Media Review – Magic On The Go
I use to call this the SAM 181 Book Review until I realized that as magicians we have more ways to get information than just books. In addition to books, there are DVDs, videotapes, audio files, downloads, MP3 files, and streaming video. So, it seems too narrow of a vision to just mention books.
That being said, this month I would like to bring to light a site that we have briefly mentioned before. It may be worthwhile for you to check out Magic On The Go by Steve Valentine. I am not one for subscription-based information but an opportunity arose to take a look at the site without much risk and I have to say that I am duly impressed. Steve Valentine has put in a tremendous effort into making this a site worthy of your time and money.
There are a few things that impressed me about the site. First, it looks like it is well put together. The videos I watched are photographed well, the explanations are thorough and clear and a lot of thought went into the production value. In comparison to other sites I had seen, Magic On The Go is more visually interesting and edited in a sensible manner. However, what makes this site most appealing to me is Steve Valentine’s effervescent personality and his obvious love of magic. Steve Valentine seems to love classic magic and his excitement leaps of the screen and is infectious. When he talks about old magical apparatus and old-time magicians he is well read and has personally tried out each and every routine to see what is good and what is bad about it. He then gives you his version, the changes he made and why. Just by watching only a couple of his videos my mindset has changed on much of what magic was and should be. There are all types of magic available for viewing and if I were to pick a couple of genres it may be light on, it would be mentalism and kid’s magic. There is a small section on book tests but on initial surveying of what is offered perhaps if one of these two areas are your interest this site may not be for you. However, if you are interested in any other type of magic, you may want to take a look.
Steve Valentine seems to be a genuinely nice fellow with no attitude which makes watching him fun and entertaining. I highly recommend you check out Magic On The Go. He has a couple of payment options and no surprise the full year subscription is the best way to go. It comes to $10 a month, which for education of this caliber, even I would say it’s worth it.