Magic Tricks

I have been performing a hand shadow routine for many years and am always looking for more books and videos to expand my knowledge base.

The Art of Hand Shadows by Gustavo Raley has it's pros and cons.

Pros: This set comes with props and a usable light to get you started. The props included are silhouettes for 4 characters and a small assortment of accessories. These are made of plastic and appear to be durable enough for extended use. Also included is a link to Gustavo Raley's Website so you can download the music he uses for the routine shown at the end of the lesson. The video instruction is clear and offers a variety of figures to learn as well as a foundation for creating your own.

Cons: While the light is usable it is small and inexpensive. If you want to continue and begin performing hand shadows as a regular part of your repertoire you will need to upgrade. My biggest complaint is the video instruction platform. With the set you receive a QR code and and a web address to Vimeo. The video is password protected, which is good, but does not have a download option. I will admit I am not a fan of digital downloads to begin with, but for the price I expected to be able to download the video. If I had known that I would not be able to download, and only be able to access it through Vimeo's interface I may not have purchased it.

All in all, if you are just wanting to learn hand shadows this is a good place to start, as long as you are ok with not being able to download the video, and with the understanding that you may need to upgrade the light. With practice you could start performing the included act using the music download and provide some great entertainment for your audiences.