Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Master of Puppets by Metallica
Pocket by SansMinds Review:
One gimmick, two specially printed cards, one DVD, and $30 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect
The visual hands off change of a playing card while sticking out of your coat pocket.
Method
Basically, a small modification to your suit coat allows you to do this. You can have your coat modified in about 15 minutes. Then it's permanently set up . . . until you dry clean your coat. Then you'll likely have to remove the gimmick and set it up again. The method is simple and will very likely be within the reach of most performers.
Ad Copy Integrity
The written ad copy is dead on. The video ad trailer is pretty accurate. They do cut the camera a time or two, but in my opinion it was not a cheat, but a method preservation. The only thing that I found a little misleading is a scene near the beginning. There's a close up of a blue backed card that changes to a red backed card. The red card is then removed from the pocket and thrown toward the camera. The handling to be able to do that is not quite as clean as they portrayed. However, it can still be done very cleanly.
Product Quality
The DVD is well shot, well mic'd, well lit, etc., and it's even long enough to teach you some stuff unlike many SansMinds products. I felt they were pretty thorough. There are two big problems, however. First, in the trailer they show a bill change (a five changes to a twenty). Based on the way the gimmick works, I'm not sure how it would be possible to do that effect. And it's not taught anywhere on the DVD.
That's a huge issue. Secondly . . . There's no way to say what I'm about to say without sounding like a jerk, so I'm just gonna say it. Chris, the guy hosting the DVD, is extremely annoying. It made the video almost unwatchable. I have nothing personal against him and he seems like a decent person, but his on camera skills/personality are quite annoying to watch. You kind of get a sense of it during the trailer, but multiply the most annoying thing in the trailer by 10 and that's how annoying the DVD is. Sorry, Chris.
Final Thoughts
If you need a super visual card change, this can do it for sure. It looks as good as the trailer, and it's super easy to do.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
16 Comments
Jeff,
A long time follower and customer. Thank you for your reveiws I have found them spot on especially the one about the new SansMinds guy Chris. I just got their Foresight DVD and more than being disappointed by the effect I was very annoyed by Chris’s antics. To the point that as much as I have like some of their effects I might stop buying as I cannot bear to watch this guy.
As you said in your review I am sure he us a nice person but the persona is annoying.
Take care and keep ’em coming.
Thanks
Kai
@Kai – Thanks for your support! It’s always nice to hear people say that my reviews are reliable. I always feel bad when I say negative things about a person. I have no problem bashing a product, gimmick, company, etc., but people are people, so why should it be that [we] get along so awfully? Sorry . . . 80’s flashback. Anyway, I really do feel bad saying those things about Chris, but SansMinds needs to know that Chris is probably not the right guy for that job.
A gnat is annoying, but you cut the gnat some slack because it is just naturally doing what gnats naturally do. The mannerisms that make Chris annoying seem to be quite deliberately chosen unnatural mannerisms. The deliberate unnaturalness makes the annoyance far, far worse. The affected mannerisms also seem immature. I could actually see Chris becoming a very good presenter – his natural speech (in the rare moments when it emerges) is clear, crisp, efficient, direct, energetic, and error-free. But he needs to work with and seriously listen to a theatrical director who would give him impartial and blunt advice about naturalness and not trying too hard to be cute, and who would squelch the off-putting affectations that are completely drowning out what may be a well above average underlying speaking talent.
@Emory – Thanks for the post. You’re right. I do see potential in Chris. He did have some moments for sure. It may be the nerves in front of the camera. But you make an excellent suggestion to have him get an acting coach or a theatrical director. I’d love nothing more than to review a future SansMinds product where I can’t stop ranting about how awesome Chris has become and how much he’s improved on his camera presence. Hopefully SansMinds is reading this. 🙂
Great review man!!! I like that you liked the dvd!!! About Chris, he is a very friendly person!!
Thank’s so much!!
Regards from Spain,
@Julio – Thanks for checking in. It’s always great to hear from the creators here on the site. Congratulations on a smart effect with a solid method. As for Chris, I’m sure his a nice/friendly guy . . . just annoying on camera. 🙂
Sorry Jeff but this would only get two stars max form me !! Agree more with Dr J M Ayala de Cedoz on My Lovelt Assistant and i saw a superb review on the weekly blog of World Magic Shop here in the UK,
which i suggest is worth a look (they do a weekly review show on a Wednesday and i think this was either the 18th or 11th 0f June)You are right about Chris !!!!!
Best Wishes and happy Independence Day!!
Steve
@Steve – thanks for the post and Happy Independence Day to you too my brotha!
I just read Dr. J’s review. First, let me say that I know him and I’m a fan of his reviews. In fact, I’m the one who approved him as an official reviewer at MLA. That said, there are some things in his review that I dare say are inaccurate. He mentions that a toppit can no longer be used.
A) that’s not true. You could easily set up a toppit. B) even if it were true, in my opinion, that’s no reason to ding a product. The product never claimed that you could use a toppit. Should the toppit be given a bad rating due to the fact(?) that you can’t hook up the “Pocket” gimmick?
The set up to the jacket just takes a few minutes and doesn’t cause any problems with using the other pockets in the jacket. Dr. J. also mentioned that it then becomes a one-trick jacket. I’m not sure why that’s a problem. Currently my jacket is a no-trick jacket, so a one-trick jacket is an upgrade. How many tricks does a jacket need?
He’s right about the flimsy-ness of money and the fact that they never showed how to do it with money. I mentioned that in my review as well. He’s also right, as has been pointed out several times, about Chris’s “antics.” However, the product does what it claims. It’s easy to hook up, and very easy to use. Which is one more point where I disagree with Dr. J. It does not require huge audience management skills. It’s very simple and easy to activate the device.
However, even if audience management skills were required, that’s not a problem. That’s just part of the method. Just because something requires some work doesn’t mean it’s a bad method. To me, the only bad method is one that doesn’t work. Audience management, though it’s a tough skill to master, works and is a legitimate method.
Seeking clarity,
Jeffro
First off I also would like to say thank you to Steve for the comment – I am glad you find my review reliable, and also to Julio Montoro for putting his work out there for the masses, and to Jeff for your great reviews. Julio: Saludos de un español a otro – seguir trabajando duro!
After re-reading my review, I do see the inaccuracies that were pointed out above and I completely agree – I will be making a few changes to clarify my statements. I feel that in order to be a reliable reviewer in the eyes of consumers (hopefully), I owe it to them to clarify certain points which may require it. These changes do not mean my opinion has changed and if I may, I would like to discuss the clarifications here, briefly. The following should have read: I also ask any readers of the following points to bear in mind that I say this as a person who performs full-time and in reviewing products, I take more than just ad copy accuracy, honesty of the marketers/creators and product quality into consideration, though those to come into play. That said:
As for the topit: I have used topits for a long time and have one in every suit jacket I own. After installing the Pocket gimmick with a topit in the jacket, it was a real pain in the butt to work around the topit design. Even if you attach it ‘through’ the topit, you still have to deal with it potentially interfering with things going into the topit.
As for the jacket being a one-trick jacket, there is no problem with that. What I did not clarify with the statement is that if you do any other effects requiring the use of the breast pocket or if you use the pocket to store other items, you might be out of luck.
As for the audience management statement: I take that back. If you install the gimmick as described in the video, it will work as it is shown however, the moment you operate the gimmick may be quite obvious to onlookers. I still maintain that there may be some reason along this line that you never see a full body shot during any of the performance/demonstration sections. Yes, there are easy ways to work around this and cover it, but it is still something to keep in mind.
I hope this clarifies some of the things in my review. @Jeff: Thanks for bringing these points up – I always welcome people to ask for clarification if need be because as a non-native English speaker, sometimes what I write makes sense to me but not to others reading it – same goes for speaking!
@Joaquin – thanks for the post brotha! Thanks for the clarifications. Regarding the toppit, I guess it depends on the type of toppit you wear and which side you wear it on. However, I still stand by my point that just because you can’t wear a toppit with it, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad product. That’s the kind of thing that I would mention in a review, but never allow it to impact the star rating. I think it’s fair to let people know in case they do wear a toppit. However, the star rating (in my never to be humble opinion) should be strictly based on the product itself. A PK ring is not a 1 star product just because some people don’t have fingers. 🙂
This product is not a bad product just because some (or even many) people wear toppits. I’m beating a dead horse, so one more stripe and I’ll stop. I could easily say a toppit is a bad product because I never wear suit coats. To me that’s an unfair assessment.
Hopin’ I’m helpin’,
Jeffro
Absolutely Jeff!
The product overall is not bad at all!
Thanks for updating the addition to the comment.
Dr. J.
Gladly sir. Thanks for being willing to have an open, civil, and intelligent debate. That’s a rare quality these days.
Still don’t rate this product BUT what a credit to our art form you both are!! Superb reviews,argument, disagreement and respect.Long may it continue.
Best Wishes,
Steve
Thanks Steve! Civility is the key. Hopefully this site stays that way. Thanks for being a fan brotha!
Thanks from me as well Steve! Please continue to let us both know what you think of our reviews – I know Jeff equally relies on feedback as much as I do.
Also as Jeff stated – civility is indeed the key. At the end of the day, all we are doing is giving our opinions on certain aspects – not everyone will agree with them and nobody says they have to. There is simply no need to sling mud like a bunch a politicians over a silly thing like that!
Thanks again Jeff for your own willingness in these matters!
Dr. J.
😉