Review of Anywhere - Anytime Close-Up Magic DVDs

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mormonyoyoman
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Joined: April 4th, 2008, 10:54 pm

Review of Anywhere - Anytime Close-Up Magic DVDs

Postby mormonyoyoman » December 26th, 2004, 12:43 pm

(apologies if this is the wrong section...didn't find a place where a review might go)

Its a set of videos! Its a set of books! Wait! Its TWO (yes, two) two hints in one!

Its an investment is what it is. This is not some set that youll view and throw on the bookshelf. This is meat and potatoes stuff, magic which youll use to get and keep jobs and to get yourself booked. And it all comes across as quite simple.

Theres the Pass, the Back Palm, the Strike Double Lift, the Diagonal Center Steal, and the maneuvers for the Rising Card from Normal Deck. Beyond those, there are no difficult hand lessons for knucklebusting, but for people who are either creating their own repertoire or moving their magic to the next level of audience appreciation.

This is not to say that the routines wont need practice and rehearsal on your part. What I mean, is that youll learn (or re-learn in new ways) magic which enthralls your audience and increases your reputation but you wont learn fancy flourishes or the most difficult ways to accomplish routines. Dan Turcotte seems to operate from the idea that the best route to a goal, is a straight line. No complications, no detours. And thats what these lessons provide.

Nor are they dry and boring. Indeed, a good portion of the lessons are videos of Dan interacting with real audiences, completely spontaneously. Heres where youll pick up such valuable hints such as body language, inflection, and audience direction. Youll see how to make the audience your friend(s), who are anxious for you to succeed with your magic. Theres more than an hour of such videos, and each should be studied for examples of how to control the moment.

What video does best, it does on these DVDs. But theres a lot which video cant teach and thats why there are 27 books (in PDF) included on these DVDs. (Or a CD, if your computer cant read DVD.) Dans style in performing is also demonstrated here, as the books are cut-to-the-chase direct, and simple to understand. They augment, and are augmented by, the videos used together, theyre unstoppable.

Besides the intangibles mentioned above (and dont discount their importance!) what are these routines which are taught so well?

- Eleven pieces of card magic, including three handlings for trick decks such as Card-Toon.
- Thirteen card sleights.
- Seven hand sleights, such as a unique in your hand version of the Cups & Balls, and a handling for DLites.
- Four rubber band effects.
- Five money (coins and bills) effects. These include a handling for pen through dollar and a coin vanish which has been called the best coin vanish I have ever seen,
and I mean it!" by Tom Mullica.
- This isnt a routine, but Ill mention it here: Dan includes instructions on building a very classy, very expensive-looking magic table and building it for under $30.
- This isnt a routine either. Sort of. Theres a book in here called The Enlightened Communicators Guidebook, which is sort of a how to talk to anyone, anywhere, about anything. Youd think it has nothing to do with magic but then you realize that this is how Dan befriends an audience immediately.

Whats interesting about this marriage of text, video, and audience interaction is that youre not likely to come away from these DVDs as a clone of Dan Turcotte. This method of learning really internalizes the lessons, and youll find them easy to adapt to your style.

But dont take MY word for it. There are quite a number of reviews of Dans work to which you can find the links at www.youdomagic.com. Browse around awhile; youll see Im not the only one who has and is learning from these tutorials.

Dan may not be able to give as much personal attention as he has been. Hes been taking radiation treatments and soon begins chemotherapy for his returned cancer. Things have been arranged that the sales of these DVDs will continue (his site administrator is ensuring everything runs smoothly in Dans absence). And his wife and daughter will receive the proceeds from the sales. It might be wise to pick these up while Dan is still able to answer your questions.

*jeep!
---Chet

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