Basically... lets just settle on the fact that Mark is a hobbyist magician who produces videos on Youtube which fool every magician there is...
I don't think he fools every magician there is... see next point.
I find it a bit disappointing that majority of you are straight out calling his videos fake, just because you couldn't figure it out. Some of it may seem godly, but look at some others. His passes can be easily replicated by other people. His top card cover pass looks very real, so does his dribble. The only proof that you people have for accusing him is "I don't know how he does it."
Ahhh, the majority of us really aren't fooled.
In the book "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell, there is a great story about the Getty museum's acquisition of a Greek marble statute. The background check and scientific examination all showed that the statute was genuine. However, Evelyn Harrison (one of the world's foremost experts of Greek sculpture) came to see the statute. When she was told that the Getty museum was about to own it, she said (without thinking) "I'm sorry to hear that." The book details similar subconscious reactions from other scholars. The couldn't say WHY, but each of them on a subconscious level thought the statute was a fake. One scholar termed this subconscious reaction as "intuitive repulsion." Upon further inspection of the documents and scientific explanation (based on all the reactions of intuitive repulsion) the statute was determined to be a fake.
There is something intuitive when trained magicians view a video. If a good magician is performing we will not see the move, but will see the get ready or the clean up. Not that we see a flash, but that we see the necessary motions. In these videos, those motions are missing. Also, our subconscious can perceive more than our conscious and that is what gives us the feeling of "intuitive repulsion" when we view these effects.
There are elements of his videos which do suggest that he uses editing: smoothness, cleanliness, impossibility. But none of us can really prove it for sure. He will never prove that his stuff is real nor will he disprove that it isn't. Mark is just that kind of guy.
Actually, there is more than just "elements" suggesting editing. But I will discuss that later.
However, you seem to know a lot about Mark.
I talk to Mark quite often and have seen him perform sleight of hand. I know he is capable of performing normal card routines quite well. His sleight of hand is quite skilled. Why he creates these videos and rarely sells them is beyond me. I have asked him to upload a live performance video but he just gave me random excuses.
Do you talk to yourself too?
Hmmm. He's never performed these effects for you? Suspicious. If I could make a coin vanish into thin air, I would show the fellow magicians I hang out with.
The most likely reason for the excuses is that he can't perform these effects for a live (non-stooge) audience.
There are elements to what he says that make me doubt his videos, but once again, I am unable to think of how he edits the videos. Even if he does, those are some damn good editing. Look at his Flash and a Coin video. You can still see the indent the coin made on his hand after it vanished. Thats some damn good editing.
Good editing, but not perfect. Many of his impossible videos have tell tale signs of cutting frames.
Just as a note, I don't consider exposing video editing as exposure of magic.
Look at the Flash and a Coin video. Notice as soon as the coin disappears the gap between his fingers is larger (it sort of jumps). Try holding a coin the way he does and, as turning the coin, increase the gap between your fingers. What happens? The coin drops to the floor. If you do the turn slowly the last time and edit out the frames of the dropping (as well as other frames to make the last turn seem at speed), you have the flash vanish. As an added convincer, you also have an indentation.
In the Flash and a Cell Phone, notice how the phone vanishes just before he covers it. OK, that's not enough to prove editing in and of itself, but the impossibility of it raises suspicion. You can also notice at the time of the vanish how his fingers go from half curled to fully extended instantly? Also, more subtle, check his shirt. The wrinkles move at the time of the vanish without any corresponding motion. The wrinkles are indicative of an upward movement in his shoulder. Try dropping your cell phone and you will see that your shoulder moves and your fingers extend. That movement, in combination with the opening of the hand would indicate the cell phone is dropped and that the frames showing the drop are edited out.
In Ms. Pac Man, notice how his right hand goes from half closed (providing cover) to fully closed instantly. If you slow down the movements when the hands meet, don't keep the coin in your right hand but instead let it drop to the floor and edit out the frames showing the drop, you too can do this effect. Also, notice how the forward motion of his right hand abnormally speeds up after the coin is placed (and then dropped).
However, his Passed video appears to be uncut. I can duplicate his "pass" but it isn't really a pass. I won't go into detail here because of exposure, but I can see tell-tale signs that confirm my guess at his method is correct. Let's just say it is an ingenious method for video, but wouldn't work in front of a spectator. Simply put, if he used a riffle force to select the card, would you be that impressed?
Can we just end the discussions about Mark and let him be? honestly... like... what are you gaining from this anyway? If those videos really are fake, then hes probably getting a great kick out of all the fools hes been ticking off. He hasn't denied anything nor has he proved anything. The fact that he beats around the bush so much just annoys you all doesn't it? I actually find it quite ingenious that he can stir quite a commotion.
You seem to be uncomfortable about all the attention this is getting but at the same time enjoying the commotion it has created. Makes me wonder...
The reason people are reacting to this is that camera tricks are not magic. As you point out, this is an attempt to fool magicians who can't figure it out. As that, I applaud it. Let the Youtube folks puzzle their brains out trying to reverse engineer how he does it.
Mark may be real, he may be fake. I have no idea... But still I respect what he is capable of doing as he is right now capable of putting all your knickers in a knot and it makes me chuckle.
I do respect what he is doing too. The videos are well done and the methods of producing them are well thought out. If my theories are correct, there is some great misdirection (the crooked finger in Ms. Pac Man, the faking of various motions in his "pass", etc.) I many ways, that is the same thinking that goes into making an effect believable when performed live.
But what strikes me as strange, if you talk to Mark, wouldn't you know if HE is real? Unless you are him? Is this Mr. Jane all over again? If you are Mark, than well done (for the reasons above). If you are not, then please accept my apologies for the assumption. (Hey, if nothing else it adds a little intrigue to the thread).
OK, so much for my conspiracy theory.
