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Voices by Jeff Prace Review

One DVD, a bunch of gimmicks and $25 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

Effect

This is a multi-effect DVD. The four main effects are: 1) chewed gum becomes restored, 2) color changing Tic Tacs, 3) "ring flight" to your necklace and 4) jumping and multiplying logo (on a Bic lighter).

The bonus effects are: 1) color changing soda (i.e., the soda sipped through a clear straw changes from Coke to orange soda), 2) "ring flight" to your iPod earphones and 3) jumping logo from your friend's Bic lighter to your Bic lighter.

Method

Most of the effects require heavy arts and crafts and/or some advance set up work. Once you've made the gimmicks, the methods are pretty solid, for the most part. That's the catch, however, you'll still need to go out and buy some more stuff to make the gimmicks work. Though several "things" are included to help you make your gimmicks, not all of the stuff required to is include.

For example, chewed and restored gum (Flavorless) requires that you purchase 3 more things before you can do the effect. Plus, of course, you'll have to purchase the gum packet. For the color changing Tic Tacs, everything you need (other than a box of Tic Tacs is supplied.

For the ring flight, nothing is included. You'll need a special kind of cord that Jeff Prace admits is hard to find. He said he found it online but didn't give a link or a reference to where it is found. In addition to that, you'll need to purchase the clip that the ring ends up hooked to, and you'll need to buy two "special somethings" to make the rest of the gimmick. Furhter, once you have everything you still need to do some arts and crafts.

For the Bic logo stuff, you are supplied everything but the lighters. The color changing soda can be done at any fast food restaurant with the what you will find in the environment. The "ring flight" to earphones requires you to purchase a set of earphones that you can destroy — it can be a cheap pair. The Bic lighter effect only requires a Bic lighter and the already-included gimmick.

Once you've got everything put together and you decide to use any/all of these effects, the methods are reasonably practical. For the gum effect, you'll need to carry your pack of gum with you and special little gimmick. The gimmick has to be kept clean and protected. Jeff recommends keep it in a Tic Tac box until you're ready to perform. That's fine, but when you're ready to perform, you'll want to have it out of the box and ready to go. As long as you're careful with the gimmick, you shouldn't have any issues with it. Once you're in performance, the method is very clean and super easy to do.

For the color changing Tic Tacs, you just need to have the gimmicked box in your pocket, and you're ready to go. This one has some minor angles to be concerned about, but nothing too serious. However, the only change that he teaches requires that you wear an un-tucked shirt. If you don't wear an un-tucked shirt, then you'll have to come up with your own method to effect the change. Do to the angle issues, this may be a little trickier than you think.

With the gum trick you can easily give out a piece of gum without worrying about the gimmick getting in the way. With the Tic Tacs, the gimmick is a little bit in the way a little bit. You have to ditch the gimmick and get it out of the way if you're going to give away a Tic Tac. The premise of the effect is that you show a box of orange Tic Tacs and offer them, but instead of giving them out, you change them to white and give those out. Let's hope nobody wants orange.

The ring flight effect requires that you are wearing the necklace you made in the arts and crafts section earlier, and you'll need to have an un-tucked shirt. There is no other way to do this effect. You must be wearing an un-tucked shirt that hangs just below your belt and not much further down.

Assuming you've done that, there is also one further point in the method that cannot be done if there is anyone behind you, so for street performance and most close up settings this is not work-able. For parlor, you're fine. However, I would argue that if you're performing parlor, you'll likely not be dressed as casually as an un-tucked shirt suggests.

For the Bic lighter logo stuff, just carry the gimmicked lighter in your pocket and you're all set. You can even have it examined when you're done. Of all the main effects, this is the most practical and the cleanest looking effect.

For the bonus effects, you can do the color changing soda at a fast food restaurant as long as you can have a moment alone at the soda fountain. The ring flight to earphones just requires you to carry your smart phone/mp3 player in your front pocket, and you'll need to be wearing earphones with them tucked in your pocket as well. The earphones can just be around your neck rather than in your ear, but they must be in plain sight. Also, the method/handling taught on the DVD isn't the most convincing handling I've seen. It was a little fishy looking. Lastly, the bonus lighter effect only requires that you carry a gimmicked (yet examinable) lighter in your pocket. It also requires that you can borrow another Bic lighter. Other than that, like the previous lighter effects, this is the most practical of the bunch.

Ad Copy Integrity

The written ad copy is fine. There really aren't any claims made, just basic descriptions of the effects. The video trailer is pretty good for the most part. However, there are two major pieces of the ring flight to necklace effect that are cut out of the trailer. One of the missing moments, in particular, changes the way the effect looks. If they left it in the trailer, you would definitely see what I mean when I say that the handling is a little fishy.

Product Quality

The DVD is pretty well made. It's well lit and well mic'd. However, there were a few places where the camera wasn't in the right place, and any close up shots were a bit blurry. There was only one real place where this kind of caused a problem. The gimmicks included are well made. You will have to modify them to make them work which is a bit of pain. The odd thing is that in the DVD Jeff tells us to trim them down to size to fit the lighter (or Tick Tac box). I find that odd because the lighter and Tic Tac box required for the effect to work are of a standard size. In other words, he could have made the gimmicks the right size to start with rather than having us trim them down.

Some of the stuff required to make some of the gimmicks was not included. Some of it, I understand. I don't expect the gum, lighter, tape, glue, etc. to be included. However, there were two little things that were needed for both the gum trick and necklace ring flight that probably should have been included. However, when you consider that the DVD is only $25, and you do get some customized gimmicks, it's not too terrible that the "little things" were not included. However, the special cord for the necklace is hard to find, so there should have been at least a resource for us to find the needed cord.

Final Thoughts

I know that I've said a lot of things that were not exactly compliments regarding this project. So let me be clear where I stand. In the ad trailer, you see most of the effects performed, and they look that good (or bad) in real life. The only exception is the ring to necklace effect. You do not see an accurate portrayal of that effect. That one effect aside, the other effects are as clean as they looked in the trailer.

The question is do you like the effects? If so, if you don't mind a fair amount of one-time arts and crafts and a possible trip to a craft store, then you'll be happy with your purchase. The lighter tricks require you to gimmick one or two lighters (depending on if you want to do both or just one of the lighter tricks) with stuff included. That's it. You're done. The gum trick . . . a trip to a craft store. The method is super clean once you create the gimmick. Tic Tacs trick . . . use the stuff with the DVD to gimmick your own box of Tic Tacs; carry it with you, and you're good to go. Just watch your angles on the change.

Both of the ring flight effects are a little fishy when it comes to the less than clean handling. The one on the necklace really requires a very controlled environment. The one on the earphones requires a very smooth placement of the ring secretly into your pocket. It's awkward. It was awkward and obvious when Jeff did it on the video.

This DVD has a lot of good stuff. It's all organic stuff. Use your gum, breath mints, lighter, earphones, etc., just stuff you already (probably) carry on you. Further, there is a 15 minute segment about creativity that has a few decent ideas that you'll likely find valuable. All in all, this DVD isn't horrible. It has a lot of stuff for only $25. Plus the majority of the methods are solid and clean once you create the gimmicks.

Final Verdict:
3.5 Stars with a Stone Status of gem.