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Destiny Inner circle 1429 Posts |
If I lived in your locale I would definitely write to the paper complaining about your activity - that would get some more butts on seats.
Is there someone here from Houston willing to be outraged in order to drive a little more business to this worthwhile endeavour? Destiny |
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Gordon Special user Chicago 692 Posts |
I think you can improve your website by providing a way to silence the music during your lengthy opening animation. Later, a button appears to do this, but I was wishing for one much, much earlier. If I had opened your site at work, I'd have closed it almost immediately.
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rinpoche New user Garden of Earthly Delights 56 Posts |
I like that you don't allow expectant mothers and make people sign a waiver. A great way to set up expectations.
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ufojoe New user 7 Posts |
Captain Kid, this post was about a seance. I feel my questions were fine for this specific thread. Nobody else seems to have a problem with it.
Jamie, thanks or the reply. I'm hoping to attend at least once. I'm in town until November out here from LA shooting a tv show. My wife (who will be visiting a few times) will be interested in this too. Hope it is well attended. I'm not a magic guy but if you need people for the dress rehearsal, let me know. Although, it would have to be on one of my days off. Right now, it's Sunday and one week day. I am not a BELIEVER in seances or mediums. Although, I think there is some very good evidence that something anomalous has gone on in certain instances over the years. DD Home is one amazing medium that comes to mind. Although, medium may not be the right word. Most people (even the skeptics) don't even know these cases exist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dunglas_Home Three mediums conducting private (and occasionally, public) seances right now: David Thompson - Australia Stewart Alexander - UK Warren Caylor - UK No way to tell if they are legit or frauds from what I have read/heard. Although, Alexander seems to be the most credible. The Scole Experiment was another good case. And was the one that had the magic circle member visit. Could he have been fooled? Of course. I'm open to that possibility. But, Captain Kidd, do you allow for the possibility that there are some seances or people who can produce paranormal phenomena or is it your opinion that it's all bogus? |
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Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
If your are "not a magic guy," then what are you doing here?
Bill
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
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ufojoe New user 7 Posts |
I was looking for any seance-related activity in Houston while I am here.
And I stumbled upon this Houston Seance thread. Is that acceptable? |
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KC Cameron Inner circle Raleigh, North Carolina 1944 Posts |
I think plasticdestiny has a great idea, and you can write a dozen letters yourself and have friends email complaints. You may even want to get a number of "free" email accounts to bolster things. Sheils would be proud! Would you mind if I copied your ideas?
ufojoe For not being a "Believer" you sure sound like one. Your idea of what is "legit" or not is pretty skewed towards what I would call a "scientific" believer. I doubt anyone has an issue with you being here, but you are talking to MAGICIANS who do this sort of MAGIC, not Ghost Hunters. There is nothing wrong with Ghost Hunters, I do a bit myself, and many of us are "believers" at some level. Many of us mix the two together. Just for your information, magicians are entertainers, as magicians we are looking for effects and entertaining our AUDIENCE. Magicians are professional liars - we deceive people to entertain them. Comments about "drinking", "legit" and proof are fine, just not as judgmental for a guy doing his job - entertainment. |
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ufojoe New user 7 Posts |
The last thing I said was that I wanted to come to the seance and I thought it was a good idea. But my initial response WAS a bit judgmental.
Quote:
On 2007-09-01 09:02, CaptainKid wrote: Now you're making a judgment. You don't know me but from a few postings on here. I'm open minded about a lot of this stuff but not convinced about any of it. I need more evidence to get to the point. There is evidence that many of these effects MIGHT be legit. Evidence, NOT proof. And some of it is just anecdotal. You may see the evidence differently. Many do. But you have to look at it in depth to get a better feel for it. How much reading have you done on the subject? A great book I would recommend is "Ghost Hunters," by Deborah Blum. And if you want to get deeper into DD Home and others, read "The Limits of Influence," by Stephen Braude. You didn't answer my question so I'll ask it again... Do you allow for the possibility that there are some seances or people who can produce paranormal phenomena or is it your opinion that it's all bogus? |
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Destiny Inner circle 1429 Posts |
Ufojoe,
I thought your first post more than a bit judgemental. I saw it as accusatory pontificating. I restrained myself when I posted because this thread is about a fellow entertainer getting off his butt and providing a wonderful diversion for his fellow human beings. I didn't want to derail it. What he believes, what his faith is, what Gods he follows - are irrelevant. All that is relevant is 'Is he providing a quality entertainment so folks will get their moneys worth and some joy in their lives?' From his postings and website I believe they will and I applaud him. Forgive the heat but please understand that you are thus far totally anonymous to us - you have provided no identification or indication of who you are. Your initial posts make no greeting or introduction. Rather they appear to go straight for the throat, kicking the chair out from under a man who's doing something appreciated in our community. You might find a better avenue for the non magical topic you seem eager to discuss in 'Not very magical, still...' Can we please return to discussing Jamies entertainment. Destiny |
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KC Cameron Inner circle Raleigh, North Carolina 1944 Posts |
I quote myself in this thread:
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I don't know what is real, and what isn't, but I find your questions a tad naive and scientifically religious. Jamie I am not sure where the vamp ties in with the seance - you may want to use something else. I am also wondering if performing "slight of hand" before the seance will make the seance more difficult to believe, thus more difficult for you. I would do more bizarre close-up magic and not call it "slight of hand", but perhaps "experiments in the occult" or something like that. I also would not mention that either of you are magicians. |
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ufojoe New user 7 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-09-01 16:30, plasticdestiny wrote: Already backed tracked from that. Quote:
On 2007-09-01 16:30, plasticdestiny wrote: Never asked his faith or which God he followed. I asked him what he thought about seances and the alleged phenomena that has supposedly occurred during them. Quote:
On 2007-09-01 16:30, plasticdestiny wrote: And after my first posts, I wrote that I thought it was a good idea and that I would like to attend. And I wrote that I hoped it was well attended. Quote:
On 2007-09-01 16:30, plasticdestiny wrote: Actually, yes I have. I wrote that I was visiting Houston (from LA) until November and that I was shooting a tv show while here. Name is Joe, as in ufojoe. Quote:
On 2007-09-01 16:30, plasticdestiny wrote: My ultimate goal was to find an experienced magician who would know how to replicate some of the effects that have occurred in certain seances. My initial postings were off the mark. But I already noted that. If I could find multiple magicians who can't explain how some of the phenomenon is showing up, I'd be very interested in exploring that further. Many of the people who have attended the seances in question (including a few magicians) have no idea how the effects seen could be duplicated using conjuring or slight of hand. Many times, the medium is brought into a house or building that is not under their control. So it would be very difficult for them to sneak in contraptions to produce an illusion. Maybe they can be duplicated. I would love to see that. But it would have to take place under the same conditions that the alleged mediums are working under. So far, no magicians have come forward and stepped up the challenge. But they HAVE been invited. The Scole Experiment is just one... Once again, good luck Jamie. Hope you entertain lots of Houston folks. Will keep an eye open for the dates and places. |
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jamiesalinas Special user Houston 728 Posts |
This week I will have the date set for the premierdress rehearsal. I am meeting with the bar manager Tuesday and Scott and I will finish the trailer that we are shooting for the séance.
As far as the suggestion about not having “Regular” Magic during the cocktail hour and something more bizarre, people can and will find out Scott and I are magicians so I will not hide the fact but embrace it. That is why Scott will perform the Magic and I will conduct the séance. I will have some updates for the website soon as well with a link to the video trailer. Jamie Salinas http://www.houstonseance.com Posted: Sep 6, 2007 2:07pm The date is set for the FREEVIEW has been set. We will have the first one on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 8:00 pm for the Strolling Magic and the seance at 9:00. I will let you know how it went. PM me if you would like to attend. Also, while shooting a video for a trailer for the event, Scott Wells and myself did actually experience "Contact". PM me if you want to know more about our experience. Jamie Salinas
Jamie Salinas
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KC Cameron Inner circle Raleigh, North Carolina 1944 Posts |
I just received Jim Magus' book "Raising the Dead for Fun and Profit". It is excellent, and while it is late, It is worth checking out.
Oh, and I just downloaded some good music off iTunes by Nox Aracna that will work well in a seance. |
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Destiny Inner circle 1429 Posts |
Capt. Kid
I just got the same book (perhaps evidence of paranormal communication - did you also brush your teeth and have a coffee this morning?) Raising The Dead for Fun and Profit is wonderful. After reading Midnight in the Dark Museum I thought it would be worth getting. Now I intend getting every word Jim Magus commits to paper. Jamie - all the best for your 'freeview'. Destiny |
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jamiesalinas Special user Houston 728 Posts |
Well Gang,
We did it! Last night was out freemier presentation. It went well and we learned a lot! I gave myself a B- on the seance portion. The hardest part of the whole thing for me is to transition from a traditional Magic Show to this! We had mostly Magicians in attendance but we had many positive comments. The lay people that were there enjoyed it but had a different idea as to what to expect. They were probably thinking more of a Hollywood seance so I will probably address that in my introduction for future presentations. This is definitely a change of gears in performance but I feel we are not very far off from being where we want to be. I think I will hold a private performance for some friends/family with the changes to see how it goes. Bottom line is that I believe we are on the right track and we will get to where we need to be in a very short timeframe. Thank you for all your comments and suggestions. The biggest help for this performance as far as reading materials on this subject has been from "The Bigger Book of Boo" and "Spirit Theater"! Jamie
Jamie Salinas
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Texas36 New user 92 Posts |
I had the pleasure of attending Jamie's seance and it was very good. The venue is neat and Scott Wells and Jamie put together a very entertaining evening.
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jamiesalinas Special user Houston 728 Posts |
Thanks Ed! Although I was happy with the base we have created, we definitley have plenty of room for improvements. I have a new video on the web site from two lay people in attendance. Here is the link: http://www.houstonseance.com/8.html
Thanks, Jamie Posted: Oct 8, 2007 2:38am Here is an update about my experience so far: Tonight, we just completed our first night for the general public. The hardest thing for me to overcome in my mind is that I am not performing a Magic show. This is extremely hard to do since that is how I have been working for the past 20 years. I have been trying to stay with the less is more principle that I have been reading about in all of the research that I have been doing but the Magician in me is making it tough to follow. The results have been that the séances are too short on time. Tonight, my first performance reflected my mind set as a Magician as was too short and looked like a Magic show. Fortunately, one of our senior members, Jerry Grey, was in attendance and offered some advice that he had actually given me before. I need to change my presentation to one of being just as amazed as the audience should be. I needed to believe what I was saying and sound sincere about making contact. Thinking of Dr. Edward Saint and his audio of the last Houdini séance will give you an idea as to what Jerry was trying to get me to do. I made these changes in the second performance and even though there is still plenty of room to make it better, it was a night and day difference. At the conclusion of the séance, one of the attendees asked if I could make contact with a departed friend. I explained that as I stated earlier, I cannot contact the spirit of loved ones. I was trying to make contact with a known spirit that haunts the location of the séance. I did offer her some thoughts that seemed to help this teary eyed woman. I told her that it is tough to lose someone unexpectedly such as the loss of her friend in a car accident. I told her that when she has a fond memory of him, that is his way of communicating with her and letting her know that he is still with her. She then thanked me for the advice. The second séance was so much better that she asked for me to contact her friend. It was Jerry's constant advice that will get me to eventually change my performance style to make this more believable. This type of performance in my opinion is one of the hardest to sell because this is not just tricks with a spooky theme, it is storytelling and above all, acting! I will keep you posted on our progress. Thanks, Jamie Salinas http://www.houstonseance.com
Jamie Salinas
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Todd Robbins V.I.P. New York 2922 Posts |
Seances are serious stuff. Every magician wants to do one, but it is dangerous territory. People don't realize how vulnerable they can be when it comes to the memory of departed loved ones. I make it as clear a possible at the beginning of my show that everything is fake, and yet when I bring forth messages people tear up. And I insist that we only deal with pleasant memories. As I state in the show, "Losing someone leaves a wound that never heals."
Spirit theater goes far beyond being a form of entertainment. |
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DeadDave Regular user Atlanta, GA 176 Posts |
Todd Robbins just got a plug from James Randi:
http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-10/100507web.html#i17 I wish I could attend! Also, Congratulations Jamie! I wish you the best success! |
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Scott Wells Inner circle Houston, TX 1025 Posts |
Well, I guess it's time for me to weigh in on this thread.
I am thrilled to be a part of this first-time-in-Houston event. Jamie and I have been talking about doing something for a couple years. The original idea was for he and I to do a Halloween-type, spooky magic and mentalism show that ended with Banachek in a feature slot at the end. Although Banachek was willing to help however he could, it was difficult to get him to find any time in his schedule to help with this endeavor due to other performing and consulting obligations. He did (and still does) offer several suggestions to make our evening successful. Jamie and I looked for a stage venue but decided that it would be too large and expensive of a task to pay for the theatre, union, sound and lights, ticket printing, advertising, etc. between the two of us and we do not have the time to find a sponsor. We then concluded that we would be better off by going smaller and more intimate so we decided on the séance. Finding the right venue and how we have promoted the event was the subject of a recent lecture given by Jamie at our local magic club meeting that would take more time than I have to write here. Suffice it to say that we consulted with many pros, researched books and websites, watched videos, etc. all meant to help us decide how to make this a unique experience. We are fortunate to live in America’s fourth largest city where we have a plethora of helpful and professional magicians. We have been given much advice, mostly good (which we have incorporated), plus we have the perfect venue that is in the top ten of haunted places in Texas (La Carafe was once featured on the Travel Channel as such). Anyway, we have continually been tweaking our performances. Although I am performing magic downstairs, it is more of a “warm-up” where I solicit patrons who might otherwise not have come for the séance. Moreover, the magic I perform is geared more toward the mental side (i.e. invisible deck, B-Wave, rising card, etc.) for a couple of reasons. First of all the downstairs bar is dark and I mean dark. It is only lit by the light of several candles and exit signs. So it is difficult to see the pips on cards and impossible for certain effects because of the subdued lighting. Some may say that it is perfect for invisible thread work, but I am a bit reluctant to use that. I feel that I am trying to create a magical experience and if I make something float, then they may expect to see something “hokey” like that later but on a larger scale (of course you could argue that I am using thread with the rising card deck.) I am still mulling over the possibility of some thread work because I could say they will “see this now but not later in the séance.” Hmmm, still not sure about that. I also take out the stigma that there is something spooky going on upstairs. Some people are more than a little reluctant to attend a séance so I say that, “we are just opening the door to allow spirits to manifest themselves if they wish. For example here is a little something that you might expect…” then I go into a short routine by Rick Maue from “The Book of Haunted Magick” or from “Séance” by Scott Moore-Davis (published by Kaufman and Company) or something of that sort. Before the séance begins, I explain that, yes, Jamie and I are magicians but beyond that we are interested in psychology and what makes people think the way they do. How and why can people be directed to seeing what they want to believe? I lead them down the road to expect paranormal activities as I weave stories about the building (over 170 years old) and its many people who have darkened the doors such as slave traders, prostitutes, confederate soldiers, Indians and even Sam Houston. I then tell them about several who have died in and around the building and I conclude by telling a personal haunting experience that Jamie and I had at La Carafe. Finally I do a pendulum effect where each attendee holds a pendulum (string and a “coffin” nail) to see if spirits are present. I then introduce Jamie who officially begins the séance. Nothing more is ever said about magic or us being magicians. All of this takes out the stigma that it is a magic show as we try to open the minds of the attendees to consider the possibility of spirits manifesting themselves. We have had attendees who have “over imbibed” with adult beverages, but we have been able to contain that after the first few effects. I try to squelch that early on in my introduction by saying that this is a “theatrical performance” and they should conduct themselves as if they were down the street at the theatre. Although we bill this is an “interactive haunted experience,” we do not encourage people to “break the plane” that we try to establish. I believe that some people fortify their spirit with alcoholic spirits because they are uncertain what is about to happen and they are subconsciously a little afraid of the unknown. It’s like “whistling in the graveyard.” After the first couple of effects that Jamie does, the audience quiets down and realizes that, “Wait a minute. Something is happening here and I need to sober up a catch it.” At the conclusion of the séance (which lasts about 40 minutes including my 10 minute introduction), people calmly and quietly exit the area…a complete transformation from how they came in. I hope this gives you a little better idea of what we are doing. And if you have any additional ideas on what we could do in our show (magic effects for me downstairs and/or séance ideas for Jamie), then please let us know. We are breaking new ground here and we think we may be on to something. To our knowledge, no one has ever tried a séance like this in Houston. I know that the bar loves us because they are getting some patrons who have never darkened their doors before this séance. Also they are getting paid for us using a room that would otherwise be dark. Finally, we are trying to lay groundwork for next year. We are getting experience and building clientele now so we can hopefully fill every seat every night next year. Thanks to everyone who has been contributing to this thread. Yours, Scott http://www.HoustonSeance.com
"A magician who isn't working is only fooling himself." - Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star
The Magic Word podcast: http://themagicwordpodcast.com Listen to convention coverage, interviews with magicians, pictures, videos and more. Magic Inspirations website for all things Banachek: www.magicinspirations.net |
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