What would you do if you had an invisibility cloak?
Sneak into attractions for free? Spy on someone? Hide all the clutter in the kitchen when people visit? Hide YOURSELF when people visit…..(just me?) Or maybe……Pretend to be Harry Potter?
My brood certainly felt the latter option best and, as a family of die hard Potter fans we were so excited to be given the chance to try out WOW!stuff invisibility cloak this half term.
This app enabled official Potter merch, uses green screen technology to bring to life your favourite movie scenes and also manage some mischief of your own.
Vanish from view with this amazing Harry Potter toy and collector item. The perfect Harry Potter dress up or Cosplay for kids, adults and Harry Potter fans of all ages.
Easy to use! Whether you are indoors or outdoors the simple to use Android and iOS App make you appear invisible in seconds!
Amazonuk
I was suitability impressed with how true to the movies the cloak itself looked. It can easily be used in conjunction with other costumes and props for role play and events, without even adding the green screen element. We do tend to collect Potter merch, so there was a scramble around the house to collect items. I was required to relinquish my collectors edition Beedle and Bard… which I did. Reluctantly…..still all this meant the kids could have fun without even the use of the phone or iPad…. while hours of fun and re-enactment ensue. Minimal fighting too which is a bonus, but maybe that’s because our three already play the same roles: Rupert with his dark hair has to be Harry, Ernie: Ron… mainly because he likes to point sticks at people and shout ‘eat slugs’ and Harriet, as the only girl, is happy to be Hermione. There was talk of poor Gully being Dobby for a while, but he was soon distracted … he will thankfully never know how close he came to being made to wear ten pairs of socks and three woolly hats.
In addition to the cloak though, the set also includes a phone/tablet stand and full set of instructions. So when you’re ready to sprinkle a little magic, you can really bring it to life! The wowstuff app is simple and free to download (iOS and Android compatible). Requiring you to first set up an account and next verify your product details. This account can then be accessed from a maximum of three devices….. yes, that’s it, you’re good to go!
‘The Wow! Stuff app works on devices running iOS 11 and above for iPhone & iPad, and Android 5.0 and above for android devices’
You can select either photo or video mode for your antics, with each needing you to set the scene before activating invisibility. It took us a few attempts to work this section out but was very simple once we did. Your initial scene serves as a background, so be mindful to stand out of shot while this activates, lest you end up like Slughorn (part of the furniture).
You can then film or snap away, saving your footage between takes.
Handy Tip!
Originally we went for a simple background but it didn’t take us long to figure out that the busier the background the more effective the green screen element. I would also recommend giving it a try in natural light. We were restricted to evenings inside for this review but outdoor footage from around the web does seem to produce a more seamless effect.
I’ve created some footage of our exploits but I have to say I was blown away by one very unexpected element…….
You see, once the children tired of the same old shots and ideas, I sat back and just let them enjoy this product. It’s easy to be quite formulaic when writing a review. I resent the idea of expecting them to perform (although Ernie is a true thespian at heart) but actually, letting the children roam free with their imagination gave me a much better idea of just how versatile the product could be.
They acted out scenes, brought in other props, invented whole new storylines and took over my phone for a good hour, experimenting with special effects and ideas.
Like any toy, it’s only as good as the imagination of those in control and well, as J.K. Rowling said:
‘Imagination is … the foundation of all invention and innovation’
J.K Rowling
If you’re looking for your own cloak, you don’t have to wait for Dumbledore to leave it under the Xmas tree, it can be found on Amazon here along with deluxe versions! Perfect for witches, wizards and muggles alike!