TheMagicalMan

All the illusions you mentioned differs from the TV version.
From a layman's perspective it probably does not.

And yes, David Mendoza is resposible for the plattfrom for the portal.
I don't know the creative team behind the complete illusion.

Trickbusters did not get the dissaperance right.

At least not in the clip that I watched.

I wish David and Co. would do a lecture on creativity and ideas. Take one illusion, like Portal, and break it down into its various parts. Talk about who developed what. Where did the idea first germinate. Who built it. Who choreographed it. Wrote the dialogue, etc.
It would be an awesome history and I bet people would be shocked by how much actually goes into what you see on stage.

One thing is for certain; no single aspect is overlooked in the creation of one of his pieces. The music research alone must take tons and tons of time and research. Scenic design, lighting design, costuming are all done by top professionals in the industry.

I'm not always a fan of his results, but I so appreciate that level of commitment. Everything, by which I mean everything, is examined to the nth degree.

Aha thanks Krille for answering me regarding this point. But as for the diappearence regarding trickbusters, they only had one video revealing the portal illusion. They claimed that DC and the audience member vanished in the p....(dont wanna give any guesses of anyone here in case they are right) you can inbox me if you wanna talk about it, but I do believe that they got the vanish part correctly, and who knows maybe the beach part as well?..

@ Chad lol you basiclly want DC to reveal and teach one of his greatest illusions in details to everyone huh ?

@ Frank I didn't think these factors would take tons of time and research, I mean for DC's team I thought they would just put a coupla people to work on something.....but I kinda overlooked it. And were you a stage hand in that arena ? Ok I might need to rephrase what I said, the magic od DC's last special's illusions like 13, Portal, Voyeur, Test Conditions, I'm guessing used a special stage or so. It might seem insane but I don't want to say more details on a public forum.

Aha thanks Krille for answering me regarding this point. But as for the diappearence regarding trickbusters, they only had one video revealing the portal illusion. They claimed that DC and the audience member vanished in the p....(dont wanna give any guesses of anyone here in case they are right) you can inbox me if you wanna talk about it, but I do believe that they got the vanish part correctly, and who knows maybe the beach part as well?..

@ Chad lol you basiclly want DC to reveal and teach one of his greatest illusions in details to everyone huh ?

@ Frank I didn't think these factors would take tons of time and research, I mean for DC's team I thought they would just put a coupla people to work on something.....but I kinda overlooked it. And were you a stage hand in that arena ? Ok I might need to rephrase what I said, the magic od DC's last special's illusions like 13, Portal, Voyeur, Test Conditions, I'm guessing used a special stage or so. It might seem insane but I don't want to say more details on a public forum.

Well, if he plans to tour an illusion it doesn't make a lot of sense to come up with effects that require venues with customized set ups. The show needs to get in, do the performance (in DC's case it's often two shows!), and get out. Usually all in about a 15 hour span. Now, that being said, they may indeed use special stages for taping certain things, but I do know that many of his specials were taped in unmodified theatres.

As to researching music, yes, they may put a couple of people on the task, but remember there are many considerations; tempo of course, duration, etc. But remember that it also needs to have the right "feel", it needs to be phrased in the same way the routine will be phrased, and so on. There is an awful lot of prerecorded music to comb through; popular, classical, film scores. Then once music has been selected it usually requires editing. And then there are the licensing arrangements which are separate for live performance and for synchronization (film use). In fact, if you look at DC's Illusion DVD, several effects use different music than the original TV specials from which they were taken. One can presume that this was because the synchronization rights were either unavailable or too expensive for the project.

So at his level there is a lot more to the music than the typical local magician who just buys a track on iTunes.

Hi Blair,
I saw the show two times in an arena in Germany. In this country the clouds had faded away and a mylar curtain dropped down from heaven (LoL). From row 10 and (later on row 14) the mylar creates a whole different picture.
Santé
John

Regarding DC doing a lecture on his creative process, French magicians may remember that this is exactly what he did when Gerorges Proust opened his Museum of Magic in Paris. I was not there but I know a few magicians who were and spoke about how well structured that lecture was. DC hd drawings showing how a few illusions went from 1 idea to the actual performance piece, and how all details got to be considered... This was a truly special event, as I understand it and I wish he and his team could do it more often.

Is this really what Café has become? A newbie comes here with one goal, get the secret, and so many people just jump right in? "In depth discussion"? Yeah right.

Mvmagic:
That's why I used the words -- perhaps - guessing - study - myth.
I agree with you!

Those of us who worked the DC shows signed Non-Disclosure agreements. Sorry. You won't get the info from us!

Doug

It's to bad that the topic moved into methods discussion, as I too find iit distasteful. I think a general discussion about the development of the plot and contributors of the effect would have been interesting.

It's magic...

I had a feeling from the start that this thread was just a way of extracting secrets to the illusion.

I agree, the discussion of the development of the plot and contributors of the effect would have been very educational and interesting.
Most young performers do not realize that an illusion like portal etc. is teamwork not only in execution but mostly development.