Brand new here... and wondering where I can get some ideas for a D'Lite routine (just bought a pair!) Are there any places that post actual routines?? Thanks... in advance!

I've only used my red pair for retention of vision when I do some vanishes of red billiard balls... Use the lights to play tricks with their minds

If you have a fire on palms gimmick, with a little work you could reach up, pull a light from thin air, have the light burst into flames, and have something produced.

Just d'lites by themselves I think is a bit boring.

Dlites is just something you play around with and put something together.
Make them fit in with your show.

You should use them sparingly and not over use them.

But be careful,

Every magic shop here in Las Vegas pushes the sales on these things, so hundreds are sold every day in Vegas alone.

DJ

D’Lites is one of those well-exposed (some would argue “over exposed) props that can be used to really entertain and audience. I think that pre-teens and teenagers, especially "Mall Rats" tend to know all about D’lites.

As with any “exposed” magic trick, a good routine can fool even one who has knowledge of the basic methodology or gimmick. In fact I find that when the prop is used in a real routine with a couple of other different sources of lite (gimmicks) you will find that it takes even those in the know several minutes to figure out that they are being used.

I use them fairly regularly in a bar/club/pub venue for adults. I’ve never done them for kids (I don’t do many kid shows).

Judicious use is called for. Good TT technique is a must. With good technique you will find that nothing is seen except the light and it even looks like the fingertip is alight! It looks like you have a light caught between the fingertip and thumb, not like the thumb is doing the ET thing!

I do a very simple misers dream kind of routine using red, green, blue, and white lights. I mix the D’lites with Starlight props and one small key chain white light. The Starlight’s can be palmed like a coin while exposing the thumbs as being normal (this usually throws off those who know the D’lite gimmick).

In my little routine, the lights are first produced from a handkerchief covering my hand. The light is seen through the cloth and the cloth is pulled away to show a bright light (Starlight). The light is dropped into an “empty” hat (I’ve also used a bucket). This is repeated twice more.

Then I start plucking various colored light right from the air, from a tabletop, spectator’s clothing, etc., etc. Each light is tossed into the hat. A gentle glow starts to intensify from the interior of the “empty” hat as each light is tossed in. As the last light is placed in the glow is fairly bright.

A string of lights (green, red, and blue) is pulled from the hat and stretches a few feet away from the hat as I back away for the finale. It is almost a self-working routine.

The hat/container is easy to make and gimmick. The glow is made from the Starlight props being actually dropped into the hat on a small tinfoil reflector. Three Starlight gimmicks locked in the ‘on’ position make for a lot of light, plus I have a similar white light version (key chain from a auto store) installed in the hat that is turned on at some point toward the end of the routine (it is very bright white light!).

Everything is readily available, easy to assemble, easy to perform, and gets a good reaction from the audience.

Is it a fooler? I don’t know. I do know that as the string of lights come out of the hat it gets applause. The string of lights is simply a battery operated Christmas string. The battery pack is the anchor in the hat at one end, and you, the performer, at the other taking your bow! It fills a small platform or stage area. It also plays well in a parlor living room setting.

There you have it. A good solid, stand-up routine that plays well, is different, and costs very little (less than $100.00 US).

I think the important thing here is to always strive to be creative with your routine with the lights. I really do not think it is good enough to just do a routine of this light jumping from place to place. One, there is no rhyme or reason for it happening and 2) it gets really boring pretty fast after the first few times.

I think the magician can and should really strive to think more creatively with their light routine and come up with something their audiences will enjoy and can get into. Bring something more to it and give it a reason for happening. There are so many ways you can use this if you just open your mind for experimentation.

Sure the lites can be fun for the first 2 times, but after this it gets BORING!!!!! I mean really. Think about what you are showing the audience. You have a light, you can dance it around, it goes out it comes back. Anything more then this is redundant. We magicians tend to perform DLites because it fascinates us and we perform it for US and NOT our audience.

Step out from the dLites and learn that they are ONLY a utilty prop and not a full routine by itself. Give your audiences something more in the routine to grab ahold of and to enjoy. Be creative with using the dLite. Think outside of the box.

If you really study the essence of it, it is the sudden manipulation of light. But this light source can come from anywhere. Just producing a light from no where has no real purpose or reason to an audience.

But if there is a lightbulb on a table and all of a sudden it keeps blinking on and off. You bump it and it goes back on to white again and fades out. Frustrated you bump it again and walk away only to see the light has turned red as the music has also now changed to something more eary. You stare at it and unscrew the bulb thinking you have beaten this weird magic that seems to be happening. Suddenly as you go to throw away the bulb in your hand, it lights back up again red. You finally toss the thing away in the trash and your thumb now lights up red. You act shocked by it and try to get rid of this thing that plagues you. You manage to traop the light but the red light turns into a red silk instead. Eventually you git rid of the light. You slump down on the chair and the music fades out. Only then the lamp lights up red again as you stare at it and the eary music comes back for a final surprise ending.

This is just off the top of my head, but already you can see the difference here. Now you have a purpose for what you are doing. You are beginning to create magical drama with using the dLite ONLY as a utility to create the magical moments of entertainment value.

Now this may not play for children, but you can see that you are now developing something more with your dLites and giving the audience more to have fun with

Think outside of the norm and create something different and unique to you.

I hope this helps you a bit.

Kyle

They do have a video out with some pretty solid stuff on it. My friend Joe Rindfleich doe's a really neat routine on the D'Lite video. It's worth checking out. Also Joe has some really hot coin DVD's out that are worth checking out also.

Later, Anton

I like Brad Christian's demo routine:

http://www.elusionist.com/audio/dlite-preview.wmv

You can also buy the Roco dvd, which I'm told has every possible idea one could ever think of:

http://www.ellusionist.com/order/dlite-DVD-rocco.htm?cat=


I personally just rely on some of the ideas presented by Brad in his demo as I don't use them often, and when I do, it's more just for fun later in the evening when I'm done doing any other magic.

D'lites are my wife's favorite pocket sized props. She is a dancer too so routines come very easily to her.

Why not think in terms of acting out a story you already know. In time it should come easily to you.

Enjoy!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Jay Scott Berry is one of the original creators of the effect and has done more work with the little LED's than anyone I've seen. http://www.jayscottberry.com

I sugest to see the Diarchy performance.
http://www.diarchy.lt Video and there is a demo video.

I finally just purchased a pair in my size (my partner has a larger set) and the first thing I used them for was at a fairy festival. While my partner walked around doing balloons or his gaff I would occassionally pull fairies out of the sky and either eat them or wipe them off people etc.

Sometimes the simplest routines can be the most effective.

I absolutely agree. I keep my d'lite really simple and use it very sparingly and impromtu. I work ( and drink ) in a pub and the ceiling lights in the bar are the exact colour of the golden d'lite, the lighting is also slightly subdued. I briefly show both hands empty, pluck the light from the ceiling and show the light in my cupped hands for a few seconds then I put it back into the light and show my hands empty again and walk away! It kills! Short and sweet!

peter

Many years ago, before all those credited above with D'lite effects, I saw a Russian pair do an act almost entirely with D'lite type items... it was incredible and at the end Flip (who was next to me) and I were both in tears.

I think I remember reading your review in Genii, Pete. If I remember correctly, Ger Copper won the Grand Prix but you and some other folks really thought the Russian couple deserved it.

Ron