Maynia is one of Andrew Mayne's more recent projects. Most close-up workers are familiar with Ghostbills and Ghostvision. Illusion workers may be more familiar with Bisection. Maynia is one of those DVDs that can be used in either close-up or stage work.
It's a collection of effects that play well in different settings and display a range of different presentations. There is some of his characteristic shock work here, but there's also a real gem in Drawn from the Light.
The first effect covered is Pop Fist. This makes for a killer opener as you show both hands empty, take a piece of string, and fire confetti out of your fist using just a piece of string. It's visual and loud, which makes it great for kids shows, comedy routines, or anything with a nice whimsical tone.
Drawn from the Light is worth the price of the DVD by itself. Picture this. You take out a notepad and a Sharpie. You draw a lightbulb onto the pad piece by piece. With a tap from the pen, the drawing lights up. With a wave of the hand, you dump a real, glowing lightbulb into your hand out of the drawing which has lost its light in the process. This is great for any venue, though I must emphasize that it really shouldn't be done surrounded due to certain angles. That one drawback aside, there are few things more magical than producing a 3-dimensional object from a lifeless drawing.
The Finger of Death routine is an almost-impromptu variation on the old routine using a sword to stab a card. A card is selected and marked, lost in the deck, and the cards are shot out with a card spring. Thrusting his hand out into the flurry, the magician stabs the selected card with his finger. The handling for this is very clever and plays big. This has found a home in my comedy routine.
Finger Sawing is one of Andrew's shock effects. With just two cards, he creates the illusion of a spectator slicing right into and through his finger. The strength here is that this can be done impromptu. It's not like the old sword through the arm or spike through tongue effect, but it is cool if you have an audience looking for something a little alarming and you have a deck of old cards on you.
Stab'd is quite possibly the freakiest effect of the DVD. It's a variation on the Russian roullette principle we all get sick of seeing on Phenomenon. Andrew's version here involves envelopes, free choice by the spectator, and a sharpened pencil. This one has a very gritty feel to it. If you've ever seen Evil Dead, it will have an even more unsettling effect. The great thing about this version though is that if the main sleight is done correctly (and if you can't do this one move, then I don't think I would condescend to talk to you), it's perfectly safe. There's no risk involved. Videos are circulating YouTube of what happens when these sorts of effects go awry, and I believe one of our own regulars learned the hard way what happens if you don't do Paul Harris's Pain correctly. With Stab'd those risks are eliminated.
Maynia is best for magicians who are a little daring and love visual effects. Naturally, a certain degree of showmanship is expected, but these are all very easy to learn and practice. If you're looking for something a little off-beat and maybe even startling, I recommend this.
It's a collection of effects that play well in different settings and display a range of different presentations. There is some of his characteristic shock work here, but there's also a real gem in Drawn from the Light.
The first effect covered is Pop Fist. This makes for a killer opener as you show both hands empty, take a piece of string, and fire confetti out of your fist using just a piece of string. It's visual and loud, which makes it great for kids shows, comedy routines, or anything with a nice whimsical tone.
Drawn from the Light is worth the price of the DVD by itself. Picture this. You take out a notepad and a Sharpie. You draw a lightbulb onto the pad piece by piece. With a tap from the pen, the drawing lights up. With a wave of the hand, you dump a real, glowing lightbulb into your hand out of the drawing which has lost its light in the process. This is great for any venue, though I must emphasize that it really shouldn't be done surrounded due to certain angles. That one drawback aside, there are few things more magical than producing a 3-dimensional object from a lifeless drawing.
The Finger of Death routine is an almost-impromptu variation on the old routine using a sword to stab a card. A card is selected and marked, lost in the deck, and the cards are shot out with a card spring. Thrusting his hand out into the flurry, the magician stabs the selected card with his finger. The handling for this is very clever and plays big. This has found a home in my comedy routine.
Finger Sawing is one of Andrew's shock effects. With just two cards, he creates the illusion of a spectator slicing right into and through his finger. The strength here is that this can be done impromptu. It's not like the old sword through the arm or spike through tongue effect, but it is cool if you have an audience looking for something a little alarming and you have a deck of old cards on you.
Stab'd is quite possibly the freakiest effect of the DVD. It's a variation on the Russian roullette principle we all get sick of seeing on Phenomenon. Andrew's version here involves envelopes, free choice by the spectator, and a sharpened pencil. This one has a very gritty feel to it. If you've ever seen Evil Dead, it will have an even more unsettling effect. The great thing about this version though is that if the main sleight is done correctly (and if you can't do this one move, then I don't think I would condescend to talk to you), it's perfectly safe. There's no risk involved. Videos are circulating YouTube of what happens when these sorts of effects go awry, and I believe one of our own regulars learned the hard way what happens if you don't do Paul Harris's Pain correctly. With Stab'd those risks are eliminated.
Maynia is best for magicians who are a little daring and love visual effects. Naturally, a certain degree of showmanship is expected, but these are all very easy to learn and practice. If you're looking for something a little off-beat and maybe even startling, I recommend this.