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mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
Well said, Eric. I'm proud of you again!
Bob |
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Scott Soloff Special user Philadelphia, PA 960 Posts |
Eric,
Very well said! Best wishes and good luck, Scott
'Curiouser and curiouser."
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10587 Posts |
Yeah, me too. I was a big supporter of Eric's and still am. One thing that is often overlooked my most, typically because they don't understand it, have not encountered it or not progressed to that point yet is that television is a specific performance market. Just like corporate, schools or coleges, fairs & festivals, cruise ships, theaters, etc., television is and should be approached as a very specified performance market.
Most do not do this or understand this, but rather attempt to do their regular performance or material on t.v. This to me is a mistake and why we see many unfavorable to even bad performances on television. Eric has taken the time to learn and understand the nuances and specifics of the television market and created performance material within the needs of this market. And he did it well, very well. He took his time and learned how to do it right. 90 seconds can be very difficult to establish yourself, win over the audiences (and in his case the judges), establish your character and persona, and CLEARLY explain and present what you do,...oh yeah while also being entertaining, funny and fun. This is how a professional works and I'm sure he is still enjoying the benefits of his efforts. |
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sandsjr Special user 840 Posts |
I'll re-state what I said earlier...
Quote:
I believe it all boils down to the performer no matter the venue, big or small. Like Iain was saying, "A bad performer is a bad performer, no matter where they do it..." I'll take it a step further and say A good performer is a good performer, no matter where they do it. I think mentalism is most effective when performed by a great mentalist and less effective when it's not. I always say and believe, anything is possible! Certain circumstances make things more or less probable... but anything is possible. Good for you Eric for taking your art seriously and then getting out there and making it happen. Right on! |
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Martin Pulman Inner circle London 3399 Posts |
Hi Eric, thank you for your insight into appearing on AGT. Fascinating to hear it from a contestant's perspective.
I understand what you are saying about the medium but I think the idea that TV cannot be art was more prevalent in the US. British tv was long seen as being an artistic medium, from dramas like I Claudius, Boys From The Blackstuff, Play For Today to documentaries like The Ascent of Man and Civilisation, Britain prided itself on the quality of its TV. Ironically, many now blame Simon Cowell's talent shows for contributing to a dumbing down of television in the UK. As you mention, US tv now has some of the most artistic drama in the world. Many argue that TV has replaced film as the greatest dramatic medium (I don't know about that but they certainly pay the best!). But I hope you would agree that there is still plenty of utter rubbish on the screen. For every Breaking Bad there is a Days of Our Lives. For every Curb Your Enthusiasm a Two and a Half Men. I think we simply disagree on where AGT sits on that spectrum. Just as I believe Daniel Day Lewis would be doing himself and acting a disservice by appearing on The Bold and the Beautiful, I don't believe mentalism is best served being judged by Sharon Osbourne or Mel B on a talent show. Clearly I'm in the minority, but I have loved this art form for thirty years and don't like to see it potentially dumbed down. However, I sincerely do wish you the best of luck with your career. If you have people like Bob Cassidy on your side I'm sure you'll go from strength to strength. |
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mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
Martin-
Benny Hill was around long before Simon Cowell! |
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Martin Pulman Inner circle London 3399 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 1, 2014, mastermindreader wrote: Benny Hill! Now we're talking sophisticated. If only mentalists had seized the TV opportunities open to them back in those days. Chan Canasta could have performed his book test while Benny chased a busty girl in stockings around the bookcase. Or Berglas could have found the little bald guy's card at any number while slapping him on the head. The viewers appreciation of mentalism would have gone through the roof. |
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IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
Snoop dogg is a big fan of benny hill apparently...
i tend to think, when someone scoffs at you, or tells you that you cant do something a certain way and it definitely wont work because they say so (despite having zero experience in that arena) - then you need to take a deep breath and do what feels right for you... considering (at least in the uk) - its thought that people will see live magic in some form less than half a dozen times in their life, the close up style, be it at a small private event or whatever else...well, maybe that's a nice healthy gateway for those people to then think "i love that...think I'll see what else is on..maybe there's something going on at a theatre"... something...anything... just because there are non-pro's out there, doesn't mean we are all idiots without a clue, and we do strive to be as good and as entertaining as possible... don't lump us all in together... its like me saying all pros are ego-driven show offs full of jealousy and pettiness towards their fellow pros, and want to be constants one-up on everyone else... there are a few like that, but lots are great people... everyone is entitled to do what they think is best are proper consideration...
I've asked to be banned
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george1953 Inner circle Mallorca (Spain) 5943 Posts |
I have seen many hobbyists that have amazed me with their skill and I have seen so called big names who have bored me to death.
Years ago at the magic circle I remember an old boy in his 80s enthralling us with his skill with a deck of cards, wish I could remember his name.
By failing to prepare, we are preparing to fail.
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MatCult Inner circle 1518 Posts |
[pedantic]
For the record: "hoi-polloi" means "the many" Therefore "the hoi-polloi" means "the the many". The correct usage would be "Why don't they get their own forum so they don't have to mix with hoi-polloi" or "My favourite people are hoi-polloi". [/pedantic]
"Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business."
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IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
Actually, its most commonly used as a somewhat derogatory term, meaning "COMMON people"...
#soputthatinyerpipeandsmokeit and - http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/defini......i-polloi so, that's what happens when you want to be a pedant...
I've asked to be banned
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MatCult Inner circle 1518 Posts |
Haha!
Well, I just got SERVED. ~smugness evaporates~
"Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business."
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Martin Pulman Inner circle London 3399 Posts |
Even plebs, proles and riff-raff know "the hoi-polloi" is common usuage!!!
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IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
What about the lolligaggers and pantywaists?
I've asked to be banned
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Martin Pulman Inner circle London 3399 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 1, 2014, IAIN wrote: As long as they don't claim to be mentalists they will all be welcome on Penny. |
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The Hermit Veteran user 301 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 1, 2014, Martin Pulman wrote: Actually, mentalism is best served being judged by anyone but mentalist and magicians. Otherwise known as paying customers. They decide who is good or bad and that is whether they were entertained or not. When did mentalism get so 'high flouting' anyway. It comes from fake psychics taking rubes money. It's origins are not so 'artful'. However art is in the eye of the beholder and the one that pays for it. David and Leeman did a killer 90 second act. What was dumbed down on that? I had all the hallmarks of good mentalism, connected with the audience and was really mystifying. I am glad so many here don't need something like exposure to millions of people to cheapen their act. My day job was as a corporate executive. I presented to groups of 10 and 5000. One thing I know about presentation is that I could do a hour with no prep, a half hour took a few hours of prep and if I needed to do 15 minutes, I needed a lot of prep to hone my speech, words and style to make that15 minutes effective. Performing is the same. If you can't do 90 seconds and grab them, you don't need to be up there for 30 minutes. Quality doesn't have a time limit. Martin, I can't tell if you're just putting us on or this view is for real. AGT, BGT is a mix of good and bad talent - on purpose. No one remembers the bad, thankfully they remember the good ones. At least we are talking about mentalism on TV going out to millions. I don't see the armchair pontificators making the art more prevalent. AGT and BGT have put more magic on TV in the last few years than any other venue and have given it a reasonably good showing. |
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mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
Hi hermit-
A lot of people seemed to have missed the irony in the title of my "Artful Mentalism" books. The word "artful" doesn't necessarily mean what a lot of people think it does. In fact, here is its primary definition: From Merriam-Webster. art·ful ˈärtfəl/ adjective adjective: artful 1. (of a person or action) clever or skillful, typically in a crafty or cunning way. "her artful wiles" synonyms: sly, crafty, cunning, wily, scheming, devious, Machiavellian, sneaky, tricky, conniving, designing, calculating; Now do you agree that mentalism is indeed "artful?" I agree that it's far more difficult to do an effective short set than a standard length show. As Blaise Pascal once wrote: Quote:
I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time. Good thoughts, Bob PS- Stay artful! |
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Greg Arce Inner circle 6732 Posts |
Bob, that is hysterical. In the 70s I was taking a college class that dealt with the study of art. I told the teacher I wanted to do a demonstration for extra credit in which I proved that magic was an art form.
So the day I lectured I did a talk on the history of magic and did a small show. At the end he said it was nice, but it didn't prove a thing. I ended by hitting him with something I had realized the night before. I said, "Well, if you look of the word beautiful it basically means full of beauty. And wonderful means full of wonder. But if you look up of the word artful it doesn't mean full of art... it means full of tricks." He smiled. I got an A. Greg
One of my favorite quotes: "A critic is a legless man who teaches running."
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mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
Good once, Greg.
I'm really surprised, thought, that many didn't seem to pick up on the meaning of the books title. |
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Bill Cushman Inner circle Florida 2876 Posts |
Maybe you should have titled it "The Artful Dodges of Bob Cassidy!"
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