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rowdymagi5 Inner circle Virginia 3616 Posts |
Well said Paul!
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
<Rant mode ON>
Paul, you said what I have been saying about ALL of the guys who get on the tube - THEY are making it possible for the rest of us to GET MORE WORK! Chris Angel's special was very cutting edge in approach (even if the constant camera changes were a bit disorienting at times), had solid magic and some very innovative stuff to boot! I loved the vanishing puddle, the fish hook hang and his takes on what it is to DO this stuff! So, for the Monday Morning QuarterPalmers - when you get your second TV special, then criticize. Until then - CASH IN ON IT! Guys like David Blaine and Chris Angel are out there keeping magic in front of the public, creating demand for MORE magic and MORE magicians. Dissing them doesn't do anyone any good and only demeans the person doing the dissing. These guys are laughing all the way to the bank and their next three years worth of bookings! They have created more talk about magic than anyone since Doug Henning back in the 70's. When you can say the same, THEN talk. Until then, frankly, it's all sour grapes. All I have to say to them is "Thanks guys!" Lee Darrow, C.Ht. <Rant Mode OFF>
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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WR Special user Utah 945 Posts |
Quote:
On 2003-11-01 20:11, JonTown wrote: The coin the arm was COOL. I drooled as I thought of the uses for it. WR
"Tell Em WR sent Ya."
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Chad Sanborn Inner circle my fingers hurt from typing, 2205 Posts |
I can say he packed alot of stuff into one show. I like the puddle vanish the best. Truly an original effect, and a magical twist on a childhood memory we all have.
I will also go out on a limb and say that the coin in the arm will be available on the market in some form within the next 6 months. This very trick was discussed here at the Café last year in September! So now that it has been on TV, you can bet it will hit the market. Chad ps...you can find the discussion of the Coin In Arm here http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......;forum=3 |
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mdspark Special user 784 Posts |
Owenscott,
I couldn't AGREE WITH YOU MORE! Poor show..anyone can do miracles with camera editing...that shows the skill of the video editor NOT the magician. One David Blaine is enough! Poor taste, tacky....a 'SLUM' approach to the art of magic. I noticed the obvious absence of a camera trickery disclaimer in the show..hummmmmmm....Same old stuff..just done with 'goth make-up'... that is minus the "tricks" done with slick editing and camera trickery..which is not to be confused with the TRUE Art of Magic.... Yeah, yeah...I don't have any 'TV Specials' under my belt to brag about (Neither do I want any)...Inspite of this, I am still allowed to have an opinion. And anyone is allowed to disagree with me whether they have TV specials under their belts or not... |
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MindExplosion Regular user 133 Posts |
I liked the special a lot, Criss Angel is one of my favorite magicians. He has a great and unique style that is interesting and draws people in.
But I think it's a bit sad when people are so strongly against video editing in magic on TV. It seems like many magicians simply refuse to accept new technology and actually use it to good effect. I liked his special, video editing and all. He's a good magician, and a great entertainer. |
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the levitator Special user Spellbound Productions 546 Posts |
Just remember that professional magicians know who their audience is. Perform for people, not magicians, and you won't be dissapointed. For those who whine and over-critique other magicians who are successful, consider the source and know that professional magicians ( I don't mean full-time, I mean those who act professionally) love nothing more than to see magic become more popular in the mainstream, whether it's due to fantastic sleight of hand or fantastic editing and presentation. Video is a communicative medium, just like magic. And the presentation of video is just as important as the presentation of magic. I'm not a huge fan of David Blaine, but I love what he has done for magic, and my bookings.
mr. hypno is dead on. Guys like Blaine, Angel, Burton and Copperfield are helping us to stay active! Maybe instead of bagging on magicians who are keeping our artform alive in the minds of the public, the naysayers have a better way to keep the popularity of magic strong. What has always sturck me as completely contradictive are "artists" who insult other artists performance style or appearance. Isn't our job as entertainers to create a character? I may not be a big fan of Gospel magic, but I know a fantastic gospel magician who has a great character that works well with his personality. Would I ever make it as a Gospel magician? NO! Does that give me the right to critisize someone just because I don't agree with their outfit or performance style? I may have the right, but any performer with an ounce of respect for the art would recognize that the house of Magic has many rooms. And we should encourage anyone out there actively keeping our artform alive regardless of their style or eyeliner color. I thought armchair quarterbacks were bad. Armchair magicians are even worse. |
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MisterE21 Elite user Salt Lake City, UT 426 Posts |
What seems odd to me is magicians inability to seperate pesonal dissatisfaction from overall opinion...
By this, I mean, it amazes me how often we read something like "I didn't like so-and-so...he sucks and needs to die slowly." Because you didn't like him, he sucks? Isn't it more accuract you to that because you didn't like him, you didn't like him...nothing more, nothing less. I may not like opera music, but that does not mean that "opera sucks." I means that I have certain tastes and opera is not one of them. I thought this distinction was something that most people could make quite easily after a certain age...it appears I may hae been wrong. E
Your EFFECT is only as good as its AFFECT.
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WR Special user Utah 945 Posts |
Quote:
On 2003-11-04 14:04, MisterE21 wrote: Well said. I used to bad mouth Blaine becuse it was the cool thing to do. I feel alot of people Dis. Pro. Magi becuse they are jelous of their sucess. Sad really. WR
"Tell Em WR sent Ya."
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the levitator Special user Spellbound Productions 546 Posts |
Well put Mr.E21! Unfortunately, age does not define maturity, and there will always be those that don't even understand the excellent point you made.
Don't feel too bad WR. We've all been guilty of negative feedback regarding other magicians. But it takes a big person to admit it and grow from it. I don't mind when a magician is making comments about the actual material or technical aspects of another magician's performance. But to judge them soley on clothing, music, or video editing style is childish. |
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Chad Sanborn Inner circle my fingers hurt from typing, 2205 Posts |
Trick photography was the biggest problem magic faced when it was first shown on tv. The way around that was to show it live!
When that was no longer feasable, a new way of shooting, called "live to tape" was developed. The show would be taped in front of a live audience. And that live audience was shown to verify that no 'trick photography' was used. And still to this day, this is the method that tv magic shows use. Even 'street magic' is shot this way, with live volunteers standing around next to the performer. The problem now is that 'street magic' is angle restrictive, and misdirection dependant! The camera does only shoot from one angle, so that is not a problem. The problem is the misdirection part. The camera does not follow misdirection like the mind does. So to overcome that we have 'creative editing'. To edit out the parts that could expose the method to the home audience. The problem is, that this has gone to an extreme. Now editing is being used as a method. So I guess the real question is, is this a form of trick photography? Well, strictly speaking, no its not. No special effects were neccessary to bring about the effect. (double images, cgi, etc.) But then again the effect could not be done if it wasn't for this editing. I personally feel that when the editing is used as the method, that is going to far. Using the editing to control the lack of misdirection of the camera or to control camera angles is a good use of the editing process. Afterall, magicians have used the stage and its sightlines to control those very same things for centuries. But a magician cannot be onstage and tell the audience to leave and comeback while he swithces things in and out to bring about an otherwise unperformable effect. This is where we should all draw the line between what is acceptable and what is not. If it can't be done without the aid of an edit, then it shouldn't be done. And that's my final answer. Chad |
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mdspark Special user 784 Posts |
It doesn't matter about "the camera unable to be misdirected"...ITS THE VIEWERS THAT ARE MISDIRECTED DUE TO THE SKILL OF THE PERFORMER! EDITING SHOULD BE A NON-ISSUE IN RELATION TO ACUALLY 'MAKING THE MAGIC HAPPEN'....JUST ASK LANCE Burton.
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ChrisZampese Veteran user Hamilton, NZ 341 Posts |
Mdspark,
Misdirection relies heavily on a relationship between the audience and the preformer, particularly with close-up and street magic. The performer can direct the audiences attention with gestures/questions/head movement etc. You simply cannot do this while on camera. If the camera is focused on the performers hands, how can he 'encourage' the TV audience to look up at his face at that critcal moment? I think editing in videoed performances is necessary to preserve the integrity of the magic, but I agree with Chad, if editing is used to perform the effect, then it should no longer be marketed as magic. It may be entertaining, but its no more magical than 'Sabrina the teenage witch'!
The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are
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mdspark Special user 784 Posts |
Chris,
Point well taken...I completely agree with you...You are correct about when the camera is exclusively on the hands....this is were the Director of the shoot needs to be informed of this...shooting the magic simultaneously from different angles. Then selecting the angle that best suites the effect is just good video production...not cheating and making magic happen that couldn't be done inperson. Correct: "editing that is used to perform the effect" is no longer magic/conjuring. |
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MisterE21 Elite user Salt Lake City, UT 426 Posts |
I agree that editing used to perform effects is no longer conjuring, it's simply "movie magic" in my opinion. I also agree that, if you can't recreate the effect in front of a live audience with no camera, you shouldn't perform.
It take conjurors YEARS to overcome the belief that it was all "trick camera work" and it bothers me that now, when the general public DOES believe the things they say magicians do on TV are done without the aid of camera tricks, we're back to using them...I'm afraid magicians are going to end up turning people off to televised magic specials. However, the concern with exposing method over TV isn't really ABOUT misdirection. Strong misdirection DOES come through a TV and equally misdirect the watcher. However, someone can rewind and watch again and again, purposely NOT being misdirect, and discover the method. One must be very careful. :) E
Your EFFECT is only as good as its AFFECT.
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