My RANT about Spectacularly MAGICAL Magic!!!

Either read my rant first,
then watch the full clip of the link below.
Or watch this magician,
then read my mad ranting.

http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/searc......me-murat

It’s time we magicians of the United States take a stand too.

Stop buying cookie-cutter magic
and performing it in the cookie-cutter way.
Think out-of-the-box.
Try to be innovative and fresh!
Find out who “you” are then be that unique “you” in performance….

The hundreds of penguins in “Happy Feet” huddled together,
look less alike than most of us do performing at some magic conference!

Let’s learn to make beautiful, beautiful magic- -
which is truly *Magical* in nature,
magic which uplifts,
and astounds,
and moves an audience… even to its feet
as well a fully entertaining them.

It can be done!
I’ve seen it done!
It does not matter if it’s hysterically funny, or dramatic,
or close-up or stage.

We’ve just got to re-learn to make good magic again.
Yes, there is some innovation out there…
but not a lot percentage-wise these days.

I’ve been watching a lot- - I mean a lot
of magic video and magician’s promo video in the last few weeks,
as I’ve just produced my first marketing DVD too.

Amazing!
There are some really fine performers- -
but a lot More it seems who run from mediocre to retched.

And even the good ones tend to do the same-
-very “same” tricks-
on their promo clips and videos that everyone else does,
and do them in almost the “same” way
with the “same” presentations!

Is this a good way to market yourself???
-by showing off your “best” when it makes you look JUST like everyone else???

And the lines-
…what we quaintly call “patter”…
here are video clips and promo videos
…that are supposed to showcase a magician at his BEST,
and 75% of the lines and jokes date back to Vaudeville days
…. really no kidding…..
same old, old schlock lines
that did not get a laugh as much as a groan back then.

So here I am watching the “same” looking entertainers,
doing a lot of the “same” looking magic,
in mostly the “same” way,
and trying to SELL their acts as *cutting-edge and fresh*!

THEN… then… my friend Michael sends me a link to THIS video clip…

http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/searc......me-murat

O-My-Gods-of-Olympus!!!

I had to write about this clip on Magic Café
(and get my butt burned too, no doubt, for doing it)

This gentleman becomes purely “Magical” using standard, old, old gimmicks…

A LOT of hard thinking and a LOT of work but….
Just a "séance hand"
a "zombie gimmick"
and a touch of "black art"
…and there we have a pure miracle!!!

Talk about taking a risk!
Talk about beauty!
Talk about originality!
Talk about skill and talent!

Talk about cutting-edge and fresh!

Of course, it always seems to be the French,
or at least a European that creates true MAGIC such as this,
well 9 out of 10 times anyway!

Now, I wish I had one-hundredth of that man's creativity
and sheer guts for doing an all-out performance!

What a lovely, if odd little piece!
Think!
Ask!

“How could MY magic be this fine,
have this huge impact,
make me a star!”

I hope this clip inspires some folk to stop copying what they see in their instructional DVD’s and do the real work, we have enough magic-clones clogging up the creative works.

I promise I’m going to work harder and better, I was truly inspired.

Magically,
Walt

That was a great performance indeed

Truly magical, thanks for the link, I too am sick of the clones, eg how many blond females have Mexican grandfathers finding 4 aces for example?

Very nice piece of artistic magic.

This weekend I completed Jamie Ian Swiss', "Shattered Illusions." In his essays he outlines his feelings on the mediocrity of most of today's Magic and Magicians. Jamie outlines what he sees as the necessary steps to put Magic in the category of a true art. The bar he sets is so diabolically high as to render any effort in the performance of prestidigitation unattainable by most mortals; or so it seems.

After watching Jerome Murat's enchanting theatrical presentation I now believe Jamie is undeniably correct. It can be done. Not by mere parroting of what others have done for the last century but by the relentless pursuit of perfection in one's chosen art form. The props are there, the mechanics well defined. We need the final ingredient here in the US. We need highly talented individuals with a dream of perfection.

The depression after reading, "Shattered Illusions" has been transformed into ecstasy now that I see the bar can be surmounted.

Nick Maggio

That was art. Like you said using well known methods and creating something artistic from them. Thinking outside the box.

Thanks for the link and the inspiration.

I'd seen the pictures for a while but never fully grasped what went on in the act - totally cool

Derek Merdinyan

Thanks for the video link. I was totally mesmerized.

Thanks for posting that link. I've been courious to see what his act looked like ever since I saw the photos of Murat's performance at the 2006 FISM. The costuming alone was enough to tell you that this was something else. From what I gather his background is in mime.

I love this kind of performance. Mysterious and entertaining!

I would guess he was a student of Jacques Lecoq's International school of Mime and Theater.
His act has that look and feel.
Wonderful, thanks for sharing!
Jewls

It wasn't that long ago that magicians were shocked to see someone in a tailcoat and tophat. "He's no magician! Where are the robes? Where's his pointy hat?..."

Times have changed. Or have they? I wonder how many think he's no magician but just a mime who mixed in a few magic gimmicks?

That is a very good question. You will be able to tell a lot about the magician by the way they answer that question. There is no right and wrong answer.

It is obvious he has training in mime and movement. So is he a mime using magic? Of course. Is he a magician? Of course. He has created enchantment. He is performing the magic through an obvious big amount of practice (the moves at the beginning are done with his eyes closed).

A lot of magicians (especially stage) seem to be lacking in "performance", myself included at times. They seem to disregard the value of learning dance and choreography, mime, and other allied arts.

That was very interesting.

I think you've said the essence of it: "He has created enchantment." It's not that we should do that... we must. People are getting tired of being "fooled".

And it's not enough to show great skill and cleverness - although that is somewhat entertaining. "See what I can do that you can't?!" I find I have to do damage control when I approach a customer/spectator. I'm not putting down manipulation and flourishes. That's an art and a skill, and great -- with an emotional connection.

Our tools must be transparent, so that the audience will be enchanted.

I'm sure you didn't need to hear my rant.... Should have said, thanks Walt! That was wonderful!

D.Duane

I'm always inspired when I see acts like this.

Like Max Maven discusses on his new dvd's, there is a difference between an "act" and a "show".

This was a brilliant and artistic "act".

Reminds me of something out of Cirque de Solei. (thats a good thing to be sure)

Bsears that hit the nail on the head. That act would go perfectly in the Cirque de Solei context.

Surprisingly little background information is available on Murat other than the following:

Jérôme Murat (France): influenced by Philippe Genty and his puppets and by Vito Lupo, the mime-magician.