theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

eXile by Mathieu Bich

Ben Long

Ben Long

Sep 1, 2007
1,699
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MY DVD just arrived today, so I thought I'd post my initial thoughts.

It's a pretty short DVD, clocking in around 15 minutes (give or take). This is not to say that it's bereft of information, but rather to imply that the effect is pretty simple once you're set up. Almost everything that is required for set up comes with the DVD.

The quality is great, Dan's teaching is very clear, and the effect looks phenomenal. I'm very much looking forward to trying this out.

I will update this when that happens.
 
Just some feedback

That's awesome! I can't wait. I think Theory 11 does a great job with their dvd's. The only suggestion I would give them is to extend them with some pertinent information. For example, Digital Dissolve which is also taught by Dan White is only 12 mins or so. There is one alternative handling explained, but not in great detail; I would've liked to have seen a history on the effect and how bj bueno came up with the idea. More performances would be nice as well. When you pay more for an effect than you would for Iron Man special edition on blu-ray, you expect it to last at least half an hour. Witness could've taught a few more forces, digital dissolve could've had more performances and history of the effect. I think all the other T11 dvd's are at perfect length. Just a thought. It won't stop me from buying great effects because I'm paying for the effect not a movie, but I like to be entertained as well. Keep up the good work T11.

Zack
 
Even though I'm surprised it's only 15 minutes long, I'm still excited about mine arriving. I never got a shipping confirmation or the email about eXile being delayed (maybe it accidentally went to my spam folder which I am constantly deleting the contents of without looking), but I just checked my account online and it says it shipped last Monday. It didn't come today, but hopefully it will be here tomorrow! Peace!

Tyler
 
Mine arrived today. The explanation was perfect and to the point. Dan does a great job explaining everything. He also goes into additional ideas using the principle - which are great ideas to say the least. T11 has done it again!

Thank you T11 team for another outstanding product.

Sincerely,

a satisfied customer
 
Hmm, this is odd. I pre-ordered mine with the Crazy Fast Shipping, and Im in Maryland. The supplies ship from South Carolina right? I don't have mine for some reason..I'll probably get it tomorrow
 
Ben Long said:
Let's just say it's not something I would carry around with me day to day.
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I see what you mean now. I just got home and my package arrived. Watched the DVD a little bit ago and played with the gimmicks and I have to say, I'm not too sure about this one.

Three different props to juggle in the pockets/performance. It's a cool effect, just not sure how practical it is with pocket management taken into consideration. Especially considering one prop needs to be regularly carried in a ziploc bag, and another needs to be handled pretty darn gingerly during performance. I'll play around with this before I make any final decisions myself, and perhaps I'll end up changing my mind, but my initial reaction is that this isn't something I'm going to be using.

Also, the pen provided for drawing the X's doesn't show up anywhere near as clear and thick as it did on the Blaine special or the T11 trailer. The X is a lot thinner, and I'm having to really scribble with it back and forth just to get a half decent line.
 
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Exitmat said:
I see what you mean now. I just got home and my package arrived. Watched the DVD a little bit ago and played with the gimmicks and I have to say, I'm not too sure about this one.

Three different props to juggle in the pockets/performance. It's a cool effect, just not sure how practical it is with pocket management taken into consideration. Especially considering one prop needs to be regularly carried in a ziploc bag, and another needs to be handled pretty darn gingerly during performance. I'll play around with this before I make any final decisions myself, and perhaps I'll end up changing my mind, but my initial reaction is that this isn't something I'm going to be using.
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The routine taught in the video is as practical as can be; it takes up very little pocket space, and the pre-show setup is all done right in front of the spectator. Yes, one of the components does need to handled gingerly during the performance, but this is not difficult - it's only about 5 seconds of TLC.

It's important to note that this is an effect that has been street-tested for over a year - by David Blaine, by Mathieu Bich, and by the entire DB crew. You will fool yourself performing it (it looks so cool), and this is as simple as magic can get. No cards. No fancy sleights or moves. I'd encourage everyone to practice it, work on your presentation, and then get out there and perform it. The reactions seal the deal.

Also, the pen provided for drawing the X's doesn't show up anywhere near as clear and thick as it did on the Blaine special or the T11 trailer. The X is a lot thinner, and I'm having to really scribble with it back and forth just to get a half decent line.
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The pen provided is the highest quality pen tested. ONE of them lasted the entire production cycle of the DB special - so it should last you a long, long time. When you get it in, the pens are brand new and without ink. You'll need to scribble with it quite a bit (at least a minute or two) to get the ink flowing. A gentle shake and dotting the tip on a piece of paper will help too. If you should have any issues thereafter (this should do the trick), of course do not hesitate to contact our support crew and they'll fix you right up!
 
Thanks for the feedback, JB. Like I said, I'm going to play with this for a while before I make any final decisions myself. What I wrote are just my initial feelings.

The thinking behind Exile is brilliant, without a doubt, and I can see this working great for certain people. I'm just not sure if I'm one of those people. I'm pretty picky about what I choose to perform, and have a certain criteria for effects that I very rarely break. Exile just hits me as something that isn't "me"--mostly due to the pocket management involved. For some people it will be nothing, but I'm very particular about pocket space and pocket management. Regardless, I'll be playing with Exile over the next few weeks in an attempt to prove myself wrong.

Thanks again for the feedback, man.
 
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coldsleeping said:
when are refills gonna be supplied
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You can purchase refills for eXile -- with all the necessary and provided parts that were supplied with the DVD (aside from the DVD, of course) -- by submitting a support ticket here or directly at http://www.theory11.com/support/.

As a side note, the additional, alternative handling of eXile seems extremely cool -- possibly as good as, if not better, than the original version.

Cheers,
JTM
 
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Jack The Magician said:
You can purchase refills for eXile -- with all the necessary and provided parts that were supplied with the DVD (aside from the DVD, of course) -- by submitting a support ticket here or directly at http://www.theory11.com/support/.

As a side note, the additional, alternative handling of eXile seems extremely cool -- possibly as good as, if not better, than the original version.

Cheers,
JTM
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How much are the refills?
 
Exitmat said:
Thanks for the feedback, JB. Like I said, I'm going to play with this for a while before I make any final decisions myself. What I wrote are just my initial feelings.

The thinking behind Exile is brilliant, without a doubt, and I can see this working great for certain people. I'm just not sure if I'm one of those people. I'm pretty picky about what I choose to perform, and have a certain criteria for effects that I very rarely break. Exile just hits me as something that isn't "me"--mostly due to the pocket management involved. For some people it will be nothing, but I'm very particular about pocket space and pocket management. Regardless, I'll be playing with Exile over the next few weeks in an attempt to prove myself wrong.

Thanks again for the feedback, man.
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Phewww! Thank god I bought the paper engine over this... Ill wait for a review.:D
 
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