I have got to ask this here. I have searched on TMC and Genii forum, and actually don't know what to do.

Anybody here known with Lou Serrano's Steel ball routine? I ask this because I have spent houndreds of dollars on magic props that ended up in the drawer (should have wised up then and invest in cups ) and eventually got sold. Is it worth the money? Maybe I am getting overhyped again for an effect I probably will never do? Maybe it's Donnie's Magpie syndrome for shiny things that's rubbing off on me?

I thought that I would use it with the cups and steel balls.

Any thoughts on the subject?

Etienne

Hey Etienne,

Check out www.steelballmagic.com

He rolls out three steel balls, and does his thing, but it wasn't a C&B routine. Sure looks good, though! I'm sure if his routine is combined with a C&B, it would be outstanding!

Tom

Tom,

I visited the site many times asking myself what to do. It isn't a cups and balls thing but I would start with the cups and balls and work my way to the steel balls routine. If it's true what everybody is saying it would be a killer. But I don't know if the effect is any good. So far I have only read positive reviews not a single bad one. It seems to good to be true.

Etienne

A quick update, I officially moved this effect to the backburners. I am saving up now for a sigle set of cups which I will be purchasing.

Any intell though on this effect is still welcome.

Etienne

Putting it on the back burner is probably a smart thing to do. No idea what the downside to his routine would be.

It's always good to buy another set of cups!!!

Tom

I own Lou's routine. Never performed it publicly although there is some great thinking involved.

Not sure how this would pair with a C&B routine... Could make for something new and exciting.

If you do decide to buy it Lou has an awesome money back guarantee, so you really have nothing to lose.

Hi Etienne,
I own Lou's Steel Ball routine as well - it's definitely a Magpie Syndrome thing!
Lou's opener for his routine is to dump the balls out of a small box. Then in then end after all the balls have vanished, they are found in that same box which has been in plain sight - this is a very strong finish to the effect and would be negated if the balls were produced from the cups. Now, you could modify the Gertner routine and introduce the balls from the box at the beginning of the Gertner routine, instead of producing them from under the cups (which I think is what Paul does...) and then you have shown the box empty and it is a huge surprise that the balls would return to the box.
I would do all of this prior to the Gertner routine, as you certainly would not want to follow the Gertner routine with the 3 ball manipulation act. The finale of the Gertner routine is a closer!

Lou's routine alone is very deceptive and not like a traditional 3 ball manipulation routine. It's got one great body gimmick in it that you have to make yourself and be willing to do the seamstress work to make it work. It also has one great utility body gimmick that he teaches you how to make (it is ridiculously simple) that I immediately made and use all the time for coin vanishes. It includes on terrific body gimmick that assists in a total vanish of one of the balls.

The routine is pure sleight of hand that is augmented by these body gimmicks so be prepared for plenty of practice. But it is very much so worth it for the impact it has on laymen. It's different, it's not coins, it's shiny steel ball bearings and very magical.

Shiny, shiny!
Donnie

That was an accurate and thorough description by DDecae. +1 on the genius behind Lou's
utility body gimmick! I also own Steel Ball Routine but haven't performed it yet. I was impressed with the thinking behind it. Lou is well versed in many aspects of magic. The presentation on the video had me thinking he is deathly afraid of the camera
 I will need to make this presentation slightly different  because I can't see myself affecting such mannerisms for the benefit of a three minute routine.

I really need someone to translate the name of the flash unit Lou uses which sadly is out of production. (Lou says the name twice, once with his head turned and once unintelligibly.)
 I think with the name of the unit I could find a thread where someone constructed their own and was willing to share the power supply and lamp device used. I had thought about dissecting a modern camera flash unit or just sacrificing some ultra bright LEDs to achieve the needed misdirection. 

Bottom line Etienne, the owner of a Steel Ball Routine is expected to fabricate an
awful lot of necessary apparatus for a $100 routine. Granted that sum is a mere pittance
compared to most professional routines. I'm obviously a noob with no real credentials to
be spouting off about skills and perceived value. I should have stopped commenting a few
paragraphs ago. As you were gentlemen,

Noel Grassy.

Noel,
I just read your question here about the FISM Flasher that Lou uses. I got one years ago and you can find them from time to time on ebay, I dd replace mine last year with one I found on ebay. But I think there are other versions out now.

They are great gimmicks for a little money and add a bunch of WOW to any total vanish that happens right in front of you at about chest height.
D

I own one of the original FISM Flash units. It was a bulky, unwieldy thing that had a powerpack that went inside an ACE bandage that wrapped around your ankle. You used a mercury switch to set it off. But it cycled quite rapildy and worked very well.

John improved it a couple of times. Then it was knocked off by a fellow in New Mexico or Arizona. I can't remember his name right now. He was killed by a couple of burglars. Eventually John just let him make his knockoffs. They were less unwieldy. I think his last name was Sutherland.

He made the units from very small flash units that went on top of cameras that had hot shoes. There were some wiring modifications to them. Anyway, it's basically a flash unit that hangs behind your shirt.