Price$14.95
Media TypeDVD
CategoryMentalism
Date AddedFeb 04, 2008
Simply Psychic
Ross Johnson
Fun, Inc.
(Based on 2 reviews)
Imagine reaching inside someone’s head and discovering his innermost thoughts. On Simply Psychic, Ross Johnson performs and explains impossible and explains the unexplainable.
The effects on Simply Psychic are as evocative and thought-provoking as they are entertaining -- no mere magic tricks. Best of all, they’re aimed at the beginning mentalist, require few, if any special props. Ross’ clear and concise teaching makes every effect easy to understand. Each explanation is peppered with carefully considered, professional advice, hints and tips - salient points that professionals will find invaluable. Watch Simply Psychic, learn the material and perform. It’s that simple.
On this DVD you will learn:
- How to interrupt the thought and speech patterns of an entire audience - psychically!
- To predict the outcome of future events, including the flip of a coin and the selection of a card!
- What a spectator will do before even he knows!
- And much, much more!
Voted the top psychic entertainer in the world, Ross Johnson’s uncanny abilities have taken him around the globe. With over 25 years as a professional mind reader, he brings a wealth of
knowledge and experience to Simply Psychic. He knows what you’re thinking.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
I was hesitant to purchase this video since it was so cheap and I'd never heard of Ross before, but I'm so glad the salesman talked me into it. This is a wonderful video and goes into the theory of mentalism and doesn't just show you effects and moves on.
I have to say the first few effects aren't that great. They're more demonstrations than any kind of mentalism. Stick with it though, because things really get good as it goes on. I found five routines I used almost immediately, and that's almost unheard of for me! Most of the time I'm lucky to find 2 effects on the same DVD I actually want to use, but Ross has put together some incredibly simple mental magic that is easy enough for a beginner but that blows away even seasoned magicians if done properly.
Don't get me wrong: you aren't going to fool everyone every time. And since this is mentalism it's going to depend on you to be the showman and sell the effect, but for the amount of practice and effort you have to put into them (not to mention the fact that ALMOST all of these have no chance of failure if done properly), you can't beat it.
The only major change I immediately saw was Omar's Prophecy. As Ross does it, there is that chance of messing up at the beginning just to prove a point...but there's no reason for it. If you apply the last two principles to the first one you have zero chance for failure. He even mentions doing this in his explanation, but still feels his way works best to show the "1 in 3" on the paper. I adapted the handling for parts 2 and 3 into part 1 (which eliminates the chance of missing with your prediction) and have never had anyone question it. Other than that, you're pretty much ready to go out of the box with this video. Awesome magic at an incredible price!
I have to say the first few effects aren't that great. They're more demonstrations than any kind of mentalism. Stick with it though, because things really get good as it goes on. I found five routines I used almost immediately, and that's almost unheard of for me! Most of the time I'm lucky to find 2 effects on the same DVD I actually want to use, but Ross has put together some incredibly simple mental magic that is easy enough for a beginner but that blows away even seasoned magicians if done properly.
Don't get me wrong: you aren't going to fool everyone every time. And since this is mentalism it's going to depend on you to be the showman and sell the effect, but for the amount of practice and effort you have to put into them (not to mention the fact that ALMOST all of these have no chance of failure if done properly), you can't beat it.
The only major change I immediately saw was Omar's Prophecy. As Ross does it, there is that chance of messing up at the beginning just to prove a point...but there's no reason for it. If you apply the last two principles to the first one you have zero chance for failure. He even mentions doing this in his explanation, but still feels his way works best to show the "1 in 3" on the paper. I adapted the handling for parts 2 and 3 into part 1 (which eliminates the chance of missing with your prediction) and have never had anyone question it. Other than that, you're pretty much ready to go out of the box with this video. Awesome magic at an incredible price!
(Top ▲)
Ross Johnson's DVD "Simply Psychic," in many ways, is really quite impressive. Not only does it stand out for the way it is produced, its price and the quality of the material are notable too.
Most magic DVDs these days seem to forget that their primary purpose is to instruct, and their secondary purpose is to professionally represent the performer and publisher. Too many either go overboard with "street-style" techniques and lose the instruction, or they're so poorly produced that they make the average YouTube video look like a Hollywood extravaganza.
Simply Psychic, on the other hand, not only showcases Ross Johnson—a perhaps under-appreciated working mentalist—it serves as a good model for how video instruction can be done without using gimmicky extras. It's a simple formula, really, film a polished presentation with multiple cameras that show the correct angles at the correct time, and have the performer rehearse his explanation so its cogent and complete. Simply Psychic is shot in a home, and the trick discussions are filmed in a nice outside setting. The lighting is good, and the sound uniformly excellent.
I have to say, however, that it's not perfect. The audience for the performance segments consists of several apparent teenagers who probably couldn't be less interested in the show. Johnson's audience is the polar opposite of the stereotypically over-enthusiastic audience seen on L&L Publishing's videos, but they're no less annoying.
But you might be wondering about the material. It's solid, standard mentalism. The type of tricks that can easily form the basis of a whole career. No fancy gimmicks, just reliable methods that Johnson explains in detail; often discussing the reasoning behind his choices, too. Exactly the kind of thinking and advise you'd expect from someone who has spent years as a professional mentalist. And, inexplicably, it's all available for only $15. If the topic interests you, the value of this disc far exceeds its price tag.
Most magic DVDs these days seem to forget that their primary purpose is to instruct, and their secondary purpose is to professionally represent the performer and publisher. Too many either go overboard with "street-style" techniques and lose the instruction, or they're so poorly produced that they make the average YouTube video look like a Hollywood extravaganza.
Simply Psychic, on the other hand, not only showcases Ross Johnson—a perhaps under-appreciated working mentalist—it serves as a good model for how video instruction can be done without using gimmicky extras. It's a simple formula, really, film a polished presentation with multiple cameras that show the correct angles at the correct time, and have the performer rehearse his explanation so its cogent and complete. Simply Psychic is shot in a home, and the trick discussions are filmed in a nice outside setting. The lighting is good, and the sound uniformly excellent.
I have to say, however, that it's not perfect. The audience for the performance segments consists of several apparent teenagers who probably couldn't be less interested in the show. Johnson's audience is the polar opposite of the stereotypically over-enthusiastic audience seen on L&L Publishing's videos, but they're no less annoying.
But you might be wondering about the material. It's solid, standard mentalism. The type of tricks that can easily form the basis of a whole career. No fancy gimmicks, just reliable methods that Johnson explains in detail; often discussing the reasoning behind his choices, too. Exactly the kind of thinking and advise you'd expect from someone who has spent years as a professional mentalist. And, inexplicably, it's all available for only $15. If the topic interests you, the value of this disc far exceeds its price tag.