Hi fellows, I'm looking at Gregory Wilson's On the Spot DVD, but reading the reviews, I wonder how will it be for a beginner in magic. What are your experiences with it?I'm looking for bar/restaurant magic I can do with little or no preparation in order to complement the tricks I already do (some TT tricks, some IT routines, and some card tricks). Any help will be appreciated!

This material is perfect for your environment, jmsilhy. Throughout the video, you see Gregory performing these routines in bars, restaurants, and on the streets. Some of the material will require a little practice, but it is well worth it (then again, doesn't all good magic require practice?). I love the material on these tapes (or the new dvd- same material). I think you will be very pleased if you decide to buy the DVD.

The material on this DVD is not beginner material. Almost everything is for the "intermediate" performer. Virtually all of the effects require some sleight of hand. Although not "knuckle busters," they will require more than a "little practice." If you are good and feel comfortable with TT and IT work, and if you are doing some card sleights, this might be useful. But the fact that you call yourself a beginner, and ask the question, I would be concerned that this might be just a little too advanced.

The material is very good for bar/restuarant work and is mostly impromptu.

I get you. I'm starting out with TT tricks, and with books like Royal Road and Modern Coin Magic. Also the IT work because I loved the floating bill routine they did to me in a Las Vegas shop, so I had to buy that. And I am waiting on Wilson's Complete Course in Magic... I know practice makes perfect, and believe me, I'm willing to practice a lot before I perform any tricks. So I think I'll wait a bit for this video. Thanks for the comments and see you around!

I agree; not for beginners. But I think for different reasons. Greg's style is very physical and he touches his spectators a lot (he talks about "invasive" magic himself if I remember well). This needs to be done by someone who is in complete charge of the situation and has "earned" the trust of them.
Though I like the video a lot and I think Greg is a very cool guy this is not everybody's cup of tea. When used by the wrong (inexperienced) performer it could harm the reputation of magic.
Well...isn't that with all magic videos (sigh!).

I have to disagree; while I think this material is very advanced, I have recently come the conclusion that you should learn whatever you can no matter how advanced right off the bat.

Waiting to learn something serves no cause. I think you will benefit more from learning it early on, then you have the time you need to polish the routines so you can get to performing them sooner.

The only way you are going to move from being a beginner to being more advanced is to work on harder stuff and keep practicing, and then going out and performing the material.

I am not saying you should neglect basic sleights and magic theory, but at the same time don't limit yourself in what you learn. If it comes down to basics vs. advanced material, go for the basic stuff first, but if you have the time and patience, learn all you can!!!

Almost all of it is aimed at someone who is in the intermediate range. However I still recommend you get it as it will show you what you will be up against in guerilla magic and the fun you will have in the future, as you get better.

There is one piece on the tape that is a ring routine, that IMHO any beginner could do, especially were he makes a borrowed ring jump from one finger to the next (oldie but a goody).

I still do this one on a regular basis and it works like a charm. After all these years the reactions are the same