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Dr Spektor Eternal Order Carcanis 10781 Posts |
Y'know, I always thought it might be neat to do.
What would be the best formats? Who would be the guests? Would there be a "host"? Why bother doing this? Examples on TV include: David Blaine's specials Derren Brown specials MINNNDDFFRREEEAAAKKKK and Phenomenon. Now, although all these threads related to Phenomenon get locked and moved elsewhere, I would hope the moderator will see this is a thread regarding theory and us discussing how mentalism (and mizzarism ) would best be portrayed on the idiot box / glass teat / Bradbury's Best Friends / etc. i.e. the thrust of this thread is primarily mentalism advocay, not how to be on TV and gossiping on AF's legs. However, it should be ok to take snippets of examples to illustrate the good, bad and ugly of things to let posters support their arguments e.g. Derren's DUMMY episode is a spectacular piece of stooges, psychology, dual reality all done well / excellent with the focus being entertaining the TV audience! Mindfreak Season 1 - the introduction of a novel character that is chaos and mystery (note season 1) Blaine's first TV special - street magic - but done in a way that is mystery performances... love or hate it - the use of the first camera edits - but done well enough it worked on TV audiences BIG TIME The Dunninger success Kreskin on TV another success Phenomenon - is the format one can actually support mentalism? See related threads. Who would make good stars for a mentalism TV show? Should the mentalist even be the star (see if you get what I am hinting at) Should it be an ongoing series or specials, like in the ol' days were Doug Henning did 1-2 a year max.... Does it depend on the material? Well of course... Berglas's TV show. ---------------------- To the moderators - please don't move all things PHENOMENA off this forum as it does involve mentalism and this is to discuss mentalism TV style. Its not my fault everyone (including me (but now suppressing)) has insane amounts of madness over it I would suggest posters comment on the reflections and basic principles of P if need be e.g. why is Mike Super kicking the competition (maybe) - he is doing something that fits the TV medium and the format of that show... good for him! But lets not stick to focusing on Mike Super - what are the elements that work on TV if you find yourself stuck on a gong show? Women in TV? Disclaimers? Let's have fun and see how long this thread lasts before it gets moved - maybe if we all stick to the topic in a healthy way -we may actually do something good! Ciao Dr Spektor - who does consult to TV, film and plays and a bunch of other media forms. P.S. Taking bets on how many posts it takes to get this thread locked down...
"They are lean and athirst!!!!"
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Corona Smith Inner circle Airstrip One 1689 Posts |
First thought inspired by you good Dr. is a Rod Serling type character linking the various demonstrations of uncanny powers. Providing mythogenic background, spinning a yarn, then cut to presentation. The acts themselves should be filmed in a realist documentary fashion in real situations, not on stage.
I'll be back. Corona. |
Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
Mental Challange. Highlight the PAST...Dunninger etc Do an in depth historical package on the selected Entertainer of yesterday. Select a specific act they were famous for. The 2 RESIDENT mentalists (and hosts as well) (Hopefully the 2 have completely DIFFERENT personas and approaches to the art) are then challenred to get the same results that the 'yesterday mentalist' got (each in their own way). Not for a prize or dopey contest but for ENTERTAINMENT. Each performer will get a set budget for their act and a seperate LIVE audience to impress.
Headline predictions...2 person Clairvoyant acts reproduced etc.
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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Blackwood Special user Mind-Play 528 Posts |
Mentalism can be most effective, as we've all seen, in various forms:
• The live stage show – Brown, Banachek, Salem • Filmed interludes – Brown, Blaine, even... you know who • Challenge/Brainbuster – Dunninger • Club/parlour – Leslie, Osterlind et al Doesn't it seem that mentalism improves if used in small doses? One hour of straight-ahead mentalism might be too much for the public (you and me, well, we're different. That's why L&L has so much of my money.) So... I'd start with a short, perhaps live sequence beamed from some locale in the world – a Brooklyn bar or a Bombay market – where some "new discovery" mentalist would do two short, direct, but stunning openers. (We'd probably let him/her come back next to closing with something "bigger." Aristotle's Rule of Three, don't mess with it.) Then, I'd do a short segment on, say, out of body experiences. A documentary report – real or not? Interview some who've done it; interview some experts who poo-poo it. Another of life's mysteries – unsolved. Next, here comes Richard Osterlind or Banachek – pros whose act and style has beeen polished to a pure lustre from hard years of testing and refining material on the road. Give them 15 minutes. Have you ever seen any of the honest-to-God working mentalism pros on television? In the last 20 years, I haven't. You know how Osterlind's and Banachek's material thrills us? Think how it might hit the average viewer. (Sadly, poor Banchek has been robbed of ever using perhaps his greatest creation by Phenom's over-use. Pretty big compliment, though, Mr. B.) Then, comedy spot. Get funny, creative magicians like Bill Malone or Johnny Thompson and hire them to create a mentalism effect. Bet we'd see some fun new material then. (Imagine, say, Sylvester the Jester doing mentalism.) Then our "new discovery" comes back with something strong. And we close with a "challenge" effect. Two mentalists face off – (how cool would it have been if both Jim and Uri Geller IMMEDIATELY responded to Criss Angle's envelope challenge with answers that were somewhat – hauntingly – correct. Pow! That's a good show. Then, as a last encore, Derren Brown performs a special segment where he tricks us completely using actual mind-manipulation. We laugh, seeing that everything that went before COULD have been a ruse – but was it? For a promotion, we'd offer after-show voting as to which segments were "real" and which were "fake." I'd watch that. Unfortunately, I'm walking into my living room right now to watch Phenomenon. |
Tom Jorgenson Inner circle LOOSE ANGLES, CALIFORNIA 4451 Posts |
I'd give each show over to one mentalist, and let him/her do their own stuff. The best stuff, most interesting stuff on Feenom was the filmed intros. Make the whole show that dramatic over one person. Each week, a different performer, different approach, different beliefs, philosophies, etc. explained. The moderator would be the questioning neutral observer.
We've all seen how a 3-minute snippet is a gutted performance....this time, do it right. Make each week's performer into a Phenomenon. Get some dedicated directors, writers,art directors and camera people all focussed. 30 minute show. Treat each performer at face value, let them assume their assumptions and state them for the audience to ponder. Don't make judgments, disparage or debunk. Let all that happen off-air (that's what they have You-Tube for, and what we have the Café for!). Anyway, that's how I'd do it. Take time with it, and with each performer.
We dance an invisible dance to music they cannot hear.
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KingStardog Inner circle 2134 Posts |
Heh heh heh.
My wife has been watching both Darren Brown and Jonathan Edward lately and likes them both very much. On the last show we watched of Phenwhateva we were both taken in by the beauty of the gal that was on there but at the close we looked at each other and said that's it? In shock that the reveal was VA on the leg. I think we felt that the fem deception would be a ploy to bring in a hard hitting Tyson punch or machine gun multi ending. I would say if it was a hard hit close we might still watch just to follow her. Rarely does she ask as to the nature of the mechanics to an effect, and knows that I have an extensive library of effect material, and a considerable amount of hand written original effects that spans several different areas of the stage arts, and several other disciples such as hypnosis and mind control. Because I write for medical and other practitioners that treat victims of the dark occult disciplines I also have a library of dark magic materials and exorcism related text and case histories as well as the actual articles and instruments. She never asks about any of those things. To my knowledge she never looks at any of them due to lack of interest. Probably from being around me I suppose.(fountain of weird knowledge) With all of that exposure there is one show that I can not get through to her is not real, and that she will forgo all other shows for and that is J. E. Cross Country. (American John Edward show) No matter what I say she is convinced that he has the ability to talk to the dead. (as in no prep, hanging with the homies, don't sit in that chair, talkin to the dead) I have given up convincing her otherwise since she won't budge. That said, I believe even though he does what he does, he has a greater calling and that is in the healing of broken hearts. There has never been a single case of him leaving behind a person with no hope or anguished or disturbed, but better than he met them in all cases. I believe he has love for the persons he is dealing with, and wants to help them get to a better place, regardless of what I or he knows. That is not only honorable, but the best that human nature has to offer. He certainly deserves the air time more than Oprah or the other dips out there getting it. He is doing the work of the Master Teacher and when he leaves, their belief has made them whole. Based on the question, the format would follow J.E. with guest spots each show from someone like Darren Brown who walks through the mechanics and theory of certain things as a general disclaimer, and then popping back to the J.E. format for a finish each time. I would spotlight Randi's offer of "ten thousand dollars" at the end of the show. (austin powers crack)and then go on and tell the truth that one who could exhibit such skills likely has a philosophy that is beyond the need for paper that has numbers on it, and is more focused on living a happy life than material goods. They also would never risk being a lab rat or C.I.A. experiment so they would never apply, hence his ability to make the offer in the modern world knowing he will never have to pay off. A real example would know in advance any dangers and stay in the shadows. Randi knows this too so the offer will never be collected on. I feel there is nothing worse than the feeling of the broken heart, and all who heal this, deserve much more than others. If your skills focus here it will be a success and people will watch regardless of their beliefs, just to see another person rise up and live a normal life after being overcome by heartbreak.
...think not that all wisdom is in your school. You may have studied other paths,but, it is important to remember that no matter who you are or where you come from, there is always more to learn.
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Oyama Inner circle Portland, OR. 1054 Posts |
KingStardog-I feel the same way you do about what Edwards is doing. I used to hate that guy. I then watched the show and saw it under a different light. Some people need someone else to tell them that their loved ones are just fine on the other side and get some closure. Some people need that to get up every morning and go to work or just to continue to live life. I can't say I will not be one of those people if I lose my Wife or Daughter.
"it's better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb."
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Mind Guerrilla Inner circle Queens, NY 2670 Posts |
It would be a show that would travel the world and focus on a different performer each week. The performer would perform his/her entire act, opener to closer, in front of a live audience.
THE WIDE WORLD OF MENTALISM! "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of psychic entertainment! Thye thill of victory...and the agony of a missed prediction!" |
IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
I would like to see it set in a disued victorian circus setting..steal the clive barker title "the great and secret show"...
hour long episodes, once a month... each episode would be hosted by a leading light in mentalism... the Kenton special, the john riggs special, and so on... each would take you on a little journey, talking about their influences, and each segment, would be broken up into four, 15 minute slots... one would be a re-creation of a past master, a mini gig, for example, of Fogel... then a close up mentalism section, with the special guest, or whatever suited... another of a chat/interview between the host and the guests and then the grand finale...whatever the host wanted to do! alternatively, make each episode on one particular area - close up/psuedo psychic/hypnosis and suggestion... but that's what I'd do...
I've asked to be banned
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cupsandballsmagic Inner circle 2705 Posts |
Whatever happens it is clear from all of these posts that we all want to see something where the performers are allowed, no, expected to perform their own material in an environment they are comfortable in, after all, we want to see them at their best rather than all forced to perform the same routine or make last minute changes they are not comfortable with...
I made a one off special for cable a few years ago and I refused to do another when aproached because the crew I had to work with wouldn't even entertain getting a shooting script together and were totally disorganised so maybe I am speaknig from a biter pill I swallowed! |
Silvertongue Inner circle One day I will die leaving behind 2426 Posts |
Seeing as it only has to feature mentalism, I would have it mainly bizarre - e.g. voodoo magic - Baba Gede Nebo, haunted antiques - Curator, mixed in with Kotah, Maven, Burger and some of the other character based mage.
I would have it location based, like Dr Spektor performing in a haunted mental asylum or Gede in a voodoo shop in Haiti or New Orleans. I would have people like Caleb Strange, Tony Eye, Jim C, Paolo Cavelli, Jeff McBride and the like performing and helping with the effects and format but I would give the performers artistic freedom with their - probabally 15-20 minute - set and short fill in sets.
For as long as space exists,
And living beings remain in cyclic existence, For that long, may I too remain, to dispel the sufferings of the world. -Shantideva Engaging in the Conduct of a Bodhisattva |
eSamuels Inner circle 3085 Posts |
Allowing a tangent on this thread, I would suggest that in many ways, as far as major media goes, Mentalism is far more suited to radio (dubbed "theater of the mind," decades ago - a notion that still holds) than television. Radio certainly has limitations as an audio medium, but it provides the perfect environment for many, many kinds of effects (as several Café members who have taken advantage, can attest).
And many people fail to realize radio's audience reach. A major market radio morning show, usually draws a larger circulation than the equivalent (local morning) Television show. In fact, some local radio morning shows have a larger audience than TV specialty channels (Ie. Sci-Fi channel). Yet we are (culturally) mesmerized by the celebrity of television. Why do I mention this? Because the other thing that radio stations have, is accessibility, and a need for constant content. Radio morning shows need to generate 3-4 hours of new content (save for songs - if they play any) every single day! If you can provide strong content, you're a huge commodity to them. Now, the challenge is, without visual images, your aural presentation becomes paramount. Which is a brilliant exercise for any performer in any medium - phrasing, intonation, etc. developing the skills to be a strong radio performer can dramatically enhance your impact in a live audience setting. My point is, that in any city in just about every country, there is a powerful mass medium laying in wait for what mentalists have to offer! There's a lot more to this than I've suggested, and if anyone would like tips and suggestions on how to get on the air, please PM me. I'll do my best to help - and, yes, I do work in the industry. |
mindsynced Regular user 155 Posts |
My ideal would be a traveling camera doing one-on-one or small groups in coffee shops, bars, on the streat, etc. Sorta like David started until...
Keith Brown
Entertainer, Speaker and Author "Exceeding YOUR Entertaiment Expectations" www.keithbrownentertainment.com "Making Magical Memories~Teaching Biblical Truth" www.keithbrown.org |
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