Page 15 Winter 1995 - 96
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My
only complaint is the lack of attribution in the acts, demos and
classes. It is very frustrating to see someone whose work you would like
to know more of and not be able to find a name. Just to do
this review I had to rely on Bill Giduz's
ankle in the latest Jugglers
World! Attribution-in-the-moment titles do take longer
and involve more work for the videographers, but it ultimately
results in a more satisfying and smoothly-produced look for the
video. Although many jugglers "who were there" and those
who know the faces won't feel the pinch so much, any neophyte
purchasing this tape will have
to do some research to figure it all out.
But
the work of Plotkin, Salberg and Bothe is otherwise very good. There
is a nice logic to the tape (both sequential and thematic). There
are many small moments too numerous to mention that give a good
sense of the "feel" of being there at the site. I
recommend that people buy the festival video both as a memento and
as an excellent record of some of the most terrific juggling and
routines around. by
Craig Turner Three
Ball Juggling with Rob Weinstein. Produced by Hampton Ridge Magic
Creations and Rob's Magic and Juggling Shop, 1995. Running Time:
Approx. 30 mins. Price: $9.95
plus shipping.
This
is a good basic video to get beginning jugglers up and going quickly,
especially if you're fast visually and just need to see a pattern to
replicate it. For those who need more description and breaking down of
movements, however, this video will seem fast and perhaps frustrating.
In
an odd twist, this beginner's video starts by telling us that the
basic three ball pattern will
be discussed at the end of the tape. This confused me a bit. I
think the sequence should have been different, but there is lots of
pertinent material here that can be accessed with a little
fast-forwarding.
Rob
Weinstein is pleasant and has fun showing his stuff. Slow motion is
occasionally used and improves the detail tremendously (and slows
down what is a very fast one-after-the-other presentation) but
it is not used consistently I suspect that beginners will find
themselves using their own VCR slow motion controls to catch all the
fine points. However, the picture quality is very good and the ball
motion is always clear. Weinsteins control and smoothness are
excellent, though ironically I think it makes catching details
The
tape is well-divided into various kinds of throws: Throw Variations,
Hand Position Variations, Body Throws, Starts and Finishes, Puts and
Fancy Catches, and, in the intermediate section, higher-skilled
techniques like Penguin catches, Fake Shower, Mill's Mess (this is
nicely broken down, by the way, both through description and slow
motion). The number of techniques shown is excellent.
There
are brief sections on making up your own tricks, routining, bouncing,
four and five ball patterns, and three rings and clubs, but these seem
added-on and there is no attempt to really teach what is here. I would
have preferred to spend more time in the three-ball techniques, using
more camera angles and slow motion as well as more verbal descriptions
to help beginners pick up important distinctions about the patterns.
This
tape can be used by beginners who are willing to adjust tape speed on
their own and who only need a bit of guidance and demonstration. If
you don't want a video that puts you in the same room with a teacher
who will walk you through the movements, Three Ball Juggling with
Rob Weinstein is a fine overview of ball tricks categorized for
reference.
by Craig Turner |