Price$48.00
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedSep 25, 2006
The Real Secrets of Magic, Volume 1
David Stone
Jean-Luc Bertrand
(Based on 2 reviews)
Besides trciks, David Stone gives you lots of tips and profeesional advicefor starting your career as a professional magician.
Produced and directed by Jean-Luc Bertrand (No Smoking, Mathieu Bich) the DVD offers a new way of learning. He has founsd a funny mix between non-stop entertaing while teaching great magic.
19 routines included.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
David Stone’s Real Secrets of Magic is a great beginners guide to close up walk around or strolling magic. There are 2 main parts to the video. The first section is comprised of tips and tricks as well as live performances of the magic. The second part is the explanations.
David would give a tip and then they would show a video clip showing that tip in action. For example David mentions that one way to work into a table would be to start performing magic for one of the children present, it then cuts to a clip of him performing sponge balls. Over all this format was helpful and clear it does have the drawback, at least in the download version, of separating the performances from the explanations. So you may see a performance of something you like and have a hard time finding the explanation later because of the separation.
David is clear from the beginning that he does not think of himself as a creator and that most of the magic performed is not completely original to him. So, instead of a whole bunch of brand new magic you see his versions of classics that are sure to work in a walk around environment. Each effect has the mark of a professional with strong magic leading up to an even stronger finish.
Because of the 2 main sections it makes it fairly easy to watch without even seeing the explanations. Jean Luc Bertrand was the director of this video and if you are familiar with his work on projects like the Blinking Effect then you know that his filming and editing styles are very entertaining and cutting edge.
As far as the magic goes for the most part it is very strong and has already proven itself in the real world like I said above but there are some that I liked more than others and a couple that were a bit less practical.
The One Coin routine Mr. Stone uses this as an opener. It is strong simple and a bit angle sensitive. There’s not a ton of new ground broken here but it does show a good structure with a beginning middle and the end with the production of a jumbo coin. Very commercial.
The Invisible palm routine he uses is fairly typical but it is a great routine. He adds a step in the set up that allows you to be a little more clean at the end for me this addition is overkill and not necessary. It can be omitted easily and you are left with a strong routine.
He includes 2 coins across routines one is a coins to glass and the other happens in a spectators hand. Each of them have their advantages. The coins to glass is nice because it makes the coins across a bit more visible by adding the audio and picking the coins up off the table. It has a nice surprise ending with the production of a coin purse at the end. The coins across in a spectators hand culminates in a coin under watch. It is very cool and powerful. Both routines consist of some fairly advanced coin work involving some fairly bold vanishes and loads but they are sure to pay off.
He goes over a fairly angle sensitive cigarette routine which is nice but I really don’t know why you would be doing cigarette magic in a restaurant. I guess this could be applied to a kids crayon but it’s still a fairly angle sensitive piece.
There is also Phoa Yan Tiongs cut and restored handkerchief I admit that this is a very clever piece and even a classic to some but it destroys a cloth napkin every time you perform it which turns into a fairly expensive trick. I guess it could be practical in some restaurants or cruise ships but for me I really can’t see it working in any of the environments that I work in.
The sponge balls routine is fairly short and concise. It includes a couple nice productions but there wasn't anything completely groundbreaking here.
His version of the Chicago opener should probably be avoided. It has the added surprise of a color changing deck but overall it seems like an awkward handling to an already magical routine.
He teaches his rope routine which is basically his routining of the classic Sands effect. It is a solid routine and could be added to almost any professionals repertoire.
Over all the explanations were very clear. They are performed silently which is not to my taste but they are clear. Another thing that made it difficult was that the order was some what hap hazard. They didn't appear in the same order as the performances and didn't even appear by genre, so that was a bit to navigate. Most of the magic was rehashed classics with strong presentations which in this case was fine. They didn't make any pretentious claims saying that this was brand new stuff.
What we have here is a guide to restaurant magic with various examples of what would work well in specific situations. For the most part it is a good video with a few annoying aspects.
David would give a tip and then they would show a video clip showing that tip in action. For example David mentions that one way to work into a table would be to start performing magic for one of the children present, it then cuts to a clip of him performing sponge balls. Over all this format was helpful and clear it does have the drawback, at least in the download version, of separating the performances from the explanations. So you may see a performance of something you like and have a hard time finding the explanation later because of the separation.
David is clear from the beginning that he does not think of himself as a creator and that most of the magic performed is not completely original to him. So, instead of a whole bunch of brand new magic you see his versions of classics that are sure to work in a walk around environment. Each effect has the mark of a professional with strong magic leading up to an even stronger finish.
Because of the 2 main sections it makes it fairly easy to watch without even seeing the explanations. Jean Luc Bertrand was the director of this video and if you are familiar with his work on projects like the Blinking Effect then you know that his filming and editing styles are very entertaining and cutting edge.
As far as the magic goes for the most part it is very strong and has already proven itself in the real world like I said above but there are some that I liked more than others and a couple that were a bit less practical.
The One Coin routine Mr. Stone uses this as an opener. It is strong simple and a bit angle sensitive. There’s not a ton of new ground broken here but it does show a good structure with a beginning middle and the end with the production of a jumbo coin. Very commercial.
The Invisible palm routine he uses is fairly typical but it is a great routine. He adds a step in the set up that allows you to be a little more clean at the end for me this addition is overkill and not necessary. It can be omitted easily and you are left with a strong routine.
He includes 2 coins across routines one is a coins to glass and the other happens in a spectators hand. Each of them have their advantages. The coins to glass is nice because it makes the coins across a bit more visible by adding the audio and picking the coins up off the table. It has a nice surprise ending with the production of a coin purse at the end. The coins across in a spectators hand culminates in a coin under watch. It is very cool and powerful. Both routines consist of some fairly advanced coin work involving some fairly bold vanishes and loads but they are sure to pay off.
He goes over a fairly angle sensitive cigarette routine which is nice but I really don’t know why you would be doing cigarette magic in a restaurant. I guess this could be applied to a kids crayon but it’s still a fairly angle sensitive piece.
There is also Phoa Yan Tiongs cut and restored handkerchief I admit that this is a very clever piece and even a classic to some but it destroys a cloth napkin every time you perform it which turns into a fairly expensive trick. I guess it could be practical in some restaurants or cruise ships but for me I really can’t see it working in any of the environments that I work in.
The sponge balls routine is fairly short and concise. It includes a couple nice productions but there wasn't anything completely groundbreaking here.
His version of the Chicago opener should probably be avoided. It has the added surprise of a color changing deck but overall it seems like an awkward handling to an already magical routine.
He teaches his rope routine which is basically his routining of the classic Sands effect. It is a solid routine and could be added to almost any professionals repertoire.
Over all the explanations were very clear. They are performed silently which is not to my taste but they are clear. Another thing that made it difficult was that the order was some what hap hazard. They didn't appear in the same order as the performances and didn't even appear by genre, so that was a bit to navigate. Most of the magic was rehashed classics with strong presentations which in this case was fine. They didn't make any pretentious claims saying that this was brand new stuff.
What we have here is a guide to restaurant magic with various examples of what would work well in specific situations. For the most part it is a good video with a few annoying aspects.
(Top ▲)
On The Real Secrets of Magic Volume 1 David Stone offers REAL secrets for the REAL world performer and the aspiring professional.
From the introductory titles to the sound and lighting this DVD is modern, smart and well produced. David Stone and Jean-Luc Bertrand present the material as if we magicians were intelligent fun loving folk. What a concept!
We follow David Stone as he performs for real people under conditions that we magi find ourselves in most, the Strolling Magic and Table Hopping scenarios. David performs and explains twenty practical routines for the professional magician. These routines are specially crafted to fit the conditions mentioned above. The magic presented is visual and practical. Most of it fits easily in your pockets and most importantly these effects play big! My favorite piece is “Hermes”, a simple and visually stunning rose production that will AMAZE your audience.
The explanations on this DVD are done without d ialogue. At first I was a bit shocked at the idea, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw the ultra cool environment Jean-Luc Bertrand created for these segments.
Speaking of ultra cool, when was the last time you saw a magic video that had special effects? I am talking REAL special effect such as the magi taking aim at an unruly audience member and shooting them full of lead or a table full of spectators bursting into flames! Jean-Luc has pulled out all of the stops. Finally we see a magic DVD that is directed by a person with an appreciation for film.
Side Note: This DVD was shot in TWO versions one in French and one in English. We are not talking one version with subtitles or over-dubs. We are talking two totally separate versions. To me this shows David Stone’s dedication to getting this information out the right way.
In the Extras section David and Jean-Luc share their ideas behind the creation of this DVD. We get to see them working o ut the special effects segments, we get to see just how they created the all white room that is used in the Explanations segment and we hear about the process of making this DVD. I think this section alone is worth the price of the DVD. The imagination, creativity and passion they share for their craft is contagious.
It is nice to finally own a magic DVD that presents the entertainer in an entertaining fashion. So often we read the hype on a DVD case, plunk the DVD into the player and wonder if the performer on the DVD has ever performed magic for real people! David Stone is a genuinely exuberant performer who communicates his ideas on magic with passion and clarity. Jean-Luc Bertrand is a director who trusts in the talent of his actors and allows them the freedom to have fun on screen.
The Real Secrets of Magic Vol. 1 is essential viewing for anybody considering a career in magic!