'Falling Elevator' by Bizau Vasile Cristian
 

http://www.papercranemagic.com/fallingelevator.htm


Being a friend of Bizau (a.k.a. Cris, and BCardician on here and YouTube) I actually know quite a bit of the process of this release and thus my review will be slightly written from a behind-the-scenes perspective. It will still be very honest though.

This release is definitely just meant for intermediate and advanced magicians as there are too many gaps for beginners. Also, the trick does use the tiniest bit of setup. (Funny thing that Cris knows I created a move called 'Confusion' which allows you to do this effect without any setup at all and I now feel like he should've asked me to use it cause it would've made this completely impromptu, but that's just on a sidenote).

The release takes under 14 minutes which I honestly think is too less. Cris teaches two techniques: the Falling Elevator and a surprise sleight that comes with a variation of the effect, and the explanations of both techniques (so without covers/subtleties/etc) only take about 40 seconds each. The rest of the release is basically about the routine, covers and that you need to do some sleights while misdirecting your spectators which was said a little too easily. Intermediate magicians should know what to do, but this release will leave beginners into nowhere.

I know that the trailer was filmed by a friend of Cris and the rest was done by Cris himself. He then sent Paper Crane the footage and they edited it, but I think they could've done a much better job on it. The order in which the variation/bonus sections appear are way confusing (suddenly Cris is talking about the bonus sleight as if you already know what he is talking about and he only teaches it later).

'Falling Elevator' itself is very easy, nice and recommended. Also the bonus sleight is very nice although it's tougher on the angles. Both techniques seem to be somewhat similar to older and other ideas but have their own original things (in case of the bonus sleight I doubt that this adds anything to the classic that looks most alike but it's a nice and neat idea to say at least).

Also I feel like some of the thinking that went into the routines hasn't truly been completed yet, but this leaves some room for the magician.

The sleights are better than the release though, which has to do with the short teachings and the editing. The only other thing I'd say Cris himself did wrong was not knowing how to call or explain something he mentioned (most intermediate and advanced magicians would know what he talked about but still, for a release that's rather sloppy).

I give the sleights a 7.6/10 and the release a 5.7/10 (and that's only when looking from an advanced and intermediate point of view because for beginners it'd probably be around a 4/10).

Ohhhhhhhhh.... :(

Being Cris's friend, and you being his friend too, it probably was tough to say some of the criticisms there. But I still think the effect is very visual and nice.

All I can then say is: Cris, next time, you know what to do better ;)

It was indeed. :( I actually promised him to put up a review before I got it, then afterwards I didn't feel like it but well.. still did and he was okay with it as he agreed with what I said.

But, I blame most of it on Paper Crane Magic, not on Cris. Paper Crane seemed to have rushed the editing, even while they had more than enough time for it, but if I understood well it actually came out late. At one point Cris made a little mistake in the talking and instantly redid it, yet they kept in the mistake for absolutely no reason which is a real beginner mistake if you'd ask me. :mad:

I have no purchased the download but will soon I think. Anyway this is his first time teaching something on a relase so you gotta gice him some slack on his teaching. but I think the effect itself is amazing. How hard is it actually, I mean the falling elevator? Because I wondering weather I could actually do it or not

It's not hard at all, but the question is whether you'll be able to do it after you watched the tutorial.

Me as my skill level or be able to do it as the explaining is kind of bad.

Both come into play. I myself had it down instantly as I already figured it out from the trailer, but I know an intermediate magician who is having quite some trouble with it due to the teachings which are basically like: "Place your fingers and the card like this, make this motion and like that the card goes down." filmed from the front, and nothing more than that which I think is too less for the mechanics that are involved.

ok... so the effect itself isn't THAT hard, but the tutorial being sold doesn't cover everything well?

I'd say so, indeed. You can still learn it from the release (you can't learn it anywhere else anyways) but it'd probably require quite a bit of replaying, trying and practicing to get it all right.

Ohh okay. You got it instantly!?! WOW
If you are an intermediate macgian I cant wait until you are an advanced and you worked it out from waching the trailer how the hell is that possible!?!

Haha Mark is at a pro-level in my opinion. He was referring to another magician who was an intermediate card-handler. :D

Mark is THE pro-level magician, i think you must have misunderstood him Kieran.

I did! I misread his message opps... I thought mark was being modest. I think some of his magic is like a major technological advance but with magic instaed of computers, althought I may be wrong to some of you people but that is what I think.

sometimes i have no idea what you're saying... despite you being in a country that speaks english( hardly anyone speak Aboriginal language anymore... right?) and me using the language for 8 years.

HAHA! sorry very few speak Aboriginal here which is sad and people are trying to fix it a bit. A am writing online so I do not overly care about how I talk.
I thought mark called himself an intermidate magician but I happended to read his post wrong so Imade that mistake. Because I thought mark called himslef an intermidiate magician I thought he was just being modest. I really like the magic he performs and I think that it will change magic slowly as he and other artists like him have been very careful with their releses but I think over time eventually some of their stuff will be very common among many magicians and among them another will start the same changes. This is my opinion and some of you may think it is compete rubbish.

If this forum gets more people, surely, surely your opinion of the future will be true, with more people getting good enough to figure out Mark's effects and less trying to popularize the knowledge they gain( fancy way of saying revealing magic)

I purchased this and just finished watching it. The teaching is not great and could be a litle more in depth. Also the additional sleight is explained more than the actual effect which is a little weird