talkmagic.co.uk

mark lewis wrote:Did he belch in Debenhams?

Violently!!!

Must be the booze. Some things don't change.

mark lewis wrote:Must be the booze. Some things don't change.

I knew there must be a reason I liked him so much...

Rob Jones wrote:I was browsing these forums when i came across this topic and i thought it was only fair to e mail Brad the link so he would have a chance to respond.

We are (at least I know I am) happy that you informed him, because we couldn't make this kind of conversation anywhere else.

mark lewis wrote:It ill behooves the gentleman from Australia to chatter about the wickedness of cheating and ripping off the public when I note that he hails from Australia which is populated by the descendants of convicts of whom his great great grandfather was undoubtedly one.

Oh but my wicked friend, this is where you are terribly mistaken! I see you’re analytical and mind reading skills are not up to scratch! I am a first generation Australian of Greek decent - hence the name Costas, derived from Constantinos, named after The Roman Emperor who's statue stands proudly besides the Yorkshire Minster (which for some reason I believe you would be familiar with, but then again I am no mentalist). You should have also noticed that I speak with a slight accent arisen from the years I have spent in Greece. So those poor convicts you refer to are more likely to be of your stock than mine . In fact my heritage traces back to the very civilisation that brought the art of magic into Europe and supplied the word to describe it:

magic // n., adj., & v.
[Middle English via Old French magique from Latin magicus (adj.), Late Latin magica (n.), from Greek magike (tekhne) ‘(art of) a magus’]

(Reference stolen from the Concise Oxford Dictionary Ninth Edition)

You would know that one of the all time showstoppers performed by the ancient Greeks was that famous wooden horse that seemed to produce blood-thirsty soldiers out of nowhere.

Now, what I have just stated could be interpreted that the Greeks were no better than the convicts deported to Australia; as they are held responsible for teaching the rest of the Europeans how to lie, cheat and steal (which we all know are mandatory skills to have when performing magic). So I guess I am back to square one. Maybe I am a liar and thief just like YOU, but a different type to the one you assumed

Rob Jones wrote:I was browsing these forums when i came across this topic and i thought it was only fair to e mail Brad the link so he would have a chance to respond

I don’t think its fair to talk about someone if they are not given the chance to reply

Rob

I am glad, like GaMeR, you did contact him. It was nice to see that Brad C was given a chance to respond. I don't think anyone on this forum has anything to hide (except for the secrets to their tricks ). It is a forum which is for people to speak their mind openly and freely regarding anything to do with their art. This also naturally includes reviews on products they purchase, from whom they purchase them from and why.

But just out of curiosity Rob, who are you? Are you a fellow magician? This is the first time I have seen you on this forum.

Oh. The Greeks are even worse than the Australians. I live in a Greek area of Toronto so I should know.

My cousin in London had some kind of business where he would supply materials to all the Greek tailors. He used to go nuts because their cheques would always bounce. He went bankrupt in the end. To this day he blames it on the Greeks.

They make good Kebabs though.

I really like watching the videos on ellusionist, the editing is usually great and its a nice way of seeing some great performers in action. However im not a fan of downloading tricks, nor am I a fan of their prices. A great website to use for possibly researching your next trick to learn, but certainly not a place id buy from.

regards,

Alex

mark lewis wrote:They make good Kebabs though.

Ours are better. Please try if you can..
(If you come to Turkey, they are free for all of you )


By the way I saw that I didn't post about the main topic here after Brad C. showed up. My thoughts have changed, he's right about the forums moderated that much and deleting some of the videos. Also they have a nice place to start magic there, but I still don't like single tricks-the prices. That's my opinion on them, I kow they don't care. They are not that evil.

GaMeR wrote:

mark lewis wrote:They make good Kebabs though.

Ours are better. Please try if you can..
(If you come to Turkey, they are free for all of you )


By the way I saw that I didn't post about the main topic here after Brad C. showed up. My thoughts have changed, he's right about the forums moderated that much and deleting some of the videos. Also they have a nice place to start magic there, but I still don't like single tricks-the prices. That's my opinion on them, I kow they don't care. They are not that evil.

Remember that our single trick prices are not the same as "pulling a single trick off a DVD" and making it's own DVD. It starts with an incredible trick that we feel is really worth going into a lot of depth on. Then it gets it's own DVD and a lot of thought. We almost always go out and multiple film street performances, and put a lot into the training of every little application regarding the trick which I feel is far more beneficial than a quick, glossy, go-over.

Another way of looking at it...


While you may think that a single trick costs a lot of money, just think how many times you are going to perform it. Lets say for example a single trick costs $10.00 and you perform it 10 times, that turns out to be $1.00 per performance.

In reality you are going to perform it a lot more times than that, so in effect it pays for itself over a period of time.

Yeah I know that, Brad Christian. I have no doubt E's videos have its own place in other downloadable tricks. For example; Penguin Magic's downloadables. I shop there, I buy decks and books -they are great- but I won't ever get a downloadable from there. If I see a really good effect from E; I like to get it. I know your products and I like the first E dvds I own; so I want to see more products like those, that's it. (I'm waiting for Gaffed Deck Dvd for now)

Also as Hyperbit said, if you perform that trick once and get great reactions it's worth it. People are buying just to know the secrets nowadays and then get disappointed with them. If you need that trick, and willing to to perform it not to just to know the secret, then it's worth it.
But since I started magic a year ago, I have many others things to buy; and I can't afford single tricks for now. Maybe in future.

Why is it everywhere I go I keep seeing GaMer!!

And also Brad, I love your teachings in Inside Magic and Street Magic DVDs, these where great, but I think E tends to overhype its products. I know at the end of the day its your product and you can do what you like with it, but please, dum down the hype. Build the effect up, but remember if a effect is good, it should sell itself by word of mouth via the meduim of the wacky world of magic forums.

I think Ellusionist is a great site, for the most part their products are very well presented and if you watch carefully and time things well... very very well priced (eg. how to do street magic DVD + King Rising DVD for US$30... amazing!!!)

i often read people "bashing Ellusionist", making comments like "didn't someone else think of that first..." and "same sh*t different wrapping" and "flashy but little substance..."

rarely (by their own admission) have the people making such comments got any direct experience with the product they are "bashing" or even any experience with doing business with Ellusionist themselves.

as someone relatively new to magic, the one thing i can see very clearly is that presentation, presentation, presentation is as, if not more important than any sleight of hand or well gaffed gimmick. and in many cases, it is that precise presentation, suggested handling, key points to focus on, that can make even an old concept... so much more effective it seems like it is NEW. does anyone do that better than Ellusionist??? even Banacheck said Wayne Houchin's handling of Stigmata was better than his... so all those people knocking Stigmata as a waste of money and a "copy" of something someone else did... are you more qualified than Banacheck to make that observation? do you own Wayne Houchin's Stigmata?

I dont know who first did the "DL", but to suggest that whoever did the first DL owns 100% of the intellectual property for every subsequent trick that "includes" the DL is ridiculous! Through my "day job" a have a lot of experience with patents and intellectual property and i can tell you that in the end, very little is 100% new, the people who take what is there, make it as good as it can be, make it better, then put in the hard work to sell it, are the one's who benefit... which is just as it should be.

I am not sure what this "Mark Lewis" from earlier in this topic is trying to say. trying much too hard to "appear" intellectual. he comes across as very bitter and jealous of Brad Christian, sad really. doesn't like Aussies either it seems, but big deal... we dont get upset or offended so easy.

Thanks to "money making" ventures such as Ellusionist & The World Magic Shop & Penguin Magic, my childhood fascination in magic has now been realised in adulthood. and i tell you, doing a few tricks for my 6 and 10 year old sons at a restaurant on the weekend, seeing the looks on their faces as their eyes light up... worth every cent of the $100's of dollars i willingly spend at Ellusionist.com

i tell you, doing a few tricks for my 6 and 10 year old sons at a restaurant on the weekend, seeing the looks on their faces as their eyes light up... worth every cent of the $100's of dollars i willingly spend at Ellusionist.com

Now thats is fine and yes, nothing beats the look in spec eye when you floor them with a good effect.

But if you were to stop and think, perhaps with a bit of shopping around and not being taken in by the hype you could get the same effects for about 1/2 the price. You might well have $100's to spend, but many do not. I just feel sorry for the kids that spend what little they have on a $30 one effect rip off, when for $15 they could get a good book and MORE effects for the cash.

Dont get me wrong, the big E has many fine products and effects (The Ghost Deck is fanatsic!) but they tend to Hype up effects too much.

Its the hype, not Brad, not E, but the marketing and advertising that do the damage.