In response to the earlier positive post here is another review.
‘Revere on Goldsmithing: Project Five: Hollow Wedding Band’
By Alan Revere
Review by Lewton-Brain=A9 1996
This is the fifth in the ambitious series of step by step
professionally oriented goldsmithing training videos by Alan
Revere. If you are learning jewelry making and serious about it
you should get this tape and if following the ‘course’, the other
ones in the series as well. This one is a real addition to
educational options in the field. It (and the series) offer a
number of firsts in the jewelry/goldsmithing field. They are
about education, not attempting to entertain at the cost of
delivery. They are serious step by step, slow paced,
careful tutorials. There is really solid ongoing commentary on
reasons things are done and technical considerations. You could
actually follow along (stopping and starting the tape) and make
the object - something which not all teaching videotapes allow.
There is a gentle introduction, the tape is pleasantly paced,
unhurried and careful. At 80 minutes and thirty seconds you get
good for your money.
The video teaches how to make a hollow formed band ring
construction. I highly recommend it to anyone training to be a
goldsmith, who is interested in basic, sound, traditional
metalworking and for those working professionals who are willing
to watch what at first glance (from the viewpoint of an
accomplished working goldsmith) might seem simplistic. A working
goldsmith with an open mind should be able pick up and
appreciate a number of ideas and bits and pieces from the tape.,
I know I did and am glad I’ve got a copy.
This is an educational product, tied to curriculum, that is it
is concerned with teaching, with transferring information
completely and well to the viewer. We are used to thinking of
watching videos from the video store as a passive act, this tape
requires your active participation and concentration. This tape
is like going to school with a tutor demonstrating for you. It is
nice to see the checking done, stressed and repeated as it must
be for proper working method-all too often the ‘magic of video’
chops out repeated actions and someone attempting to follow along
and actually make something gets lost or doesn’t get the
importance of certain things- not so here. There is a very good
talk through of the reasons he does things, the mark of an
accomplished educator, to say out loud one’s technical thoughts
and reasoning while doing it.
The camera work is good, distance and very clear close-ups.
There are few of the traditional film cuts and jumps from one
scene to the other which results in a very ‘real’ approach to
working, sometimes things even go slightly wrong, imperfections
exist: reality. It feels like real life. The camera views often
seem to be from the angle he is looking at the work which makes
it feel like one is looking at the work on the bench pin out of
his eyes. Revere’s level of hand skills is high and it shows,
someone learning could for instance get a lot from copying how
things are held. There is a sensible logic to the working method
and organizing hints such as measuring and marking the dapping
tools. The emphasis on measuring is excellent. He uses wax sheet
in an interesting way as a model to demonstrate how to better
understand the metal flow which occurs when shaping sheet.
If you are going to use this tape as a training method I have
some suggestions: 1) watch it through once with great
concentration to study tools needed, tool usage, hand movements
(notice that torch movement!) , controls, bracing methods,
positioning of hands and tools and working pace. One could learn
a lot from the bench and tool set-up shown. As you watch take
written notes and then write questions on what you saw to
yourself and answer them. Treat it like going to school. 2) Then
watch the tape again and make the piece along with it, stopping
and starting the tape as necessary. Give yourself a day for this
the first time through. Then if you really want to learn, make
the same ring again four times, one after the other taking notes
on improvements every time. If the results all look the same you
are doing well and can give yourself a gold star. If using the
tape for self education I recommend also getting the rest of the
set for consistency and his book ‘Professional Goldsmithing’ as
well.
Revere on Goldsmithing, Project 5: Hollow Wedding Band
By Alan Revere and the Bell Group Inc.
Rio Grande Video Library
4516 Anaheim Ave NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87113, USA
Tel: 505-821-7620
Also:
Revere Academy,
Suite 900, 760 Market Street,
San Francisco, CA, 94102, USA
(800 words)
Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary,
Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053
Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain
Metals info download web site: Learning Center - Ganoksin Jewelry Making Community
Product descriptions: http://www.ganoksin.com/kosana/brain/brain.htm
Links list hosted at the Metal Web News:
http://tbr.state.tn.us/~wgray/jewelry/jewelry-link.html