The Bet-Losing Machine (Raw Footage) @jackofallspades98

jackofallspades98 This is the raw footage only for The Bet-Losing Machine, for those who want to watch just the machine itself, or for those who don't like the music choice I made for the main video, and want to watch the machine with just the original audio.

BACK TO MAIN VIDEO: youtu.be/fzlsqGTiEoU

updated 7 years ago

The Bet-Losing Machine (Raw Footage)

jackofallspades98 2017-06-11 | This is the raw footage only for The Bet-Losing Machine, for those who want to watch just the machine itself, or for those who don't like the music choice I made for the main video, and want to watch the machine with just the original audio.

BACK TO MAIN VIDEO: youtu.be/fzlsqGTiEoU

The Mountain Machine 🏔

jackofallspades98 2023-08-19 | The section I ended up working on most for Reactica 2023 was the mountain machine, complete with a ski lift, a halfpipe, and an avalanche. I'm really happy with how this machine turned out, so I'm proud to showcase it here in closer detail!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Check out Reactica 2023: youtu.be/8Tnv_npXm-E
ALL Reactica 2023 Machine Close-Ups: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i77Kv_3FJw991eBvIDb1I1St

Reactica 2023 was quite different from years past, most notably in that each builder was no longer responsible for one entire table/section of the build. Instead, we were able to contribute to whichever projects we felt most excited about, or in my case, it allowed me to help other people with their ideas, taking the pressure off me to come up with my own ideas from scratch.
The result of this workflow is that I didn't build this entire section myself. Far from it! I was helped out immensely by Joel (@joelsinventions) and Zane (@TheContraptionKing), who came up with most of the ideas in the final machine. The specific things I helped with were: slowing down the ski lift and making it more visual by adding the big gear on the front, extracting the blue ball from the ski lift, the entire halfpipe sequence, the double autolifts, and the idea for the snowball chase. Joel worked on the triple rotating tracks, the ski lift, and the ball sorting system in front of the halfpipe. Zane worked on the triple rotating tracks, the snowball chase, and the avalanche.
As I said, I'm really pleased with how this machine turned out, specifically how it looks. I am of course a huge fan of machines with a foreground and background (short tricks in the front, tall tricks in the back), but what really makes this machine great is the snow! It was Brady's (@bpdolesdominoes4) idea to use the packing peanuts from my shipment of materials as snow decoration, and it really brings the landscape to life! Especially the parts where we were able to really pile it up to make it look like the machine is buried within the snow.
Shoutout to H5 Domino Creations for making domino accessories that just work perfectly in this machine! The fieldstarters are used all over the place as bases for track segments, the staircases were paired up and stood on end to look like icebergs, and the templates were attached underneath the table to look like icicles!

CLIP STATS:
Time taken to build: 6 days
Number of fails: 0 fails before the *first* handheld working take, but 15 in total throughout the testing process. 0 fails for the overhead shot :)
Time: 35s
Favorite trick: Triple Rotating Tracks (0:15) (Not even built by me lol)
Most fails: Marble Halfpipe (0:35) (13 fails)
Fewest fails: Ski Lift (0:20), Double Autolifts (0:40), Snowball Chase (0:44), and Avalanche (0:47) (all 0 fails)
Most unreliable: Marble Halfpipe
Most frustrating during building: Marble Halfpipe
Most frustrating during testing: Marble Halfpipe

MUSIC:
Secrets by Neovaii
youtu.be/fYlzdqPH-LI
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/neovaii
Spotify: http://tiny.cc/neovaii
Apple Music: http://bit.ly/neovaii

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Dominoes vs. Machines: Round IX (w/ @micajodomino)

jackofallspades98 2022-11-03 | For the 9th year in a row, the fight is on yet again in the battle of chain reaction art! This year, I go head-to-head with one of the most innovative minds in all of domino art: @micajodomino. Will Machines come out on top? Or have I met my match against the sheer insanity of these domino clips? You be the judge!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Micajo Domino: youtube.com/micajodomino
Watch Rounds I - VIII! youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74UcS7_WMgibJ_tS6YncftP

Overall, I'm very pleased with the tricks I built this year. After losing the first half of September to my recent move, I was worried I'd have to cut corners to finish all my clips, but I think all of them turned out well, even (especially?) the ones that were "rushed".
Compared to last year, I think there are fewer crazy insane sudden motions, and more tricks that are cool for other reasons, but I think it's a change for the better. I'm especially proud of clips like the Zigzag Board Escapement Car and Collapsing Zigzag Tracks because of their concepts and execution, even if the motions themselves aren't blow-your-socks-off insane.
Another new thing this year are some clips with some additional arts-and-crafts decoration elements (the spikes/danger signs in Looping Pendulum and the hypnotic swirl in Resetting Circular Billiard Ball Chain). This is the kind of thing I'd like to add to my machines more often, and I'm starting to find more and more ways to do it. Keep an eye out for things like this to become more integrated into my style in the future!
If you're wondering what the miscellaneous objects are in the background of the Anagram Decoder clip, there are 3 other pairs of words that are anagrams of each other, one on each side of the decoder, just like how HEART turns into EARTH. The extra anagrams aren't easy, but they serve as a bonus puzzle for those who want to figure them out! (See bottom of description for the answers)

CLIP LIST:
Anagram Decoder (0:18) - 10 fails, 5 days
Up & Down Gear Tracks (0:33) - 31 fails, 2 days
Jump Rope Pong Shot (0:46) - 72 fails, 4 days
Looping Pendulum (1:18) - 13 fails, 3 days
Resetting Circular Billiard Ball Chain (1:32) - 12 fails, 4 days
Double Pendulum Planetary Gears (2:23) - 1 fail, 4 days
Zigzag Board Escapement Car (2:32) - 5 fails, 1 day
Collapsing Zigzag Tracks (2:48) - 3 fails, 3 days

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Jump Rope Pong Shot (72 fails)
Fewest fails: Double Pendulum Planetary Gears (1 fail)
Most frustrating during building: Anagram Decoder (the stuff you can't see underneath the board, trust me...)
Most frustrating during testing: Anagram Decoder (see above) & Up & Down Gear Tracks
Most fun: Looping Pendulum & Zigzag Board Escapement Car
Favorite: Looping Pendulum
Longest Build Time: Anagram Decoder (5 days)
Quickest Build Time: Zigzag Board Escapement Car (1 day)

SPECIAL THANKS:
@BobbyBroccoli for the inspiration (and tutorial) on using Google Earth to animate (youtu.be/MfM7cqOlgds)
@RadicalReactions99 for suggesting this year's song, honestly such a perfect choice I knew I had to use it the *instant* I heard it
My friends over in Crosscord, the crossword community's Discord server, for suggesting anagram pairs for the Anagram Decoder clip. Some of your suggestions became Easter eggs in the background!

#DominoesVsMachines

MUSIC:
Z0 - Skyblock
youtu.be/0Qx_oUrItjA
Follow Z0:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCUCg85ZZCkNdkQz0lBR77-Q
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/hi_im_z0
Twitter: twitter.com/hi_im_z0

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

ANAGRAM DECODER ANSWERS:
-GRAPES / PAGERS
-NOTES / STONE
-PLATES / PETALS

The Red Machine 🔴

jackofallspades98 2022-07-13 | For Reactica 2022, I was in charge of building the machine in the red section. So I collected a bunch of red objects from home and built a short little machine! This machine is quite short, but it's got some fun stuff, and I'm proud of how it turned out :)

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Check out Reactica 2022: youtu.be/5JzTe0i8MXg
ALL Reactica 2022 Machine Close-Ups: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i76v1aKBbrBIlzFkQcha3YDi

When Alex revealed his plans for each machine to be color-coded, I was totally up to the task, but I wasn't sure how noticeable the effect would really be. I thought that the Reactica machines would just mostly look like normal machines, but with red/blue/green/yellow foreign objects. In other words, I wasn't sure if the color-coding would be apparent at a brief glance, or if it would be something most viewers would need to have pointed out to them. I was pleasantly surprised that all the Reactica machines are *very* clearly color-coded!
A lot of the objects in this machine were things I have been holding onto for a while, not really ever having a great use for them. The Hot Wheels launcher (that launches the pointer finger), bendy tube, and giant hand are good examples of this. The mini frying pan would also fit in that category, except I haven't actually had it for that long. I ended up using most of the objects I really wanted to use, and managed to fit it all on a pretty small table due to combining multiple red objects into the same trick (giant hand presses on K'nex piston, book presses button on umbrella, Hot Wheels launcher launches pointer finger, car crashes into cups). For a pretty small and uncomplicated machine, it has some wow factor moments, some nice visuals, and some complexity sprinkled in for the savvy chain reaction viewers. One of my best live event machines for sure, tainted only by the fact that it didn't actually work in the live topple.

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 5 days
Number of fails: 6 for handheld (before *first* working take, 8 in total as I continued testing), 2 for overhead
Time: 27s
Favorite trick: Ball Unwinds & Rolls on Pole (0:32)
Most fails: Ball Unwinds & Rolls on Pole (4 fails)
Fewest fails: Umbrella (0:16), Pointer Launch (0:23), Bendy Tube (0:27), Car & Cup Tower (0:29), and Rolling Phone (0:30) (all 0 fails)
Most unreliable: Ball Unwinds & Rolls on Pole, but with an Honorable Mention to Spinning Frying Pan (0:25), which had plenty of fails in its own right, including during the actual topple :(
Most frustrating during building: Spinning Frying Pan
Most frustrating during testing: Spinning Frying Pan

MUSIC:
361ue - Memory
Music provided by Ninety9Lives
Stream / Free Download: 99l.ai/pbz1o4m.QCT

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Chain Reactions 🌀 Centrifugal Force (w/ @TheContraptionKing)

jackofallspades98 2022-07-01 | I've built a few tricks in the past that feature centrifugal force, but it's still a super under-explored genre of machine trick with a lot of potential for awesome tricks, so I wanted to see what kind of things I could come up with! And who better to team up with than @TheContraptionKing, one of my favorite machine builders!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Subscribe to TheContraptionKing: youtube.com/thecontraptionking

Centrifugal force is a really cool concept, and it felt like such an unexplored realm of chain reaction art, yet it was still surprisingly difficult to think of ideas! But what ended up being the most reliable way of coming up with stuff was by combining centrifugal force with one other common machine element, like "Centrifugal Force + Gears" or "Centrifugal Force + Domino Line". The other challenge with this theme is that centrifugal force is most commonly seen in only two orientations: horizontal ("merry-go-round style") and vertical ("ferris wheel style"). I tried to be mindful of having a good balance in my clips between the two, and I'm happy that I succeeded: there are three horizontal orientations. and two vertical orientations. And I'm pleased with the amount of variety in the clips as well; the first two clips I built were the Swinging Bridge and Centrifugal Gears, both of which were horizontally oriented, and used the same board. But after that, I did a few vertically-oriented ones, including a more acrobatic spectacle one, and one where the spinning board rolls instead of rotating in place. And I finished off the project with a large clip with a lot of steps.
This collaboration has been in progress for quite a while, actually! I started my first clip (Swinging Bridge) back in February, but it got put on hold because of Domino Masters Machine, my collab with Joel (Machineland), and the Sylvania project (Book-Opening Machine). Eventually, I was able to get back to finishing up my clips during June. Very happy for people to finally see this video, we've been waiting a while!

CLIP LIST:
Centrifugal Lock (0:18) - 25 fails, 2 days
Unwrapping Box (0:46) - 25 fails, 3 days
Swinging Bridge (1:08) - 7 fails, 4 days
Centrifugal Gears (1:23) - 22 fails, 4 days
Spinning Sorting System (1:44) - 95 fails (221 including bad throws), 3 days

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Spinning Sorting System (95 fails, 221 including bad throws)
Fewest fails: Swinging Bridge (7 fails)
Most frustrating during building: Centrifugal Pulleys (so frustrating, in fact, that it was never completed and was scrapped altogether!)
Most frustrating during testing: Spinning Sorting System
Most fun: Unwrapping Box
Favorite: Unwrapping Box
Longest Build Time: Swinging Bridge & Centrifugal Gears (both 4 days)
Quickest Build Time: Centrifugal Lock (2 days)

MUSIC:
Mendum - Nightstuck
youtu.be/t_OkhfJRrYc
newdawncollective.com/release/mendum-nightstuck

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Book-Opening Machine 📚

jackofallspades98 2022-06-03 | When Sylvania reached out again and wanted me to build another machine this year, I knew I had to go bigger and better than before. So I assembled an all-star team of @joelsinventions and @SpriceMachines to help me make a giant house-wide machine in just 3 days. It was a lot of work (and we really went above and beyond Sylvania's original brief!), but the final machine is seriously awesome. I hope you enjoy!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Check out TheInvention11: youtube.com/theinvention11
Check out Sprice Machines: youtube.com/spricemachines
Watch last year's Sylvania project, The Lightbulb Machine: youtu.be/ipBrSzKSSRw

To explain the context of this project a bit further, both this machine and last year's machine were built to announce/celebrate Sylvania's sponsorship of the Rube Goldberg competition, while also including messaging/signage about Sylvania products.
Special thanks to Glen Gracia, our contact at Sylvania, who is literally the best client anyone could ever hope to work with. He is the reason it was a no-brainer working with Sylvania again; his dedication and involvement with this project was incredible. It was a very collaborative process, especially since Glen has such a deep understanding of chain reactions. Thank you, Glen! Hopefully we'll get to work together again!
During the initial stages of planning, Glen & I decided that, in order to make the machine feel like it actually takes place in a familiar location (instead of just "big room"), it would be built in an Airbnb, and take on a house-wide machine style. Glen also wanted to "go bigger" than the year before, with larger objects, more dramatic motions, and more height elements. Upon hearing this, I knew I would need help to make the machine come to life, and thankfully Joel and Steve (the house-wide machine expert himself!) were available.
I'm extremely proud of how this machine turned out. The initial brief was a 1-minute machine, but we *far* exceeded that goal, and ended up building a 3+ minute machine in only 3 days. Joel did most of the tricks on the kitchen counter, the entire dining room table, and both living room tables. Steve built the dining room shelves, the dining room bench, the couch dominoes, and the end table, while I built the other kitchen counter tricks, the racquetball bounce, the transition from the cooler to the dining room table, the zipline, fish pulley, and Hot Wheels sequence, the rolling lamp, and other miscellaneous connections.
The machine has really awesome tricks in it, but the thing I'm most proud of by far is that it ended up being extremely reliable. During the build, we were originally discussing potential "cut points," places where a secret stitch point is disguised so that we only needed to get each half to work, instead of the full machine. Everyone (including Glen!) wanted a one-take machine, but with a machine of this length, a full working take can be hard to come by. Luckily, It only took 24 fails before the first of many complete runs, which is *unbelievably good*. In fact, it worked all the way through three times in a row on filming day...maybe could've been more if we didn't just take it apart after that! This reliability has given me hope that maybe the house-wide style isn't inherently unreliable, and that, with the right team, and with the time available to test thoroughly, it could be possible to build an even longer machine like this someday...

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 3 days
Number of fails: 7 where we pushed it along when it failed, 17 "real" tests
Time: 3m23s (2m45s without bike wheel)
Favorite trick: Spinning spice rack (0:50)
Most fails: Tea kettle (1:00), placemats (2:03), and bike wheel (2:41) (3 each)
Most unreliable: Nothing, really :)
Most frustrating during building: Cooler transition into tipping chair
Most frustrating during testing: Nothing, really, but if I had to pick something, the final few steps. Several tests made it 98% of the way through before failing at the very end!

MUSIC:
Atef & Velocitize - Carefree
youtu.be/ARYdG7vso-Q
Follow Atef:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AtefFansOfficial
Twitter: twitter.com/4T3F36
Follow Velocitize:
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/adheep
Twitter: twitter.com/velocitize
Instagram: instagram.com/velocitizeedm

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Machineland 🎢 - An Amusement Park Chain Reaction (w/ @joelsinventions)

jackofallspades98 2022-05-28 | Follow the green ball as it goes on all the rides at Machineland, including a roller coaster, spinning teacups, and a ferris wheel! @joelsinventions and I are really proud of how this machine turned out, so I hope you enjoy it too!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Subscribe to TheInvention11: youtube.com/TheInvention11

Ever since Mini Golf Machine in 2019, Joel and I always wanted to collaborate on another machine, and a few weeks ago, we finally got the chance! Machineland is the spiritual successor to Mini Golf Machine; both are quick one-table one-ball path machines with a focus on aesthetics and decoration.
It was Joel's idea to do a machine themed around an amusement park, and as soon as I heard the idea, I was on board. I knew there was a ton of potential for some really cool tricks, but what was really going to make the machine pop was the decoration. Incorporating arts & crafts into machines is something I think the community will start seeing a lot more of, and this machine is the perfect example of how arts & crafts can elevate the aesthetics of a machine.
This machine features 5 rides that the green ball goes on: Teacup Turbulence (spinning teacups), Shipwrecked (tilting pirate ship), Sky Serpent (roller coaster), Outer Orbit (ferris wheel), and Cyclone (rotating swing). Joel came up with all of the names, and designed each of the signs for each ride, and I think they add a lot to the machine.

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: ~2.5 weeks
Number of fails: 71 for handheld, 72 for overhead
Time: 36s
Favorite trick: Teacup Turbulence (0:25)
Most fails: Teacup Turbulence for handheld (25 fails), Sky Serpent (0:39) for overhead (27 fails), and overall (48 fails)
Fewest fails: Cyclone (0:54) for handheld (1 fail), overhead (1 fail), and overall (2 fails)
Most unreliable: Outer Orbit (0:47)
Most frustrating during building: Teacup Turbulence
Most frustrating during testing: Outer Orbit

MUSIC:
EDGE Soundtrack by Kakkoi
youtu.be/WCHR4RtPot4

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Lightbulb Machine 💡

jackofallspades98 2022-05-23 | Last year, Sylvania asked me to build a machine that showed how their products could be used in all kinds of different environments, while incorporating their lightbulbs and other products as much as possible. I built the machine by myself over the span of 10 days, and it ended up being over 2 minutes long. I never ended up uploading the machine as it's own video until now, but I'm really proud of how it turned out!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Full commercial: youtu.be/yEGGxAu2FeY

The machine was designed to take you through vignettes of settings where Sylvania's products are used, including Office, Retail/Grocery, Education, Healthcare, Industrial, and Hospitality. It was a challenge getting each section to look believably like the right setting, but with large props like the office desk, the bookshelf, the copier, the whiteboard, etc., I think the final result is successful. Despite this being a professional project, I still tried to incorporate mostly original tricks, even if they are on the simpler side. The machine was decently reliable; we were able to get multiple successful runs all the way through the machine on filming day, plus my own footage with less signage (this video). Overall, easily my favorite professional project I've done so far, in no small part because of Glen Gracia, who hired me for this project and oversaw the build from start to finish. Glen was so passionate about the project and devoted to making it the best it could be in every way.

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 10 days
Number of fails: unsure of exact number, probably less than 30
Time: 2m8s
Favorite trick: Tipping Light Fixtures (1:18)
Most fails: Flagpole (0:22)
Most unreliable: Flagpole
Most frustrating: Flagpole

MUSIC:
Getaway by Neovaii
youtu.be/lIyRpEGrrkk
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/neovaii
Spotify: http://tiny.cc/neovaii
Apple Music: http://bit.ly/neovaii

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Domino Masters Machine 🏆

jackofallspades98 2022-05-13 | I selected 7 tricks that I built on Domino Masters, recreated them at a smaller scale, added a little extra spice-up to each one, and combined them all into one machine!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Behind the scenes breakdown video: youtu.be/L1yLVLxVSrg

When I saw the first episode of Domino Masters, I saw just how much detail was getting cut. Obviously, when condensing a 16-hour build into ~20 minutes, inevitably there's not enough time for everything. But with all the work I put into the tricks I built on the show, it would be a shame if the little details and clever solutions never saw the light of day.
So I decided I wanted to recreate some of the tricks I built, and highlight some of the mechanisms and details that the show glosses over. But how could I have stuff I could post during the season, as the episodes came out, AND have something for people to look forward to at the end? The answer seems obvious now, but it took a while to think of making the ideas into a full-length machine that gets built up as the breakdown videos come out. I'm really happy with the system, and VERY glad I posted the breakdown videos during the season. They did pretty well on social media, and they wouldn't have if I saved them all for after the show ended.
As for the machine itself, I'm very pleased with how it turned out! One thing I wanted to do was give each recreated trick some extra level of spice-up and take it one step further than the version on the show. Some ideas were easier to spice up than others; the self-driving car and the secret drawer, for instance, were really hard to make creative new ideas out of, but the construction crane and the roulette wheel ended up being really awesome tricks, in my opinion! Although the overall style of this machine is pretty simplistic and short, I think it's really satisfying to watch and looks really good aesthetically. It was also a ton of fun to build, there were barely any major difficulties with any of the tricks, so it came together really easily. And it was very reliable on top of that, so testing was also a breeze. Gotta love a nice, stress-free machine! The hardest part was building the entire thing in sequence, since I couldn't have anything from future episodes on the table while filming the breakdown videos. So I had to make sure I planned out exactly how all seven ideas would fit together on the table, and just hope I could make them all fit. Luckily, it all worked out!

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: ~5 weeks
Number of fails: 16 for handheld, 18 for overhead
Time: 47s
Favorite trick: Roulette Wheel (0:37)
Most fails: Wagon (0:28)
Most unreliable: Wagon
Most frustrating: Roulette Wheel

#DominoMasters

MUSIC:
meganeko & RoccoW - Breathe
youtu.be/rQ00fv5i2rE
Follow meganeko: meganeko.bandcamp.com
Follow RoccoW: roccow.bandcamp.com

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

I recreated the tricks I built on Domino Masters... and combined them into ONE machine

jackofallspades98 2022-05-13 | When condensing a 16-hour build into ~20 minutes, inevitably details get cut. So I decided I would recreate some of the tricks I made on Domino Masters, so I could share some of the problem-solving process that you don't see in the episodes! I picked seven tricks in particular from across all five of our builds that each had a specific unique design challenge that I had to solve. In this video, I break down exactly what The Problem was, explain the solution and how I arrived at the idea, and then show the recreated trick in action, always with a little extra spice-up from the original trick. And stay tuned to the end of the video to watch the entire machine run from start to finish!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Video of just the full machine: youtu.be/FIV7AcCobR4
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/joas98Machines
Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/jackofallspades98

#DominoMasters

MUSIC:
meganeko & RoccoW - Breathe
youtu.be/rQ00fv5i2rE
Follow meganeko: meganeko.bandcamp.com
Follow RoccoW: roccow.bandcamp.com

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Dominerds are coming to Domino Masters!

jackofallspades98 2022-03-09 | I will be competing alongside my teammates Derek & Alex of @DaksDominoes on Domino Masters, a primetime competition show featuring teams of chain reaction and domino artists competing for $100,000 and the grand title of "Domino Masters." If you told me two years ago that all the words in that sentence would become true, I probably would've cried in disbelief. It's still completely surreal that I got to be a part of this, and I got to do it alongside two of my best friends. :)

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/joas98Machines
Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
ALL Domino Masters trailers/previews: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74II0Jtaj16wo_SKAbO4U8c

MUSIC:
Calling Out by Neovaii
youtu.be/2u5uwv4q5bw
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/neovaii
Spotify: http://tiny.cc/neovaii
Apple Music: http://bit.ly/neovaii

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Dominoes vs. Machines: Round VIII (w/ @DaksDominoes)

jackofallspades98 2021-11-03 | Dominoes vs. Machines makes its triumphant return for the 8th consecutive year as I take on possibly my toughest competition yet: DaksDominoes. In this head-to-head heavyweight fight, who will come out on top? Machines. Obviously...

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
DaksDominoes: youtube.com/daksdominos
Watch Rounds I - VII! youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74UcS7_WMgibJ_tS6YncftP
Extras/Slow-Motion Compilation: youtu.be/iYciXrp7uxI

These are honestly some of the best screenlink clips I've made to date, and I hope you love them just as much as I do. I think there's a good mix of clever concepts, aesthetically pleasing motions, and acrobatic spectacle. A couple of things to note...
First, I'm really trying to push myself to expand beyond "track tricks" these days. Not that tricks can't involve track, of course, but the age-old formula of "track is used in Position A, then moves to Position B to get used again" is extremely limiting and repetitive. The track tricks in this video (the few that there are) have their main concept rooted in some other kind of motion (midair acrobatics, flexing parallelogram, centrifugal force, etc.) and don't strictly follow that boring old format. I've also tried to incorporate interesting pathing whenever I built a track-based trick. For instance, using the same ball throughout the whole trick in clips like Twisted Flexing Parallelogram, Centrifugal Curves, Flexing Trapezoid Track, and Midair Track Pirouette. I hope to continue to evolve my style and build more clips like Jacob's Ladder Zigzag Modules that involve lots of custom parts, and little to no track at all. I think chain reaction machines are at their most interesting when there's a large variety of parts and motions (gears rotating! balls bouncing! things flying through the air!) and I hope I did well to capture that variety in this screenlink.
Secondly, the fail counts on these clips are all surprisingly low. Swinging Gear Assembly was the sole outlier with 46 fails, and even that isn't a nightmare, not by a long shot. In total, I had 117 fails for this project, which averages out to only ~15 fails per clip! I guess that's just the result of ironing out most of the issues while building, but it's certainly been a hot minute since I've had a truly hellish experience getting a screenlink clip (or mini-machine) to work. I want to say the last time was the Newton's Cradle + Ball Launch mini-machine from Machine Fusion? I'll have to look into it...
Finally, if there's one thing I've noticed about my screenlink style, it's that I tend to make a lot of clips that center around one big burst of energy, so to speak. Some big motion that happens all in the blink of an eye that you need slow motion to fully appreciate. A solid *half* of the clips in this video almost require slow motion, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, these motions are surprising, and the clips are often fun to make, but if they're hard to understand in real speed, then maybe I'm not doing my job well. Definitely something I'll be thinking about going forward, but in the meantime, enjoy the slow motion compilation! (linked above)

CLIP LIST:
Twisted Flexing Parallelogram (0:46) - 12 fails, 2 days
Swinging Gear Assembly (0:54) - 47 fails, 4 days
Centrifugal Curves (1:02) - 2 fails, 4 days
Ball Transfer Gears (1:59) - 14 fails, 4 days
Flexing Trapezoid Track (2:16) - 8 fails, 2 days
Midair Track Pirouette (3:09) - 10 fails, 5 days
Double-Use Bounce Platforms (3:18) - 16 fails, 3 days
Jacob's Ladder Zigzag Modules (3:26) - 8 fails, 5 days

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Swinging Gear Assembly (46 fails)
Fewest fails: Centrifugal Curves (2 fails)
Most frustrating: During building: Midair Track Pirouette, During testing: Ball Transfer Gears
Most fun: Jacob's Ladder Zigzag Modules
Favorite: Midair Track Pirouette (Centrifugal Curves & Swinging Gear Assembly deserve honorable mentions, they're a veeeeery close #2 and #3)
Longest Build Time: Midair Track Pirouette & Jacob's Ladder Zigzag Board Modules (both 5 days)
Quickest Build Time: Twisted Flexing Parallelogram & Flexing Trapezoid Track (both 2 days)

#DominoesVsMachines

MUSIC:
meganeko - Daydreamer
youtu.be/UzHZPWZctiQ

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Breakthrough Machine 🧱

jackofallspades98 2021-09-25 | This is a machine that turned out WAY better than I expected! It was built as my part of Domino World 2021, and I'm so proud of this machine that instead of uploading it as simply "Domino World 2021: Machine Close-Up", I decided to turn it into it's own thing, and give it a real title! I hope you love it just as much as I do.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Check out Domino World 2021: youtu.be/Jkq_rMMAmeg
ALL Domino World 2021 Machine Close-Ups: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i764H560UlRqhVlcL64p_4Oq
Custom "Breakthrough" artwork by Quiara Vasquez: qvxwordz.blogspot.com/?m=1

I expected this project to be more or less on par with other event machines I've made: some pretty good tricks, but clearly built under time constraints, and nothing compared to something like 8 Ball Machine, which was built over 3 months.
But turns out I was wrong! I had the itch to build another freestyle machine, so I had some good ideas stockpiled, and I managed to knock out an extremely good machine in about 2 weeks. While it's still shorter in time and trick count than my previous full-length machines, I think it excels in other ways:
I wanted to emulate a kind of @TheContraptionKing-esque style a little bit. I admire how his machines have clear sections for each trick, but those tricks all fit together perfectly and flow impeccably between them. So for this machine, I tried to give each trick it's own distinct section, and have less overlapping and interweaving than in my previous machines, and I'm happy with how I pulled that off.
I also wanted the machine to be fully understandable from the overhead vantage point, and a big part of that was considering which tricks should be foreground, and which tricks should be background. I knew the Rolling Globe Cube trick (0:42) would be very tall, so I put that in the back corner. The Upside-Down Launch ended up way taller than expected, but luckily I made that pretty early on, so that got added to the back of the table as well. I then moved on to some lower-to-the-ground tricks to round out the front of the table, and finished with a vertical wall trick in the back right corner. Looking at the machine from the side, it forms a very clear triangle shape (bit.ly/2VZDBd9), which I think perfectly exemplifies this foreground/background approach to building.

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: ~2 weeks
Number of fails: 28 for handheld, 9 for overhead (For the Domino World version with in/out transitions: 16 for handheld, 11 for overhead)
Time: 41s
Favorite trick: Colliding Billiard Balls (0:20)
Most fails: Colliding Billiard Balls
Most unreliable: Colliding Billiard Balls
Most frustrating: Upside-Down Launch (0:50)

MUSIC:
Atef - Home
youtu.be/3xqRHBYRZbY
Follow Atef:
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1b8QKXnA1e1CPFMosj8OMi
Instagram: instagram.com/4t3f36

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Episode 5: Weight Management | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms

jackofallspades98 2021-06-11 | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms is the complete chain reaction artist's toolkit, showcasing the essential building blocks of chain reaction art through detailed explanations and visual examples. In this episode, we're covering Weight Management.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:21 41 - Weight Slide
1:12 42 - Shock Absorber
4:53 43 - Discarded Weight
7:01 44 - Off-Table Weight
11:23 45 - Limited Weight Pull
14:22 46 - Dual Limited Weight Pull
16:50 47 - Delayed Weight Lift
19:01 48 - Shifting Weight
21:41 49 - Magnetic Weight Addition
25:28 50 - Intermittent Weight Pull

LINKS:
All 50FCRM episodes: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74jFg5ebL83b28OXqNJ1CrC

MUSIC:
Shirobon - Umbra
youtu.be/vnND1XQNRNQ
shirobon.bandcamp.com/track/umbra
Follow Shirobon:
Twitter: twitter.com/shirobon
Instagram: instagram.com/shirobonmusic
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/2OgP0RGmDrXN9kOWRNfEuE?si=Mj64tOHmTyG-KolMU-YQpw
Facebook: facebook.com/ShirobonOfficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Episode 4: Advanced Knex Techniques | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms

jackofallspades98 2021-06-04 | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms is the complete chain reaction artist's toolkit, showcasing the essential building blocks of chain reaction art through detailed explanations and visual examples. In this episode, we're covering Advanced K'nex Techniques.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:22 31 - Falling Support
3:18 32 - Falling Latch
4:26 33 - Disconnecting Lever
6:17 34 - Compression Rod Release
9:29 35 - Concentrating Lever
11:18 36 - Frictional Lever
16:01 37 - String Stopper Lever
17:13 38 - Shifting Pusher
19:07 39 - One-Directional Lever
20:46 40 - Flexing Parallelogram

LINKS:
50FCRM Episode 5: youtu.be/X9OTMpQWeG8
All 50FCRM episodes: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74jFg5ebL83b28OXqNJ1CrC

MUSIC:
Shirobon - Umbra
youtu.be/vnND1XQNRNQ
shirobon.bandcamp.com/track/umbra
Follow Shirobon:
Twitter: twitter.com/shirobon
Instagram: instagram.com/shirobonmusic
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/2OgP0RGmDrXN9kOWRNfEuE?si=Mj64tOHmTyG-KolMU-YQpw
Facebook: facebook.com/ShirobonOfficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Episode 3: String Techniques | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms

jackofallspades98 2021-05-28 | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms is the complete chain reaction artist's toolkit, showcasing the essential building blocks of chain reaction art through detailed explanations and visual examples. In this episode, we're covering String Techniques.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:22 21 - String Redirector
2:12 22 - Pulley
4:29 23 - String Stopper
6:11 24 - String Slice
7:27 25 - String Pusher
8:22 26 - String Attractor
10:10 27 - Traveling String Pull
12:04 28 - String Wrap
14:09 29 - Disconnecting String Pull
15:42 30 - Magnetic String Break

LINKS:
50FCRM Episode 4: youtu.be/-g_pV3yAOQg
All 50FCRM episodes: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74jFg5ebL83b28OXqNJ1CrC

MUSIC:
Shirobon - Umbra
youtu.be/vnND1XQNRNQ
shirobon.bandcamp.com/track/umbra
Follow Shirobon:
Twitter: twitter.com/shirobon
Instagram: instagram.com/shirobonmusic
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/2OgP0RGmDrXN9kOWRNfEuE?si=Mj64tOHmTyG-KolMU-YQpw
Facebook: facebook.com/ShirobonOfficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Episode 2: Basic Knex Techniques | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms

jackofallspades98 2021-05-21 | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms is the complete chain reaction artist's toolkit, showcasing the essential building blocks of chain reaction art through detailed explanations and visual examples. In this episode, we're covering Basic K'nex Techniques.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:24 11 - Rolling Lever
1:47 12 - Paired Levers
3:04 13 - K'nex Release
4:25 14 - Offset Lever
5:43 15 - Speed Boost Lever
6:17 16 - Path Splitter
7:11 17 - Counting Lever
8:48 18 - Balance Swing
11:12 19 - Overbalanced Lever
13:24 20 - K'nex Rod Lock

LINKS:
50FCRM Episode 3: youtu.be/JfH4wYo-0og
All 50FCRM episodes: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74jFg5ebL83b28OXqNJ1CrC

MUSIC:
Shirobon - Umbra
youtu.be/vnND1XQNRNQ
shirobon.bandcamp.com/track/umbra
Follow Shirobon:
Twitter: twitter.com/shirobon
Instagram: instagram.com/shirobonmusic
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/2OgP0RGmDrXN9kOWRNfEuE?si=Mj64tOHmTyG-KolMU-YQpw
Facebook: facebook.com/ShirobonOfficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Episode 1: The Basics | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms

jackofallspades98 2021-05-14 | 50 Fundamental Chain Reaction Mechanisms is the complete chain reaction artist's toolkit, showcasing the essential building blocks of chain reaction art through detailed explanations and visual examples. In this episode, we're covering The Basics.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
4:34 1 - Weight & String
7:29 2 - Falling Domino
10:07 3 - Pusher
11:02 4 - Speed Bump
12:59 5 - Track Transition Barrier
13:44 6 - End-of-Track Stopper
15:47 7 - Track Funnel
17:10 8 - Slider
17:52 9 - Magnetic Connection
22:29 10 - Track Pendulum

LINKS:
50FCRM Episode 2: youtu.be/_gdZOBkDK8o
All 50FCRM episodes: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74jFg5ebL83b28OXqNJ1CrC

MUSIC:
Shirobon - Umbra
youtu.be/vnND1XQNRNQ
shirobon.bandcamp.com/track/umbra
Follow Shirobon:
Twitter: twitter.com/shirobon
Instagram: instagram.com/shirobonmusic
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/2OgP0RGmDrXN9kOWRNfEuE?si=Mj64tOHmTyG-KolMU-YQpw
Facebook: facebook.com/ShirobonOfficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Dominoes vs. Machines: Round VII (w/ @GranTheMan)

jackofallspades98 2020-11-04 | Dominoes vs. Machines is back for the 7th consecutive year, so yet again, it's time to go head to head with one of my favorite domino builders in the community. This year, @GranTheMan and I battle it out in a war of chain reaction art. It's an exciting matchup, but hopefully you agree that his dominoes are no match for my machines!

VOTE for the winner of Round VII! https://forms.gle/7nVgov4CgXjmaqZy8

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
GranTheMan: youtube.com/channel/UCXG1UmaBhyALw8Nec9mGTYA
Watch Rounds I - VI! youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74UcS7_WMgibJ_tS6YncftP
Behind the Scenes (Twitter thread): twitter.com/joas98Machines/status/1324446978714062849

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Pitagora Suichi Tribute (41)— Unless you count the 57 fails that Gear Tracks Timing Trick had AFTER I got the working take on Test #3. I thought I could get a *better* working take but stopped trying after realizing the working take I had was already as good as it could possibly get haha)
Fewest fails: Gear Tracks Timing Trick (2)— Then it failed 57 more times blah blah blah just see above
Most frustrating: Gear Rolls Along Chain (not for fail-related reasons; this was the last clip I made, I was under a time crunch, and I had no ideas left)
Most fun: Pitagora Suichi Tribute
Favorite: Flexing Linkage System
Longest Build Time: Pitagora Suichi Tribute (9 days)
Quickest Build Time: Double Pendulum Cascade & Motor Walks Across Gears (2 days)

Making the clips for this video sure was an unusual experience. I moved into a new apartment in early September (new building area, as you can tell!) and it seemed like the annoying little things that I had to take care of were always stealing away my building time. The first clip was finished on September 20th, and by the end of the first month, I had only build 3 of the 9 clips. I strongly considered only making 6 clips this year, but over time decided against it. I still didn't pick up the pace much in the first half of October, on account of spending over a week on the Pitagora Suichi tribute. With less than 10 days left to build, I still had 4 clips I had to make, and somehow, I managed to pull it off, completing the final clip on the night of November 1st!
The Pitagora Suichi tribute is in honor of a research project I did this spring, where I attempted to answer all my questions about the show that inspired me so much, Pitagora Suichi. Among other things, I wanted to research the history of the show and what made it especially influential on the western chain reaction community. I hoped that in the process I would unearth more footage of the machines from the show, and/or get in contact with someone who worked on building the machines. Incredibly, I was able to find about 75 Pitagora Suichi machines likely never before seen by the chain reaction community outside of Japan, and I was able to talk with one of the visual artists who has helped build the machines since the show began. Ultimately, my research culminated in an essay which you can find here, along with all the new Pitagora Suichi machine footage I found: drive.google.com/drive/folders/10gp9MUQEqwws9M4FlPvFFItpcnyA-xJg?usp=sharing
As for the machine itself, I wanted to pay tribute to all my research, and I figured there's no better way than to try to emulate their style as closely as possible. I tried to get absolutely everything right, the everyday objects, the elevation changes, the special wooden tracks, the pacing, the decoration, the lighting, the background, the filming style, the music, the hand that reaches in to start it, EVERYTHING. I'm very proud of the result, and I learned a lot about the Pitagora Suichi style while building it. I don't think I'm fooling anyone into thinking my machine is really from the show, but hopefully it captures the essence! Special thanks to Joseph Herscher, who came over to my apartment and lent me his steadicam rig to help film the machine! Joseph is also the one who pushes the red ball, in case you were wondering whose hand that was! ;)

#DominoesVsMachines

MUSIC:
Schtiffles - Ghost House
youtu.be/FXz36mX93hY
Follow Schtiffles:
Twitter: twitter.com/schtiffles
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC8whK2x-8tXvpPAiHbzul3w
Newgrounds: schtiffles.newgrounds.com

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Domino World 2020: Machine Close-Up

jackofallspades98 2020-07-24 | Domino World 2020 wasn't possible in person this year, but the team wanted to approximate the experience virtually as closely as possible. Collaborating on one massive project with my best friends in the world (and pretty good chain reaction artists, too!) is such a special annual opportunity for me, and every one of the builders involved. Here is a close-up of the machine I made for the event!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Full Domino World 2020 falldown: youtu.be/3SCTtvhzAgo
All Domino World 2020 close-ups: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74FE0vUp_6ScgD3pMh2QRDD

Domino World is an event hosted by bpdoles:
youtube.com/user/bpdoles

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 11 days
Number of fails: 38 (plus 6 working takes I didn't use because of filming/machine imperfections)
Time: 0:40
Favorite tricks: Circular double billiard ball chain, Diagonally sliding tiles
Most fails: Circular double billiard ball chain
Most frustrating trick: Flexy ruler ball lift

It's been a while since I've built an event machine that I truly felt happy with, but this is definitely one I can be proud of! Between ISM, Domino World, and Reactica, it always felt like what I built could be improved in some way. But this machine feels different. I really believe this is just about the best job I could do given the strict time constraints. I'm very proud of all of the main ideas, but I think the overall pathing and cohesion matters a lot more. That's the main reason I'm so happy with this machine. My DW19 machine suffered from the issue of "good tricks but bad connections," essentially meaning that there's nothing wrong with the individual tricks, but the machine doesn't seem cohesive because the tricks never play off each other in any way, there are no creative transitions between them, and they don't even fit together in the physical space. It reads more as a "collection of tricks" than a "machine." This machine, however, fixes all those issues. Yes, the tricks are good, but there IS interplay between the ideas, there IS intricate pathing, and there IS a puzzle-piece-esque way in which the tricks occupy the physical space. I hope I'm able to make something similarly good at the next *true* live event; here's to Domino World 2021!

MUSIC:
The Bear Mob - Fizzy
youtu.be/9z_PIeanuYQ
Follow The Bear Mob:
Twitter: twitter.com/mob_bear?s=09
Instagram: instagram.com/thebearmob

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

8 Ball Machine 🎱

jackofallspades98 2020-07-10 | This machine is the final form in the evolution of the billiard ball chain. It's a chain reaction that builds a billiard ball chain as it goes, and ends by reacting the entire table-sized billiard ball chain that weaves in and out and around the machine that surrounds it.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
8 Ball Machine - Extras: youtu.be/RQglMkw4kbU
Making Connections episode: youtu.be/feOJaWtaIeY

I never planned to build a machine during my stay in Brooklyn, but when my field study got cut short because of COVID-19, and I still had 3 months left at my Airbnb, I figured I should make the most of my time and build a machine premise that I was excited about. I was inspired by the community's recent excitement around billiard ball chains over the past few years, so I feel like now is the perfect time to take the concept to the extreme.
I knew very early on, before I even glued anything to the table, that this machine would be stylistically different than anything I've tried before. (I'm realizing that deviating from my "normal style" in some way is actually the norm for me...) I challenged myself to follow 3 rules as strictly as possible, each of which was something I had never really tried before. These rules made me take unusual approaches to the problems I faced, which results in the aesthetic and tonal departure from my traditional machine style. The rules are written below, but for more detail and explanation, watch the Extras video! (linked above)
Rule 1: Each billiard ball has its own discrete section, and those sections never cross over the main billiard ball chain path.
Rule 2: Each trick should be more or less "self-powered," requiring as few external connections (other balls on tracks, string pulls, lever releases) as possible.
Rule 3: No weights can fall off the table, including the traditional "domino & string" connection

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 3 months
Number of fails: 165
Time: 1:16
Favorite tricks: Jacob's ladder zigzag boards (Striped Yellow), Falling tube/sliding track (Solid Orange), Rubber band & Kapla tracks (Solid Blue)
Most fails: Jacob's ladder zigzag boards (Striped Yellow) - 55 fails - but mostly because it's early in the machine; the trick was actually extremely reliable
Most unreliable: Rolling disc (Striped Purple)
Most frustrating: Elevator & sliding cart (Striped Green) This trick was inconsistent and required constant calibration, it was incredibly tough to diagnose (I could never tell exactly WHY it was failing, or behaving differently than usual), it was so much more work to build than I expected, it was fragile and broke into pieces twice, and it was pretty unreliable. (Worth the effort though!)

While testing, I started to develop the hunch that the machine was more likely to fail due to vibrations causing something to go early or due to the balls not staying in their holding cells than it was to fail due to any of the actual tricks not working. I was curious, so I investigated. Here's the breakdown:

168 machine fails in total
-76 fails where the camera doesn't shift focus properly at the beginning, or I accidentally tap the cue ball on one of the "practice" shots before shooting for real (not included in the final fail count)
-23 fails where I mess up the initial pool shot to start the machine
-17 reset fails
-41 holding cell escapes
-19 early vibration triggers
-68 "actual" fails

Turns out I was just about right; 41+19=60 holding cell or vibration fails vs. 65 "actual" fails. And in the process of figuring this out, I did an entire fail analysis, which you can find here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q0K1WO62hOr3B3udgDt0Zu_6lvV3gGt_xVtrlmtsrIE/edit?usp=sharing

MUSIC:
Dalar Coin - Tokens
youtu.be/pMysj7KTL2A
Listen: lnk.to/dalarcointokens
Follow Dalar Coin:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCILQdON2CA10gpdEnFN5nfg
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/dalarcoin-official
Instagram: instagram.com/dalarcoinofficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

8 Ball Machine - Extras

jackofallspades98 2020-07-10 | Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
8 Ball Machine (back to main video): youtu.be/IE1yRUkRk5g
Making Connections episode: youtu.be/feOJaWtaIeY

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Behind the Scenes of Pass the Pepper (w/ @JosephsMachines)

jackofallspades98 2020-04-14 | For the past 2 months, @JosephsMachines and I have been collaborating and building these nine clips for Pass the Pepper. There was a lot of work that went into creating these machines, and in this video, we'll reveal all the secrets!

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 The Intro
0:27 The Planning
3:00 The Launch
8:44 The Vase
9:30 The Cucumber
12:41 The Spaghetti
15:28 The Accident
20:36 The Laptop
22:18 The Cake
26:32 The Tablecloth
27:31 The Net

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Pass the Pepper (main video): youtu.be/XwaH-qT4Rm0
Making Connections episode on Pass the Pepper: youtube.com/watch?v=LBRXArkZfAo&list=PLJc_biUk0i74PThiXwyT-G53fllaYCfA1&index=2
Watch my other Behind the Scenes videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74WYrbX520c-o-2G0zPl1aD

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: The Cake
Fewest fails: The Laptop
Most frustrating: The Cucumber
Most fun: The Cake, The Accident
Favorite: The Spaghetti
Longest Build Time: The Cake
Quickest Build Time: The Vase

MUSIC:
@starcat7297 - Odyssey
youtu.be/AZb6HNuxN3g
Listen: lnk.to/starcatodyssey
Follow STARCAT:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCVPW2UlLsXVdXDlIUYuObOg
Instagram: instagram.com/staarcat
Facebook: facebook.com/OfficialStarcat
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/starcatmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/SenpaiStarcat

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Its finally time to reveal a secret about the next 3 months...

jackofallspades98 2020-01-31 | Normally I hate update videos or announcement videos, and I had a really good streak going of only ever uploading actual new machine videos, but I've been keeping a secret for the past few months, and now is finally the time to break that streak and reveal my secret. For the next three months, I'm doing a field study where I'll be working full-time with professional chain reaction artist Joseph Herscher!

Subscribe to Joseph: youtube.com/channel/UCbNvfx3rYYxEopnRGxfu53Q?=sub_confirmation=1

For the past 4 years, I've always done one big project during this time of year. 6 Simple Machines in One in 2016, Bet-Losing Machine in 2017, Kern Center Machine in 2018, and Key Finder in 2019. In 2020, I'm doing something a little different, but just as big and exciting.

Subscribe for more machines, screenlinks, collaborations, and more! I upload whenever I get around to making a video. I try to upload every other month or so.

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Mini Golf Machine ⛳ (w/ @joelsinventions)

jackofallspades98 2019-12-31 | Earlier this month, I visited the one and only @joelsinventions, and we built a mini golf mini-machine in the four days we had. Follow the white golf ball as it makes its way through all the tricks, and over each of the grass surfaces in the machine, before landing in the hole at the end!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Subscribe to TheInvention11: youtube.com/theinvention11?sub_confirmation=1

youtu.be/RlkGSXpEDco

The story behind this machine is a bit strange! I needed a place to stay for the first week of my winter break, so I decided to reach out to Joel on the off chance his family could host me for a few days leading up to Christmas Eve. Luckily, they were super inviting, and I was all ready to drive up to Canada! Initially, we hadn't really committed to the idea of building anything during my visit, in fact it wasn't until the day after I arrived that we decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass up and that we really should build something. Plus, since I was coming directly from school, I had practically ALL my building materials with me, PLENTY to work with for a mini-machine. (That's also why virtually the entire machine is built with my materials)
Making a one-ball path machine with the theme of mini golf was entirely Joel's idea, in fact it's an idea he's had for quite some time. It was also his idea to cut up little pieces of his roll-out practice putting green to use as small patches of grass throughout the machine. Beyond the basic premise and aesthetic of the machine though, we didn't really have much of a plan. All of the tricks in the machine were thought of on-the-spot!
Overall, the process of building this machine was unbelievably seamless. Joel's style meshes perfectly with mine, so as a result, the machine retains a unified aesthetic. Because we've worked together so much in the past, anticipating each other's building tendencies is almost second nature. I have a pretty good idea of how Joel will approach any given issue, and Joel seems to almost instinctively know what I'm planning next for a specific section. And we have such a solid grip on each other's aesthetic preferences that we never disagree about what looks best. Something else that was surprising was that there was never a period where we felt stuck. It never felt like we ran out of ideas, which is certainly a risk when building a machine with zero pre-planning. We were both pretty much always working on something, we were never struggling to figure out what to do next. We also always had a pretty clear idea of the overall flow of the machine; there was never really any issue with figuring out the sequence of steps at the last minute and needing to make emergency connections down the final stretch. This machine is relatively small and not overwhelmingly complex, but still, we managed to make a VERY solid, reliable, surprisingly compact, aesthetically pleasing machine in four days, without ever encountering any major conflicts, and without running out of time, space, or energy. A lot of things had to go right for us to end up with a machine this good, so I'm very proud of the work we did in such a short period of time. I'm so happy I got to visit Joel again, and I'm even happier we decided to build a machine!

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 4 days
Number of fails: 39
Time: 0:32
Favorite tricks: Sliding magnetic track segment/Ring of Fire & Billiard ball launch sequence
Most fails: Sonimod grass segments/Uphill ball kicker
Most frustrating trick: Not a trick, but most fails were caused by the ball rolling weirdly and unpredictably due to its uneven texture and weight, not usually by any mechanisms of the tricks failing

MUSIC:
Zukira - Outside World
youtu.be/RE9Xog6cB78
Subscribe to The Arcadium for more free music: youtube.com/thearcadium

Follow Zukira:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo0505GNeLQ4hgBXZV1z9cg
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/Zukira
Twitter: twitter.com/ZukiraMusic
Facebook: facebook.com/ZukiraMusic
Instagram: instagram.com/ZukiraMusic

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Dominoes vs. Machines: Round VI (w/ @bpdolesdominoes4)

jackofallspades98 2019-11-03 | For the 6th straight year, I go head to head with one of my favorite domino builders from the community in the annual Dominoes vs. Machines collaboration. This year, my opponent is @bpdolesdominoes4, one of the most creative domino artists in the game, but I think my machines can beat him!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
bpdoles: youtube.com/bpdoles
Watch Rounds I - V! youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74UcS7_WMgibJ_tS6YncftP
Slow Motion Compilation: youtu.be/D9PmLqeICCE

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Double Rolling Double Pendulums (31 fails)
Fewest fails: Sliding Flexing Parallelograms (1 fail)
Most frustrating: Planetary Gear with Magnet Tracks
Most fun: Intermediate Axis of Rotation Zigzag Board
Favorite: Centrifugal Force Box Trapeze
Longest Build Time: Ruler launch (with Mystery Box finale) (9 days)
Quickest Build Time: Twisting Gear Path & Extending Curved Scissor Arm (2 days)

I am unspeakably pleased with how my machine clips turned out this year. I put a lot of work into making sure that there was a ton of variety across all 9 machine ideas. There is variety in scale; some tricks use a big foam globe ball, while others only use a small marble. There is variety in trick type; some tricks are gear tricks, some are magnet tricks, some are launching tricks, some are something else entirely. There is variety in materials used; some clips use Trix Track or marble track, others use Hot Wheels or Skyrail, and others use custom rails made out of straws. There is variety in pacing; some tricks happen in an instant and if you blink you miss them, others take their time and build suspense. There is variety in dimensions; some tricks are flat and expansive, while others tower over two feet above the table. There is variety in complexity; some tricks are straightforward, while others have a bit more to unpack during a second viewing. I put a lot of work into making sure that each clip looked and felt unique, recognizable, and visually different from the rest in some way. I hope I was able to achieve that.

#DominoesVsMachines

MUSIC:
@Phaera Official & Cineminate - Anthem Arcade
youtu.be/vziTzyqgMJ0
Subscribe to The Arcadium for more free music: youtube.com/thearcadium

Follow Phaera:
YouTube: youtube.com/phaeraofficial
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/phaera
Twitter: twitter.com/phaeraofficial
Facebook: http://facebook.com/phaeraofficial
Instagram: instagram.com/phaeramusic

Follow Cineminate:
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/cineminateofficial
Twitter: twitter.com/cineminatereal
Instagram: instagram.com/cineminatemusic

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Reactica 2019: Machine Close-Up

jackofallspades98 2019-08-23 | Last week I had the incredible opportunity to participate in Reactica, the largest chain reaction in California, for the second year in a row. This year, the team attempted to break the Guinness World Record for Largest Rube Goldberg Machine. Here is the 96-step section that I built for the event this year!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Watch the full Reactica video: youtu.be/jjW8oCWKs3M
Watch the other Reactica 2019 Close-Ups: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i778KlkPBaFP8zHFfuZrIP4s

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 7 days
Number of fails: Not totally sure, probably less than 20
Time: 1:32
Favorite tricks: Rubber duck Newton's cradle, Sliding flexing parallelogram track ("monorail")
Most fails: Fidget spinner
Most frustrating trick: Fidget spinner

You may have noticed that every other builder had two (or three!) tables to fill for this event. That was originally the plan for me too, although after about halfway through Day 2, I realized that I was building in a style so compact, I would never fill two tables. It was at this point that Alex graciously allowed me to build only one table instead of the initially planned two tables. This was definitely the right move, since, seemingly unlike most builders, the prospect of condensing my 70-step quota into a single table was FAR less daunting than the prospect of filling up 48 square feet of table space. The result of this decision is a machine that is just about as compact (at least in the first two thirds) as a typical full-complexity machine!

MUSIC:
@Geoxor - Euphoria
youtu.be/mFnO8C2de-I

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Vsauce Machine

jackofallspades98 2019-08-16 | For the first time in over three years, I made another one-table, full-complexity compact machine, this time with the theme of Vsauce. I spent the last two months or so on this project, and I'm very pleased with the results! Enjoy!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Making Connections episode with DoodleChaos: youtu.be/2QCwcWgQlPU
Raw footage of just the machine: youtu.be/SPt2K9u3yW8
Check out Vsauce: youtube.com/Vsauce
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/joas98Machines

UPDATE: Good news! Michael has seen the video, here's the tweet he sent out about it: twitter.com/tweetsauce/status/1164309201721499648?s=19

Ever since the R&L Machine, I have not made another one-table, full-complexity compact machine. Everything has been less complex/compact one-table machines, two-table machines, collaboration machines, live event machines, screenlinks, or machine compilations. It felt good to finally get back to the style of machine that I think shows off my skills the most.
Another thing I really focused on in this machine is the theming. In past themed machines (particularly other YouTuber tributes) the theming has mostly come from plastering printouts on various surfaces throughout the machine. This time, I wanted the theming to come from the actual objects used. Depending on how you count, there are somewhere between 40-50 themed items in this machine, including foreign objects, decorations, and printouts. There is not a single square inch of this machine that doesn't have something to do with Vsauce, so there is no doubt that this is my best themed machine yet.

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: ~2 months
Number of fails: 190
Time: 0:59
Favorite tricks: Cipher wheel gears, Trolley problem stacking gears
Most fails: Clothespin launch
Most frustrating trick: Kendama

MUSIC:
@4tef - Silver Lining
youtu.be/Ypbri1eZz8A
Follow Atef:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCKxY4zxUKzBdR-s0oWpw8nQ
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/4tef
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1b8QKXnA1e1CPFMosj8OMi?si=QhnWGOGtRay2DBvv1vnvxw

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Domino World 2019: Machine Close-Up

jackofallspades98 2019-07-24 | Last week, I had the incredible opportunity of participating in Domino World, the annual domino and machine event organized by bpdoles at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor, MI. Here is a close-up of the machine I made for the event!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Watch the entire Domino World 2019 falldown: youtu.be/PladkAxa-pM
Watch the other Domino World 2019 Close-Ups: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i76hwioBssiydiS8F_XaD08r

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 7 days
Number of fails: 16
Time: 0:38
Favorite tricks: Magnet tracks, Mukmobile
Most fails: Flexing track parallelogram
Most frustrating trick: Gear double pendulum

This machine is kind of strange to me. Around halfway through the week of building, I was strongly considering not uploading a close-up video like this because I wasn't all that proud of the machine. At that point, I had built the snake tail track, the gear double pendulum, and the flexing track parallelogram. All three of these tricks are great, but they didn't have a good flow between them, they weren't built in great locations to be easily viewable by the audience, and they were not the best choice for live event tricks. But then I rounded out the building week with three tricks that were the complete opposite: the Mukmobile, the grabby tube, and the magnet tracks. These three fit really well within the machine, had great connections, and were excellent live event tricks. These three tricks turned things around for me and made me like the machine again. So I'm not sure what I learned here, but I guess just because it's a good trick does not mean it's a good live event trick!

MUSIC:
Enigma - Creo
youtu.be/bVuvRtSbvtU

Follow Creo:
Twitter: twitter.com/creo_music
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/creo
Facebook: facebook.com/creosound
℗ Creo http://www.creo-music.com

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Key Finder 🗝

jackofallspades98 2019-05-23 | I spent the last 9 weeks building this massive chain reaction machine in my dorm room. The machine travels from the toiletries counter, to the closet, to the office table, to my bookshelves, to the wall, and ends with the machine finding my missing key. Enjoy!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Behind the Scenes of the Key Finder: youtu.be/hb7Qorb9WnQ
Making Connections episode with DrComplicated: youtu.be/cW6WG-PhoXk
Raw Footage of just the machine: youtu.be/CKBcKlo5jEk
Watch the other big machine projects I've done every year since 2016: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i75MBySAM9xgb0YY_-o4HXFE
My inspirations for this machine: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i75F795KFXAWIoYB9_Pc4kkt
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/joas98Machines

I've always wanted to try building a machine using more everyday, household objects. And I've been very inspired recently by @SpriceMachines and @JosephsMachines, so I finally gave it a shot, and I'm very happy with the results.
You may have noticed the video quality of this footage is higher than my other videos, and that's because I upgraded my camera for this machine! I decided to go with the Canon EOS 77D, and although there are a few weird things with the camera, I'm overall very happy with it, and the pictures and videos look incredible!

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: ~9 weeks
Number of fails: 183
Time: 2:20
Favorite tricks: Flipping belt, whiteboard
Most fails: Laundry bag launch (38)
Most frustrating trick: Laundry bag launch

SPECIAL THANKS:
Donna Cohn
Amy Parker
Ira Fay
Antonin Alberty
Lily Hevesh
Steve Price
Joseph Herscher

#TheKeyFinder

MUSIC:
@neovaii - Take it Back
youtu.be/R3we8dM0q-k
Let Me Go - Neovaii
youtu.be/BF-iLvwnBu4

Follow Neovaii:
YouTube: youtube.com/neovaii
Instagram: http://instagram.com/neovaii
Twitter: http://twitter.com/neovaii
Facebook: http://facebook.com/neovaii
Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/neovaii

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Behind the Scenes of the Key Finder

jackofallspades98 2019-05-23 | A lot of work and thought went into the process of creating this machine, and in this video, I reveal my in-depth thoughts on the planning, building, and testing phases. I also share some of the lessons I learned from my experience building in this new style of chain reaction art.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:26 Planning
5:22 Building
16:59 Testing
25:55 Lessons

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
The Key Finder (back to main video): youtu.be/YJEzDKibjRo
Watch my other Behind the Scenes videos: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74WYrbX520c-o-2G0zPl1aD
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/joas98Machines

MUSIC:
@JJDofficial - Sugar High
youtu.be/0ajI-NZEpgw
Follow JJD:
YouTube: youtube.com/jjdofficial
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/79a4DDvkxUJy73sCJqrC8q
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/jjdofficial
Facebook: facebook.com/jjdofficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Machine Fusion | Part 1

jackofallspades98 2019-03-15 | It's been a while since the first chain reaction videos were uploaded to YouTube, and the tricks from those videos don't seem as inspiring as they once were. But what if that could change? That's the goal of Machine Fusion.

I made a list of 10 classic tricks, paired them up in absurd combinations, and made 5 mini-machines to demonstrate how those two ideas could be fused together into an entirely new trick. I want to prove that there is still inspiration to be gained from classic machine tricks, you just have to be daring enough to try things that initially seem impossible.

Machine Fusion is a long-term collaboration with cwdreactions. We have been planning this collaboration for a long time, and we're very excited to share it with you! This video is Part 1, cwdreactions released Part 2 in January 2020, and hopefully Part 3 will be an in-person collaboration! Stay tuned for that, and be sure to subscribe to cwdreactions if you aren't already!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Subscribe to cwdreactions: youtube.com/channel/UCJ0py-Fq9hzuaTkz7easRJA/?sub_confirmation=1
Watch Part 2: youtu.be/O6nRqpqonLM

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Newton's Cradle + Ball Launch (166 fails)
Fewest fails: Track Tips when Weight Reaches the End + Track Dominoes & Extended Arm Pushes Ball into Cup + Rotating Track (4 fails)
Most frustrating: Newton's Cradle + Ball Launch
Most fun: Diverging Rails + Gear Chain
Favorite: Diverging Rails + Gear Chain
Longest Build Time: Newton's Cradle + Ball Launch (9 days)
Shortest Build Time: Track Tips when Weight Reaches the End + Track Dominoes (2 days)

#MachineFusion

MUSIC:
All songs by @neovaii! Check him out, he's great!
Intro (First half): Silent - Neovaii
youtu.be/zF2sUaSfeMc
Intro (Second half): At the End - Neovaii
youtu.be/laZn96DYcMc
Weight Unwinds Around Pole + Pulley Ball Lift: Easily - Neovaii
youtu.be/YaJFUMtPrn0
Track Tips when Weight Reaches the End + Track Dominoes: Not You - Neovaii
youtu.be/KDrIIEDrLY8
Extended Arm Pushes Ball into Cup + Rotating Track: Should've Started - Neovaii
youtu.be/fEgn87WTj68
Diverging Rails + Gear Chain: Silent - Neovaii
youtu.be/zF2sUaSfeMc
Newton's Cradle + Ball Launch: Light - Neovaii
youtu.be/7Z2W7WkVRvc
Outro: Light - Neovaii
youtu.be/7Z2W7WkVRvc

Follow Neovaii:
(seriously, check out all his songs, they're all fantastic!)
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/neovaii
Spotify: http://tiny.cc/neovaii
Apple Music: http://bit.ly/neovaii

YouTube: youtube.com/neovaii
Instagram: http://instagram.com/neovaii
Twitter: http://twitter.com/neovaii
Facebook: http://facebook.com/neovaii
Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/neovaii

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/9x8trKhS8K

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Dominoes vs. Machines: Round V (w/ @MarDominoes)

jackofallspades98 2018-11-22 | The annual Dominoes vs. Machines battle returns, and this time I'm taking on my toughest opponent, @MarDominoes! I think this is definitely my best episode yet, but it's up to you to decide who won, so be sure to vote using the poll inside the video!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
MarDominoes: youtube.com/SuperMarMarMan1
Watch Rounds I - IV! youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74UcS7_WMgibJ_tS6YncftP

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Chain Tilt Timing Trick (76 fails)
Fewest fails: Sliding Track Dominoes (3 fails)
Most frustrating: Sliding Ball Lifts
Most fun: Flipping Track Ball Kicker
Favorite: Tilting Gear and Track
Longest Build Time: Autotilting Zigzag Board

#DominoesVsMachines

MUSIC:
@Hyper Potions - Jungle Cruise
fanlink.to/junglecruise

Follow Hyper Potions:
Facebook: facebook.com/hyperpotions
Twitter: twitter.com/hyperpotions
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/hyperpotions
Instagram: instagram.com/hyperpotions

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

#JustOfferAnySuggestion

jackofallspades98 2018-08-26 | You gave me your suggestions, and I made them a reality! After 8 months of intermittent work, the first episode of #JustOfferAnySuggestion is here!

SUGGESTION LIST:
1) 0:37 - Aidan's Machines - timing trick using a motor and gears
2) 0:49 - TheRGMGuy01 - balls go through the holes of a vertical gear
3) 1:11 - The King of Dominoes - use 15 pieces of string
4) 1:39 - SepetRGMs - use a "skill toy" (slinky)
5) 2:11 - TheVarietyGuy - trick that looks cool in reverse
6) 2:21 - Destructotz Domino - multi-use element using only one ping pong ball
7) 2:34 - TheInvention11 - use a K'nex chain
8) 2:51 - Sirgabealot G - reload a launcher
9) 2:57 - TheInvention11 - use a launcher to launch something other than a ball
10) 3:04 - Domino Dan - make a timing trick without using any K'nex

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

I honestly think this is my best video yet, and I think you guys will too. I wanted each and every clip to be unique and special in its own way. There are some clips that are very K'nex-heavy, and some that aren't (there's even one without any!). There are some clips that are bigger, and some that are smaller and more compact. There are some that last over 30 seconds, and some that are only 10 seconds. Of course I'm curious to hear your feedback on your favorites, so leave your thoughts in the comments!
I also tried to use a variety of suggestions, from a variety of people. (The only person who I used two suggestions from is TheInvention11.) I used suggestions for objects to use, objects to NOT use, specific trick formats, and everything in between. I still have a lot of good suggestions left over from the last video, so I should have plenty for Episode 2!
Speaking of Episode 2, I will be lowering the number of clips in the video from 10 to 5. Aside from the weeks I was away (Mixer, Reactica, Literal Machine), it took the entire summer to make 8 clips (the two on the light wood table against the white wall were made in my dorm room in Jan/Feb). This is because I am a very slow and meticulous builder. I'm extremely happy with the outcome of this video, but I'd rather these episodes not take 3 months to make. 5 clips should still make a decently long episode, and I can make episodes more often.
Also, this is the debut video for my new table surface! I'm very happy with how it looks, but I'm even happier with the fact that it works really well with hot glue!

CLIP STATS:
Most fails: Gear Timing Trick (136 fails)
Least fails: Block Dominoes & Hammer Launch (4 fails)
Most frustrating: Quad Launch Through Ring
Most fun: Resetting Launcher (built with Chase)
Favorite: Pulley Autolift
Longest Build Time: "Walking" Gears (10 days)

LINKS:
TheRGMGuy's channel: youtube.com/TheRGMGuy01

MUSIC:
@4tef - PI
youtu.be/Hhlqeq68AWo
Follow Atef:
YouTube: youtube.com/c/AtefOfficial
Twitter: twitter.com/4T3F36
Facebook: facebook.com/AtefFansOfficial
Instagram: instagram.com/4t3f36
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/4tef

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Literal Machine (w/ TheRGMGuy01)

jackofallspades98 2018-08-18 | Within the community, we all use phrases like "foreign object," "autotilt," and "timing trick." And some of these phrases sound a little strange, and could mean something else entirely out of context. So TheRGMGuy01 and I decided to theme an entire machine around the literal meaning of some of the community's favorite phrases, and make tricks based on the alternate meanings of these phrases. There are seven phrases we used, but only five are pointed out in the video. Can you spot the other two??

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
TheRGMGuy01: youtube.com/TheRGMGuy01

For the last week of July, Chase and I got together at his house to build this machine. We knew we wanted to make this machine ahead of time, and I'm glad we had an idea already, because it really helped me get started building. I'm a very slow builder usually, and Chase is really fast, but somehow each of us managed to make about half of the machine. I even made 3 out of the 5 themed ideas. Even more surprising than that, we came incredibly close to actually completing the entire machine. We literally made all but the last corner of the machine, connections and everything, while I was still there. If we hadn't spent quite as much time watching stuff in his home theater, we might have actually finished the machine!
Another surprise was how reliable the machine was. Almost all aspects of the machine worked fairly reliably while I was at Chase's house, which got out hopes up that the testing phase wouldn't be too bad. Even our partial tests indicated that the machine would work fairly quickly. And that turned out to be mostly accurate. The machine had "only" 47 fails, which is not bad considering how many fails each of us have had to deal with in the past.

MUSIC:
@ApproachingNirvana - Apex
youtu.be/nSdr5oCRwGA
Follow Approaching Nirvana:
Spotify: http://bit.ly/AN_Spotify
Facebook: http://facebook.com/approachingnirvana
Twitter: http://twitter.com/approachnirvana
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/approachingnirvana
YouTube: http://youtube.com/approachingnirvana
Instagram: http://instagram.com/approachnirvana
Livestreams: http://twitch.tv/approachingnirvana
Website: http://approachingnirvana.com

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Kern Center Machine 🌼

jackofallspades98 2018-05-20 | In April 2018, Hampshire College's R. W. Kern Center officially completed the Living Building Challenge (LBC). So, I made a massive chain reaction machine that demonstrates how the Kern Center fulfills all the requirements of the LBC. I spent 8 weeks building this machine, and it took 103 fails to get it to work all the way from start to finish. The Kern Center Machine is my largest machine yet, so I hope you enjoy!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Behind the Scenes of the Kern Center Machine: youtu.be/6JkiuXLDjYU
Article about the Kern Center's official certification: living-future.org/lbc/case-studies/r-w-kern-center
"A Living Laboratory" video: vimeo.com/267627225
Raw footage of the machine (if you can't tolerate the music): youtu.be/Ot_KxUOXndk
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/joas98Machines

The Kern Center is a fully sustainable, net-zero building, and a "living building." LBC certification is the highest honor that a building of its kind can receive. Requirements of the LBC are divided into seven sections, or Petals: Materials, Beauty, Water, Place, Energy, Health & Happiness, and Equity. The Kern Center had to fulfill the requirements of each of these 7 Petals in order to be officially certified.

This machine is split into 7 different sections (one for each Petal), each section containing tricks that convey the requirements of that Petal. For example, the dump truck in the Materials section represents the fact that all the construction materials were locally sourced, and the solar panels in the Energy section represent the fact that the building is entirely powered by solar energy.

SPECIAL THANKS:
Christina Cianfrani
Claire Shillington
Chelvanaya Gabriel
Fred Wirth
Sarah Hews
Avery Lopez
Andrew Hart
Jonathan Lash

PHOTO/VIDEO CREDIT:
Avery Lopez: instagram.com/artist_avery
Andrew Hart: https://www.hampshire.edu/communications/communications-office
"A Living Laboratory" video: vimeo.com/267627225

MUSIC:
@MarinHoxha & @CryJaxx - Everlasting
youtu.be/e3tN8hoDS_I
Follow Marin Hoxha:
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/marin-hoxha
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/69kFCyHDE14cRD1cctCCcd
Facebook: facebook.com/Marinhoxhamusic
YouTube: youtube.com/marinhoxha
Instagram: instagram.com/marin.hoxha
Follow CryJaxx:
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/cryjaxx
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4FidvjA9dxE6bhpHGC6ns9
Facebook: facebook.com/CryJaxx
YouTube: youtube.com/cryjaxx
Instagram: instagram.com/CryJaxx

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Behind the Scenes of the Kern Center Machine

jackofallspades98 2018-05-20 | Take a more detailed look at the largest machine I've ever made, as I take you behind the scenes of the Kern Center Machine. I explain the meaning behind each of the themed ideas, then I talk about the process of planning, building, and testing, all the way from start to finish. I know the video is long, but hopefully it's engaging enough to keep you interested all the way through! :)

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:37 Theme Explanations
5:02 Planning
9:21 Building
29:24 Testing
34:36 Final Words

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
The Kern Center Machine (back to main video): youtu.be/FvkWzyJhvtY
Behind the Scenes of the Bet-Losing Machine: youtu.be/WMn2QIy9Ef4
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/joas98Machines

PHOTO/VIDEO CREDIT:
Avery Lopez: instagram.com/artist_avery
Andrew Hart: https://www.hampshire.edu/communications/communications-office
"A Living Laboratory" video: vimeo.com/267627225

MUSIC:
@JJDofficial & Mabeha - Odyssey
youtu.be/3bxStgZjOJU
Follow JJD:
YouTube: youtube.com/jjdofficial
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/79a4DDvkxUJy73sCJqrC8q
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/jjdofficial
Facebook: facebook.com/jjdofficial
Follow Mabeha:
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCKV_BpYeZORORkzThmJnvYg
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6806ssABXsk8hL2gcdeleb
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mabeha
Twitter: twitter.com/mabeha_music
Facebook: facebook.com/mabehaofficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Announcing the 2017 Domino & Machine Awards Show!

jackofallspades98 2018-02-17 | The "Oscars of the Machine and Domino Community" are back for 2017! In collaboration with 38 builders in the community from around the world, join hosts @jackofallspades98 & @StickTrickDominoDude for our annual celebration of the best videos of the past year.

IMPORTANT DATES/TIMES (subject to change slightly since the final show is not entirely edited yet):
Livestream (Pre-Party): jackofallspades98's channel; March 10th, 2018 @ 1:00 PM EST
Livestream (Awards Show): jackofallspades98's channel; March 10th, 2018 @ 1:30 PM EST
Full Awards Show Video: StickTrickDominoDude's channel; March 10th, 2018 @ 3:00 PM EST

LINKS:
StickTrickDominoDude’s channel: youtube.com/sticktrickdominodude
Watch the full 2017 Domino & Machine Awards Show: youtu.be/EbUPYgnsaHI
Watch the archived Pre-Party and Awards Show Livestream: youtu.be/jipsk93eG4U
Watch the previous Domino & Machine Awards Shows: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i76vszliKVvO5uEeH3mYEqA8

Similar to last year, we will have many of your favorite awards, including Best Collaborations, Best Screenlinks, Best Setups, and Best Builders. We will also have many guest announcers come onto the show to help us announce the awards. We will also discuss trends and important events from 2017, just like we did in the 2016 Domino & Machine Awards Show. And of course, as highly requested, we will be bringing back the countdown lists, and even adding more this year.

Speaking of changes, we wanted to let you know what kind of new things you can look forward to in The 2017 Domino & Machine Awards Show.
We have added a few more world-renowned builders to our judges panel this year, so the voting process is even more democratic and fair. We also have added some new faces this year as guest announcers, including a few surprise appearances!
As for the awards, we made some adjustments as well. Based off comments on last year’s Awards Show, we got rid of a few categories to eliminate confusion. We also added three new awards this year that we are very excited about!
You may have noticed even from the trailer that the editing and animations will also be improved from last year. We finally have a real "logo", and we added in a more interesting background. But the most exciting improvement is our redesigned trophy animation! You can tell from the trailer that this trophy is much higher quality, and chroma keys much nicer now!
Overall, the 2017 Domino & Machine Awards Show should be even better than last year. We’ve made a ton of improvements and changes, and we worked really hard on the show again this year. We hope you guys enjoy!

MUSIC:
@FarOutOfficial - Star Wars - The Force Theme (Far Out Cover)
soundcloud.com/faroutofficial/far-out-the-force-theme-star-wars-cover
Download: hypeddit.com/track/sc/igikdn
Follow Far Out:
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/faroutofficial
Facebook: facebook.com/faroutofficial
Instagram: instagram.com/faroutofficial
Twitter: twitter.com/farout_official

#JustOfferAnySuggestion Series Announcement

jackofallspades98 2018-01-06 | I finally decided that it's time for me to start my own individual screenlink series. I haven't had one since I ended Challenge Accepted, and the last Challenge Accepted episode was actually the last screenlink I made by myself.

#JustOfferAnySuggestion is an audience-driven series where I take suggestions from you guys for each clip in the screenlink. So be sure to leave your suggestions in the comments for the things you'd like to see my build. Just remember the hashtag #JustOfferAnySuggestion!

MUSIC:
Cody Sorenson x Kadenza - Starset
youtu.be/sh-A2jYbMd0
Follow Cody Sorenson:
soundcloud.com/codysorenson
facebook.com/CodySorensonMusic
twitter.com/codysorenson_
Follow Kadenza:
soundcloud.com/kadenza-hitti
facebook.com/kadenzadj
twitter.com/DJKadenza

Subscribe for more machines, screenlinks, collaborations, and more! I upload whenever I get around to making a video. I try to upload at least once a month!

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Dominoes vs. Machines: Round IV (w/ @101gabed)

jackofallspades98 2017-11-03 | Dominoes vs. Machines is back! This year I'm going up against @101gabed in a battle to determine which is better: Dominoes? Or Machines?

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
one oh one: youtube.com/101gabed
Watch Rounds I - III! http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74UcS7_WMgibJ_tS6YncftP

CLIP STATS:
Time taken to build: I built one clip (the second one on the old table) back in August, but the rest were built since the end of September
Number of fails: 96 total, which averages out to about 11 fails per clip. Pretty good if you ask me.
Favorite tricks: Track swinging underneath pong shot, track attached to spinning chain, and speed-changing piston
Most failed tricks: Rotating ball lift (32 fails), track swinging underneath pong shot (17 fails)
Most frustrating trick: Rotating ball lift
Predicted fan favorite: Track attached to spinning chain

Dominoes vs. Machines is my favorite series that I do, and I always put a ton of work into each annual episode. I can definitely say that this year's episode is the best Dominoes vs. Machines yet! There are quite a few clips that I made for this that I would say are among my best screenlink clips I've ever made.

This was also the first video I made (almost) completely in my new building space in my college dorm. As you can see, I have almost all of my normal materials here, so I wasn't limited at all by what I was able to build with. I was also happy that the constraints of the space have not limited my creativity, or my ability to keep creating basically any idea I have.

One interesting note about the clips I made this year: None of them had a very large amount of fails. In fact, the most fails I had on a clip was 32, which is pretty good, but the second-most was only 17. So I'm not sure how, but all of these clips were decently reliable, as far as typical screenlink clips go. I even had a one-take wonder on one of them!

#DominoesVsMachines

MUSIC:
Waysons- Running [NCS Release]
youtu.be/Y5TnYaZ31b0
Follow Waysons:
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/waysons
Facebook: http://facebook.com/waysonsofficial
Twitter: http://twitter.com/waysonsofficial
Instagram: http://instagram.com/waysons

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Trickshot Machine 🏓 (w/ @joelsinventions)

jackofallspades98 2017-09-16 | @joelsinventions and I met up for a week to put together this insane machine themed around the idea of launches. We managed to put 5 different launches into this machine, all while also including some other really awesome tricks. I hope you guys enjoy!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
TheInvention11: youtube.com/theinvention11

MACHINE STATS:
Time taken to build: 5 days with Joel (8/14-8/18), 3 weeks alone to finish building, then test and film
Number of fails: 262 "real" fails, 528 if you include the times I missed the beginning shot :(
Favorite tricks: Sliding blocks, double tube trick
Most failed trick: Tilting & sliding tiles
Most frustrating trick: Backwards K'nex launcher

Joel and I had a ton of fun building this machine together. It was the first time I had ever had someone over to my building area, so it was a lot of fun building there with someone else for a change. We decided that we would just build for the 5 days that he was here, instead of trying to film it and get it to work. That allowed us to get a lot of really cool tricks done, although it did leave me with a lot of work to do after he left, which was super stressful because I had to leave for college at the end of August. The machine never actually worked before I left. Luckily, I only live about an hour and 15 minutes away from my school, so I was able to come back home on the weekend of September 9th to keep trying. It ended up working at around 1:30 AM Saturday night (technically Sunday morning...)
We decided to theme the machine around launches because I just got a set of Bing Bang Bounce launchers. (vat19.com/item/bing-bang-bounce-game). When I was at Lily's studio the week before, I noticed she had a set of them, so I got to play around with them quite a bit, and I fell in love. They are so easy to trigger, but they are so accurate. They're also adjustable and very powerful, so they are extremely versatile in machines. We ended up using three of these launchers in the machine; the other two launches were from a K'nex contraption powered by a rubber band, and a pair of wire cutters. Surprisingly, most of the fails in this machine did not come from the launchers, although the K'nex one was definitely the least reliable.
There are actually a lot of tricks in this machine that you might assume were made by one person, but were actually made by the other. I'm interested to see people's guesses about who made what, so feel free to leave those predictions in the comments! :)
This was also the first video I edited with my new video editor, Adobe Premiere Pro. Since I'm now a student, I get a pretty sizable discount on the Adobe Suite (around $250 annually instead of around $1000 annually) so I'll be using that for the next four years (at least...?) Feels so good to finally move away from the increasingly glitchy PowerDirector!

MUSIC:
FyMex - Skyfall
youtu.be/QQR9coZOx8g
Free download: toneden.io/thisisfrequency/post/fymex-skyfall
Follow FyMex:
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/fymex
Twitter: twitter.com/FyMexMusic
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCuS2j57TplFZG0WakcTuHGA
Instagram: instagram.com/fymex
Facebook: facebook.com/FyMexMusic

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The Most Unexpected Screenlink Ever (w/ @joelsinventions)

jackofallspades98 2017-07-29 | Regular screenlinks are cool, but what if we took them to the next level? @joelsinventions and I teamed up to create the most unexpected screenlink ever, with a giant interconnected path, crazy transitions, and insane chain reaction tricks!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
TheInvention11: youtube.com/theinvention11
jackofallspades98: youtube.com/jackofallspades98

We decided to make this screenlink because of our success working together on The Most Complex Screenlink Ever last year. We were inspired by a video that @flashdomino & @MarDominoes made back in 2015. (youtu.be/1x7DSwpdKuE)
We decided to revisit that concept, but apply it to machines, but make it a little more serious as well. We came up with a bunch of ideas for clips that would operate differently than you first expect. Hopefully you guys enjoy some of the surprises we included in this video!

Music:
@JJDofficial - Adventure [NCS Release]
youtu.be/f2xGxd9xPYA
Follow JJD:
YouTube: youtube.com/user/JJDofficial
Facebook: facebook.com/jjdofficial
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/jjdofficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

The Bet-Losing Machine 💸

jackofallspades98 2017-06-17 | After over 4 months of building, and 297 fails, the Bet-Losing Machine is finally here! It's my largest, most complex machine so far, and it lasts for almost 3 minutes! I hope you guys like it!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Behind the Scenes: youtu.be/WMn2QIy9Ef4
Raw Footage (no music!): youtu.be/TU2xKGbbP6c

Time taken to build: over 4 months (February through June)
Number of fails: 297
Favorite trick: shifting autotilt zigzag board
Most failed trick: triple autotilt
Most frustrating tricks: swinging track swing, spinning tube, falling brick

Normally I would put some interesting information, or my overall detailed thoughts about the machine here, but I actually already said most of that in the Behind the Scenes. So if that's something you're interested in, I highly recommend watching that. Don't let the fact that it's 20+ minutes deter you!

Music:
@JJDofficial & @MarinHoxha - Lift
youtube.com/watch?v=6iZXsCNo-vk
Follow JJD:
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/jjdofficial
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jjdofficial
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC9IdQzchnAAwsjQb6DCugPw
Follow Marin Hoxha:
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/marin-hoxha
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCnAbketHOrqM3cpsTv-vFAw
Facebook: facebook.com/Marinhoxhamusic

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

I am also interested in commissioned work, such as live events, commercials, or product placements. Contact me via e-mail at jackofallspades98@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Behind the Scenes of the Bet-Losing Machine

jackofallspades98 2017-06-17 | I didn't explain the story of the bet in the main video, so in this video, I tell the story behind the Bet-Losing Machine. You also get to see some other behind the scenes of the machine itself. Enjoy!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
The Bet-Losing Machine (back to main video): youtu.be/fzlsqGTiEoU

Even though this video is 20+ minutes long, I think it's actually pretty interesting, because it's not just me talking to the camera the whole time. There are enough breaks in the monotony to make the video move along quickly. But let me know what you think. I wasn't expecting the video to be 20+ minutes when I made it, but it's okay. I like it.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:15 Backstory
3:23 Fails
8:04 Tricks
20:41 Final Words

Music:
@AlexSkrindo & @Geoxor - KawaiiStep
youtube.com/watch?v=-KA7Hj16LUw
Follow Alex Skrindo:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlexanderSkrindo
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/alex-skrindo
Twitter: twitter.com/AlexSkrindo
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/21noocead12
Follow Geoxor:
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/geoxor_official
Facebook: facebook.com/Geoxor
Twitter: twitter.com/Geoxor
YouTube: youtube.com/geoxor

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

Brains in Motion 2017: Machine Close-Up

jackofallspades98 2017-03-25 | Last week, I met up with @StickTrickDominoDude and @DynamicDomino in Rochester, New York to help set up 10,000 dominoes and two machine tables for the "Brains in Motion" event at the Strong Museum of Play. Here is a closer look at just the machine from the event.

Links:
Full Falldown: youtu.be/O8x_2LRn7RI
Behind the Scenes: youtu.be/bS2keysKGMI
Day-by-Day Vlogs: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhneQDEkiN5ok-pcSRRPRp7S2KAnwIsXx

My experience building for this event was one of the most fun experiences of my life. It was a ton of fun hanging out with Michael and Hayden for 3 days while putting together a really great machine. This machine literally had a 100% success rate, when set up correctly (which it wasn't for the first falldown, so it failed). Even though this machine obviously isn't in my regular compact, complicated style, I'm still very proud of it. Not only did it work every single time we tested it, I also managed to include some really awesome tricks. The unfolding and collapsing quad-fold board was a trick I had in mind for a *really* long time. The drum-bounce trick was a good crowd-pleaser, and the K'nex motor trick (especially the design for how to get the trick started) was pretty complicated, but extremely reliable.
Overall, I think this event was so much better than last year's. With a working machine and 10,000 dominoes, I would think there will be a Strong Museum Domino Toppling 2018 as well. ;)

Music:
@robgassermusic - Supersonic [NCS Release]
youtu.be/TdEo002K2GQ
Follow Rob Gasser:
Facebook: facebook.com/robgassermusic
Twitter: twitter.com/robgassermusic
YouTube: youtube.com/user/robgassermusic

Subscribe for more machines, screenlinks, collaborations, and more! I upload whenever I get around to making a video. I try to upload at least once a month!

Announcing the 2016 Domino & Machine Awards Show

jackofallspades98 2017-02-25 | Dozens of channels. Hundreds of videos. Only one Domino & Machine Awards Show.

@StickTrickDominoDude and @jackofallspades98 teamed up to put together the one and only 2016 Domino & Machine Awards Show, where we take a look back at the best videos from 2016. We have nominated almost 100 videos for 21 different awards, with 38 builders in total nominated for awards. So we invite you to tune in one week from today when we unveil the winners of the awards.

IMPORTANT DATES:
LIVESTREAM:
-jackofallspades98’s channel
-Saturday, March 4th
-1:00 PM EST

REGULAR VIDEO:
-StickTrickDominoDude’s channel
-Saturday, March 4th
-2:30 PM EST

Music:
@Geoxor - You & I [NCS Release]
youtube.com/watch?v=1lcc21RQx_A
Follow Geoxor:
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/geoxor_official
Facebook: facebook.com/Geoxor
Twitter: twitter.com/Geoxor
YouTube: youtube.com/c/Geoxor
Instagram: instagram.com/geoxor

The Letter to Santa Machine 🎅

jackofallspades98 2016-12-31 | Now you can watch and share the individual machine from A Chain Reaction Christmas Carol without the rest of the story as well! There is also a screenlinked segment in there too, so you can understand the machine a bit better.

Links:
Watch the short film: youtube.com/watch?v=TqhYrmWTuWw
Visit @StickTrickDominoDude's channel: youtube.com/StickTrickDominoDude
Watch his individual machine:

In this machine, I tried using WAY more foreign objects than I usually do, and I think I like the outcome. I was able to find multiple uses for a lot of foreign objects (cup, swinging ornament), but even for the objects with only single uses, that single use was still really cool (ornament that cracks open, reindeer card holder). Overall, I'm really happy with how this machine came out, and I hope you enjoy it!

Music:
AudioNetowrk - Hip Hop Holiday
us.audionetwork.com/browse/m/track/hip-hop-holiday_70676

A Chain Reaction Christmas Carol (w/ StickTrickDominoDude)

jackofallspades98 2016-12-24 | It’s Christmas Eve and while jackofallspades98 is busily preparing for his second annual chain reaction for Santa, StickTrickDominoDude has lost his Christmas spirit. Then he gets a visit from someone in the night…

For the second year in a row, StickTrickDominoDude and I team up to tell a Christmas story with chain reactions. At first, we didn't want to make another Christmas Special, because we didn't think we could top last year’s video. But we got a suggestion from Sirgabealot G, who said we should make a video based on the plot of A Christmas Carol. StickTrickDominoDude started writing a script based on that title and presented the idea to me and I loved it immediately. So we decided to make A Chain Reaction Christmas Carol.

It was an incredibly hard task to accomplish because we had to do much more than build machines. We had to first write up a script for the film (It took up a total of 9 pages in a document, 13 including all the filming notes), decide what camera angles to film from, film all the scenes for the video, build two full length machines, and then edit the 15 minute long video (I did all the editing actually). We also decided to keep it secret from our viewers again so that they could have a nice surprise on Christmas Eve.

Be sure to check out last year’s Christmas Special also made by us:
youtube.com/watch?v=XN9qYrc0njU

Links:
Visit jackofallspades98’s channel: youtube.com/jackofallspades98
Visit StickTrickDominoDude’s channel: youtube.com/StickTrickDominoDude
jackofallspades98's machine: youtube.com/watch?v=jNjLjda3WPY
StickTrickDominoDude's machine: youtube.com/watch?v=QrwpK7AWoUc
Bloopers/Outtakes: youtube.com/watch?v=IAwBJQJOIkk

Music:
Cinnamon And Cookies- Audio Network
audionetwork.com/browse/m/track/cinnamon-and-cookies_49367
Hip Hop Holiday- Audio Network
audionetwork.com/browse/m/track/hip-hop-holiday_70676
Carol of the Bells- David Foster
youtube.com/watch?v=m_b5wAGVWA8

Dominoes vs. Machines: Round III (w/ @flashdomino)

jackofallspades98 2016-11-03 | It's time for Dominoes vs. Machines, the annual contest where I team up with a domino builder to see which is better: Dominoes? Or Machines? This year, I team up (and battle against!) @flashdomino, one of my favorite domino artists in the community.

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Flash Domino: youtube.com/flashdomino
Behind the Scenes: youtube.com/watch?v=s1YhkwvdHmI
Watch Rounds I & II! youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJc_biUk0i74UcS7_WMgibJ_tS6YncftP

This is the third straight year I've done Dominoes vs. Machines, and I think this may be the best one yet! I still have quite a bit of nostalgia when I watch the last one, but maybe in a year I'll have the same feelings about this one. Who knows?
Unfortunately, even though this might be the best DvM yet, I don't think these are my best screenlink clips. Usually the goal for DvM is to make it my best work every year. However, I got a bit too carried away with the last video, and I think THAT ended up being my best work. Either way, though, I hope this video is still fun for you guys; I did put a lot of work into it.
Link to that video if you haven't seen it: youtube.com/watch?v=qUjT7gFmWOw

#DominoesVsMachines

MUSIC:
@avenzamusic - Game On
youtube.com/watch?v=5miOiKDnAA4
toneden.io/avenza/post/avenza-game-on-original-mix

Subscribe for more machines, screenlinks, collaborations, and more! I upload whenever I get around to making a video. I try to upload at least once a month!

The Most Complex Screenlink Ever (w/ @joelsinventions)

jackofallspades98 2016-10-27 | Regular screenlinks are cool, but what if we took them to the next level? @joelsinventions and I teamed up to create the most complex screenlink ever, with a giant interconnected path, crazy transitions, and insane chain reaction tricks!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

LINKS:
Behind the Scenes: youtube.com/watch?v=pG00-qrt2kk
Each clip as a continuous shot: youtube.com/watch?v=ukqM-FdZoJU

TheInvention11: youtube.com/user/TheInvention11

As you can imagine, creating this video took a ton of careful planning and collaborating. Joel and I did many video calls to sort out how we would make this screenlink work. We had to decide on the path for the screenlink, which transitions to use where, and how to split up our clips into 2-3 segments.
While building the clips for this video, my main goal was to make everything as insane as possible. Instead of showcasing each idea in a simple and understandable way (which is the goal for Dominoes vs. Machines), I wanted to take every trick I made to the next level. And I think I was able to do that.

Music:
@JJDofficial - Adventure [NCS Release]
youtube.com/watch?v=f2xGxd9xPYA
Follow JJD:
YouTube: youtube.com/user/JJDofficial
Facebook: facebook.com/jjdofficial
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/jjdofficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU

Multi-Use Machines (w/TheRGMGuy01)

jackofallspades98 2016-08-31 | I teamed up with TheRGMGuy01 to create this video that gets progressively more complicated as it goes on. The idea was for each mini-machine, an object was used one more time than the last clip, all the way up to a single object being used 10 times in the same clip. I think the final product turned out great!

Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/jackofallspades98

If you're curious to see the full list of the uses for each object, here is the full list:

Diablo
1. Acts as a bowl for the marbles to roll around in

Pivot Track
1. Hits K'nex lever
2. Hits K'nex lever again

Cardboard Tube
1. Yellow marble rolls through it
2. Hits domino off the table
3. White marble rolls through it

Piston
1. Pushes orange ping pong ball into the next track
2. Wedges white ping pong ball into nearby track
3. Pushes Hot Wheels car onto the next track
4. Tips over and pushes over sign

Gear
1. Filters the ping pong ball (marble fits through but ping pong ball doesn't)
2. Hits the K'nex lever
3. Used as an actual gear to release the blue ball
4. Pushes over the wood block
5. Used as an actual gear again to pull back the car

Yogurt Cup
1. Orange ping pong ball rolls across it
2. Carries billiard ball
3. Hits orange ping pong ball
4. Orange ping pong ball rolls across it
5. Hits orange ping pong ball
6. Marble rolls across it

Brio Train
1. Pushes yellow train car with track on top into position
2. Hits K'nex lever
3. Pulls blue train car with track on top into position
4. Hits K'nex direction changer
5. Hits K'nex lever
6. Carries pink ball into position
7. Turns direction changer around, revealing sign

Can
1. Hits the ball into the yogurt cup
2. Carries the orange ball
3. Hits a lever as it rotates
4. Acts as a weight on the K'nex lever to allow the marble to fall out
5. Carries the white ping pong ball
6. Hits the blue marble
7. Knocks over the last board
8. Guides the last orange ball

Direction Changer
1. Releases the purple marble
2. Slows down the blue ball so it can make the turn
3. Pushes the yellow marble
4. Completes the other half of the track for the orange ball
5. Knocks over the tall domino
6. Hits the yellow ball
7. Hits the pink ball
8. Knocks over line of dominoes
9. Hits the green ball

Hot Wheels Track
1. Hits K'nex lever, knocking off orange domino
2. Hits ping pong ball
3. Hits ping pong ball
4. Hits ping pong ball
5. Acts as a track for ping pong ball
6. Hits K'nex lever, releasing ping pong ball
7. Weighs down K'nex lever, releasing ping pong ball
8. Weighs down K'nex lever, releasing ping pong ball
9. Hits K'nex lever on the way back up, releasing ping pong ball
10. Hits K'nex lever as it falls back down, releasing ping pong ball

Music:
@JJDofficial - Harmony
youtube.com/watch?v=_MRp1Rtd8ek
http://stereoload.com/jjdofficial/jjd-harmony
Follow JJD:
Facebook: facebook.com/jjdofficial
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/jjdofficial

Want to hang out with other chain reaction artists and enthusiasts? Join the official Domino & Machine Community Discord server! discord.gg/NRj5NwU