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bishthemagish Inner circle 6013 Posts |
My first DVD project was just reviewed by this months (June 2004) issue of the MUM. Besides being a positive review it also mentioned that my DVD project was self produced.
And that started me thinking on how much of the products in magic are self produced. Most of the magicians I know that do lectures write lecture notes. Then sell them at the lecture. Most of them are self produced. Since computers have come onto the market and have made desktop publishing part of the job of many performing magicians. From self published comb bound books to books published on the internet in the form of an e-book. That can be downloaded from the internet. I remember times at my Father’s magic shop (Bishop’s Magic Shop that was in Riverside IL) And my Dad (The late Billy Bishop) and my Mom… And people like Bob Brown, John Morrissy, Tom Polis and myself all in a line with piles of parts and instructions and zip lock bags. As the crew assembled and packaged products that the magic shop was putting out for sale. Like John Morrissy’s Samari thread, a set of color changing knives or a packet card effect by Bob Brown. Self publishing or self producing has been done in magic shops for years. And kept many magic shops in business. In fact Percy Abbott once said to my Father, that he built the Abbott Magic Co with one trick - Squash… A safety pin, a shot glass, a piece of elastic and a small rubber ball… My Father considered Percy Abbott to be the best magic pitchman that he ever saw… The video business is changing again from video to DVD. And add to this the fact that the video cameras and computers that are big enough that can do video - and the fact that editing software has also come down in price. We are now living in a time when many magicians will be able to self produce their own DVD’s like I have been doing - of their routines and sell them at lectures and from their web sites. If the routines are good and the product worth the money I see that is a good thing for magic. This may change the magic DVD market as the DVD has already has changed the magic video market… I hope you found this interesting...
Glenn Bishop Cardician
Producer of the DVD Punch Deal Pro Publisher of Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumphs |
Tom Cutts Staff Northern CA 5925 Posts |
"If the routines are good and the product worth the money I see that is a good thing for magic."
Most are not, by my standards. Once the market adjusts and stops paying top dollar for poor production values and in some cases poor routines, the value of these self produced items will be more in line with the market. Being able to quickly and easily express your desires is a good thing. Thinking a kid shooting a video in his bedroom is worth the same as a pro with decades of experience filmed by a crew with decades of experience is a bad thing. Cheers, Tom |
bishthemagish Inner circle 6013 Posts |
Speaking personally about my DVD projects - My card DVD has gotten good reviews by the MUM and many top card men... Bev Bergeron liked the camera work as did Marshall Brodien who both have a background in Television...
And I have the e-mails to prove it! Now having said that... Here in is the balance... You can take great performing material with bad production value - and it is still great performing material. But if the product has great production but little or worthless performing material. Or has a lot of filler in it. Would that make a good DVD because it has good production value? Not from my viewpoint! I am after quality good performing material. If it is on a DVD with a three camera shoot or a 16mm silent movie like the footage of Charlie Miller at my web site it doesn't matter... I sort of look at it like you can take a good magician and put him or her on a bad performing stage and you still have a good magician. But if you take a bad magician and put him or her on the best most equiped stage and give them the best lighting masters and sound and special effect people... You still have a bad magician... Good performing material is the important part... Then the product is worth it... At least worth it to me. Others may see things differently...
Glenn Bishop Cardician
Producer of the DVD Punch Deal Pro Publisher of Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumphs |
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