Hello all,

It's my first post here on The Magic Café, but I read a lot of topics here. I think it's one of the better (even best?) way to find information about anything going on in magic, so thanks for this great concept! About me...I'm a young magician(21) from Belgium.

Last months I am looking for the Okito Floating Ball. I can find a lot of information about it, however...I can't find a dealer who sells this stuff (which is very logial cause Tobias past away, but can anyone tell me where I can find one? If possible a new one, but isn't necessary!

Thanks all for your help!

Best regards,
Kevin.

I would suspect Norm Nielson would be a source since he has okito's tools and builds many of okito's effects.

Kevin, shoot a PM to Walt Anthony (his forum name is Spellbinder Entertainment). I'm sure he will be able and willing to steer you in the right direction.

And as an aside, welcome to the Café!

Just PM'ed him a truck load of information, shame the search engine is down, as it's all hiding here somewhere.

I don't know what level he's at or what knowledge he has, so it is hard to direct him, the ball can be found of course, but not a package with an entire ready to go effect.

Hi Marshall, how's it going, how’s the family? Unfortunately Norm does not have a ball, if there still is one in existence probably Dr. Albo has it. The ball is not the hugest problem.... EVERY thing else is <grin>.

Magically,
Walt

You are correct about Dr.Albo Walt. Stevens Magic Emporium used to have his book an DVD. Last time I saw it was on sale.

stevensmagic.com

Best,

Las

I'd contact Don Wayne @ Don Wayne productions. He made and retailed the floating ball that David Copperfield used on his TV special. It's chrome in color and about 8.5" in diameter. Very light weight and not at all fragile.
I'm not sure which dealers carry his items.
Rsgards-
JNeal

You need to contact Don directly now, I think they run about $150 at this time, I did write all this and more to him via PM.

The Albo books/CD are very, very expensive even used, and frankly the actual amount of information on the true Okito floating ball work is not complete.

Walt

Hi, Kevin:

I'm the OTHER Spellbinder, not to be confused with the OTHER other Spellbinder who already posted. If your heart is set on doing a 15 minute dance with a floating ball, then this idea isn't for you, but Wiz Kid Wilhelmina recently brought me one of those big plastic shiny metal (looking) Christmas Ornaments and I helped her make a Floating Ball from it. The advantage of the Christmas ornament is that it is plastic (as was Okito's ball), so you can easily give it the Okito center of gravity arrangement that was so crucial to providing stability to his floating ball. The other advantage is that it is a Christmas ornament, so it floats down from a Christmas tree and then it floats back up to the tree. No fifteen minute dance. Instead, Wilhelmina "paints" a happy face on it and it "reacts" to her by changing its expression five or six times. In other words, floating is the least magical thing it does in her act. I'm sure that advice will go unheeded and you have already picked out your music for the dance, but I offer it anyway. I almost forgot to mention the third advantage- the ball cost a dollar at the Dollar Store.

Ken Klosterman has ball that was made by Edmund Speer who was the mechanic for Fu Manchu. It is essentially the Okito ball.

Owen's makes floating balls but not Okito style.

I would suggest that with the Christmas season you can find oversized ornaments that work. Otherwise, get out the paper machine and use foil candy papers as Okito did.

Richard

Ken's Speer ball (and case) are things of great beauty.

I must add to (other) Spellbinder's post, that the Xmas ornament works in this situation, because it is supposed to be an Xmas ornament, and not the mystical ball of the woohoowooo tribe in the mountains of Tibet. The ball must fit the theme and the theme must fit the ball. The changing faces are a great diversion and addition to this routine.

Ya, know the candy foil is the way to go.... really!
Richard has been of immeasurable help to me in finding the last few puzzle pieces I needed to refine the Okito/Abbott/Wayne versions. Thanks again!

A reminder, I did send a rather detailed PM to the poster who began this tread. But he's had one post, and until I know his level of magic, his level of knowledge, and his level of experience I don't think he should be confused with all the options for this effect.

If he's very new, I'll send him out to work on an AstroSphere before he goes for the big leagues.

Magically,
Walt

Posted: Nov 6, 2010 1:24pm
This is the best on video done today. It is not perfect as an Okito presentation, but close.

It uses the Don Wayne two-assistant version, but with something else added as well, VERY clever additions.

It is all so very difficult to carry off, performance wise and acting/body wise.

It takes a perfect, that’s perfect performance space and set-up. The gal is fantastic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H-nVn2OKGc

I just PM’ed the gentleman who began this tread with yet more detailed information.
Walt

(Walt): "It takes a perfect, that’s perfect performance space and set-up.
The gal is fantastic!"

Galina, Walt? Have you seen this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnmORbVSR6U&feature=related

At about 3:37 she does one of the best closers I've ever seen on the floating ball. That setup though is light years beyond Okito, and barely fits in a 40-foot trailer. I believe this one, is a Foy-like system.

Doug

Yep, that's what it's like, I've always loved the end, but I think the other clip is more elegant. Walt

Yep, I agree. Elegant is the word! The lit ball is also different! I am wondering about the different types of "systems" these different versions of Okito and Wayne Ball floating effects use. Lighting and background is important, of course, but the materials used. The two-assistant version aside, I'm also wondering if the Don Wayne one-person setup is similar to the Wichmann One-Point?

Dr. Albo no longer has his collection. It was moved, totally, to David Copperfield.

Posted: Nov 6, 2010 4:37pm
Galina rocks. One of the most artistic performers of our time.

I got these two plastic silver and gold Xmas Balls at the Dollar Store today.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w221/......gold.jpg

One problem Spell,
is that it is chancy to remove the plastic knob which hooks on the tree.
It must be very clean and totally invisible for a floating ball,
and a different size with deep collar for a zombie hook-up.
I also feel they "telegraph" as plastic to the audience,
and lack the body and elegance of a true quality commercial ball,
and are perceived as Xmas ornaments from the dime store rather
than heavy mystical spheres.
The price can outweigh other quality concerns perhaps,
but I think if someone can't invest more than a few dollars in you act,
they need to rethink the level of their booking fees as well.
Just my opinions,
Other Spell

Other Spell:

If you are performing this AS a Floating Christmas Ornament, as Wilhelmina is doing, then there is no need to remove the knobby top. In fact, the knob helps establish the orientation of the ball when it floats back and forth to the tree.

Some of the plastic balls do look cheesey and plastic, but I have found some that can't be told apart from the glass equivalent, so shop around. Usually the scratches and scrapes from poor packaging is at fault.

One way to establish the glassiness of the ornament is to have a glass duplicate fall and break by "accident" or break one on purpose to retrieve the secret message it contains, etc. You can also put one in a bag, smash it and then restore the broken glass pieces. Where there's a will, there's a way; where there is no will, there are lots of excuses. Okito's "heavy mystical sphere" was made of celluloid.

Yes, I know Okito's sphere was not truly heavy and was celluloid,
I've made a thirty year study on this specific and general topic.

I also mentioned that I like the tree ornament used in that context,
where it is what it is, as she does.

I believe the heavier the ball is perceived the stronger the magic,
so I think it might be counter productive to smash a hollow glass ball.

I also continue to contend that removing and adjusting the dollar-balls tops is problematic.

I've spent as I said some thirty years proving there is a “will and a way” (a correct way)
to achieve an effect.

As someone who has invested hundreds if not thousands of dollars
in every conceivably ball, gimmick, and props from $1 to many $’s
I feel I have a right to an educated opinion.

I meant to point these out these as significant hurdles, not excuses.

The Other,
Walt

Eric Couture does a very nice Okito/Wayne Floating Ball here, beginning at 3:06:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDKYjxiPEAE

You see the ball movement at the beginning? That is hard to control. I believe this is a common thing, and the audience does not even notice. However, the lighting and backgound are just right for this. I'm not sure about whether this is a Don Wayne two-assistant version, or Okito system. It looks like an Okito Ball though.

Doug

It is possible to demonstrate that the ball is hard, heavy, and quite substantial before this same ball floats. So far this method has not been published. And no, a cheap plastic round object is not utilized.
MR