows you to cause objects to vanish, appear, transform, transpose and penetrate. That's five out of the seven total effects that David Devant claimed are possible in magic. Not bad for a ketchup cup. Further, these effects are extremely visual . . . another nice element when it comes to magic.
Method
The methods range from pure sleight of hand to simple (supplied) gimmicks. The gimmicks you receive allow you to modify your ketchup cups in various ways. Some of the methods are so hard that Christopher couldn't do them. However, he was quick to point out that they - the ones he struggled with - were not ones that he typically performs. They were more ideas of friends or sort of "spit-balling" thoughts as he went along. The methods that use the main two gimmicks are extremely simple.
Many of them are even more simplified with the use of a certain piece of jewelry that you may already own. But it's not required. It just makes some of the handling so much easier and more visual. Many (maybe even most) of the routines are going to take some serious practice, which I love. I'm getting a bit tired of the claim that 2 seconds after opening the box, you'll be performing. I like that these methods take practice, yet they are totally legit and doable.
Some are more angle sensitive than others for sure. Each has its place in its own venue, and different performers will have different styles and preferences. The bottom line: the methods and techniques are very clever, and very simple in concept. They'll just take some practice and effort on your part.
Ad Copy Integrity
My hat's off to Murphy's and Christopher. The ad copy is solid. The video trailer is very clear and honest. In fact, there's one part where they hold the shot with the gimmick front and center (you won't see it) a lot longer than you ever would in real live performances. The point is that the gimmick is well made and well hidden, and they weren't afraid to give a legitimate display of it on the video with no cheating. The written ad copy is solid too. However, I feel a couple points need to be clarified.
While it's true that you can use this to vanish (or appear) any object that can fit in the cup, the illusion of the audio vanishing won't quite work on every item. For example, they mention using dice. You can certainly put a die (or many dice) in the cup and cause it to appear or vanish. However, the audio illusion won't work. The audio illusion is dependent on the size of the object in the container. I don't feel that this was false advertisement, but rather something that just needed some clarity.
Additionally, in the effects Quarterly Payment and Beggars Dream, the ad mentions that both hands are empty and the cup is empty, then something visually appears in it. This is true, but to be clear, you have to be holding the cup in your hand to cause the magic to happen. So your hand is empty other than the cup. By reading the ad copy, one could infer that the cup could be sitting on the table and the coin visually appears. That is not true. Again, this didn't feel like false advertisement to me, but just a point that you should be aware of before making a purchase.
Product Quality
The gimmicks are simply plastic ketchup containers that you get from most restaurants. I know my favorite fast food joint, Taco Time, has them. You are supplied three cups, 2 lids and two gimmicks. The third cup is used to construct another gimmick. It'll take you 1 minute to make the other gimmick. The gimmicks are all made out of the same material as the cups and/or lids. So go to Taco Time and look at the ketchup cups. That's the quality of the gimmicks and props supplied. Of course, the beauty is that if they ever break, just swing by Taco Time and get replacements. They've got everything you need to make new gimmicks.
The DVD quality is very good. The menu is simple and easy to navigate. It's well lit, well mic'd, well produced, etc. My only complaint is that the teaching portions were a bit scattered. It seemed very unscripted, often like there was no planning for the video shoot. I think a little scripting would have a gone a long way here. In fact, it could have cut the DVD down from 110 minutes to maybe 90 or less. That aside, it was very informative, and everything you need to learn the effects is there for sure.
Further, there were so many extra ideas, thoughts, effects, methods, handling ideas, etc. that it's easy to give this a solid product quality rating.
Final Thoughts
This is a utility prop that has many uses, particularly for the restaurant worker. The effects on the trailer are doable, and they really do look as good at they are portrayed in the video. $35 is a reasonable price for this much material and the props. Further, because it's a utility device, you're getting more than just some gimmicks and Christopher's ideas. You're also getting whatever ideas you come up with while playing with the props. Believe me; you'll come up with other uses. Additionally, this is something new (or at least a new application of old ideas) that, as far as I know, nobody else has published.
Watching the video, you either liked the effects or you didn't. You either think they match your style or they don't. If you didn't and you don't, then don't buy this because no matter how well made it is, no matter how practical it is, you won't use it. But if you did like it, and you can see yourself doing these types of effects, then I guarantee you'll be very happy with your purchase (if you're willing to put in the time).
Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.