Asi Wind Masterclass

I must admit that I was sceptical about the format of these Masterclasses, especially in the COVID-19 era where the performer clearly can't have spectators in the room with them. But once again, Vanishing Inc has conceived a great format and proven that they have the technical innovation to pull it off.

I have seen the At the Table and Penguin lectures but they are very impersonal. I also find their length offputting. Having people on screen with Asi and having Joshua and Andi on camera to moderate and ask questions makes this the perfect format.

And let's not forget Asi. He is really interesting and I am finding that he is sharing his "real work" in this series much more readily than elsewhere, and that's likely due to the fluidity of the lecture format. Congratulations all involved.

I took the plunge and signed up for the subscription deal. I trust Andi and Joshua and when I saw that they were starting a Live Lecture series, I had a hunch it would be worth tuning in for. It's been even better than I expected.

I am writing this review before the last (third) instalment has been broadcast but already, I feel like I have got value for money. For the first time, I feel like I am learning material that isn't just taken from a standard lecture. Asi is tipping the magic he actually performs. Really inspiring stuff. And... as I say... there is still one more masterclass to go! I'm particularly excited for this last one as it looks like he is going to go through magic that can be done online. That's especially relevant at the moment.

The video quality has been great (that's a relief because I was worries that it would be crummy webcam footage). I'm actually fooled by the video quality! It's so crisp. Where do I get a webcam like that :D

Bravo to all involved.

Superb. Only managed to watch the first Masterclass so far but will catch up on the final two on demand. Andi and Josh are good hosts. I think it's really cool that you get the opportunity to ask questions via video link too. Hoping I get the chance to do that next month.

This is the first live lecture series I've signed up to. So, the disclaimer is that I don't have anything to compare to. HOWEVER... THIS IS GREAT. And unless I'm missing something, it's crazy cheap! You're effectively paying $50 for three 1.5 hour lectures. Good value by any standards.

Asi is great as always. Very thoughtful, and understanding more about how he constructs his magic has been eye opening. Highly recommended for anyone who is looking to take an intense course in improving their close-up magic.

I typically don't write reviews, because I am an amateur and not sure I have much of use to offer but I just wrote Josh and Andi an email congratulating them on this course. Rather than paste it here, I thought IU could rate the individual aspects out of 10.

Overall experience - 9/10
Video quality - 9/10
Content of Asi's class - 8/10
Value for money - 10/10
Production values - 8/10
Q&A Section - 9/10

Great work Andi and Josh!

Loving it so far. Andi and Josh are funny at the beginning too.

So far, 10 out of 10. I just hope I get chosen to ask Asi a question live in the last session :D

A well prepared Masterclass from the world's best Magician's favourite Magician.
What you can expect is a true Masterclass.
You will start to understand how a Master thinks.
And that means the audience will have no idea - None how the magic happened. And will end up living the experience.
In other words no room for anything that might smell fishy. And let's admit much marketed magic has several "fishy" moments.
Asi expands on audience relations with great direction on performer energy and how the audience really can read you. (outcomes not outs)
Asi treats his audience as they are very smart. And even over the format he seems comfortably aggressive with getting his points across clearly (and with a smile). He feels by giving the audience much credit it elevates your performance. It sure appears he has enjoyed his learning process and wants to share. With proper crediting and book to read ideas splashed throughout.
"Look into my eyes," Asi said to Josh.
And then after 5 minutes, He fools Josh (and everybody online) with a beautiful presented dramatic trick that if read in a book or without the dressing would just puzzle someone out of a sleepy haze.
He brings fun to mentalism and points out some great ideas on presentations for revelations.
The series seems to get better - that's probably the Master structuring it that way. :)
Well worth the price to note as we are also talking money.
They do mention not to share these videos which might seem obvious, but also that might mean this lecture might Vanish if you don't pick it up before month's end. I hope they keep it up for sale somehow. And Time is money. :)
Talking of timing - Watching Asi's pace and watching how and when he puts emphasis or no emphasis will improve your skill to eliminate or transform any "dead space: in your routines.
This is very instructional Lecture series and I feel Asi is amazing medicine for mediocre magic.
Five stars.

i am probably one of those big fan of online lectures / seminars even back from EMC. Because for someone who lived in Indonesia its hard to be able to meet & talk with magicians that is living on the other side of the world.

After seeing Vanishing Inc is holding a masterclass session i was quite hesitant at first because i was a huge fan of the ATT lecture. But after seeing the lineup i took the plunge and i was not disappointed!

Asi is an amazing teacher, and a very detailed person. You can see how much work he have put into the routines he use. How experienced he is, and hearing some stories/experience from him is worth the gold for me. It feels like i am really in the same room jamming with him. I can't wait for the other Lecturers you guys did a good job with this masterclass session!

I am a fan of ASI WIND, so when I saw masterclass on vanishing inc, with Andi and Joshua behind, I did not hesitate, I have seen his live lecture and performance before. This master class was amazing, he delivered quality, experience, was generous with his knowledge - I learned so much and it took me from my funk during Covid, and fired me up, Vanishing inc presentation was well organized, video quality top, well done team, I am staying on for more master class....Luke Jermay next !!!

This was the first Masterclass and I'm still going back to it months (even almost a year) later. It didn't stop on the 1,5 hour and Asi Wind was detailed in every explanation and answer to every question. I really enjoyed this Masterclass a lot. It is still one or my favorites, although I might say that of any other Masterclasses.

This Masterclass is great for every magician, if you are a starter wanting to understand more of magic and learn great methods (even if some are a bit out of your league at the moment), but also for the professional magician who could upgrade his arsenal.

Asi Wind -- What more needs to be said. Always great.

This is the first Masterclass I've watched and, so far, I like it a lot. I like how it shows that Asi came prepared with things he wanted to talk about and discuss as opposed to just improvising. I believe the structure ands clarity and focus which is better for learning. I'm looking forward to the other three lectures and the rest of the Masterclass series.

Asi's Masterclasses were in MOP the very best of the series! He really set the bar so high; amazing magic, outstanding knowledge shared and given to us to all learn from!! Asi was at the top of his game instructing and choosing material that was wonderful performance pieces!!!

over all it was great totally worth my 75$ in fact in my opinion it was better than penn and tellers master class all though if you are not a card magician you might want to go with penn and tellers but i think it was a great class

This was my first purchase of a Masterclass Live Lecture, and it met my expectations.
Asi Wind covered most of the important details and referenced other fine points for our own personal study. After all this was a live group lecture and not a personal tutoring session. The key take-aways for me: performance technique & psychological influence on the audience; importance of presentational scripting verbiage. A good example of this is the Calculator trick (almost 93 years old and right out of Tarbell). Oh yeah, did I mention there are some other good tricks that Asi Wind turns into Magic.

Enjoyed all 3 classes !
The effect “Noah” is remarkable and if anyone has seen Asi perform it live, they know how strong it is.

It is great, I am a beginner the mentalism so I leaned many new effect and many other method(technique)
and you enjoyed this lecture or you like asi's magic, I hope you also read 'before we begin' it's great book for pre-show

I just finished the entire Masterclass and have to say it was well worth it! Asi is one of the best magicians in the world so anytime you have the ability to sit down and gain knowledge from the best, take advantage of it. Not only does he have great effects but all the psychology and nuances of magic that he talks about are what makes him so good at what he does.

Asi Wind’s Vanishing Inc Masterclass was great. In the first lecture he goes through the fan force. I felt like I got a lot from this. I really love the fan force now. I think it can be used for a very great simple effect where you have the spectator think of a card then place the card down, although it doesn’t always work, you could then just do a top change. But the fan force allows for a really clean effect when it works.

I’ve had the chance to watch a few masterclasses and this is easily my favorite. It’s. Great class through and through.

Very good to see how asi think about card magic , but six hours we need more asi private process

Gold

I have just finished watching this masterclass and it was just great Asi is a very good teacher of magic and I just loved the work on the Canasta book test and how to force a card also his reworking of the late great Tommy Wonder's tamed card which is a really great trick, this is the first time I have bought something of Asi and will definitely look at more of his products highly recommended.

Amazing content! Thanks a lot

Asi is amazing and this class was so full of wonderful insights and ideas! So glad I got this!

This is truly a brilliant masterclass.

Incredible lecture. A lot to learn here and one that I will be revisiting.

An excellent Masterclass from a well accomplished Master. The lectures mainly focus on card magic. Some of the illusions (and discussion points) are taken straight out of Asi Wind's books (e.g. "Reverse Engineering", "Pre show work"), while others are "borrowed" from other magicians' repertoires (e.g. Tommy Wonder's "Tamed Card") and showcase Asi's creative interpretation, as well as the depth of his magical knowledge. Asi includes a thorough discussion of various details that add a layer of complexity to the performance. While it might be difficult to calculate price of the lecture per value ($75 is high), I would recommend to attend this masterclass. I really like how Asi draws from mentalism, as well as psychology when designing his routines. Very Sharp. The lecture is also not very heavy on sleights or techniques.

Cannot begin to describe how awe-struck I am to learn from one of the greatest minds our generation has. Asi was concise and taught everything with passion. You can tell he really loves these effects. All the tricks were direct and didn't feel like they were drowning in their own methods.

great theory and ideas on using out when performing

Wonderful presentation. This is a real bonus--a third video in an excellent series.

fantastic!

ASI'S ‏thinking is always exceptional and a true ‏pleasure to learn from.

Excellent master class. If you like Asi’s work or you’re needing “something new” this may be a great choice for you! I learned several new things I could start using from Asi before even getting too far into it. Again, if you like his magic, this would probably be worth your time!

very good masterclass. Covers a lot of fine points. I love the peek off the pressure fan, and his version of Tommy Wonder's wild card. Can't wait to see the explanation next week. I agree with Asi that Tommy Wonder's wild card is the best that I have seen.

I've watched a dozen of the VI masterclasses, and this is by far the weakest of the set. Some of the 'routines taught' are not actually thoroughly taught, more just an something he throws in and directs you elsewhere to 'learn more'. I was under the impression that this 'masterclass' wouldn't just half-way explain the XY deck and then send you to another (defunct) link to 'actually' learn it. The VI team was clearly still figuring out the formatting. There are better Asi Wind products and better VI masterclasses to spend this exorbitant amount on.

In a class by himself.

I'm not a card guy, but there were some interesting ideas in this lecture. Asi Winds thoughts on taking risks in exchange for potentially getting a bigger reaction was new to me and intriguing, as was his discussion on how to transition from a failed trick to a positive outcome. Overall, a very good lecture, and there were some card tricks too.