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ruaturtle Regular user Gastonia, NC 113 Posts |
Hi. I have been asked to perform at my work Christmas party this year and am thinking that the zombie ball might be a nice touch to my routine. I searched through the forum and was a little surprised on the number of manufacturers and price differential. I also noticed the danger of dents, etc. What would be a good "starter" ball to practice with? I have found both a Uday and Vernet for less than $20. Either of these ok, ie. the gimmick works well? Thanks for the input!
I have found that I do not suffer from insanity... instead I rather enjoy it! : )
Poodle... the other white meat. |
Kent Wong Inner circle Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2458 Posts |
I have about 4 of the older Morrissey Zombie balls and one of the Vernet balls. The Morrissey balls are made in two parts that fit together. With those balls, the important point is how well the seam fits in with the rest of the ball. In my old sets this wasn't a problem. However, I have heard that some of the newer ones have very visible seams.
In contrast, the Vernet ball is a one-piece construction. Thus, there is no seam problem. The drawback I find with the Vernet ball is that it is not as visible as some of the other balls. It doesn't catch the light as much as I would like it to. What I would recommend is going with a medium sized Morrissey ball, but buy it from a store where you can inspect the seam first. These balls are not very expensive and you should buy 2 of them. One ball will be for practice and you can dent it up all you like. The other ball will be for performance. The reason for the medium sized ball as opposed to the larger ball is simply because of the weight. The larger balls will weigh more in performance and, as a result, they will be harder to control. Of course, once you get more used to the weight of the medium ball, you may want to move up to the larger ball - but that's up to you. Another thing to look for is a properly constructed gimmick. This is after all the key to effective control over the Zombie. Some gimmicks are improperly constructed in that they don't sit where they are supposed to. I can't get into too much detail without getting into exposure, but this issue is dealt with at length in Tim Wright's video on the Zombie. I would highly recommend getting that video as a starting point for learning the Zombie. Not only will you learn about the various moves, but also about proper lighting, character, music, etc. Hope that helps. Kent
"Believing is Seeing"
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Pavel Regular user 121 Posts |
I had Vernet's ball and I think that it worked very well, now I made another zombie by myself.
"Truth without Magic does not exist" J.Faulz
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Magic Monkichi Elite user Ontario, Canada 401 Posts |
I have beeen using Morrissey Zombies for the past 16 years and swear by them. Amazing worksmaship, customer service, and a superior prop all in all.
Highly Recomended. Matt |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
I think some of the best Zombie balls and gimmicks are from General Grant Magic. You may want to look into them.
Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
For a really good zombie gimmick, see http://www.encoremagic.net/Our_Products.html . The Losander gimmick is really nice! A video is available for it, too.
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ruaturtle Regular user Gastonia, NC 113 Posts |
Thanks all. Wish me luck!
I have found that I do not suffer from insanity... instead I rather enjoy it! : )
Poodle... the other white meat. |
Glenn Godsey Special user 737 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-17 08:20, Alan Munro wrote: Also, the Encore Zombie ball is probably the best there is. They made it stiffer in the gimmick area and lighter in the other areas. Buying a Zombie is like buying a piano. Don't do it unless you plan to enjoy extensive study and practice. It has been exposed too many times by incompetent performances like Melinda's. It is a great illusion if you give it the respect it deserves. I saw Neil Foster do it in 1953 and he made made the ball not only magically float, but also have an impish personality. Best regards, Glenn Godsey |
Daniel Santos Special user 562 Posts |
I would also recommend Losander's routine. It uses a standard Zombie Ball. He shows you his gimmick and how he altered it to create a better effect (which you should be able to do with your gimmick). It's a beautiful routine and you are taught the whole thing step-by-step.
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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Love the Encore site! Nice.
$75 is a BIT much for the Zombie. I have both the 4 1/4 inch and 5 inch balls from Morrissey: http://www.morrisseymagic.com/morrissey_stage6.htm I practice with the large one, and perform the medium one. You'll find the medium one just FLIES (pun intended!) after practicing with the large one. I had to make my own gimmick (I've always done this for ALL the Zombies I've had), and that makes it even better! As far as performance goes, most acts go on FAR too long. That gives the spec a chance to "connect the dots" so to speak. Short, and sweet...brief and exciting. That's the best advise for the Zombie. If you must do a repeat performance, I recommend Astrosphere. That usually throws off the "gimmick seekers"... I use a special hookup I got from the I.T. Manual by Ralph Wichmann. One more thing. Sorry if I find the Encore Zombie overpriced. It may be vastly superior, but the AUDIENCE does not know the difference. A shiny silver (or gold) ball FLOATS! Heck, you can buy THREE from Morrissey at that price. On the other hand, for collecters (such as myself), this may be a good purchase. I'd love a side-by-side comparison. As far as the "seam" goes, I tilt my ball TOWARDS the audience at about a 45 degree angle, and the seam is invisible! Good topic, guys! Doug |
Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
I never really cared for the Morrissey zombie. The seam on it reminded me of the gap under the lid of a coffee pot. I have an original RNT gold zombie - the seam on that is really nice.
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ChristianR Veteran user 356 Posts |
What is RNT? Im alos looking at buying a zombie. I'm might start with a vernet but I'm still deciding.
Tarbell!
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Brent McLeod Inner circle 1792 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-16 09:53, magicman845 wrote: I second magicman recommendation with Morrissey Balls -Buy 2! Tim Wrights video series is excellent with some Great old footage I have performed this for over 20 yrs in Nightclubs & Theatres 2-3 times a week-Keep the routine short-1 min-90 secs Max with good music! Practice for months before using-Too many performers do poor quality routines *& only a few perform this well You will have a great effect if you put thr time into it!! Eventually you may move upto Losander Zombie & gimmick which is more advanced Good Luck |
ChristianR Veteran user 356 Posts |
I think I'll go to Eagle to inspect the one Larry has.
Tarbell!
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