Price$19.95
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedAug 08, 2014
LOOK
Limin
Magic Soul
(Based on 3 reviews)
During the performance, the eyes will follow the audience member's selected card just as if they were alive! At the end of each show, both the card and eyes can be given to the audience as souvenirs.
This is an extremely practical trick that is sure to leave a magical impression.
Easy to prepare and perform HD teaching video available online Audience checks possible before and after performance Freedom of choice - personalize the trick yourself! Lovely souvenir for your audience to take home
Reviews
(Top ▲)
WHAT YOU GET
You get a half page folded in half “booklet” explanation with drawings and links to performance and explanation videos. In addition, you get ten blank cards to make “googly eye” faces. You also get 20 self adhesive googly eyes.
WHAT IS COOL
I feel like I was generous with the rating and I’ll explain why. I really think the concept could be fun, especially for younger audiences. We’ll get into the problems, but first the good parts. The gimmicks works well when used as explained. The idea of having a participant create their own googly eyes face could be fun, yet you don’t have to do this part, You could simply have a googly eyed face ready to perform. You could incorporate this into any routine that you like, to add a fun element, especially for the right audience. This could be a way to take a trick that appeals to adults and to keep the kids entertained as well. This could also be used to engage more females, who on average, tend to like magic less than males. I’m sure what I just said might be considered “horrific and sexist” by some, but in my experience performing magic, that is the case. I have had to learn ways to engage different people differently to keep them engaged. The quality of the props and materials is good. The ad is fair.
WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES
The explanations and methods weren’t great. Great magicians know that great magic is in the details.
For example, at one point you pass cards over the googly eyes face and it doesn’t react and they are turned over and placed aside. When the googly eyes face finds their selected card, for no apparent reason, that card is placed on top of the deck and then turned over. That is just bad magic. However, I didn’t downgrade my rating for what could be a special something to add to your bag of tools because of this. I would rather just warn you in this review and urge you to think about your magic more deeply than apparently they did.
Another example is there are some areas where hindu shuffles are used. In some parts of the world, that makes sense. In other parts of the world, that just looks weird and suspicious. Again, I didn’t downgrade my rating because you could simply use overhand shuffles and/or cuts instead.
I did downgrade the rating because while this might have some good potential, you are likely going to need to look to other sources to make this better. If this is the only magic trick you purchase, you might be stuck with some not so great handling.
AT A GLANCE
Skill level required: 3 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 3 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: You can reset in front of your audience.
DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
I really think that this could be a good addition to a magicians set of tools and it could be used in a variety of ways that are slightly different than what was explained to enhance your magic, particularly for certain audiences, like younger audiences.
You get a half page folded in half “booklet” explanation with drawings and links to performance and explanation videos. In addition, you get ten blank cards to make “googly eye” faces. You also get 20 self adhesive googly eyes.
WHAT IS COOL
I feel like I was generous with the rating and I’ll explain why. I really think the concept could be fun, especially for younger audiences. We’ll get into the problems, but first the good parts. The gimmicks works well when used as explained. The idea of having a participant create their own googly eyes face could be fun, yet you don’t have to do this part, You could simply have a googly eyed face ready to perform. You could incorporate this into any routine that you like, to add a fun element, especially for the right audience. This could be a way to take a trick that appeals to adults and to keep the kids entertained as well. This could also be used to engage more females, who on average, tend to like magic less than males. I’m sure what I just said might be considered “horrific and sexist” by some, but in my experience performing magic, that is the case. I have had to learn ways to engage different people differently to keep them engaged. The quality of the props and materials is good. The ad is fair.
WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES
The explanations and methods weren’t great. Great magicians know that great magic is in the details.
For example, at one point you pass cards over the googly eyes face and it doesn’t react and they are turned over and placed aside. When the googly eyes face finds their selected card, for no apparent reason, that card is placed on top of the deck and then turned over. That is just bad magic. However, I didn’t downgrade my rating for what could be a special something to add to your bag of tools because of this. I would rather just warn you in this review and urge you to think about your magic more deeply than apparently they did.
Another example is there are some areas where hindu shuffles are used. In some parts of the world, that makes sense. In other parts of the world, that just looks weird and suspicious. Again, I didn’t downgrade my rating because you could simply use overhand shuffles and/or cuts instead.
I did downgrade the rating because while this might have some good potential, you are likely going to need to look to other sources to make this better. If this is the only magic trick you purchase, you might be stuck with some not so great handling.
AT A GLANCE
Skill level required: 3 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 3 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: You can reset in front of your audience.
DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
I really think that this could be a good addition to a magicians set of tools and it could be used in a variety of ways that are slightly different than what was explained to enhance your magic, particularly for certain audiences, like younger audiences.
Suggestions
If you think you can work around some of the “not so great” explanations, then this might be a good addition to your set of magic tools.(Top ▲)
Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Don't Wake Me by Skillet
Look by Limin Review
Ten disposable prop/gimmicks, one special gimmick to make it all work, one sheet of paper, a YouTube Video and $20 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect
A card is freely selected and signed and "lost" in the deck. You and the spectator do a brief arts and crafts project by creating a small card with googly eyes and a smiley face. You then take cards one at a time face-down from the top of the deck and "show" them to the googly eyes. When you get to the spectator's selected card, the googly eyes move thus signifying that the googly eyed drawing has seen the card.
The googly eyes are correct, and you can let the spectator keep the googly eye creation and the signed card.
Method
The method is simple enough. I requires some basic card control, and the patience to throughly test and try the gimmick out until you get the right feel/knack for it. Once you've got that — it took me about 5 minutes — then you're set to do a very simple and doable effect. With the package, you get enough stuff to make ten googly eyed pictures. If you want to do the effect more than ten times, you'll have to buy refills, or you'll have to not give out the craft projects you've made with the spectator . . . maybe make one in advance and use it instead of one you made with the spectator.
One last point regarding the method: as you "show" the face you've drawn the cards one at a time, the handling is very free and open on the "wrong" cards. However, when you get to the selection, suddenly the handling gets a little less clean for a brief moment, but you end clean. For the "wrong" cards, you pass the card over the eyes; nothing happens; you turn the card face up and toss it aside. But when you get to the "right" card, you still pass it over the eyes; they move; you then put the "right" card back on the deck, turn it over and hand it out. This can likely be justified with the appropriate scripting, however.
Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy is 100% accurate. It makes no outrageous claims, and accurately describes exactly what you get.
Product Quality
The gimmick that makes this work is well made and works the way it's supposed to (assuming you follow the instructions). The instructions for using the gimmick are clear, but the written instructions for controlling the card are not clear. In fact, the way they're written, you'll end up screwing things up. However, if you watch the DVD — you'll have to use your phone to view the video via a QR code — then you'll be able to easily understand the card control.
Of course, you can always use your own card control to get the selection in the correct position. The googly eyes and the plastic cards that you create your little face are well made and durable. However, I do have a problem with the back of the cards. It says "Look created & designed by Limin." If you give the cards out to the spectator, then they'll have the name of the trick and the author (i.e, the ingredients for a YouTube search to find the method exposed).
Another issue I had is the fact that this is a disposable gimmick. You give it to the spectator. The instructions claim that you can buy refills. However, I couldn't find anywhere to do that. In fact, even on Magic Soul Production's website, I couldn't find a place to buy refills. Speaking of the instructions. They're scarce at best. However, between the very brief written instructions and the online YouTube videos, you'll have everything you need to learn this. Just keep in mind that the YouTube videos are spoken in Chinese with no subtitles, so you'll have to pay close attention to the actions.
Though it's a bit tough to get through, I still got through everything and was able to do the effect within 20 or so minutes of opening the package.
Final Thoughts
Remember, like the effect or hate the effect; I don't care. I care about method, ad copy, product quality. Method: works great with one or two minor caveats as pointed out above. Check. Ad Copy: does what it says. Check. Product Quality: a few issues, but nothing major. Check.
If you do this effect the way it's taught, you'll only be able to do it 10 times. Really, only 9 times — you'll need to use one for practice and rehearsal. If you want to modify it and not give the drawing away, then you can do this effect as many times as possible, but probably with less umph for the spectator because they won't be able to keep the drawing with the googly eyes. If refills were easier to find, this might not be an issue.
Couple the above with the hard to get through instructions and the slightly awkward handling of the "right" card, and you're left with . . .
Final Verdict:
3 Stars with a Stone Status of gem with a small g.
(Top ▲)
Look away! LOOK, by Limin is not worthwhile. In LOOK, the performer gives the spectator a bunch of arts and crafts googly eyes and a blank faced card. The spectator sticks two google eyes on the blank card, draws a face around the eyes and names the character. The performer tells the spectator that they just created the magician’s assistant for the next trick. The spectator then freely picks a card, signs it (although that step is unnecessary) and after a Hindu shuffle, the performer indicates that the magical assistant will help the magician find the card with the googly eyes. The magician then passes the cards from the top of the deck, one at a time, over the googly eyes card, which is resting on a table. Eventually, the eyes move and follow one of the cards. The card is placed on top of the deck, face down, flipped over and it is revealed to be the spectator’s card. The performer then hands the selected card to the spectator and when they pass over the googly eyes, it no longer moves as the assistant only listens to the magician. This trick is very easy to perform.
This trick comes with a half page folded paper pamphlet with English instructions and a link to a 12 minute Taiwanese how-to video, with English sub titles. The trick also comes with 20 googly eyes, 10 blank cards that you can write on (and erase) with a dry erase marker and a bicycle backed gimmicked playing card. The written instruction are clear and easy to follow. The instructions warn that some of the googly eyes may be defective and may not move. In my packet, one 1 out of 20 was defective as the eye did not move at all, therefore making it totally useless. The promotional video accurately depicted the performance, which is underwhelming. However, if you like the way that performance looks, then you may like this trick. I found that when the eyes moved to follow the chosen card, it was sometimes not so noticeable and needed to be repeated for the spectator. Additionally, if you pass over the googly eyes too closely, or too far, you will have a problem with the trick. I cannot elaborate on this issue without revealing the trick, but the method was obvious to me when I watched the promotional video.
The trick takes too long to make and draw the arts and crafts "assistant” card. Additionally, passing the cards over the drawn assistant, individually, can take some time and cause the audience to lose focus. If the spectator looks away for an instant, they will not see that the eyes have moved, ever so slightly. If the googly eyes were bigger, the effect may be better and more noticeable. Although I do not think this trick is suited for adults, it may be a fun activity to do with a child.
Unfortunately, I would just look for a different close-up effect to entertain.
This trick comes with a half page folded paper pamphlet with English instructions and a link to a 12 minute Taiwanese how-to video, with English sub titles. The trick also comes with 20 googly eyes, 10 blank cards that you can write on (and erase) with a dry erase marker and a bicycle backed gimmicked playing card. The written instruction are clear and easy to follow. The instructions warn that some of the googly eyes may be defective and may not move. In my packet, one 1 out of 20 was defective as the eye did not move at all, therefore making it totally useless. The promotional video accurately depicted the performance, which is underwhelming. However, if you like the way that performance looks, then you may like this trick. I found that when the eyes moved to follow the chosen card, it was sometimes not so noticeable and needed to be repeated for the spectator. Additionally, if you pass over the googly eyes too closely, or too far, you will have a problem with the trick. I cannot elaborate on this issue without revealing the trick, but the method was obvious to me when I watched the promotional video.
The trick takes too long to make and draw the arts and crafts "assistant” card. Additionally, passing the cards over the drawn assistant, individually, can take some time and cause the audience to lose focus. If the spectator looks away for an instant, they will not see that the eyes have moved, ever so slightly. If the googly eyes were bigger, the effect may be better and more noticeable. Although I do not think this trick is suited for adults, it may be a fun activity to do with a child.
Unfortunately, I would just look for a different close-up effect to entertain.