talkmagic.co.uk

by **bananafish** » Aug 2nd, '04, 15:19

Teaching Resources: www.youdomagic.com
http://www.youdomagic.com by Dan Turcotte.

On-Line teaching resources in General

Magic has never been easier to learn. We have magazines, books, DVDs, Videos, local stores, online stores and online resources to name but a few.

As we are now firmly in the age of the World Wide Web, the online resource is becoming more and more popular method, and Dan Turcotte’s site, www.YouDoMagic.Com is a perfect example of what this kind of magic teaching resource has to offer.

Some of the advantages of buying lessons from an online resource are that you get immediate gratification and you only have to buy the specific bits and pieces you are looking for. In many cases (and www.youdomagic.com is one such case) It also has the advantage of consisting of both the written word (pdf) and a video clip.

It’s no secret that I am a bigger fan of the book when it comes to the great “Book versus DVD” debate, which incidentally I hope this thread doesn’t spark off again. However I will readily accept that many people prefer a more visual teaching aid, and I myself have many DVD’s which I wouldn’t be without. In other words there is more than enough room for both sets of media.

Similarly I feel that there is also more than enough room for the instant download, chapter specific type of teaching aid, that may teach one sleight or trick, but teach it very well. Some will disagree and consequentially will never use a site like this, but many others will find it a godsend.

Just think how popular a pdf/video teaching the just Elmsley count would be for example, especially if it include variations such as “Jumbo cards, At finger tips, in deep hand, more than 4 cards etc). Their constantly seems to be questions on one aspect or another of the EC, and I am sure a vast number of budding magicians would have been more than happy to pay $5 for just such a download.

I hasten to add that this particular sleight isn’t on Dan’s site, but I still feel it serves as an excellent example to why these resources are worth their weight in Gold. Another good example of an effect/sleight that is actually sold on Dan’s site is “Crazy Man’s Handcuffs”. For me this is one of the classics of magic, and as much as I really would prefer to be the only person in the world that does it, it’s too good, and has to be shared.

www.YouDoMagic.Com

I personally have used YouDoMagic.Com many times, and have no problem thoroughly recommending it to anyone and everyone. Dan Turcotte, the author of the tutorials is not just friendly and helpful, but he always seems to be readily available. Every email I have sent always seems to be replied in a matter of minutes, and bearing in mind that we are in different time zones, and that he is a working magician, I find that quite incredible (or maybe just very lucky on my part).

The website itself I did initially find a little confusing. Especially when it came to trying to work out what the special offers involved, but the information is all there, it’s just a matter of reading what’s there very carefully.

One of my biggest fears of first using a site like this was that you have absolutely no idea how good the lessons are going to be. There are no pages to flip through, and as Dan Turcotte isn’t a big household name, then there is a certain amount of risk involved in making the first order. However, having said that, the downloads are so cheap that it really wasn’t much of a risk at all.

Another reason why it has to be said that downloading any tutorials from YouDoMagic is relatively risk free, is because Dan Turcotte is himself an extremely talented working professional, which becomes obvious as many of his downloads include video clips of him using the specific effect/trick in a live table hopping (or other) situation. Dan is an awesome performer and in my mind these performance clips are just as vital as the tutorial clips.

Most of the downloads consist of one (or more) PDF files and one or more (usually many more) video clips. Included with some of the video tutorials there are usually also clips of Dan performing the specific routine.

I have suggested to Dan that he may want to make some of these “performance orientated” clips available as free downloads, as if you saw him perform I feel more people would feel comfortable buying tutorials from him, however on the flip side of this, by getting the performances included you really do feel that you are getting your money’s worth.

One of the other enhancements that I might suggest he makes on his site, is to include somewhere where customers can rate or review each download. As long as this wasn’t edited to just include the good reviews t may prove useful for potential customers. Also a count of how many times each tutorial has been downloaded may prove to be useful.

Downloads available

I wont review the specific downloads I have already purchased in this thread, (as it seems to have gone on long enough already) but watch the reviews section as I hope to add specific reviews for each one at a later date.

There are actually far too many downloads to list here (and there seem to be more each time I look), so your best bet is to actually look at his site.

www.youdomagic.com

Bottom Line

Great tutorials, from a seasoned magician. Initially I would have said that these downloads were aimed more at the beginner than anyone else, however the fact that Dan Turcotte IS a working professional, and that he is teaching moves and effects that will help anyone serious in becoming a working professional progress to the next level, then I would suggest that they are really aimed at the intermediate magician.

by **taneous** » Aug 2nd, '04, 15:33

Thanks for the review. I also like the way this site is going. It seems to be genuinely helpful, rather than just there to make the quick buck like some other download magic sites seem out to do (I'll keep them anonymous)