Where to begin? Extreme Beginnerz. I, being new to the flourishing scene, only about 6 months old, ran into De'vo as the first person that was really into Card manipulation rather than the magic aspect of this. I heard everywhere that Extreme Beginners was a good place to start if you are looking for some introductory lessons into Flourishing and Cardistry (Or XCM as De'vo calls it) so I picked it up and found it to be pretty jam packed with content.
Content: 5/5
A quick look at the content list, you will see that these DVD's cover a lot. compared to De'vo's other material that covers only 1 move with a few extras (Cradle to Grave, Cobra Cut), Extreme Beginners really has a broad selection of new skills to learn and experiment with ranging from really basic, to the more advanced.
Teaching 5/5
I'd love to tell you this DVD sucks because of personal bias against De'vo, but there's one thing I can't deny and that's that the DVD teaches very clearly perfect for a beginner. Watching back now, it does A LOT of hand holding and actually gets kind of irritating having to sit there waiting for it to recap, but while you're first learning you'll appreciate every moment of recap. While there is no talking, the on text subtitles along with the visuals provide plenty of instruction so that no one is confused.
Extras 5/5
I am really getting sick of giving out 5/5 to everything, but there aren't really any flaws in this package. The extras given range from a Fanning Session with Jerry Cestowski (Invaluable, really really useful) to hands on with Q. The sessions with Q are great because they offer great little advice, while also seeing someone else struggle like you are. The best feeling is nailing the Impossible Stack after seeing Q struggle so much and then you feel so much better, hee hee.
Conclusion
While I do not like De'vo's over the top style, and I'm more into Cuts such as Dan and Dave rather than the assorted moves provided in De'vo's material, there are some things that everyone should know such as the Charlier perfect for a beginner. Neat advanced moves like the Impossible Stack that suit my style. Not to mention the Q section that was entertaining to watch and informative. The Fanning session with Jerry not only improved my fans, but taught me to weave cards perfectly every time. I owe a lot to this DVD, and while the style doesn't suit mine, there is so much content that everyone can get value for money out of this product.
If you want to get into Cardistry or Flourishing, don't even think about getting anything else before this. Buy this now, and as long as you don't regret getting into flourishing, you won't regret this purchase. I don't usually like giving perfect scores to things, but I can't really find any flaws, honestly. So here you have it, a glowing review from someone that doesn't actually like De'vo, that should be proof enough of the quality product.
Content: 5/5
A quick look at the content list, you will see that these DVD's cover a lot. compared to De'vo's other material that covers only 1 move with a few extras (Cradle to Grave, Cobra Cut), Extreme Beginners really has a broad selection of new skills to learn and experiment with ranging from really basic, to the more advanced.
Teaching 5/5
I'd love to tell you this DVD sucks because of personal bias against De'vo, but there's one thing I can't deny and that's that the DVD teaches very clearly perfect for a beginner. Watching back now, it does A LOT of hand holding and actually gets kind of irritating having to sit there waiting for it to recap, but while you're first learning you'll appreciate every moment of recap. While there is no talking, the on text subtitles along with the visuals provide plenty of instruction so that no one is confused.
Extras 5/5
I am really getting sick of giving out 5/5 to everything, but there aren't really any flaws in this package. The extras given range from a Fanning Session with Jerry Cestowski (Invaluable, really really useful) to hands on with Q. The sessions with Q are great because they offer great little advice, while also seeing someone else struggle like you are. The best feeling is nailing the Impossible Stack after seeing Q struggle so much and then you feel so much better, hee hee.
Conclusion
While I do not like De'vo's over the top style, and I'm more into Cuts such as Dan and Dave rather than the assorted moves provided in De'vo's material, there are some things that everyone should know such as the Charlier perfect for a beginner. Neat advanced moves like the Impossible Stack that suit my style. Not to mention the Q section that was entertaining to watch and informative. The Fanning session with Jerry not only improved my fans, but taught me to weave cards perfectly every time. I owe a lot to this DVD, and while the style doesn't suit mine, there is so much content that everyone can get value for money out of this product.
If you want to get into Cardistry or Flourishing, don't even think about getting anything else before this. Buy this now, and as long as you don't regret getting into flourishing, you won't regret this purchase. I don't usually like giving perfect scores to things, but I can't really find any flaws, honestly. So here you have it, a glowing review from someone that doesn't actually like De'vo, that should be proof enough of the quality product.