DVDs vs. books

[andymo]

Interested to see how this turns out.
What do you think is better DVDs or books?
Please vote

Andymo

 

[eagle61]

all really depends what your looking for. its uncommon that you find a book for just one trick unlike dvd's. in my opinion DVD's give a clearer explanation on the sleights and moves needed to perform a trick but will most of the time not offer an abundance of tricks. i think books are the way to go when you want to expand your sleights library but if you really want to know how to do one trick a dvd will help you because it will offer routine tips and talk about the angles and stuff like that better

 

[joshua barrett]

almost always books, for the most part you get more out of them, and i mean in quality not quantity of material.

more things are talked about and detail is given. the list goes on but i gotta get back to work lol

 

[chainzero]

This might be controversial, but I feel a lot of people say books just because they feel that's what they are supposed to say. I personally prefer teaching from a video, but I don't ignore written text. People say that video teaching stifles creativity, but if you're not really creative and you don't put time into creating your own handling, I don't think teaching from a book will change that.

Books are great. Most stuff published in books people seem to avoid. Better for me. But, I can't say I don't enjoy watching a nice dvd.

 

[MadNuke]

DVD vs. Book

DVDs are for individuals who are visual learners. Most DVDs contain anywhere from 4-12 different effects and are taught from several angles and distances by a [hopefully] effective teacher. Some people find this way the easiest to learn, and DVDs are also good if you're having trouble learning something from a book

Books, on the the other hand [which I prefer] can contain dozens of times as much effects as a single DVD. Books may include illustrations, but most all magic books have comprehensive text. If you take a second to get used to the writing style of the author and understand the vocabulary, you will quickly find a way to take advantage of the incredibly encyclopedic resource books can be.

DVDS:

.: Visual
.: In-depth
.: Solve issues you may have with certain sleights
.: Can be copied, saved, more portable

Books:

.: Cheaper
.: Contain many, many effects
.: Something for EVERYONE in any book
.: Incredible resource


Take into account your situational needs when deciding what to purchase.

To compare, I have reviewed my DVD for Alex Lourido's Butter coin [Pengiun Magic.com] and the 1981 edition of J.J. Bobo's Modern Coin magic [Borders]

The DVD was about $30, and comes with six effects. The teaching is mediocre but it is nice to be able to see exactly how to move my hands when handling the coin. With the DVD, angles, handling, and setup are not an option. By watching the DVD once, I was able to soak in the six mini-routines and get a sense for how to perform with the coin.

Bobo's Modern Coin Magic contains hundreds of sleights organized by type, plus 18 full routines. It was $10. The illustrations are mediocre, but there seems to be an illustration for every single potential issue. I had occasional problems understanding exactly what the author meant in regards to handling, angles, or subtleties, but after reading over a few times while playing with a coin, I comprehended the sleight.

All in all, I think the book is a vastly superior resource for anyone who is remotely serious about becoming a performer.

 

[joshua barrett]

This might be controversial, but I feel a lot of people say books just because they feel that's what they are supposed to say. I personally prefer teaching from a video, but I don't ignore written text. People say that video teaching stifles creativity, but if you're not really creative and you don't put time into creating your own handling, I don't think teaching from a book will change that.

Books are great. Most stuff published in books people seem to avoid. Better for me. But, I can't say I don't enjoy watching a nice dvd.

well i have no idea if thats true, but i said books because i ment books, and no 14 year old will change that. ( generalsation of peer pressure )