Your thoughts on Brad Christian
- Thread starter JDENredden
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Sheesh...for a group of people that don't like Ellusionist, you guys sure talk about them a lot. 
Grow up. Really. If I don't like someone, I just don't talk about them. E is a great company that puts out good products. Same with T11. Why people try to make something out of nothing is beyond me.
Grow up. Really. If I don't like someone, I just don't talk about them. E is a great company that puts out good products. Same with T11. Why people try to make something out of nothing is beyond me.
how can you say his street performance is un-rivaled? he is the bottom of the barrel as far as i am concerned. un-rivaled means that blaine or anyone can't touch him that that is BS. he is a brutal teacher who can't properly describe sleights or even do them properly.
such a shame kids have to learn from that...
Who are you to say he cant perform sleights properly. Give us a video of a sleight and we will compare it to Brad. Then we will see who cant do them properly.
JDEN
First of all, congratulations to the thread creator for making a necessary thread on a topic none of us have ever discussed before. Perhaps next you can make a thread discussing how you hate gimmicks, or what your Christmas list is - I know I'm all about that. Make sure you tell me what you're practicing in your signature, also, so that the different-colored font you use makes a nice contrast as I skim by it. Also, kudos to the people who hate Ellusionist and Brad simply because all the other cool kids do - your input is absolutely vital.
To the guy who is absolutely sure that Celebracadabra brought laymen into magic, and that the majority of them learned their tricks off of Youtube exposure videos, I'd love to see your evidence and sources, which I'm sure you have other than a basic hunch, so that I can agree with you one-thousand percent. I'm sure we all figured viewers of the show who weren't magicians probably looked up magic out of interest, and maybe a smaller percentage thought to check Youtube to see if some teenager would tell it to them - but the overwhelming majority? Thank you for bringing this baseless, exaggerated opinion to light!
So, onto the discussion at hand. My thoughts on Brad Christian, since you asked. Aside from the fact that the site looks every day more and more like a late-night infomercial, I liken the guy's business tactics to that of a gypsy street peddler, traveling first-carriage in a caravan of miracle workers and potion-merchants. I would not be surprised to open up a package from them to receive a container marked "SNAKE OIL", and would surely rejoice in the benefits provided.
The odd thing is, people, for some reason, seem to think Ellusionist is the only magic store guilty of overcharging or hyping a product weeks or even months in advance.
Addressing other facets of this wondrous man: all he's taught me is card tricks from both Crash Course videos that a friend let me watch. At the time, I was a virgin to magic and found his teaching practical and unique. Today? His material, I feel, is basic and probably mishandled (not that basic sleights and tricks are a bad thing - I bet you your audience has never seen them), and I feel like I could learn the stuff better from our teachers. However, I feel his method of teaching, his style, is clear and concise, and for those who find his material necessary are in for an educational treat. The guy can teach. What he teaches, however, is up to what sells.
Let's discuss his manly jawline: I would kill for similar features. Myself, I rely on a poorly shaved beard to enhance my jawline, but this guy knows what he's doing. I imagine traditional Greek sculpture is but prophetic stream-of-conscious stone working which heralds his face's arrival. My dream date would include rubbing various oils to it, then sticking rare lotus petals to the chiseled feature.
His voice is like a combination of Frank Sinatra and chocolate-covered happy. The mere hint of that California twang sends me into spiritual rapture, upon which I discover my spirit-wolf, then meet and subdue my astral-self.
He looks older than he probably is, and however old, I think it's too old for eyeliner.
Whew! I've been hiding all that information deep inside me, and it feels great to let it flow. Thank goodness this topic was here. My time could have been wasted discussing the artistic merit of certain types of presentation or patter, or something else like how the routining and succession of certain material leads to a deeper connection with the spectator. Weeee!
(Good lord. Does anyone else wish Bunnyboy hadn't gone under? Though who knows if the same would have happened there.)
To the guy who is absolutely sure that Celebracadabra brought laymen into magic, and that the majority of them learned their tricks off of Youtube exposure videos, I'd love to see your evidence and sources, which I'm sure you have other than a basic hunch, so that I can agree with you one-thousand percent. I'm sure we all figured viewers of the show who weren't magicians probably looked up magic out of interest, and maybe a smaller percentage thought to check Youtube to see if some teenager would tell it to them - but the overwhelming majority? Thank you for bringing this baseless, exaggerated opinion to light!
So, onto the discussion at hand. My thoughts on Brad Christian, since you asked. Aside from the fact that the site looks every day more and more like a late-night infomercial, I liken the guy's business tactics to that of a gypsy street peddler, traveling first-carriage in a caravan of miracle workers and potion-merchants. I would not be surprised to open up a package from them to receive a container marked "SNAKE OIL", and would surely rejoice in the benefits provided.
The odd thing is, people, for some reason, seem to think Ellusionist is the only magic store guilty of overcharging or hyping a product weeks or even months in advance.
Addressing other facets of this wondrous man: all he's taught me is card tricks from both Crash Course videos that a friend let me watch. At the time, I was a virgin to magic and found his teaching practical and unique. Today? His material, I feel, is basic and probably mishandled (not that basic sleights and tricks are a bad thing - I bet you your audience has never seen them), and I feel like I could learn the stuff better from our teachers. However, I feel his method of teaching, his style, is clear and concise, and for those who find his material necessary are in for an educational treat. The guy can teach. What he teaches, however, is up to what sells.
Let's discuss his manly jawline: I would kill for similar features. Myself, I rely on a poorly shaved beard to enhance my jawline, but this guy knows what he's doing. I imagine traditional Greek sculpture is but prophetic stream-of-conscious stone working which heralds his face's arrival. My dream date would include rubbing various oils to it, then sticking rare lotus petals to the chiseled feature.
His voice is like a combination of Frank Sinatra and chocolate-covered happy. The mere hint of that California twang sends me into spiritual rapture, upon which I discover my spirit-wolf, then meet and subdue my astral-self.
He looks older than he probably is, and however old, I think it's too old for eyeliner.
Whew! I've been hiding all that information deep inside me, and it feels great to let it flow. Thank goodness this topic was here. My time could have been wasted discussing the artistic merit of certain types of presentation or patter, or something else like how the routining and succession of certain material leads to a deeper connection with the spectator. Weeee!
(Good lord. Does anyone else wish Bunnyboy hadn't gone under? Though who knows if the same would have happened there.)
WHY oh WHY
I could say a lot of things about Dear 'ole Brad. Firstly, I don't like the makeup. On a less superficial criticism, I think he is easly made fun of. I don't know if it's his character or his style, but something makes us scapegote him. It could be the Other magicians on the other extreme wing, or maybe even the online students he picks up that are dissatisfied with what he has to offer. I for one, can openly say that I was greatly tunnel-visioned and blinded when I first started out with E a few years back. Of course, I have strayed from the online path long ago and am now an avid reader of works from Ortiz, Marlo, and Vernon (all of whom are less prone to scapegoating). Of course, we could all make assumtions and such about Anyone, but why is it we chose certain people? I believe Brad has somehow revolutionized magic like Criss Angel has done, however as Criss fades away we still feel like we've been stabbed in the gut every time we see a new e-mail from E detailing it's newest product. If we are against Brad and what he does, then we surely have no business affiliating ourselves with his site? In the past, I've made some absurd assumptions about good old Brad, and I guess I can safely now say I am safe from any harm or benfit that he could have put my way. In that way, I guess I remain neutral in that I both diss the hell out of him as well as support him for who he is and the "empire" he has created. Star Wars much?
I truly am looking forward to the replies I am gonna get for this baby
I could say a lot of things about Dear 'ole Brad. Firstly, I don't like the makeup. On a less superficial criticism, I think he is easly made fun of. I don't know if it's his character or his style, but something makes us scapegote him. It could be the Other magicians on the other extreme wing, or maybe even the online students he picks up that are dissatisfied with what he has to offer. I for one, can openly say that I was greatly tunnel-visioned and blinded when I first started out with E a few years back. Of course, I have strayed from the online path long ago and am now an avid reader of works from Ortiz, Marlo, and Vernon (all of whom are less prone to scapegoating). Of course, we could all make assumtions and such about Anyone, but why is it we chose certain people? I believe Brad has somehow revolutionized magic like Criss Angel has done, however as Criss fades away we still feel like we've been stabbed in the gut every time we see a new e-mail from E detailing it's newest product. If we are against Brad and what he does, then we surely have no business affiliating ourselves with his site? In the past, I've made some absurd assumptions about good old Brad, and I guess I can safely now say I am safe from any harm or benfit that he could have put my way. In that way, I guess I remain neutral in that I both diss the hell out of him as well as support him for who he is and the "empire" he has created. Star Wars much?
I truly am looking forward to the replies I am gonna get for this baby
E is a business, hype is a part of marketing. Like it or not they are effective at what they do.
Brad imo, is not bad. Hes definitely a good teacher, and frankly I don't give a sh*t about his eyeliner. Wayne houchin and David blane both have eyeliners..so what.
Brad imo, is not bad. Hes definitely a good teacher, and frankly I don't give a sh*t about his eyeliner. Wayne houchin and David blane both have eyeliners..so what.
A quick correction
YOU started your own path in magic, not Brad. He did not find you, nor care for you before YOU found him =) Therefore, I believe it is you tthat should be patting yourself on the back for a job well done! Brad... is just a means by which one can "catalyze" his/her destiny in magic. One also choses how far he/she would like to continue down this path until this person must inevitably break off and start down a path of magic self-realization...
:]
YOU started your own path in magic, not Brad. He did not find you, nor care for you before YOU found him =) Therefore, I believe it is you tthat should be patting yourself on the back for a job well done! Brad... is just a means by which one can "catalyze" his/her destiny in magic. One also choses how far he/she would like to continue down this path until this person must inevitably break off and start down a path of magic self-realization...
:]
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Just because Krenzel doesn't pop up when you search "Learn magic fast" on google DOESN'T mean you wouldn't get annoyed as HELL if you watched his stuff all the way through and tried to keep up with his style and EXTREME detailed analysis into his sleights...
Personnaly I have no beef with Brad Chrsitian.
Sure he over hypes the simplest effects (Take Mercury for example T-T )
But his sleghts are super clean and wicked smooth. In the end he's a good sleight of hand artist.
I dont care much about how he looks and that doesnt dictate for me how good of a magician he is; cuz frankly thats what this whole tread should be about instead of just him in general.
After all a book isnt reviewed by its cover so much as its contents.
Sure he over hypes the simplest effects (Take Mercury for example T-T )
But his sleghts are super clean and wicked smooth. In the end he's a good sleight of hand artist.
I dont care much about how he looks and that doesnt dictate for me how good of a magician he is; cuz frankly thats what this whole tread should be about instead of just him in general.
After all a book isnt reviewed by its cover so much as its contents.
come on come on
when will this thread escalate into a huge battle of petty words and then be closed by the mods.
when will this thread escalate into a huge battle of petty words and then be closed by the mods.
It's his presentation that does it for me. I hate it. It's so drab and dull and lifeless. It's like he doesn't know what presentation is.
He's not a magician.
He's not a magician.
As much as I dislike Brad, you've got to be completely high to say that. He has a VERY unique performing style. If you've watched any of his videos, and you probably have, then I see no reason as to why you could even say this? Presentation is not what YOU (the magician) thinks, it's what the spectators see. Moreover, it's what they expect. Brad fulfills his job marvelously, but I still don't like the guy.
I don't agree with some of the reasons as to why you guys hate him. I think brad is an excellent teacher.....the fact that he talks a lot is actually really helpful to me....and when i started magic, i watched all of his dvds, i became good at it. And for the ppl who said that he over uses some material.....i think it's not always about what u do, it is really really about how u want to present it to ur audience. If he uses two card monte a lot and make it seem like the best thing in the world.....i give props to him. It doesnt bother me. However i do agree that E dont update enough.
May I post the video I based my decision from? (Unfortunately) this appeared in my Related Videos on one of my videos.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xc7VEpV04e4
Because I'm a paid staff member on E, I'm not going to get in an argument with the forum posters who are spouting off cheap shots. Instead, I'll ask this: What does slamming Brad, or any another magician, do to help your magic improve?
It's safe to say that Christian and Ellusionist are the reason 70 percent of you are here. You saw SOMETHING that hooked you in and introduced something into your lives that has grown like a weed and become a part of you forever. If you've changed into something different, to where Christian is no longer relevant to your performance style, that's fine. He'd be happy that you've discovered a path that works for you. But at least give him the credit he's due. Christian, through Ellusionist, created the Internet magic market that all of us enjoy.
It's threads like this one that are quickly making T11's forum the AOL of the Internet magic community: The good T11 posters, who have furthering the art foremost in their minds (and there are plenty of you), are being drowned out by loudmouths typing up ad hominem attacks. That reputation is passed to the good posters, and also to the T11 artists who work their butts off to help further the art. If you don't like Brad, that's fine. But spitting out snap after snap doesn't help anyone.
It's safe to say that Christian and Ellusionist are the reason 70 percent of you are here. You saw SOMETHING that hooked you in and introduced something into your lives that has grown like a weed and become a part of you forever. If you've changed into something different, to where Christian is no longer relevant to your performance style, that's fine. He'd be happy that you've discovered a path that works for you. But at least give him the credit he's due. Christian, through Ellusionist, created the Internet magic market that all of us enjoy.
It's threads like this one that are quickly making T11's forum the AOL of the Internet magic community: The good T11 posters, who have furthering the art foremost in their minds (and there are plenty of you), are being drowned out by loudmouths typing up ad hominem attacks. That reputation is passed to the good posters, and also to the T11 artists who work their butts off to help further the art. If you don't like Brad, that's fine. But spitting out snap after snap doesn't help anyone.
personally i just dont like brad because his items are extremely over priced....and i think this is because he just gets caught up in the money i dont dislike E because i like many of the products but i dont like brads products at all they are very boring and im gonna repeat this they are too expensive because the tricks brad makes into a dvd usually arent that great for the price
i really think high of brad afterall he was the one who got me into the card magic society. i think he was an excellent teacher and got me doing amazing magic quickly.i definitley reccommend people who are very new to card magic to get the ninja series kard klub and the best of all the ambitious card dvds,i felt like he teached you personally and he is quite funny and ammusing.little rant lets say he is highly more watchable than dan white!! my god i thought he was going to fall asleep on the lit dvd.very UNenthusiastic!
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