Smoke is effing genius.
It's only been a few hours since I received mine, but after watching the DVD a few times and experimenting with the gimmick, I can already see myself using Smoke with a variety of different effects I perform. It's a great utility device-- it's the type of thing you wish wasn't commercially sold so you could keep its full potential to yourself. If used properly, this simple device can not only build reputations but borderline on starting small religions. Ha.
The DVD
The Theory11 Team obviously worked hard as they always do to produce a quality product. The performance footage is awesome and the entertainment value is high. The production is top-notch: music is great; video is great; everything's crystal clear and the instruction doesn't leave much to the imagination. Dan White offers very thorough, detailed advice for the gimmick, and performs with it extremely well. As usual, T-11 didn't pull any punches. The only gripe (if it can be called that) is that there are no special features on the DVD. It would have been nice to see some raw footage of Alan Rorrison (the creator of the effect) perform it, himself. And unlike other T-11 releases, there wasn't a gag reel. Perhaps this is because Dan White's just effing flawless in every possible way and there were no bloopers to work with... who knows.
The Gimmick
This is what I was most impressed with. The gimmick is disguised as something that every working magician uses. It looks so innocent that it's hidden in plain sight. The use of the gimmick is so naturally motivated that the "secret move" is completely rendered invisible. When I first saw the gimmick in the package, I was like... "Um... what? How?" In my opinion, an analytical spectator will not be able to connect the dots and reverse-engineer this effect because the gimmick is so nicely disguised.
It's also comforting to know that the gimmick is very safe to use. The resulting 'smoke' is actually water vapor comprised of organic compounds found in other common household items as well as commercial fog machines. I honestly wouldn't recommend this item to anyone younger than 18 (as the advertisements and disclaimers advise), because it's still something that requires a certain degree of maturity and responsibility to effectively use. And personally, I find the image of a 13-year-old smoking to be pretty ridiculous... In any case, it's nice to know that T-11 thought of the welfare of its customers in the production of this gimmick. It doesn't feel unsafe or wrong in any way.
Potential Uses
This is really only limited to the individual's imagination. Dan White effectively outlines the importance of motivation and choreography for the effect, and as long as one follows that guidance, the possibilities of this effect are endless. He goes over a few supplementary ideas for the device, but even though they're decent ideas, I actually feel they sell the device short. Ideas I'm personally thinking about using the device for include:
Daniel Madison -- Signed Bill in Sharpie: A signed borrowed bill is lit on fire and vanishes. The magician blows a cloud of smoke toward the pen in a spectator's hands, and the bill is found rolled up inside the Sharpie.
Doug Bennett -- Fire Trap: A borrowed quarter is initialed and wrapped in some tissue paper. A match ignites the tissue where the coin vanishes in a flash of light. The magician blows a cloud of smoke toward the matchbook in a spectator's hands, and the coin is impossibly found in between the layers of paper that make up the matchbook.
Jay Sankey -- Carbon Paper: A signed selection is placed between the spectator's palms. The back of another card is scorched with a lighter. The magician makes the scorch mark vanish off the indifferent card. He blows a cloud of smoke toward the spectator's hands. The scorch mark reappears on the back of the signed selection.
Dan White/Dan Hauss -- Lit: After some close-up effects using matches, the matchbook is handed to a spectator as the magician writes down a prediction. She is asked to think of a playing card. The performer shows his prediction, but it's unfortunately wrong. He produces a cloud of smoke and blows it toward the matchbook in the spectator's hands. It's her mental selection.
There are numerous other ideas I'm personally thinking about and playing with, but I think mentioning these really shows the versatility of the effect. I love Smoke and I highly recommend it.
If anyone has any specific questions regarding the product, feel free to contact me and I'll be sure to answer them to the best of my ability. This really is a great product, and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I already do.
RS.