EL3DON

I'll be honest. I was skeptical. These trailers sure made the effects look good. Pretty nice surprise to find out that all of the tricks are awesome! The effects and the methods are as good as each other. Strange Oblique will take a bit of practice but that's the one I want to do the most.

Mark Elsdon = take my money :D

Just finished watching these and I gotta say.... WOW

Here is a quick review of each:

NYC Open - Simple card to box routine that's fooling. 8/10

Strange Oblique - Coin in hand. You can tell which person is hiding a coin in which had. This is like Tequila Hustler on steroids... and it has a built in presentation. 10/10

Limelight - I was worried this wouldn't live up to the hype, but it does. UNBELIEVABLY clever and so much magic packed into it. Basically, you should watch the performance, but the spectator ends up doing some badass magic. 10/10

Wonderful stuff Josh and Andi. It's good to see good magic at a good price. I no longer perform but had wild fun watching these. Disclaimer: I haven't finished the Limelight explanation yet but will do so later this evening. Was very impressed with how clever Strange Oblique was.

A pretty amazing collection of magic considering that there are no difficult sleights. In fact, there are hardly any sleights at all. Thanks!

Mark Elsdon has long been a favorite of mine. All three of these are great and require no difficult card handling. Mark holds nothing back in his explanations, including not only the method but many clever handlings of the presentations. It is quite obvious that Elsdon has used this material often and he shares some valuable presentation points that only experience could have provided. Great effects - Great teacher!!!

I’m very pleased with this. All solid pieces, especially love Limelight. It’s become a favorite to perform and people had such a blast with it.

I'm not crazy about pre-setups with people from an audience - especially when obviously done in front of an audience - because it takes away from the "magic" of the trick. Mark's tricks are good. His explanations are a bit complicated and wearisome. However, for the price of this 3-trick packet, I think I got my money's worth. I only wish it came with a DVD or the ability to download the online videos like other Magic Online Stores provide...

EL3DON - Mark Elsdon
$25.00
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/card-magic/el3don/

The Hype:
This is a bundle of three downloads by the ingenious Mark Elsdon, and each one is a showstopping performance piece that can be learned in no time at all.

Strange Oblique is Mark's new take on his classic Tequila Hustler effect. In this hilarious version, you nominate one person to be a "liar" and the rest of the viewers to be truth-tellers. You then ask a series of ridiculous questions: "Would you go on a cycling holiday with her?" "Would you eat a taco from a stranger?" And yet, at the end of the silliness, you are able to discern exactly who the liar is. No pre-show, no electronics, no sleight-of-hand, no secret confederates.

Limelight - This is creator Mark Elsdon's favorite effect he has ever created. You cause a participant to instantly become the most interesting person in any gathering. Without any advanced training, you take a volunteer and "gift" her the ability to perform absolute miracles with a pack of cards. She can divine selected cards from other participants, tell someone else which card they are thinking of, and do an incredible version of ACAAN.

NYC Opener - In this effect a card is selected, vanishes and appears inside the card box. But that doesn't do it justice. It's a full, multi-phased card routine that is easy to perform (thanks to the simple, but useful gimmick supplied) and is squeaky clean!

My Take:

Without a doubt, this is one of the best bargains being offered. When Limelight was originally released, it was in book form and can still be ordered through Penguin for $65.00. In this download, you get not only Limelight but two other great routines for only $25.00. And you don't get the video instruction with the book. Instruction is via three separate video downloads totaling around 2 hours. The quality of each video is excellent. You also receive a pdf file explaining Strange Oblique.

Strange Oblique. First of all, Mark caught my attention by referencing one of my favorite books, "What is the Name of this Book?" by Raymond Smullyan. He goes into great deal on logic and it's a blast to read the book. Lewis Carroll (the author of "Alice in Wonderland" published many logic problems based on the liar and truth teller theme.) A quick Google search will show a number of these problems. There have been a few mentalism routines based on this school of thought. What makes the premise so deceptive is that the average spectator cannot follow the thinking. Since the mentalist knows the answer he is looking for, the working is easy for him.

Where the challenge comes is is how to not only find a new presentation but one that both fools and entertains. Mark has succeeded on both counts here. The deception is complete, easy to do and his premise makes this a fun routine not only for the audience but for the mentalist, too. You are allowed to ask questions that have nothing to do with the information that you are trying to get. Make them as strange or as funny as you want. If you are doing a corporate gig, write questions slanted towards your employer. I could even see this being used in a comedy club if you come up with some hilarious questions.

This is one routine I am really looking forward to using. One of the big assets to this is that it is entirely propless. If you are with a group and they want to see something, you are always 100% ready.

We have all seen routines where the spectator does the lion’s share of the work and some of these are quite good. However, when I read about an extended routine where the spectator accomplishes multiple phases on her own, it definitely catches my attention.
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Limelight is designed as a closer and I fail to see how else it could be used. Most of us try to have a smooth flow between effects to make the performance seamless. After completing Limelight, you will lose your audience because everyone will be talking about what they just saw.

Instead of giving you the list of reasons to buy Mark’s routine, let me tell you why you should not buy it,
You have a pathological need to show how great your chops are with a deck of cards. There are no chops here!
You have no personality. This routine requires you to get up and close with your “volunteer” and make a new friend.
You have no sense of humor. If you do this routine and don’t get a big response, you didn’t practice hard enough. (Or maybe, nobody likes you)
Your show is about you. The spectator is just there to make you look better. Hey, the whole point of this is to make the spectator a star.

If these reasons do not apply to you, you need this in your arsenal. The only caveat I have is that it is a fairly long routine. As is, it would probably not play well on a stage setting or with a large group. I would say a group of maybe 10 to 15 would be just about right.

From a small group, one is chosen to be your assistant. A woman works best for this. The routine builds and gradually gets a little more complex. You are actually training your assistant to follow your instructions as you move through the phases. She will perform multiple tricks for her friends having no idea how she is doing it. (This is a five phase routine and has three card revelations in phase one alone). Although each effect is simple, Mark varies the procedure to make it impossible for your audience to back engineer how your assistant is doing it. Personally, when I first started watching this, I thought it might not play because a lot of it was obvious to me. Then I realized, it is not supposed to fool me. It is supposed to fool my audience and just think how many of them still fall for the versions of the Princess card trick on Facebook. This will not only fool them but your assistant as well.

Mark has obviously put a lot of thought into compiling this routine. A lot of magic is presented and each phase flows smoothly into the next. However if you decide on the purchase, keep this in mind. The routine (while easy to do) is long and it will take practice and memorization. If you are willing to put the time and effort into learning to do this properly, you will have a closer that will keep your audience talking for days and also make a star out of one of their friends.

When I first saw the name of NYC Opener, my mind went to Chicago Opener (Red Hot Mama) as I had seen numerous versions of that. This, however, references the Open Prediction plot. Two gaffs are needed which you don't receive with a download. However, most of us already have them in our drawer. I know that I do.

There is a little arts and crafts involved but it is very minimal. The routine does have some sleights but these are well within the range of the average card worker.

As with the others in this download, Mark manages to involve a group of participants and fools them all. I have seen some other open prediction effects that also use gaffs. In this version, Mark shows you an easy way to ditch the gimmicks so you do end clean. The trick has two possible endings but this can be expanded according to what you have in your gaff drawer.

In NYC, Mark has given you a very nice routine that, as Daryl put it, is a real fooler dooler. It is easy to do and it will have them scratching their heads. Of the three effects in this download, I would rank this effect as #3 but as the others are so strong being #3 is not a bad thing. It still makes this a really strong and fun routine to do.

In conclusion, for $25.00, this is an absolute steal. Every one of these is a reputation maker and none of them are sleight heavy. They all depend on your skill as an entertainer. The mechanics are not difficult so it leaves you room to sell this to your audience. In case you haven't guessed, I highly recommend this.

Three incredibly good effects here, but my particular favorite is Limelight. The ability to turn the spectator into a magician without them having a clue as to what they're doing is wonderful! And there really is no real work involved here, so it's all just a matter of having fun with the group with nothing to clean up afterward. Strange Oblique is another fun puzzler for the group and I enjoyed NYC Open as well. All in all, a strong collection of effects for a great price!

When I see anything by Mark Elsdon, I immediately pick it up as he is an absolute genius when it comes to audience participation and diabolical methods. But this, this was so much better than I had ever expected. Every trick in here hits so incredibly hard and will leave everyone in shock. Keep in mind, however, these are not tricks you can easily perform during covid.

Mark Elsdon is such a clear thinker that, whatever he does, and however impossible and effect looks, he has always made it as practical as possible. These three are no different.

I bought this and immediately watched it. I thought...maybe I'll try this someday. Months later, I returned to the instruction after a colleague mentioned that he paid retail for the individual effects after a lecture. I realized what a VALUE Mark was offering here and I restarted my brain and have engaged in performing each of the effects.

"Limelight" is so much fun. Your selected spectator really has a great experience as the "magi". Great for a birthday, graduation, retirement, etc. My favorite.

Excellent!!! A powerful routine that is totally spectator focused and hard to detect. Mark goes into very detailed explanation on not only the patter but on spectator selection. Once you learn the very simple phases you can focus on the presentation and enjoy it as much as the spectators do. So intriguing that even the spectator who is selected as "your assistant" won't know how it's done.

Limelight is an excellent effect. It places the focus on a member of the audience as the actual star for the evening resulting in maximum entertainment for everyone.

I love his. stuff! This was a treasure trove of wonderment!
Limelight alone would have been the whole price!

If it's Mark Elson get it. That's my rule. This bundle is a ridiculous deal, I think limelight alone is worth twice the price, it's just such a good closer. Everything on this download is perfectly thought out, every sleight justified and with practice all three of these could be some of the strongest things in a performer's repertoire.

Most performers and instructors are "like it" some make the cut to "love it" - when Mark Elsdon has a product - it is "got to have it." The EL3DON three-pack takes work. If you do not want to invest the time, think twice. If you are willing to put in the work, the bundle will be one of the best additions you can own.

Each of these routines are worth the price of the set alone. And you get all 3 for the price of one. These are workers and you will definitely be doing it. You also get Mark's thinking along with this project. Highly recommended.

YEah this look awesome, can't wait to perform it eventually

Marc Elsdon is a great thinker and a great performer. This may be his best piece yet. I say piece because this is an entire routine that could last as long as 10 minutes with the mystery factor growing greater and greater.
Imagine choosing a person from the audience, giving them a few seconds of "secret instructions" and then having them blow the audience away time and time again. All of the "Limelight" goes to the person whom you have chosen who seems to have incredible mental powers.
There are several very good things about this:
1. It is simple so that the volunteer doesn't have to remember much.
2. It is powerful and the rest of the group has no idea how their friend is doing these things.
3. It brings the group together and makes them feel that they have all experienced a once in a lifetime event.
4. It closes the show/walk-around with an incredible event that no one has any idea about because the methods change.
5. The helper has no more idea than the rest of the group how these things work so she cannot "spill the beans."
This is a great closer for small, intimate shows or for small groups in a walk-around situation.
It is pure gold! Don't pass it up.

What a great download bundle.
According to me, Limelight is one of the best card trick I've learned with cards to give magic power for a spectator willing to play the game. Give you some time to learn it, practice it (and remember it as it's a multiphase routine), adapt it and trust me, you're gonna have great reactions and people will remember it.

NYC open is a great opener, however I do not like it's require gimmicks. If you use gimmicks in your magic, this should be in your repertoire.

Limelight is everything that modern magic should be. If you have been looking for a routine that makes the participant of a close-up magic routine into a star then this fits the bill perfectly. Mark's teaching, tips and explanations are very clear.

If you learn this routine then you will do it all the time. Very easy to learn and do.

I didn’t really know too much about Mark Elsdon’s work before getting this download but it looked really good. I knew his name was associated with good things so I took a punt…

Wow.

I will just talk about limelight here because it was simply stunning.

I was really excited to learn the routine after seeing it and the detail he goes into clearly shows that he has worked it countless times. After learning it, it took a while for me to find the right moment to give it a go in a professional setting. I had that moment this weekend and I was finally able to try it.

The reactions were mind blowing. I didn’t do the final phase but the ending of phase 4 felt like pure magic to the spectators AND me! It felt amazing to create such a moment of astonishment. This will be one of very few routines that I actually adopt into my A set of magic, that’s for sure. Knowing this after only 2 performances just shows how powerful it is.

I’ll admit, phase 1 could be ruffled by a few spectators who have an interest in magic but Mark has altered the method for each section of the phase to put them off and I think it mostly works. I did see two spectators talking and giving the correct method amongst themselves. However, they got blown out of the water by the next phases so perhaps this does not matter so much. For most, phase 1 will be as strong as the rest of the routine so I’m not too concerned by this.

I cannot wait to perform this routine again and all first 4 phases can be used with a borrowed deck if required.

If you want to get groups excited and chatting about their shared experience you created for them, then you need to perform Limelight.

I got this as a a gift add on from the massive VI sale in November 2021. Really glad I chose it! Thanks to reading the prior reviews! What can I add to the other great reviews? Three great and powerful effects from Mark Elsdon. Excellent instructions.

I got it for free, but the regular price is still a great deal!

Wow! What an impressive effect! I love the way Mark designed this routine to put the spectator (should we say trainee magician?) in the light! And all of that without actually revealing secrets or obvious things that they could be tempted to reveal afterwards. So they enjoy the fame AND STILL enjoy the magic. Wonderful.
Plus, Mark is a really great teacher and goes through every detail of the routine thoroughly. Thanks so much for this amazing piece that I will definetely play with!

EL3DON by Mark Elsdon is a collection of three wonderful tricks: Limelight, Strange Oblique, and NYC Opener. Limelight and Strange Oblique can be done any time anywhere. They are fun to perform, and also fun for audiences to do. I like tricks that require audience participation. Whenever I tell them that I need their help, they get really excited and they are more focussed in my performance (including other people who are watching). I like Limelight the most, because you can turn your audience into a magician in less than two minutes. Yes, you only need to teach something to the audience, and he/she will be able to find all the chosen cards with 100% accuracy. The last trick, NYC Opener, needs some setup and a gimmick. The gimmick is easy to make, so you don’t have to buy the gimmick. The download tutorial is good enough if you want to learn it right away. All the tricks are easy to perform, and they are best to perform in a parlour setting. No one is going to feel left out, because they can all participate. Mark Elsdon is a great teacher and the uncut performances included in the tutorial help me in understanding the routines.

Brilliant

This is a three in one package that i got for free during the black friday sale. I must say they are impressive and suitable for all levels. The effects are practical, and not difficult to achieve, i love it!

I have to admit that they are three powerful tricks and that for that price they are given away. But there are several cons that should be taken into consideration. On the one hand, Mark's explanations are rushed and sometimes quite confusing. If you are not a native English speaker, it will be difficult for you to follow all of its instructions. On the other hand, Oblique leaves its success in the hands of luck. It's not flawless at all. Finally, the fact that Limeline uses an audience assistant makes the magic lose the essence of surprise since the audience will immediately become suspicious and lose power everywhere. One last note, just in this routine I've just mentioned the indications or tips that Mark gives about who to choose, specifically the comments he makes about women are perhaps reprehensible or inappropriate and I think they are out of place. In any case, if you were interested in the trailer, take advantage of the offer and get it.

Mark Elsdon is one of my favorite Mentalists. He understands how to take very little and get a group of people involved. Impromptu group mentalism can be hard to do sometimes. With this download, you will be well-armed.

Every one of these effects is easily doable with a little practice. I love Limelight and Strange Oblique (the group version of "Tequila Hustler" which I do frequently). Limelight really can make someone the star of the show, which is what you want to do anyway. Anyone can make themselves look good, but making someone else look good is more memorable. Strange Oblique requires a little thought and a rewatch a couple of times. Once you got it, you got it. Need to practice this to get the flow, but once you got it....you got it. The NYC opener is good and the gimmick is easy to make, I just don't perform it often (maybe because I am from Chicago).

If you are an aspiring mentalist who is looking for some good impromptu parlor or casual routines, this is a solid download.

This is excellent. A well thought out routine that really builds and builds to a fantastic climax. The methodology is extremely workable, and the way Mark goes through every experienced detail about how to make sure the participant has the greatest time is wonderful. Such attention to words, blocking and audience management would benefit many, many other releases on the market. Can't wait to try this out!

This is a review of Limelight only. This is a brilliant routine. I’m not one for writing reviews and I haven’t performed this yet, but anyone can tell from watching the performance and explanation that it will play well and works in the real world. The methods, subtleties and simple sleights are well within the abilities of anyone interested in card magic.
Now it will take some time and practice to get the routine down smoothly, especially the audience management which does not require a strong personality, but a display of confidence and smoothness which comes with practice.
But the card handling is at a fairly basic level though with some shall we say advanced knowledge rather than knuckle busting sleights (there are none).
Limelight is terrific for bringing members of the audience into the performance and fooling them badly. A winner.

Outstanding! A card routine that points to your helper or guest of honor and brings the audience together. Love it!

Fantastic routines! Especially Limelight because, as Mark underlines, it’s making the spectator the star of the magic show. I had to break down the plot into brief bullet points that fit on a note or double blank card in order to be able to look at the steps of upcoming phases but that is not at all a downside. This routine alone is almost a whole show if done unexpectedly on a birthday for instance.
Very well taught, geniously thought out, highly recommended!