Guys,
I have great news for you that want to know the real work on costume changes not pipe dreams.

I talked with David Maas (David & Dania) about an hour yesterday. He told some great news.
Dania and he will be lecturing on their copyrighted act. They just did a lecture in Spain and got a standing ovation. They are scheduled to lecture in England in March with many more lectures to come. In the lecture, David dresses Dania and they go through the actual changes slowly in plain view. Even if you do not intend to do this type of magic, it will be an education not to be missed.

They will (plans are for about May or June) to have full website up and running. They will be selling dvd's, lecture notes, promo materials, high and low priced effects and other items. They plan to have a booth at conventions they will be working.

Be patient as this will take a little time to get this all up and running. Considering they are always working and are about to start another stellar season as a NBA Halftime show, it will be a major undertaking. BTW, they just signed for 6 more years with the NBA.

So if anyone know of larger conventions that are looking for a blockbuster act and lecture, you can contact David@costumechange.com.

Richard

Hey all;

Thought you guys might enjoy this.

http://www.costumechange.com/#intro

Though it does not yet speak of their lecture/products there are some videos and info about them and their shows. I for can't wait to see them.

Matt

It would be great if they could lecture at the Blackpool Convention in Feb. I love their act. I will definatley be trying to attend this.

I am not sure that they will be booked for Blackpool. The winter is a very busy time for them here as they worked the NBA basketball game halftimes. That pays probably about 20 times what a magician's convention would be.

David told me he was lecturing in England in March. Is there another convention then?

I can check with David on Blackpool and let you know.

Richard

Their video page is one of the most unique that I have ever seen on a magicians site.

I would love to know if you hear from them Richard, Thanks.

Hope it wont be to far from me if it isn't at blackpool. Haven'y gone on their website yet. Will be checking it out in a little while.

Darren

WOW! Just watched the video clips.

They ARE GOOD!

AWESOMEEE!!!

WOW!!

Someone is doing something in ENGLAND?

WOW! That's great news not to meantion a nice change (no pun intented!)

(Copperfield, take note! )

Wow, great news! Hope there will be some info on the website where they will be lecturing! Would love to watch their lecture!

Nice to see that this year has brought many new things in the Art of transformation! Now that literature and video material (DVDs) are available it will be a head start for this Art to develop right into the 21st century.

David and Dania are not only well known for their fine, dynamic and elegant act. They have actually contributed to the Art with some new solutions of the old problems and it would be a pleasure to see their lecture (and worth travelling abroad just only to see them as well). I'm sure many magicians will find the lecture usefull. Quick costume changes are definitely one of the hardest and most complicated things in magic (and some people like to call it an Art of its own) and magicians who get to see the lecture will certainly admire it even more when they see how much effort has to be invested into an act like this. David and Dania are certainly among the finest Transformation acts in the world and it will be a great pleasure to learn about it from the masters themselves.

I'm sure their products (costumes) for sale will be of the finest quallity, and I can't wait to see some material (DVD or a book or lecture notes). I hope they will sell them from their website too.

Strainght from the horses mouth so to speak.

I received this email from David Maas:



So there you have it!

I've wanted to see these video's for YEARS!
Thanks
Dave

I absolutely can not wait for this! Thanks for the heads up...I'll be waiting.

Quick costume changes are certainly not my area of expertise, but a subject that has fascinated me as long as magic has.

It will be so nice to hear something a bit different and may inspire me to add the odd quick change during an illusion to enhance the effect.

A "Must see" for everyone I think.

Chris.

This is something I do in my show and something I've been interested in since I was like 8 years old and saw Arturo Brechetti for the first time. I was absolutely enthralled by the quick change. It took me years to start collecting information on this art and so, finally, now I feel comfortable enough to add elements of this art to my show. Currently I'm in the process of designing and building several quick change costumes for my new show. This is definitely a facet of magic I love and hope to delve even more deeply into during the future of my career.

Good for you Nell! - It's important that these old art-forms are kept alive and going.
I imagine that getting any good info on the subject was extremely hard to find, so well done for sticking with it and unearthing what you did find.

Arturo Brechtti appeared on a weekly magic show that we used to have here in England (Until it got cancelled!) and he made and showed it to be a real ENTERTAINING art-form that could be put into a short story where he played all the parts! - You could easily see that hundreds of hours of hard work had gone into each short piece to get it to that standard.

As you have found it hard to get good info yourself, have you considered writing a book for beginners to the subject? Obviously you don't want to give all your best ideas away, but you could help encourage a new generation to get started.

Chris.

Arturo is the master of quickchange...indisputably (whent it comes to speed and level of complexity, there is no comparison that I know of), but there are several others who put on wonderful shows, so it's always enjoyable to discover more about the art. I had not thought of writing a book on it at all. I'm nowhere near ready for that, but it may be possible in the future. I'll keep it in mind...

I have also been doing quick changes in my shows for about 10 years. With so little resources you have to rely on your own creativity. My best advice is to take a peice of clothing and look at how it is made, disect it. And start from there. When it come's to the idea of more elaborate and dramatic changes, it is a matter of combining many different methods not only of concealing/changing, but of fastening as well. I have seen and read almost everything available, and have been inspired even more than I already have been. Yet, once I heard David and Dania will be teaching, that was a beacon that went off for me. Arturo has the gift of acting and combing that with his changes, which is his own 'thing'. Where as David and Dania have backgrounds in Circus work and Magic. Which creats an atmosphere unique to them. It is finding this atmosphere that is one of the most time consuming and trying aspects of Quick Change.

Matt

Any more info on the lectures or any DVD's etc.?

I remember seeing their act on 30-seconds to fame. I was half asleep so it took me by the second costume change to notice what their act was all about. Luckily they made it to the finals so I saw the act again, then they won the show and performed for one final time.

Amazing and unique. I think they should be careful with their secrets though. It is what made their name. I felt the "feeling" of magical amazement after watching the videos on their site. I haven't felt that feeling in a while.
-MATT KAP