Price$24.99
Media TypeDVD
CategoryGeneral, Comedy
Date AddedFeb 21, 2015
Early Dobson Vol 1 - DVD
Dobson, Wayne
Wayne Dobson
(Based on 3 reviews)
This is Dtrik's latest release, Early Dobson Vol. 1. Wayne Dobson is proud to present this rediscovered archive TV performance footage of some of his ?nest close up material, performed in his classic style in front of a live studio audience and on various TV show guest appearances. Now with the help of his Right (and Left) hand man Mike Sullivan, 8 powerful 'Real World' effects are explained in detail, covering the methods and routining, in order for you to add them to your magic repertoire.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
PROS
This is a collection of really good effect, card and coin. The card routines are very strong, with no gimmicks. The coin routines are also very strong, mostly no gimmicks. Imagine that! Strong card and coin magic without gimmicks! The one coin routine with a gimmick, cap and pence, is going right into my set!
This is such a wonderful opportunity, given Wayne’s limitations due to MS, to see some of his early work on his TV show, and then see the explanation by talented magician Mike Sullivan.
One of the best parts of this DVD is seeing the entertainment talent of Wayne. There is SO much to be learned from watching a talented entertainer at work! Wayne doesn’t merely do magic tricks, he masterfully entertains a crowd!
CONS
Can’t think of any. Give me some time to think…
VERDICT
Just buy it, you won’t be disappointed.
This is a MUST have!
This is a collection of really good effect, card and coin. The card routines are very strong, with no gimmicks. The coin routines are also very strong, mostly no gimmicks. Imagine that! Strong card and coin magic without gimmicks! The one coin routine with a gimmick, cap and pence, is going right into my set!
This is such a wonderful opportunity, given Wayne’s limitations due to MS, to see some of his early work on his TV show, and then see the explanation by talented magician Mike Sullivan.
One of the best parts of this DVD is seeing the entertainment talent of Wayne. There is SO much to be learned from watching a talented entertainer at work! Wayne doesn’t merely do magic tricks, he masterfully entertains a crowd!
CONS
Can’t think of any. Give me some time to think…
VERDICT
Just buy it, you won’t be disappointed.
This is a MUST have!
(Top ▲)
I consider Wayne Dobson to be a great performer and magician. His comedic timing and presentation is brilliant. Despite his inability to perform today due to multiple sclerosis, he continues to produce and release tricks and develop amazing ideas. This DVD however, is not new material. Instead, this DVD republishes old television performances, mostly 1989 appearances from the Joe Longthorne Show. The DVD contains Dobson performing seven solid tricks and routines, some with cards and some with coins. Some of the coin tricks will require that you have a gimmick that is not included with the DVD. After each clip, Mike Sullivan explains and demonstrates how to perform each trick with clarity. In addition to the seven tricks performed by Dobson, Sullivan performs a newly published card trick, Flip, and then teaches it.
Because the performances are from the late 1980’s/early 1990’s, the quality of the old video performances do not measure up to today’s high definition standards.
The ad copy and promotional video are accurate since they really don’t make any claims.
If by some chance you are unfamiliar with Dobson, you may not get a sense of how amazingly creative and funny he is since the clips are short. For that reason, I was disappointed. I expected to get more footage of Dobson and would have been pleased to watch hours of his past work. In the past, I have scoured the internet watching old Dobson performances and have enjoyed his creativity and showmanship. I wish this DVD had more footage.
Also on the DVD is Dobson’s very funny recent Ice Bucket Challenge, a typed written message from Wayne and edited snippets of conversation between Dobson and Sullivan, which at some points is difficult to understand.
This is a worthwhile DVD with fooling routines that were good enough for Wayne Dobson to perform on TV. There will surely be a few things in this DVD for everyone.
Because the performances are from the late 1980’s/early 1990’s, the quality of the old video performances do not measure up to today’s high definition standards.
The ad copy and promotional video are accurate since they really don’t make any claims.
If by some chance you are unfamiliar with Dobson, you may not get a sense of how amazingly creative and funny he is since the clips are short. For that reason, I was disappointed. I expected to get more footage of Dobson and would have been pleased to watch hours of his past work. In the past, I have scoured the internet watching old Dobson performances and have enjoyed his creativity and showmanship. I wish this DVD had more footage.
Also on the DVD is Dobson’s very funny recent Ice Bucket Challenge, a typed written message from Wayne and edited snippets of conversation between Dobson and Sullivan, which at some points is difficult to understand.
This is a worthwhile DVD with fooling routines that were good enough for Wayne Dobson to perform on TV. There will surely be a few things in this DVD for everyone.
(Top ▲)
Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Desperate by Vixen
Wayne Dobson: Early Dobson Review
One DVD, 8 effects and $25 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Effect/Method/Ad Copy Integrity
Let's quickly get this out of the way: There's nothing much to say about the ad copy. It is what it says it is.
On this DVD you'll see live performance footage of 7 effects all performed by Wayne Dobson 25 or so years ago. The 7 effects are taught by Mike Sullivan along with an eighth effect that was not performed.
The effects are pretty standard familiar effects: a couple of sandwich routines, coins and cylinder, do as a I do, matrix, coins to glass, etc. The effects were Dobson's minor modifications on the original concepts. Nothing revolutionary here. In some cases I feel that the routines are close enough to the original (or other similar stuff) that I'm not sure they warrant publication.
All of the methods are pretty standard sleight of hand techniques. I'd say the level of skill required is intermediate. Some of the effects had a few additional touches that made the magic seem more magical. For example, the Coins in Glass routine had a clever visual idea with a magic wand that complements the audio of the coins landing in the glass. Also, Razor & Invisible Card is a lot less of a familiar plot that has a simple method and has the potential to be a solid closer. Also, the Continuous Do As I Do had a good method that allowed for a pretty clear and clean handling of the effect that may interest you.
As you know, I judge the method, not the effect. However, I do have to consider if the effects are same-old-same-old or if they're new and/or innovative. These are neither new now innovative. However, the methods are absolutely solid and if you like these kinds of effects, you'll be happy with the methods.
So when the effects are not very original, the next thing I would look for on a DVD like this is learning from a master how to perform for people. I was very much looking forward to that. However, I was slightly disappointed. He was funny, for sure, and there were a few bits of business that were funny, but I was hoping to see better presentations of the magic. Instead, it was the same old "I'm gonna put this here and do this next; then I'll take your card here and put it over here," ad nauseam.
Product Quality
The DVD is well produced, well lit, well mic'd, etc. Even the 25 or so year old footage was surprisingly good. The teaching segments by Mike Sullivan were pretty good. There were a few parts where he sort of rushed through things making it a little difficult to learn, but for the most part, it was pretty easy to learn. There were also a couple of bonus videos. One was a video of Dobson doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The video was hilarious. Then there was a 5ish minute "interview" with Dobson being "interviewed" by Sullivan. It was more like a funny conversation between the two rather than an interview.
Final Thoughts
Usually, the presentation (good or bad) does not impact my star rating. However, when evaluating this product as a whole, I have to ask, "what are you getting?" The answer is: first, you're getting 8 effects. Second, you're getting the privilege of seeing a true working pro in his element. With being said, the methods are good, but the 8 effects are probably, in some form or another, in your repertoire, or at the very least, you're familiar with them, so you really wouldn't be getting anything new.
So then at least we get to see a pro in his element. There's a lot to be learned from that, namely, presentation, audience management, patter, stage presence, etc. However, we don't even really get that. with the standard stock-line bad jokes, the sleep-inducing "put and take" "patter," there's not a whole lot to be learned here either. On the positive side, there were a few original (as far as I know) bits that were clever and funny as well as some teaching by example on general stage presence and audience management, but for the most part, there was not a lot to be gained here.
If the goal was to give the magic community some footage of Dobson, mission: accomplished. If the goal was to give the community some new/original/innovative magic, mission: failed. If the goal was to learn presentational skill from a pro, mission: undecided.
Many of you know that I'm a fan of Wayne Dobson, and I've seen some of his performances from back in the day, and they were incredible. I don't remember what effects I saw, but I remember that the presentation was original and FREAKIN' HILIAROUS, but mostly: original. For the most part, that is not what you'll find here.
Final Verdict:
3 Stars with a Stone Status of gem (little g).