Sony Vegas movie Studio: Easy to use, Makes awesome videos, Costs $45.
Sony Vegas Pro is pretty expensive and you probably don't need to make the next Avatar so I don't think that you really need it to make videos for magic/cardistry.
He's in Chico, enjoying his life. He's done a couple shows there recently but at his lecture, he said he doesn't plan on releasing anything any time soon.
I think he might be in Arizona at the moment though, for his lecture tour.
Not really. Some people like to think that theory11 and Ellusionist are like bitter enemies, but most people here don't appreciate any E-bashing. But in terms of business, I guess you could think of them as rivals.
If you are a part of The Magic Session community, Luke Dancy sent you an email that taught an awesome effect that is made specifically for restaurants: Making the Bill Disappear and Reappear in an Impossible Place. If you didn't, then it's a pretty easy effect to figure out on your own but...
Putting the cellophane on the box isn't a really big deal in my opinion. Someone could hand me a deck of cards that didn't have any plastic on it but it had the little seal, I would think its brand new. And some places don't put cellophane on them. All that matters is the seal, which you can buy...
You can use it for a lot. But you need to have a reason to bring the smoke to your mouth. It's hard to explain without exposing. They give you a couple of ideas when you buy the gimmick and dvd. :)
They also won't accept a trick if the method isn't practical. Good luck, they probably get tons every day. And they don't accept a lot. Make sure yours stands out and is amazingly awesome. :)