Released in late 2009 (originally as a 4-disc set before being compressed to a single dual-layer DVD), Volume 13 is infamous for its abrupt tonal shift. The previous volume featured polished, camera-ready effects with pop music soundtracks. Volume 13 opens with a grainy shot of a mid-afternoon magic convention in Dayton, Ohio.
Technical and Historical Analysis of "Ultimate Magician Video Collection VOLUME 13" Ultimate Magician Video Collection VOLUME 13
One woman rose when the lights thinned. She had once received a childhood afternoon in exchange for the winter of her father’s stories. She stood and walked to the stage, old knees finding balance as if strings led her. She held out a small bundle and unwrapped a scrap of paper: on it was written a single line she thought she’d lost, uttered in her mother’s voice. She gave it back into the projector’s glow. The screen rippled, and for a moment every audience member remembered the smell of their first rain. Released in late 2009 (originally as a 4-disc
: Intermediate to advanced magicians who want to sharpen their card mechanics or gain a deeper "classroom style" understanding of the craft. She held out a small bundle and unwrapped
: Many volumes include full-length instructional lectures from artists like Darwin Ortiz , Daryl , David Williamson , and Boris Wild .
Critics in 2009 panned Volume 13 for its “VHS-era” aesthetic. The audio is muddy. The lighting flickers. At one point, a stagehand walks into frame to hand Vellum a deck of cards.