I have seen various lecture notes avalible by top magicians like Ammar etc, and I am just wondering what they are. I know I may sound a bit dim but does it describe one effect.
Any help would be grateful

Lectures vary a lot from magician to magician. Sometimes a lecture is primarily focused on performance with maybe an effect thrown in to satisfy those who want it. Sometimes the lecture focuses on one effect and all the details of its performance and workings is discussed. It really does depend.

I predict Peter will make a posting after mine, and his will provide a little more insight..

Regards,

Kris Sheglova

Danny,
Not a 'bit dim' at all; that's what this board is all about: If you don't know, ask!
Remember, nobody was born knowing this stuff.

Time was when a "name" magician, with 20 or 30 years' experience under his belt, would go on tour to present a lecture to various magic groups or clubs. (The crowds might range from a dozen to a hundred.)

There, he would present his "take" on exisiting sleights, routines, or tricks, or demonstrate the handling and working of new ones.

After the lecture, he would sell lecture notes, covering the sleights, routines and/or tricks that he covered in the lecture; this was done more as a memory jogger for the lecture-goer than anything else.

Time passes; everyone gets into the act; people who have been in magic an hour and a half go on tour and magic clubs book these lectures because they can't be bothered coming up with an original program for that month's meeting.

The wannabe lecturers use the lecture more as a springboard for selling material afterwards, than as a teaching session (maybe because they have so little to teach!).

Consequently, the lecture notes -- and, now, videos suffer in quality.

For the past eight years, I have been giving lectures to magic groups and conventions in the U.S. and Canada -- a new lecture every year.
Last year's was Bizarre Magic (a favorite of mine) and this year's is Real-Life Table Hopping, a lecture on bar and restaurant performing, based on 15 years of actually doing it.

Lecture notes -- to FINALLY answer your question -- are usually in booklet form, consisting of six to 20 tricks or routines (that the lecturer did in the lecture); this covers (or SHOULD cover) the effect, the presentation, and the working.

Lecture notes, by people who know what they are talking about (you mention Mike Ammar), are worth it; lecture notes, by people who actually know less than you do, are not.

Hope this is of some help.

Thanks Peter that is a great help.