Ok just what the world needs another Masterminds vol. 2 review, but hey it's my first review on it and I hope it helps you if you're considering purchasing it or not. I must admit, I've had this dvd for awhile. I got it back in 2007 and when I saw how hard this thing was to make I wasn't too happy about my $100 bucks missing. After failing on my first attempt to make it I just placed the dvd off to one side and let it collect dust. In November of last year I don't know why but I wanted to make this levitation again, but the right way. I bought everything needed for it, didn't try to skip out on anything, and hired a seamstress to make the pants. I wanted to make it as perfect as it could be. After the gimmick was made I practiced for a good 2 months, learning my angles, practicing my balance, until everything was flawless (like a good magician should always do). Since that time I've performed this approx. 12 times for my spectators leading up to this review and the reactions I have gotten have been nothing short of absolute amazement EVERY TIME. It's hard to put into words the look and reactions of some of the people. They just can't believe what they saw.

So Here is what you get:
-A dvd

That's it. But in this dvd Chris teaches you everything you need to know on how to make the levitation. From fabrication to performance, nothing is left out. Chris teaches you 2 methods (the basic ground method, and the advanced raised platform method), and even teaches you a stage method that uses curtain rods so that you're covered from virtually all angels. He tells you where to buy your materials, and what materials you need for every step of the gimmick. The materials you will need to purchase are not expensive IF you go cheap on the shoes. Instead of getting the $80 pair that Chris recommends, you can do what I did and get a similar looking pair for $20. Everything else, you will have to buy to the T. Almost everything you need can be found at your local Wal-Mart, the rest can be found at Joann's or Micheals. The one thing you will have to buy extra is the wild levitation. It is much easier to install and insures that the illusion will work.

Now after you get all your materials ready to build, you're probably going to get stuck on building the pants so you probably have to do what I did and find a seamstress for that part. And I was lucky enough to find one for less then $50. But if you have all of these skills then that will save you some money aswell. Now I'm not going to lie, this gimmick is a pain in the rear to make if you're doing it right and not skipping out. It took me 7 days to gather my materials (counting wild levitation getting to my door), 1 day to make what I could make, and 7 days for the seamstress to make the pants and put everything together, for a total of 15 days. So after buying the dvd, all the materials needed and the seamstress you're looking at approx. $400 total for everything. Now after this thing is built you can't just go out and start performing it right away. You WILL mess up and it WILL NOT look right and natural. You have to give this trick patience and time.

If you give this effect the practice and dedication it diserves it will make your show. It will take your act to a whole new level. You will never have to worry about getting booked for shows or re-booked for shows ever again if you get this down perfectly, your potential customers will say only 2 words "you're hired". And your spectators....Oh my God your spectators will never forget you for the rest of their lives and they will be talking about you and spreading your legend until the day they die. Don't do what I did and let this dvd sit on your shelf for YEARS. Watch it, build it, perfect it, and blow your audiences freaking mind with it. I can't recommend this dvd and effect enough. Some of you might be a little turned off by the price of the dvd being $100, but you're not buying just a dvd, you're buying the secret. The people that don't like this trick and have given this a bad review is for one reason and one reason only and it's because they don't want to make the gimmick. Simple as that.

They don't want to put in the work, time, dedication, and money into this to make it perfect and make it the right way, and I was one of those people, until I decided to really give this trick a shot and see what it's potential really was. And I regret letting this dvd sit on my shelf since 2007 because this whole time I never knew what I had until now. Before I conclude this review I want to share a quick story with you that happened at my last gig. I had a 2 hour show at a private party in a house for 50 people. The show was great, the people were laughing, having a great time, and everything was as smooth as could be, they laughed at all my jokes and one liners, and I would tell you a joke but I'm not funny, . Anyway I didn't recognize her but there was a woman who saw me at my last show at another party, and she saw me levitate at that party.

So after the show was over, I was talking with the host, and one guy said to me, "that was great but you can't levitate". Then that lady said, "yes he can, I've seen it, he did it for me, I swear to God", and the guy said "yeah right, prove it". Then the host said, "if you can do THAT, I'll give you another $180" and she pulled out the money. Of course I didn't except her money, but I told her that I would perform the illusion. So she gathered all 50 people back into the living room where the show originally was and I set up a chair approx. 12 feet away from everyone. Now with 50 people the audience was standing in a half circle gathering around because all the chairs were taken away. So the angle I had was pretty restricted as far as the spectators to my left, and right, and the people in the middle were fine.

So I did the stage method of the illusion with coats on coat hangers like the dvd suggested if you didn't bring your stage curtain rods. So I got into position and started slowly raising my head up and when my head was raised all the way up, looking up to the ceiling I floated ontop of the chair. And it was complete chaos after that. Some people ran around the house, alot of them screamed, some had their hands over their mouths with their eyes wide opened, everyone cursed, and the wise guy who said I couldn't do it was front and center the whole time and he had to go outside to smoke a cig to calm down, and he told me he quit smoking 2 years ago. So the reactions vary with different people, but all of them are stunned and complete disbelief reactions. You don't have to see their reactions, you just listen to them.

I asked some of the women that were there what they felt in the moment when I went up and they said their heart sank to their stomach, and it was breathtaking, and right afterwards their heart was beating a million miles per hour. Now that I think about it that's probably why everyone needs to go calm down afterwards because they're basically having a panick attack and need to get their emotions under control. They're not scared of me, they just need time to process what just happened to them. Because think about what they just saw, they saw a man standing upright and SLOWLY FLY 3 FEET UP TO A CHAIR RIGHT INFRONT OF THIER EYES. They only see that in movies like Peter Pan much less real life. YOU ARE FLYING. That's a miracle. How can you NOT get a fantastic reaction every time? Like I said earlier it will make your show and they will never forget it. You'll want to bring ALOT of business cards if you plan on doing this at your next show trust me. Well guys that's my review, I hope you like it, and I hope it helps you in your purchase of this dvd. Thanks for reading it, and all comments are appreciated, thank you.

I have a question. Is the gimmick comfortable. It doesn't need to be Dr. Scholz comfortable, just not hurt.

You won't even notice the gimmick if you are standing up. If you are sitting down you will feel the gimmick, and in either case it's not uncomfortable at all if you make it right. Since we as magicians perform alot standing up the gimmick shouldn't be a problem with comfort. Hope this helps, and thanks for the reply.

Another thing I would like to mention about this is once you make your gimmick the first time, you can pretty much make another one for less then $150 the second time because you have basically all of the things you need already. The abvious stuff you don't have like the wild levitation for example are the only things you will have to purchase again. I plan on making 2 more gimmicks out of the other material that the dvd recommends so that I have 3 gimmicks total out of each material. Plus it's good to have multiples of every prop you have, that way if one breaks, gets lost, or stolen (yeah right, who could steal this) you have backups just in case. I also would like to clarify the reactions of alot of the spectators I've done this for already. People are very sceptical in general when you claim you can levitate, they just don't believe you and why should they. Afterall you're claiming you can do something that's impossible.

So when you perform this you have to keep in mind the spectators mind set from the get go. YOU have to make this effect BELEIVABLE to them. Don't just walk 6 feet away and levitate, really try to sell this BEFORE and AFTER you levitate. What I mean by that is don't act like Chris Angel and stare at them to make them think you're a weirdo before you do it, and don't act all sick and like you're going to throw up like David Blaine after you do it either, that's not what I mean by selling this.

What I mean is this:

* After you set up the chair tell everyone to try to be quiet and silent. Tell them you need to focus your mind and need them to focus their energy towards you. With the room silent this will set the mood and the seriousness of what is about to happen and the audience will realize that, "this guy is not kidding is he".

* Now once you get into position (with your back to the spectators) and are ready to go, look down at your feet and put your head down like you're praying. Have your arms out to your sides, not striaght out like a plane, just have your elbows bent and let your forearms come up past your elbows just slightly. Almost like a "W" but with your arms more straight out from your side and your hands palm down.

* Have your wrists pointed up so that your hands and fingers are pointed to the sky. Keep your hands relaxed not stiff, keep your fingers slightly curled in and natural like you were finger palming a coin in each hand.

* Once you have this position slowly raise your arms up and down a few times and at the same time take nice but suttle deep breaths. Since the room is silent the audience will hear you breathing.

* NOW raise your head slowly up to the ceiling keeping your back perfectly streight and your arms still but in their "W" position like I explained before. Once your head is looking all the way up, STOP TAKING DEEP BREATHS and breathe normally so they can't hear it anymore. Wait 5 seconds in this position, then SLOWLY RISE UP onto the chair, GOING AS SLOWLY AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.

* You want them to see this in slow motion basically and to imprint this image into their mind. When you get to the top, do your dirty work so you are clean, then TURN AROUND TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE AND TAKE A BOW WHILE ON TOP OF THE CHAIR.

Don't worry about exposing the gimmick when you step down, mine hasn't yet and the dvd explains how to get off of a chair without exposing it also, so just remember that. Now after the effect is over stand there for a few minutes and watch your spectators. Don't say anything just enjoy the moment. Remember you can't see your spectators reacting when you're doing this, but you can soak up all the pleasure afterwards. When people come up to you after it's over, just shake their hand, say thank you for coming, and say, "if you ever need a magician give me a call" and hand out your business cards. Be professional, and act like nothing happened.

Don't have an ego, don't perform this for the sole purpose of making yourself look like a God, and don't act like you are one afterwards. Act professional and down to earth (literally speaking) with your audience. THIS is what I was talking about when I said to make the effect BELIEVABLE to the spectators, and to sell the effect BEFORE and AFTER its over. You're selling the illusion before it begins by your movements, sounds, atmosphere, and THEN the illusion. And you're selling it after by being professional and acting like nothing happened because those actions tell the audience that you are humble and you could care less if you can fly which makes the audience that much more amazed by you. This kind of thinking is what separates the men from the kids, the professional from the hobbiest. This is how you should think with EVERY TRICK you perform, and if you can do that, you already know you are a pro. Thanks again guys for reading this review, and I hope it helps you out. Thank you again.

I'd like to counter your point about "selling it". A performer should do it as best fits there character and style.

That is true, if it's not your style don't perform it the way I suggested it. Afterall this is all just one fellow magicians opinion, and my personal preference, but yes perform it however it suits your style.

Well I'd have to throw in a joke some where in that suggestion of yours but other than that it works for me. Either that or I slow motion jump it while making the sound effects in the 6 million dollar man.

Good point, now that I read my post again, I guess you could take that the wrong way. I didn't even realize it until you said something.