The Family

I could say that this is the number 1 Magic membership and community, but there is no number 2 that come even close.
This is Magic in its purest form, and it is filmed more beautifully than it has ever been (seriously).
Every month new effects, tutorials, masterclasses and whatnot are published, every month I think it cannot get better, but every month it does.
I do truly believe that Ben is pushing the craft of Magic to a whole new level, and it is happening right here and right now.
One part of me wants to keep all that for myself so I can be way ahead of many magicians. But another part of me wants The Family to keep going forever, so I'm writing this review in the hope it contribute to get a tiny portion of the recognition is deserves, and so it might keep growing for as long as possible.

tl;dr: It's even better than what all the reviews say

Just to be clear, I'm not affiliated in any way with anyone in The Family or Studio 52. I'm just a person who lives in the US and is obsessed with magic. Over the past few years, I've purchased a lot of magic and also joined a number of subscription services.. While there are some amazing things out there, The Family is far and away the best investment that I've ever made in magic... and it's not close.

Ben is an incredible magician, both as a performer and a technician. For me that is priority number one. I need to be inspired by the art and artistry of the artist before I learn anything from them. He's also an incredible teacher. Not all great performers and artists are great teachers. In this case, the instruction in The Family is exceptional, detailed, and deep. The videos themselves are shot and edited with the highest quality and aesthetic possible, making them not just the best magic videos I've ever seen, but also some of the best videos in general that I've ever seen. Add to that access to all the other content you get each month as well as the content from the last year half and you end up with something that is just remarkable.

There are other wonderful sites and people on the internet, but The Family is the best of the best. And at the cost, it's absolutely the best deal in magic. I would pay twice as much and feel completely fulfilled. Do yourself a favor and try it out!

There's a lot in the other reviews here about what the Family is. Perhaps I'll say a bit about what it is not.

1) It's not about Ben. If you're either a fan of his work, or if you really dislike him, in either case this review will make no difference to you. But for the rest of us, this isn't simply about learning Ben's magic. It's a magic community that Ben and his team enable with great professionalism, artistry and care.

2) It isn't for everyone. I think that for the majority of magic enthusiasts, there are other membership options that would suit better. Large magic organisations can create entertaining content with relative ease. They can attract big name magicians every month, each of whom can do amazing and varied magic which is enjoyable to watch and fantasise about learning. The Family isn't that, and thankfully (for me) doesn't want to be. It's for the magician who takes pleasure in thinking about their magic - not just consuming it. It's not for people looking (just) for another trick. It's for people who will enjoy the depth, authenticity, and nuance that these guys bring to the table.

3) It's not a cult (inside joke - the Family guys knew it was coming), but it is a community. And the community here is stunning. Friendly, intelligent, funny, respectful, knowledgeable, and approachable. Despite this, most of them are also nice people. We've had some fantastic conversations over the years, and my favourite ones haven't even been about magic.

I belong or have belonged to many. And yes. I have found them valuable. However, their appeal is many times by necessity very broad based. This group
Headed by the multitalented Ben Earl is directed to the real lover of card magic. Learning magic as a performance art can be very difficult. You go to youtuube, xyz site, this lecture, etc. what you end up with is a patchwork of material, moves and approaches versus a unified one where everything fits together. If i had to do it again i would start with Bens fundamental courses. Even me who has been doing this for more than 60 years learned something. But the real jewel for me is the monthly subscription. Here based on years of work Ben addresses the plots and gives his advice on an approach and why it makes sense. Not just moves. But the direction and presentation. Its beautiful. And when you watch this Master perform, you are inspired. You see nothing but magic as it is meant yo be. You are learning from one of the great living card stars. And the members are like Family allowing you to interact and test your ideas. The inner circle you choose to learn and share is an important decision. This will be the best magic decision you will ever make.

I have been a part of the family for around a year now, my skills have tripled in that time. The instruction that Ben provides is incredible. The videos are entertaining and HIGH QUALITY. I can’t recommend The Family enough if you’re into card magic, experienced or beginner.. this is the resource and learning material for you.