Bullet By Matthew Mello and Nick Verna (Produced by Ellusionist)
BULLET Page
EFFECT
A lightening fast impossible penetration which uses a clearly borrowed coin, signed if you wish, and a borrowed bottle. Your spectators will witness an impossible penetration clearly done without any funny moves or confusion. What you see in the trailer is EXACTLY how the multiple variations actually play out in the real world. Inside of the routines we are given there are multiple handlings which can be tailored to suit your own personal preference. You have the straight up, impossible, borrowed coin slammed into the borrowed bottle with the cap clearly on. You will have Airborne catch which essentially shows the borrowed coin flying into the borrowed bottle, again showning your spectator you are completely clean. Please be aware that eyeballs popping from skulls and jaws slamming into the concrete can be acceptable reactions when presented properly.
METHOD
The methods and subtleties behind Bullet are nothing short of incredible in my opinion. I watched Matt's demo when the trailers were leaked and I was completely freaked and immediately contemplated the setup and method to accomplishing something this visual. As with Factory Sealed there are multiple handlings taught here in Bullet as well. Some of these handlings do actually overlap which makes this even more incredible because you could even perform these back two back to back by doing Factory Sealed and then following with Bullet to really fry your spectators minds.
The subtleties that you are getting here are totally mind boggling. I would love to go into detail describing some of the moves but I really think if I did it would expose a few things so I will simply say the subtleties you are taught here are taught in incredible detail. You will not have a question on how to get in and out of Bullet, at all. Several method variations are taught in this DVD/Download as well.
You will clearly and cleanly be able to go from the vertical penetration to the horizontal display showing your hands completely empty, holding the top and bottom of the bottle at your fingertips! This transition seriously blew my mind because as soon as I thought I knew how it was happening, I realized I had no flippin' idea.
________________________________________________
FAQ's Direct from the Product Page ...
Is there an extra coin falling from above? - No
Is a label needed? - No
Is anything hidden behind or under the cap? - No
Does the illusion occur VISUALLY at the point of impact in which the bottle is struck by the coin? Yes
Can the coin and bottle be borrowed? - Yes
Is the Bottle shown CLEAN and CLEARLY EMPTY? - Yes
Can BOTH hands be shown completely empty? - Yes
Can just about any coin be used? - Yes
Can the coin can be Marked, or Signed for identification? - Yes
Are the moves completely natural from beginning to end? Yes
Any funny looking moves whatsoever? - No
Any cuts, slits, or holes required? - No
Can the bottle cap be on the bottle during the penetration? - Yes
Does the bottle cap stays in full view throughout the entire penetration presentation? - Yes (whole bottle is displayed from top to bottom and remains in full view through the entire effect.)
Is the bottle cap CLEARLY shown to be on TIGHT and secure until it is twisted off only to find the coin SAFELY inside the bottle? Yes
Is the bottle also found not to be altered at all and is COMPLETELY in tact? - Yes
Is the bottle limited to just a certain known name spring water bottles? - No, many bottle can be used as you will see in the DVD
Can you pick up just about any bottle and perform with ease? Yes, but some may require a little getting used to in practice
Can you can use BOTH clear & colored bottles? Yes *personal note: I would recommend doing this with clear bottles as a colored bottle will obscure the magic and detract from the overall visual penetration.*
Any strings or magnets! - - No
Any sticky stuff applied or added? - No
Can you pretty much perform this anywhere and anytime? - Yes
Is everything examinable? - Yes
Is it REALLY 100% TOTALLY IMPROMPTU AND GIMMICKLESS? - Yes
Has been audience tested with amazing reactions? Yes, over and over
___________________________________________________________
Can be performed IMPROMPTU, right on the spot as you will clearly see in the video. Justin walks right up to a guy drinking a bottle of water, has him pour out the contents and immediately performs Bullet for this guy with the BORROWED bottle and BORROWED coin.
BUllet plays on two convincers in my opinion. You visually see the borrowed coin clearly held in the hand slammed into the bottle (visual). You hear the coin slam into the bottle and immediately rattling around inside of the bottle (auditory). You want to use a signed coin? It is taught in detail how to incorporate the signed coin version into Bullet if you feel that is necessary to add to the penetration. Personally I don't think it is necessary as you can clearly see the coin held in the performers hand, the bottle is shaken and shown to be empty.
Cost - Great price in my opinion for what you are getting here. Combine this with Factory Sealed to save $10 and you are getting an even better bargain. I paid $44.90 for both effects which to me was an absolute steal given the amount of detail in the training and the level of training contained within.
Difficulty Level - Very, very, easy to perform. There are several versions taught, some easier than others but overall I feel that this is an effect that was streamlined and taught to be performed by anyone regardless of their skill level in magic.
Teaching - Again much like Factory Sealed the teaching is top notch. You should not have a single question after watching this DVD/Download on how to perform Bullet. Every subtlety and handling is taught in great detail and nothing is taken for granted that you already know how to do anything.
Live Performances - The reactions say it all in this DVD/Download. You can see every single person that this effect is shown to is completely blown away by what they just saw.
Production - C'mon now...did you expect the production to even be questioned? The only thing I felt was lacking was the demonstrations stepping out of my computer screen into my office. Maybe next time eh? Production quality was top-notch as usual in case my humor didn't get that across.
Overall - Again real magic is a 10 and this is about as close as it gets to defying the laws of physics causing the universe to implode upon itself erasing our entire existence as we know it. I give it a 9 because there is always room for improvement and personalization.
Cons? - I suppose I am questioned to be dishonest or biased if I don't include what I perceive to be cons. I would have liked to seen Matthew Mello and Nick Verna in the DVD teaching their signature routines that is shown in the original demo. I have crediting questions based on what I saw in the demo and who is credited in the end of the video.
The audience reactions tell the real tale of the story here folks. If you are into methods and choose to ignore how magical something looks for your spectators then I am not sure anything in magic is ever going to satisfy you. If you are into blowing minds and doing what your spectators will believe was utterly impossible, then you are in for a real treat here.
Matthew and Nick have given us the genuine article here with the production assistance of Ellusionist. You now have an impromptu borrowed bottle, borrowed coin, which can be signed, to use in your everyday repetoire.
Practice this effect, pay attention to the subtleties and handlings, and most of all please respect the amount of work Matthew and Nick put into bringing this to us all by performing this up to the standards by which it was taught. If you have the chance to be around Nick you will get the first hand authentic feel of his magic. If you have the chance to be around Matthew and see him perform, I hear his vertical Airborne routine shatters that line between reality and fantasy.
As with my Factory Sealed review I am again giving you my honest opinion of what I saw in the DVD/Download. I have been around since these were being whispered about and no one knew anything and watched people make statements that were often misleading and crossing the line between hype and realism. My expectations for Bullet were extremely high given the time frame we were given to anticipate this release. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it was worth the wait and this is one of the few effects I will never regret spending my hard earned dollars on.
--Jim
BULLET Page
EFFECT
A lightening fast impossible penetration which uses a clearly borrowed coin, signed if you wish, and a borrowed bottle. Your spectators will witness an impossible penetration clearly done without any funny moves or confusion. What you see in the trailer is EXACTLY how the multiple variations actually play out in the real world. Inside of the routines we are given there are multiple handlings which can be tailored to suit your own personal preference. You have the straight up, impossible, borrowed coin slammed into the borrowed bottle with the cap clearly on. You will have Airborne catch which essentially shows the borrowed coin flying into the borrowed bottle, again showning your spectator you are completely clean. Please be aware that eyeballs popping from skulls and jaws slamming into the concrete can be acceptable reactions when presented properly.
METHOD
The methods and subtleties behind Bullet are nothing short of incredible in my opinion. I watched Matt's demo when the trailers were leaked and I was completely freaked and immediately contemplated the setup and method to accomplishing something this visual. As with Factory Sealed there are multiple handlings taught here in Bullet as well. Some of these handlings do actually overlap which makes this even more incredible because you could even perform these back two back to back by doing Factory Sealed and then following with Bullet to really fry your spectators minds.
The subtleties that you are getting here are totally mind boggling. I would love to go into detail describing some of the moves but I really think if I did it would expose a few things so I will simply say the subtleties you are taught here are taught in incredible detail. You will not have a question on how to get in and out of Bullet, at all. Several method variations are taught in this DVD/Download as well.
You will clearly and cleanly be able to go from the vertical penetration to the horizontal display showing your hands completely empty, holding the top and bottom of the bottle at your fingertips! This transition seriously blew my mind because as soon as I thought I knew how it was happening, I realized I had no flippin' idea.
________________________________________________
FAQ's Direct from the Product Page ...
Is there an extra coin falling from above? - No
Is a label needed? - No
Is anything hidden behind or under the cap? - No
Does the illusion occur VISUALLY at the point of impact in which the bottle is struck by the coin? Yes
Can the coin and bottle be borrowed? - Yes
Is the Bottle shown CLEAN and CLEARLY EMPTY? - Yes
Can BOTH hands be shown completely empty? - Yes
Can just about any coin be used? - Yes
Can the coin can be Marked, or Signed for identification? - Yes
Are the moves completely natural from beginning to end? Yes
Any funny looking moves whatsoever? - No
Any cuts, slits, or holes required? - No
Can the bottle cap be on the bottle during the penetration? - Yes
Does the bottle cap stays in full view throughout the entire penetration presentation? - Yes (whole bottle is displayed from top to bottom and remains in full view through the entire effect.)
Is the bottle cap CLEARLY shown to be on TIGHT and secure until it is twisted off only to find the coin SAFELY inside the bottle? Yes
Is the bottle also found not to be altered at all and is COMPLETELY in tact? - Yes
Is the bottle limited to just a certain known name spring water bottles? - No, many bottle can be used as you will see in the DVD
Can you pick up just about any bottle and perform with ease? Yes, but some may require a little getting used to in practice
Can you can use BOTH clear & colored bottles? Yes *personal note: I would recommend doing this with clear bottles as a colored bottle will obscure the magic and detract from the overall visual penetration.*
Any strings or magnets! - - No
Any sticky stuff applied or added? - No
Can you pretty much perform this anywhere and anytime? - Yes
Is everything examinable? - Yes
Is it REALLY 100% TOTALLY IMPROMPTU AND GIMMICKLESS? - Yes
Has been audience tested with amazing reactions? Yes, over and over
___________________________________________________________
Can be performed IMPROMPTU, right on the spot as you will clearly see in the video. Justin walks right up to a guy drinking a bottle of water, has him pour out the contents and immediately performs Bullet for this guy with the BORROWED bottle and BORROWED coin.
BUllet plays on two convincers in my opinion. You visually see the borrowed coin clearly held in the hand slammed into the bottle (visual). You hear the coin slam into the bottle and immediately rattling around inside of the bottle (auditory). You want to use a signed coin? It is taught in detail how to incorporate the signed coin version into Bullet if you feel that is necessary to add to the penetration. Personally I don't think it is necessary as you can clearly see the coin held in the performers hand, the bottle is shaken and shown to be empty.
Cost - Great price in my opinion for what you are getting here. Combine this with Factory Sealed to save $10 and you are getting an even better bargain. I paid $44.90 for both effects which to me was an absolute steal given the amount of detail in the training and the level of training contained within.
Difficulty Level - Very, very, easy to perform. There are several versions taught, some easier than others but overall I feel that this is an effect that was streamlined and taught to be performed by anyone regardless of their skill level in magic.
Teaching - Again much like Factory Sealed the teaching is top notch. You should not have a single question after watching this DVD/Download on how to perform Bullet. Every subtlety and handling is taught in great detail and nothing is taken for granted that you already know how to do anything.
Live Performances - The reactions say it all in this DVD/Download. You can see every single person that this effect is shown to is completely blown away by what they just saw.
Production - C'mon now...did you expect the production to even be questioned? The only thing I felt was lacking was the demonstrations stepping out of my computer screen into my office. Maybe next time eh? Production quality was top-notch as usual in case my humor didn't get that across.
Overall - Again real magic is a 10 and this is about as close as it gets to defying the laws of physics causing the universe to implode upon itself erasing our entire existence as we know it. I give it a 9 because there is always room for improvement and personalization.
Cons? - I suppose I am questioned to be dishonest or biased if I don't include what I perceive to be cons. I would have liked to seen Matthew Mello and Nick Verna in the DVD teaching their signature routines that is shown in the original demo. I have crediting questions based on what I saw in the demo and who is credited in the end of the video.
The audience reactions tell the real tale of the story here folks. If you are into methods and choose to ignore how magical something looks for your spectators then I am not sure anything in magic is ever going to satisfy you. If you are into blowing minds and doing what your spectators will believe was utterly impossible, then you are in for a real treat here.
Matthew and Nick have given us the genuine article here with the production assistance of Ellusionist. You now have an impromptu borrowed bottle, borrowed coin, which can be signed, to use in your everyday repetoire.
Practice this effect, pay attention to the subtleties and handlings, and most of all please respect the amount of work Matthew and Nick put into bringing this to us all by performing this up to the standards by which it was taught. If you have the chance to be around Nick you will get the first hand authentic feel of his magic. If you have the chance to be around Matthew and see him perform, I hear his vertical Airborne routine shatters that line between reality and fantasy.
As with my Factory Sealed review I am again giving you my honest opinion of what I saw in the DVD/Download. I have been around since these were being whispered about and no one knew anything and watched people make statements that were often misleading and crossing the line between hype and realism. My expectations for Bullet were extremely high given the time frame we were given to anticipate this release. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it was worth the wait and this is one of the few effects I will never regret spending my hard earned dollars on.
--Jim