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chrusa Special user Connecticut 736 Posts |
I have been watching Magic performance videos recently and have been doing magic for 13 years now. As I learn more I know how more of these effects are done. I cant help but notice the feeling I used to get of amazement is just not there anymore becuase I know how a lot is done. Does anyone else get this feeling? Sometimes I do get the things that totally throw me off guard and am wowed. I used to think the best stuff to work on was that stuff because if it amazed me imagine how the spectators must feel. I also see some things and think that because I know the method it is obvious. For example that principle I spoke about before from Paul Osbournes illusionworks 1 entitled hiding places. I think that logically when seeing these illusions that is the only explanation and spectators will use logic and say "that the only way it could be done"
Is my thinking correct or it is just that I know how it is done and I need to step back and realize that spectators aren't as smart as I think? I hate this feeling it kind of makes not seeing an effect as special because I don't get that Wow factor. How do you professionals deal with this? Does it effect the selection of performance pieces you are wlling to learn, practice, or add to your repitoure?
Thanks,
<BR> <BR>Chris Hrusa |
CCPCris Loyal user Alabama 280 Posts |
Yeah man, I know exactly how you feel. I am getting ready for some shows I am doing next year, and speant a few hours one afternoon going through some video footage with an assistant of mine. He was floored at some of the effects. So then we went through some videos of some top name magicians, again he was floored, and I marlved at his response, I unfourtunetly could not share in his excitement. I can enjoy the show, but not the illusion, mainly because many effects are based on similar principals that we already know.
I try to foucus on the magicians performance, rather than the effect, and I guess in a sense, I am entertained diffrently than lay men.
making the unreal, real...really!
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Red Shadow Inner circle 1788 Posts |
I felt the exact same way as you did. I've been doing magic for 12 years, and had taken it to a professional level. There wasn't much further I could go and all my tricks were clean and well presented.
I looked into giving up magic for another pursuit and then America's got talent started. I saw an opportunity to get onto TV. I started working on a TV act, purely for the show and it gave my magic a goal and a purpose. That's all you need now, an avenue to move your magic into a new domain. The other thing I started doing was to increase my level of difficulty. This year alone, I learned an entire ring manipulation routine, thimble routine, torn and restored card routine. The magic I am now doing is ten times more complicated than before, but it adds that extra challenge into the act, not to get caught. My advise, pick up an extremely difficult trick you like, and spend some time perfecting it. Performing something difficult is a frill in trying to not make a major mistake. Steve P.S: spectators aren't as smart as we think, they don't see the deceptive bases as they don't have the trained eye. But the magic isn't why they watch us, they watch us because of our personality. The magic is simply a tool to pass the time. You can present the worst magic in the world (Tommy Copper) but have such a great charisma that you can keep an audience for hours. |
Frank Simpson Special user SW Montana 883 Posts |
Really when all is said and done, method is a very small part of an illusion. There are a number of factors that will affect which illusions become part of one's repertoire.
When I added the Zig-Zag many years ago, one of the primary reasons was its ability to be performed under virtually any circumstance. Some illusions were added because of their ability to easily transport. But really it all boils down to this; if I do not have a dynamic and entertaining presentation for an illusion, it has no business being in my show. I have gotten the odd illusion that I thought would be a good fit but then I discovered that it just didn't fit stylistically. I had no problem with the effect mechanically, but presentationally, it would kind of fall flat. I no longer own these illusions. One questions you might ask yourself is prior to having read the Osborne chapter, did you deduce the soutions correctly? Probably not. Once you've learned a principle it begins to become second-nature. There will always be people who see a magic show for the sole purpose of "figuring them out". These are not the people we should aim for as our primary audience. If your personality and presentation are compelling enough, an audience genuinely will not care about how an illusion is accomplished. They'll be much too busy being entertained. A case in point was seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway last year. Jim Steinmeyer was the illusion designer. In my opinion, Mr. Steinmeyer is the most creative mind in magic. During the scene in the nursery when Mary Poppins is unpacking her amazing carpet bag a multitude of "impossible" items are produced (including a bed!). The audience was buzzing with amusement during the entire song, and I doubt that anyone knew the methods. But the most compelling (and most talked-about) effects in the show are Bert walking up the stage right proscenium arch, across the top, and down the stage left side; and at the end of the show when Mary Poppins leaves. She "flies", umbrella in hand, across the stage but then flies out over the audience's heads and to the back of the auditorium. Wave after wave of absoulutely ecstatic cheering was heard as she made her way through the room. A much bigger reaction than I've ever heard at any David Copperfield show, and I've seen plenty. The interesting thing about both of these effects was that the method was immediately obvious to every person in the room. There was no effort to hide the wires the performers were wearing. Now of course they were not calling attention to them, but they were clearly visible. But their contexts in the show, and the way they were played were abolutely, positively, and COMPLETELY magical. A lesson we would all do well to remember is that the "amazement" factor lies in the effect, NOT the method. While method is very, very important it often becomes the top goal, rather than the tool by which we produce a genuine effect. |
Christopher Starr Inner circle Heart of America 1850 Posts |
One of the biggest motivators for me is attend other magic shows and see and feel the reaction of the audience to a good magical performance. It always reinvigorates me, and motivates me to want to inspire the same response at my performances.
About a year ago I had the opportunity to see the Pendragons perform, and in the opening piece Jonathan did the Pole Levitation with Charlotte. As he past the hoop around Charlotte, a little boy sitting in front of me leaned into his mother and pleaded "HOW does he do that?!". I was able to once again live in the wonder and magic filled eyes of that little boy. ALL of us here were that little boy at some time. |
chrusa Special user Connecticut 736 Posts |
Thanks for the responses guys. I guess spectators don't always go trying to figure out how everything is does. I can tell you what makes me feel that way. We live in a day and age where you have books from Herbert Becker, Masked magician TV specials, internet websites for exposure, Youtube, Teen Magic sites where the forums are filled with wanting exposuire, and what not. These things sure make you feel like everyone wants to know how everything is done. I do agree with presentation being key. I can also say that years ago it would seem most of the world was more book smart and due to failing school systems it seems the education level is going down. But it does seem that "Street smarts" is rising and this is what makes me think people will want to know how this stuff is done and try and use basic logic and say that's the only way this thing can be done. Another aside which doesn't have to do with illusions but education (but I do feel is an interesting point) Does anayone think that computers (which can be a wonderful tool to increase education) Are also decreasing some ones educations. People will soon not know how to spell due to spell heck, math scores will go down due to automatic calculations (I remember in high school we did everything by hand, then in college they made you bring a calculator! I thought this was cheating!), or even penmanship decreasing due to everything being typed on a keyboard these days. (Again I know I am bringing this up but I Am a terrible typer so please excuse my errors)
Ok I'm off my tangent now. Back to youtube. I have seen some of these exposure videos before and the performances alone are so bad they expose. I know exposure is wrong but did you ever see the way these people acT? No wonder they have no respect for the art. Go view an exposure video and then look at the comments. These are people using tons of obscenities, belittling the performer and other people making the comments calling them a Dumb #$% (Word often used for a donkey) and stuff such as that) I mean no wonder they don't care about magic. They have the nerve to say they are trying to help people? Cursing and Belittling is not help it is just destruction. Has anyone else noticed their attitudes? Thanks I find this encouraging because it really was starting to effect my selection of effects. There were some I just wouldn't learn because I was thinking the method would be to obvious. I also used the justification that if this was the case then I would only be learning the cream of the crop and doing "miracles". I am thinking this is not the case and maybe some of these effects might be boring to spectators. At what point do you think magic crosses the line from being amazing for spectators to boring to spectators or not that good but designed for magicians, and showmanship for magicians, etc.
Thanks,
<BR> <BR>Chris Hrusa |
Algebra2 Regular user CA 156 Posts |
It' good to find wonder in other areas, for me studying science, math, philosophy help me find plenty of things to wonder about and feel mystery about the universe. Don't lose your sense of wonder.
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