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cap casino New user 79 Posts |
I understand what you are saying Kaneda but remember that a "no way" event IS rare / special / and pleasurable and thus entertaining. I.e. great magic is entertaining.
And yet you and the many before you that have explored this issue are also correct that people want to see great magic by a great magician. Then after all that they appreciate a show not just a trick or two. Speaking / dressing / acting / drama / movement / voice / aesthetics and so on all of these things are relevant to the art of magic. But magic is not just any art it is MAGIC. Magic is a "no way" event. Magic is the feeling of extreme freedom and power. Freedom to break basic laws of nature. The power to influence the world around you radically in ways most people can't. Great magic is entertaining. With so many things in life balance is the key. Usually there will be well meaning people in our community who notice something real and actual- a lot of magic is exhausting to watch. They scratch their heads over this and then bam it hits them the light bulb goes off they should join Toastmasters or better yet get a masters degree in theatre. They claim "laypeople only see the effect!". Implying method doesn't matter. I.e. don't invest in seeking out and mastering the most sophisticated methods because 'people just want to be entertained' and 'all they see is effect'. But I say to you that method AFFECTS EFFECT! Not ever effect is the same. Even if the plot is the same. If you produce a bowling ball while naked I assure you this is going to get (all things being equal) a much stronger reaction than a coin while dressed. But I do have empathy for the 'got acting?' fanatics out there and their 'movement' or 'revolution' to 'save the art'. Sigh. I mean it is true that a lot of close-up magicians are boring and their effects are just too long and complex and don't feel like magic but scream 'sleight of hand sleight of hand' and of course sleight of hand is not magic but a natural method. Magic is about killing the natural method or cause to the effect leading to a 'no way' moment which should feel rare / special / amazing / mysterious / pleasurable / exciting / etc. Best, Cap
" Hands of invisible spirits touch the strings
Of that mysterious instrument, the soul, And play the prelude of our fate." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow see capcasino.com |
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samaroo New user 78 Posts |
Cap, I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but think you're wrong on your take of sleight of hand. Your definition of magic seems to be an occurance that cannot be explained (your "no way" moment) with rationality. For some people, this is impossible for them to do. It's always going to be a camera trick, or SoH or misdirection. But for the rest, SoH can totally bring about a magical moment for someone!
Of course presentation matters, as there is no whole without all the parts, but to discount SoH because it is a "natural method" seems ludicrous. It's not natural to someone who doesn't know what a DL is, or a control, or a force. To them, it is magic. A lot of times I re-read or re-watch something I "mastered" long ago, and I'll remember the reactions I got when I used to perform that effect. And I'll try it again, and it still works! It's old hat to me, but they don't know, and they don't care. The hardest/coolest moves I know get the same reactions as the easiest. You can do an ACR with a DL or the Pass. One is easy, the other very difficult, but they're both the same to the spectator. |
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cap casino New user 79 Posts |
The problem is that a lot of close-up magic comes across as sleight of hand. The sleights 'register' on some level. Sometimes there is outright flashing. But more often and importantly you can 'smell it in the air' if that makes sense. That 'spider sense' holds them back from 'crossing the rainbow'. This is a key point because it is relevant to even diligent magi who do respect the art and practice until they can do the moves of their effects properly. It is getting in the zone with the psychological logic of great magic that allows you to make laypeople feel 100% surprised / baffled / shocked...then at last I think you and me will start getting more often those um full robust screaming rolling around type reactions Blaine has become associated with through his shows. If that appeals to you. Which it does to many I am sure.
Again sleight of hand is not magic sleight of hand is sleight of hand. It is a 'natural method'. There is a bridge between cause and effect. In magic there is no bridge apparently. Thus the mystery and sense of wonder and rush of pleasure from feelings of extreme freedom and power over nature. My term 'natural method' may be not properly conveyed. Basically I am pointing out that there are natural events and supernatural events. Actually supernatural events most likely never occur. Anyways, the human species on this planet finds events very alien to how things flow naturally 99.999% etc. etc. of the time interesting exciting rare special and a *** good show and even worth paying to experience. Sleight of hand is secret underlying method not magic. It is a 'natural method' as is almost everything in our art and craft. Even if you are a great sleight of hand guy I was saying in an earlier post that modern mature adults have decent conceptual reasoning skills. It is like circumstantial evidence at a trial. But faster done and sloppier usually. Their life experience forms a 'gut' inner analysis of most likely explanations. Even if they don't know exactly what you did if they feel they have a decent most likely scenario then that holds them back from a proper fireworks show of true astonishment. Does that make sense? Best, Cap
" Hands of invisible spirits touch the strings
Of that mysterious instrument, the soul, And play the prelude of our fate." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow see capcasino.com |
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cap casino New user 79 Posts |
Sam- again I agree with you that in certain scenarios SOH can create true astonishment / magical moments.
I think a lot of close-up guys are in denial though about how they really come across. Which is not very magical.
" Hands of invisible spirits touch the strings
Of that mysterious instrument, the soul, And play the prelude of our fate." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow see capcasino.com |
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cap casino New user 79 Posts |
Personally I have been quite literally married to close-up magic for an uncanny amount of time and by extension sleight of hand.
It is the most intellectually, emotionally, and sensually satisfying of things a human can have. To find something you really love and that loves you back. To 'click' just right. As great as sleight of hand is there is always room for growth. I am still trying to hear the mentalism guys chime in. I really want to learn more about that. I see from the recent Blaine show how strong that comes across. O and also- the million dollar question- All that ice pick stuff? REAL OR MAGIC?
" Hands of invisible spirits touch the strings
Of that mysterious instrument, the soul, And play the prelude of our fate." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow see capcasino.com |
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TheMag1cian Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1274 Posts |
We have to remember that his show isn't some type of demo of a trick that we're thinking of buying. No need to analyze that at 1:33 I didn't see him shuffle. Television magic is different than our magic. Just like Hollywood movies are different than theatre. All I know is that it gets the "magical mood" and consequently promotes all of our magic. I love that he used celebrities, who wouldn't be paid for reactions.
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Jinx18 New user 54 Posts |
I enjoyed it for what it was. Astonishing normal people and celebrities with tricks. I am also a believer that the fun is in watching the reactions even if I know how he did it. I will say that I am not a very experienced magician but I can't see how an ice pick through the hand and x rayed is not setup beforehand or fake. Also I do not understand how you can say pick a color and he guesses it. I am assuming there is other parts edited out.
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BarryFernelius Inner circle Still learning, even though I've made 2537 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-11-21 11:07, Jinx18 wrote: Let's hope David never does any deep research on this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnBjbgliMMM Quote:
Also I do not understand how you can say pick a color and he guesses it. I am assuming there is other parts edited out. You're a master of understatement. 'Indigo' seems to be a strange choice for the color. I seem to recall this mnemonic for the colors of the rainbow: ROY G BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) I wonder if that has anything to do with it.
"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time."
-Leonard Bernstein |
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Alewishus Inner circle parts unknown 1226 Posts |
Yikes! Makes those !@#$%^& guys look like pussies!
A.
Sack subs, ok Ross?
We miss you asper. |
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Alewishus Inner circle parts unknown 1226 Posts |
Jack-a** guys.
Sorry. A.
Sack subs, ok Ross?
We miss you asper. |
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daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
Holy crap!
I would think the main concern would be infection.
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
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RandyWakeman V.I.P. Plainfield, ILLINOIS 1617 Posts |
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On 2013-11-20 21:13, Robvs wrote: I really have no idea what there might be to cause frustration. As far as I'm concerned, it was David Blaine's best effort to date and one of the best magic-related television specials in the last decade: easily. The editing was superb, the material crisp and strong, and the reactions were all that could be hoped for. It was superb on many levels: Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, George W. Bush, Stephen Hawking, Woody Allen, Will Smith & family, and so forth . . . all in natural settings with great reactions, interlaced with regular folks. I can't think of a single magic special in history that ever came remotely close to using all the star power "David Blaine: Real or Magic" did, and used it fabulously well. I'm trying to think if there EVER HAS been a better magic special: at the moment, I can't think of one. |
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cap casino New user 79 Posts |
The talent, fame, and wealth of celebrities fascinates almost everyone. There is also the factor of ‘like hey they are already rich and we are familiar with these people’ thus their reactions are more credible to the home audience (not stooges / plants / Blaine employees.)
What celebrities do over time is make themselves like someone in your local community. But with epic scale due to modern communications methods. Come to think of it I 'know' celebrities much better than many of my actual literal neighbors. While I respect people’s diverse aesthetic tastes. I think Blaine’s magic and personality works for many people. His magic comes across as more than the pedestrian magic trick. (No pun intended?) I.e. very clean and conceptually robust. His personality plays as mysterious. Mysterious is a persona choice for magicians that you might think would be more popular! Heheh. Sigh. Like it or hate it, it seems as if Blaine is the king on the throne for this time of conveying close-up magic over Television. Video’s frames per second synced to audio was already a heck of an illusion. Between TV and Blaine’s close-up magic and all the strategic editing there is so much illusion at play your head might just pop like a failed needle through balloon and when you wake up where are you? Plato’s cave. Welcome to human culture at the start of the 21st century Neo. ;)
" Hands of invisible spirits touch the strings
Of that mysterious instrument, the soul, And play the prelude of our fate." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow see capcasino.com |
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daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
I thnk there is something greatly appealing to the concept of, via the camera, being able to go into the plush homes of celebrities.
It takes them away from the glory of the big screen and brings them down to our "mortal" level. It "humanizes" them, is the best way I know how to say it. And then to see their very human reactions to David's magic really reinforces the feeling. I think for me, that was a big part of the appeal of this special. I remember when Doug Henning did his specials in the 70's. I looked forward to them and they were cutting edge at the time. And although Doug was very good with close up, everything was done from a stage. it would have been a quantum leap for Doug to have done a special like this! Now decades later, the world of magic has advanced, and we see David employing exactly that concept. Hey, it was bound to happen. It was unavoidable. In my opinion, Blaine is on the avant-garde of things.
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
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daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
Footnote: Celebrities aren't so much into reality, anyway. When you're a celebrity it's adios reality, so when Blaine shows these glitterati things that are unrealities, it's right up their alley, anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqmvdQlci......a_player But I think the show would have been "complete" if only Shatner had been included in the mix.
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
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landmark Inner circle within a triangle 5194 Posts |
Quote:
I think there is something greatly appealing to the concept of, via the camera, being able to go into the plush homes of celebrities. Nail on the head, Doug.
Click here to get Gerald Deutsch's Perverse Magic: The First Sixteen Years
All proceeds to Open Heart Magic charity. |
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daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
Thank man! Good ol' Mr perspicacity here, shines through again.
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
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Robvs Elite user 470 Posts |
Let's get to the important:
Was that chick wearing a bra? |
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cap casino New user 79 Posts |
Hi all,
check out this clip from my last trip to Vegas. It visually makes some of the points I touched on in my posts above. Such as 'hot buttons' and the mysterious quarks of human perception- beyond what you do what THEY do to themselves is also key. - check it all out here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-6vsrF044k jump to- 21:30 he grips it not even in his hands but right up to his face between his chin and chest! his other pal holding my camera starts yelling “no way!” the guy holding the card comments “i am about to **** on myself if its an ace” they look it is the third ace they freak also- at 16:10 I do card to mouth and he actually looks at my face for a moment (with the card now in it) and STILL does not see the card! I have to point with my finger to the card in my mouth for it to finally register in his mind. - best, Cap
" Hands of invisible spirits touch the strings
Of that mysterious instrument, the soul, And play the prelude of our fate." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow see capcasino.com |
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daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
Great video, man!
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
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