talkmagic.co.uk

For many years we have been able to view and be taught magic with the aid of video. In the early day of VHS, the quality was appalling but we could at least enjoy the actual content. These days with DVD, Blue Ray and modern video cameras, we can enjoy our magic in, most instances, almost broadcast quality. Even the humblest of computers come with a basic video-editing programme. If there is more than a passing interest in producing videos, then more advanced editing programmes are available at a modest cost. If you are a video nut, then editing programmes costing many hundreds of ££££££s are available.

The production of a teaching magic DVD involves the magician and Technical crew (Cameraman, Sound man, editor and the DVD production and so on). In many instances it’s just the magician whilst all the other skills being undertaken by one other, unless it’s a big budget production, when there is a team behind it all.

The magician naturally wants to display his skills (that’s the object of the programme). Sadly so do some video editors/DVD creators with their programme that will create the most amazing things.

In some ways the editing skills and DVD making should not be apparent and not, as in so many cases, over done and thrust down our throats to the annoyance of many.

A DVD of effects just viewed is a recent example.. Firstly the demo of flashing ‘over the top’ titles with loud raucous music (sounded like sawing wood to me!) Other flashing images of no real interest were next. There were 10 effects on the DVD. The first main menu gave the choice of ‘Play all’ or ‘Chapters’. ‘Play all’ did as stated but after viewing all the effects then followed the explanations. Surely the explanation should follow the actual effect? If one clicked on ‘Chapters’ then, having viewed a selected chapter of the effect, it then returned to the Main Menu. One then had to select another chapter to move on. If one wanted the explanations then one had to go to a sub-menu. . . . . and so on and on. Sadly each chapter and explanation was also prefixed with more ‘over the top’ musak and images. Mind bending and crushingly boring and unwanted.

All this was totally frustrating. Of course having ‘Chapters’ for each effect is fine, but have the explanation following straight on from the effect without having to search through a sub-menu would have been fine. The old line of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) springs to mind.

Having blown my top a little on this I will now go to the other end of the scale. There are some magicians/dealers who trim the production values of their DVDs to the very bone. I have one here that wasn’t even supplied in a standard DVD box with printed insert. The DVD arrived in a thin clear plastic sleeve with a slip of printed-paper giving the name of the product. The face of the disc was blank with not even the name of the programme written on it. If the disc got muddled with others from the same stable, the only way to discovering the content would be to play it. A name written with a ‘Sharpie’ would have been adequate at least. Would the cost of production have been much more to just add the name to the disc with a pen or even a label? The actual content of the programme from this very well known name was very good. The product was quite inexpensive also. Just let down by penny pinching on the production values. Showmanship and presentation come to mind.

My profession for many, many years has been that of Magician but also I have been involved in no small way with video & DVD production including several magical productions. Therefore I see things from both sides of the fence. I will now climb down from my high horse.

Forum members might like to argue about this. Here endeth the lesson. Amen. Mark

As someone from the low end production values end of the scale, an observation;

Magic still has a lot of 'cottage industry' producers. Years ago it would be self printed manuscripts, these days it's DVDs and downloads. Many do not have the volume or budget for flash and packaging, so a home burned DVD is what you get. If you are worried about losing a disc in your collection because it is blank, what is to stop _you_ from writing a title on it with a Sharpie? (although I do label all my discs).

Like the early uses of the Great Automatic Grammaticiser (a reference worthy of looking up) it is all too easy to overload a DVD with the toys one is given with your shiny new DVD authoring package. As a teacher I have other opinions about this, which will have to wait for another day.

As has been mentioned many, many times before; the problem is one of self editing. It's just not there.

I really have come to despise magic 'teaching' dvd's and effects no longer come with written instructions. First I am subjected to a useless intro, usually that has nothing to do with the effect.

I too have had issues with navigating the DVD's with chapters and sub menu's. I end up getting very fustrated. There was one where I had to keep switching back from the performance to the instructions which should be easy. But no. I kept having to back out of everything.

And once again it comes down to magicians not really caring about putting out a good solid product.

Thanks for replies. I think we must be careful NOT to blame the performer magician as - generally - all the video technical stuff is left in the hands of the DVD producers. As Ian has said "it is all too easy to overload a DVD with the toys one is given with the shiny new DVD authoring package" Many producers of DVDs just can't resist playing with all the wonderful facilities just because they are there available to use. Even some experienced DVD producers can't resist embellishing their products by overloading them with gimmicks.The results in many cases frustrate many of us.

No doubt the performer magician is quite thrilled when seeing his magic published to the world, not appreciating these excess gimmicks makes many of us viewers grind our teeth . . . . Mark