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Scott Xavier Inner circle 3672 Posts |
I know it has been said before, but I believe a mentalist always has to be on. When I'm out to dinner at a lounge or anywhere I may travel, I have to live the persona. It's hard to separate and have a normal life, especially at my stage of mentalism development. The best connections I have made were visiting with friends at their 7-11 business. I just performed a small impromptu effect at the right time and booked a large show out of it.
The balance of why we do it and living the personae is a difficult balance. Are we psychic, are we psychological, are we fraudulant magicians? It all has to factor into the end result of a day to day living. Neil Tobin is a great example of this. He stated here that he has modeled a persona after Gomez Adams, and he has. He is the legend, persona, character, and performer. His show weaves his story telling ability into it. In fact when he mentioned Gomez as a pseudo-character that he akins himself to, I chuckled, because when you see his show, that's what the feel is. This is one person I feel lives the magic. Sorry for the rant, but sometimes I just need to leak a bit of ranting... |
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atucci Veteran user Middleburg, Florida 381 Posts |
Scott - what do the top performers do today (think Maven, Brown, etc)? Do you anticipate having to keep the persona 100% of the time or just outside your dwelling? Just wondering....
Tony Tuccillo
Middleburg, Florida |
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Xtasy0 Veteran user 307 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-06 13:31, atucci wrote: Well I had dinner with Maven and he cetainly didn't continue to be "on" the whole time, he's a very interesting guy to talk to, but he was definitely not in the persona he uses when he performs. |
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Juan D Elite user 482 Posts |
Scott, just my personal thoughts:
While it might be difficult, specially at our age, I believe that there should not be an On/Off interruptor. You are a mentalist, get used to it. (In Darth Vader's Voice : It's your desitiny) |
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bobser Inner circle 4178 Posts |
Yep, at your stage of mentalism (your words Scott) it's ok. What when you grow a little you'll be able to put it away
Paul of Tarsus, at the school of Corinth, once said:... Sorry guys, I'm going over the top again, am I not? Bobser
Bob Burns is the creator of The Swan.
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ChEeKy_MoNkEy Regular user FCCL 149 Posts |
Scott - as for always being 'on' and living the 'persona'..surely in order to be a 'good' mentalist, it's more about being able to 'switch on' at the appropriate time and....maybe more importantly knowing when to 'switch off'. If you can find that balance - seems to me therein lies the answer to your comment - "It all has to factor into the end result of a day to day living."
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Necromancer Inner circle Chicago 3076 Posts |
Thanks for the kind words, Scott!
About being in character: much has to do with how comfortably you can occupy the persona you select. In the theatre, an actor will occupy a character during the course of a show that would be absolutely outlandish to occupy 24/7. On the flip side, there are also plenty of roles that only require amplification of aspects of one's daily personality to perform -- which is a far more practical choice for the mystery entertainer, since it neither requires a multiple personality disorder to maintain nor creates a dissonant perception when you meet people outside of a performance context. Best, Neil
Creator of The Xpert (20 PAGES of reviews!), Cut & Color, Hands-Off Multiple ESP (HOME) System, Rider-Waite Readers book, Zoom Pendulum ebook ...
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J ack Galloway Inner circle 1309 Posts |
Neil,
Just saw white noise. I think they would have been better off with a bit more of you in the extra features. The two EVP experts I believe did more damage than good for their cause. You on the other hand were interesting and well spoken. With out your addition I think they would have come off as total nutters. Best Wishes Jack H.O.A_X |
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
Mentalists HAVE lives?! Geez, now I'm going to have to go out and GET one!
(*^# it!! :lol: Lee Darrow, C.H.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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Necromancer Inner circle Chicago 3076 Posts |
Much thanks, Jack!
Best, Neil
Creator of The Xpert (20 PAGES of reviews!), Cut & Color, Hands-Off Multiple ESP (HOME) System, Rider-Waite Readers book, Zoom Pendulum ebook ...
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Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
Wow Neil, I didn't know you were in this movie. I will have to check it out now.
ClICK HERE for HOW TO MAKE TRANSITION FROM MAGICIAN TO MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER WORLD NEW BOOK!
Click here for NEW PROMO TRAILER! 90 seconds of pure laughs without a standing ovation! Click here for Magicians Austin Mentalist Performance https://www.facebook.com/AustinMagicians https://www.speakermatch.com/profile/gianicano/ Magicians Company Entertainers in Dallas, TX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sHW_zVuSc https://about.me/motivationalpublicspeaker |
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durhamkid New user 63 Posts |
The pressure to "always be on" or to constantly keep up the persona is an understandable one when trying to get established or network for business opportunities. However (at the risk of sounding like some lifestyle guru) there is a serious risk of burnout if that is all you're doing. More so if when you're behind closed doors you're thinking about work and evaluating what you do and contributing to the Café.
I disagree that being a mentalist is an all-consuming state or identity - it's a career, a profession. Whether your working hours are 9am to 5pm or 8pm to midnight, then it's a human need and normal to have downtime. We are performers, and however committed we are it's not healthy to allow our normal characters to be subsumed by our magic personas and to attempt to live up to that perception for most of the time. Perspective is an important element in what we do and to step aside from the intensity of performance is essential to keep our performance fresh and balanced. Regards Terry |
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discjockey Elite user 451 Posts |
I think that some peoples problems is just finding a persona.
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malini Loyal user 219 Posts |
Shouldn't your mentalist 'persona' be merely an exaggeration of your real personality, style and life?
Shaping your act, routines and presentation around yourself rather than your life around the act makes far more complete sense. Derren Brown and Max Maven, in particular, seem to be the leading proponents of this. |
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Sven Rygh Inner circle Oslo, Norway. 1945 Posts |
Nothing but your honest, sincere personality can come through as real 24/7
Sven
WWW.SVENRYGH.NO
"Keep it as simple as possible, - but no simpler" http://www.svenrygh.no/sven-rygh/presse/nrk-forst-og-sist/ http://www.svenrygh.no/video.html |
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TheNightBringer89 Special user 766 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-09 02:18, Sven wrote: I think that's boring most of the time. If you want to make an impact I think you need an original/interesting character people wont forget. If everyone is just a nice everyday guy the only thing that separates us is our effects and I don't think that's art. Just my opinion Im probably wrong.
"Dreams are born of imagination, fed upon illusions, and put to death by reality."
It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong, If you're not like the others then you don't belong. |
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Scott Xavier Inner circle 3672 Posts |
You guys are correct, the persona is an extension of us. BUT, being "on" is another thing. Everyone of my friends loves what I do. I use to promote nightclubs and such, so everyone know me. Now that serves two purposes: 1. I build a legend, 2. I always have to perform for friends of friends...
I didn't think Maven was on when he's out to dinner with you, yet I am pretty sure when he's out at a function or event, he has to be prepared for the inevitable: "Let's see something, or Hey read my mind..." I mean heck he's Maven! The devil man as I heard one man refer to him! Looking like that, I feel he has to be "on" quite a bit. And Derren, does he ever turn off and say heck, it was a s***ge and wireless e** piece? Me thinketh not. Now I hate when people say hey this is Scott, he's a magician. See at the start we all start out as magi and have to rise above that. But to those who knew you back at the start, your still a magi. So double talk and pseudo-bs has to flow and become a standard of the repertuare. Hence my recent postings... Anyways it's fun. I could be an accountant. How many people bring friends to an accountant at a party, lounge, restaurant, or what have you. Well except for around tax season. And I just realized as my post count is soaring, that I have no more life. I am pathetic! |
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Sven Rygh Inner circle Oslo, Norway. 1945 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-09 02:42, TheNightBringer89 wrote: I may get some disagreeing feedback on this; My honest opinion is, that if I can not interest people with my real, natural personality, I should probably not be in show business. I am convinced about that if I try to be something I am not, that will be noticed in the long run. That fact does of course not prevent me from showing, or talking about things I can do and emphasize on that. Trying to be another person however, is not for me. Sven
WWW.SVENRYGH.NO
"Keep it as simple as possible, - but no simpler" http://www.svenrygh.no/sven-rygh/presse/nrk-forst-og-sist/ http://www.svenrygh.no/video.html |
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TheNightBringer89 Special user 766 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-09 03:31, Sven wrote: Hi Sven to each his own, This is a very interesting topic. When I look at all the magi/mentalists that made it big they all have interesting characters, Derren Brown, Criss Angel, David Blaine, Max Maven, If they all dropped their characters for everday people I honestly don't believe they'd be where they are today. The only person I can think of that made it big that has a "normal" character is Gerry Mcambridge, but I found his show a bit boring. What are your thoughts?
"Dreams are born of imagination, fed upon illusions, and put to death by reality."
It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong, If you're not like the others then you don't belong. |
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durhamkid New user 63 Posts |
I don't understand why there seems to be a type of insecurity on the part of some people to sustain a permanent mentalist persona and never show their natural character, which presumably was formed and forged well before their mentalist career, unless of course they were born with a nail writer attached to their thumb. Are people seriously suggesting that Derren Brown; Max Maven et al suddenly had to change their fundamental personalities and how they were with friends and family when they became famous. Yes they developed a performance persona as part of their "act" but this is put on at showtime, I know I've dined with one of them. I was a relative stranger but they were perfectly natural and seemed more relaxed as a result. Derren Brown doesn't check out at Tesco and predict the final cost of his bill - although he might.
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