talkmagic.co.uk

Charles Calthrop wrote:

abraxus wrote:if only Sadowitz would do a teach-in...

There's more chance of him appearing on Celebrity Come Dancing.

He's actually made an instructional video called "seleted card secrets" although I heard from the horses mouth it was a long time ago and not meant to be released to the public... it is of course available at your nearest file sharing program like most things... Its also very good in its content although it was filmed in a bedroom in Glasgow if I rememeber correctley so is somewhat lacking in the L&L production values but is never the less a fine example of how great a card man he is..
I heard he was not happy about it as it was meant for friends only... which must mean at least one of his friends disagreed as I do.

There are also many copies floating around of his past tv shows.. all of which are very funny.

I find that people who gripe about the effects he sells are people who already know the effects. As someone who is completely new to magic (I know...the DL, the French Drop, and tenkai....and that's it...), I think that if you have to start at square one, Ellusionist is an excellent, if somewhat expensive option. However, I would surmise that you would have to be much more selective if you are already an expert and you go to ellusionist.com.

From the mouth of a beginner (and therefore someone who is oblivious to most of the tricks E sells), I can't fault E for anything except the pricing!

ozy - that's why we always recommend The Royal Road to Card Magic (book) to everyone, as its less than ten pounds and covers a massive amount more than any ellusionist dvd...

thats not to say they dont have their worth, but its always best to start off with the classics....

It's interesting how some people like Brad and others hate him?

One must remember that in most cases the demonstrator of magic is not really a magician. They are in fact a sells person like those who work at the counters of Macys.

So to be angry with a person for selling there products is just ridiculous. What else would you do with them?

My problem with the Ellusionist site is not with Brad but with the things he sells. While I agree with the above poster that he meaning Brad is catering to the newbie, I think there are better effects , books, and DVDs that he could push if in fact magic was his goal.

No I think Mr. Christian is just interested in money and so the quality of his material is suspect to me. There are at least 3 tricks I can think of on his site that use saliva as there secret and at about $25 a piece I think it a little high for spit.

So in conclusion, I don't hate the man, but wish he would sell better items to the newbie’s. Don’t get me wrong people need to pay there dues just not for their own bodily fluids. LOL

Thanks for reading.

I have the same problem with Brads videos, that I have with most magic DVD's.
They go over and over and over and over and over and over the same thing again and again and again and again and again and again. I'm sure this is to fill time so they can put out an hour and a half DVD, for something that could be taught in ten minutes. Probably to justify the cost, but the secret is the value not the amount of times it is repeated from different angles.
I don't see the point, probably because I have one of those really ultra modern DVD players that actually has a pause and rewind button.

I started magic with E videos. They were expensive but they helped me, a lot. Brad gives many information to a beginner, like practicing tips or some ethics which I never heard from Mr. Sankey dvds. I'm glad I started with those videos, but I wished they produce more of those kind of things, not single tricks.

I agree that it can be an expensive option compared to a book like Royal Road, but he does give a lot of tips on presentation, alternative handlings etc. Also the presentation etc in RR is a bit antiquated, I know that good magicians will make tricks their own, and come up with their own lines and patter. But as a relative beginner I feel that after studying with one of Brad's dvds, I am really ready to go and perform the trick. With RR I have to learnt the technique and trick, then try to think how to present it in a more contemporary setting.