Why david blaine?
- Thread starter spade57
- Start date
Hey,
Here's my two cents on this, because I think about it quite a bit. By the way, also keep in mind that they aren't the only magicians to get airtime on television.
All three of these magicians did something radically different than those who preceded them. David Blaine pretty much invented street magic as we know it. Previous to him, "street magic" was what we now call busking. Approaching people on the street, with no table, no big props, and performing close-up magic was pretty much unheard of. At least in the way that he did it. But it's not like he just did this and then got noticed. He took some action to get noticed. He put together a video about his concept of street magic (I recall him saying this video was his way of showing magic by turning the camera on the spectators and not just the magician), and sent it into ABC, where he then landed that first special Street Magic. So he had an original concept, and he took action by contacting television producers.
Criss Angel was the "hard rock" magician or the "heavy metal" magician. Back in the 90's he had shows that basically combined a rock concert with a magic show. Again, an unheard of concept. He landed bigger a live show in NYC and a little while later, ABC did two television specials with him in the early 2000s. Criss had to knock on a lot of doors, and pitch himself to a lot of people to get to where he is now. I recall him describing that he spent almost eighteen years contacting television producers and owners of big theaters, to only get rejected time after time. Like the guy or not, he worked hard for a long time to get his big break. Eventually he got a meeting with some people at A&E and then that's of course when he landed his television series Mindfreak. So Criss had an original idea, and the determination to make a name for himself.
As for Dynamo, he also had an original concept. He was the "Hip-hop" magician, and gained notoriety just around the time that Youtube was becoming popular. His street magic videos soon went viral. He combined his skills of cardistry with dance moves, and hip-hop music, which was a new and compelling idea. However it took him quite a long time to get his television show. For about ten years, he continued to get noticed by doing sponsorships with big companies like Adidas, Vitamin Water, and Panasonic. He also performed for his fair share of celebrities, and the internet was a vehicle for him to gain some fame. Eventually he was picked up for his television series Dynamo: Magician Impossible. So Dynamo had an original concept, and took advantage of the growing popularity of Youtube and the internet.
Now I certainly am not an expert on any of this, and I likely left out a lot of details. But to me it seems that all three of these magicians got on television by having an idea. An original idea. They also worked hard to get their name out there, probably got a lot of rejection. They contacted and pitched themselves to a lot of people before getting their big break. So I guess the message here is hard work. You can't cut corners, and you certainly have to believe in yourself. These guys had a belief in themselves, and their ideas.
It's not that they had extremely perfect sleights, and proper showmanship. Because frankly, people (not magicians) can rarely tell the difference between a technically simple effect and a knuckle-busting routine that took years to perfect. Like people don't know the difference between Daryl's ambitious card, and Blaine's ambitious card. I mean of course Daryl's routine is incredible, but the concept is the same to a lay audience as Blaine's relatively simple ambitious card. You see what I mean?
I'm going to refer you to this forum that is about pretty much the same thing. It goes into a lot more detail on this subject. Don't be put off by the name, because it's not just another bashing of Criss Angel. Here: http://forums.ellusionist.com/showthread.php?90099-It-s-Our-Fault-Criss-Angel-Is-Famous
I hope I've provided you some insight on this issue.
-JP
Here's my two cents on this, because I think about it quite a bit. By the way, also keep in mind that they aren't the only magicians to get airtime on television.
All three of these magicians did something radically different than those who preceded them. David Blaine pretty much invented street magic as we know it. Previous to him, "street magic" was what we now call busking. Approaching people on the street, with no table, no big props, and performing close-up magic was pretty much unheard of. At least in the way that he did it. But it's not like he just did this and then got noticed. He took some action to get noticed. He put together a video about his concept of street magic (I recall him saying this video was his way of showing magic by turning the camera on the spectators and not just the magician), and sent it into ABC, where he then landed that first special Street Magic. So he had an original concept, and he took action by contacting television producers.
Criss Angel was the "hard rock" magician or the "heavy metal" magician. Back in the 90's he had shows that basically combined a rock concert with a magic show. Again, an unheard of concept. He landed bigger a live show in NYC and a little while later, ABC did two television specials with him in the early 2000s. Criss had to knock on a lot of doors, and pitch himself to a lot of people to get to where he is now. I recall him describing that he spent almost eighteen years contacting television producers and owners of big theaters, to only get rejected time after time. Like the guy or not, he worked hard for a long time to get his big break. Eventually he got a meeting with some people at A&E and then that's of course when he landed his television series Mindfreak. So Criss had an original idea, and the determination to make a name for himself.
As for Dynamo, he also had an original concept. He was the "Hip-hop" magician, and gained notoriety just around the time that Youtube was becoming popular. His street magic videos soon went viral. He combined his skills of cardistry with dance moves, and hip-hop music, which was a new and compelling idea. However it took him quite a long time to get his television show. For about ten years, he continued to get noticed by doing sponsorships with big companies like Adidas, Vitamin Water, and Panasonic. He also performed for his fair share of celebrities, and the internet was a vehicle for him to gain some fame. Eventually he was picked up for his television series Dynamo: Magician Impossible. So Dynamo had an original concept, and took advantage of the growing popularity of Youtube and the internet.
Now I certainly am not an expert on any of this, and I likely left out a lot of details. But to me it seems that all three of these magicians got on television by having an idea. An original idea. They also worked hard to get their name out there, probably got a lot of rejection. They contacted and pitched themselves to a lot of people before getting their big break. So I guess the message here is hard work. You can't cut corners, and you certainly have to believe in yourself. These guys had a belief in themselves, and their ideas.
It's not that they had extremely perfect sleights, and proper showmanship. Because frankly, people (not magicians) can rarely tell the difference between a technically simple effect and a knuckle-busting routine that took years to perfect. Like people don't know the difference between Daryl's ambitious card, and Blaine's ambitious card. I mean of course Daryl's routine is incredible, but the concept is the same to a lay audience as Blaine's relatively simple ambitious card. You see what I mean?
I'm going to refer you to this forum that is about pretty much the same thing. It goes into a lot more detail on this subject. Don't be put off by the name, because it's not just another bashing of Criss Angel. Here: http://forums.ellusionist.com/showthread.php?90099-It-s-Our-Fault-Criss-Angel-Is-Famous
I hope I've provided you some insight on this issue.
-JP
I think that, possibly, this discussion might turn out to be founded on a misleading premise. Sure, we could discuss why Blaine, Angel and Dynamo have TV specials, but they got those shows in an old media paradigm and the way that they got famous won't be the way the next generation of magicians become famous. Blaine and the others had to get a TV production company to employ them to make a show. Nowadays, YouTube is a more significant broadcaster than traditional TV networks, and the only barrier to someone making their own YouTube show is talent.
Now, the important thing is exactly what we mean by "talent" in this context. It's not just skill as a magician. Doug Henning was undoubtedly a skilled magician but if someone with his look and style tried to make it these days, they'd just get laughed at. What our talent needs to also include is the following:
1. Marketing - who our target market is, what they like, how best to reach them,
2. Recruitment - what limitations of ours need to be supplemented, how to find like-minded people, how to keep them motivated,
3. Performance - what makes someone engaging, what are our best features that can be emphasised, how you want to appear.
Each of these three elements is as important as ability to perform your tricks, but, when they're mastered, there is literally no barrier to becoming a famous magician. New media has levelled the playing field hugely and now the only thing that can stop any performer becoming as famous or successful as they want to be is a lack of motivation.
I'm not sure I can quantify why creators of tricks don't get as famous as the magicians who perform them. I mean I know why myself, but it's not as simple of an answer as "because of XYZ".
Some creators of magic are absolutely brilliant when it comes to method and prop design but they either lack practical performance skills or desire to perform in general. They are well studied in the art of magic but just can't or won't hold an audiences attention for what ever the reason. They enjoy producing magic more than performing it.
Other creators do perform the things they make and do such a wonderful job at it they do garner quite a bit of fame. Teller would be a great example of this. His Goldfish and Shadows are two world famous acts that other magicians have tried (and failed) to knock off before. Just as an example.
There isn't a lot of new magic out there these days. That is to say a lot of the plots, presentations, methods, etc have all been around for a few decades or more. A lot of working pros are still using stuff strait out of Tarbell, or Corinda and those books were written in the 1960's if not earlier. So those creators are either retired, dead, or just inactive in the scene.
To kind of piggy back on top of the previous comment I made about not a lot of new magic out there; no one, other than magicians or collectors, really cares about custom decks. So while Dan & Dave's Smoke and Mirrors v.38 may be hot sauce to us, to a layperson it's nothing more special than a brand of Red rider back bikes. So fame for creating those decks only goes to a niche market of people, and not wide spread like what Blaine has enjoyed.
It's an interesting subject though. I've enjoyed reading some of others replies on it.
Some creators of magic are absolutely brilliant when it comes to method and prop design but they either lack practical performance skills or desire to perform in general. They are well studied in the art of magic but just can't or won't hold an audiences attention for what ever the reason. They enjoy producing magic more than performing it.
Other creators do perform the things they make and do such a wonderful job at it they do garner quite a bit of fame. Teller would be a great example of this. His Goldfish and Shadows are two world famous acts that other magicians have tried (and failed) to knock off before. Just as an example.
There isn't a lot of new magic out there these days. That is to say a lot of the plots, presentations, methods, etc have all been around for a few decades or more. A lot of working pros are still using stuff strait out of Tarbell, or Corinda and those books were written in the 1960's if not earlier. So those creators are either retired, dead, or just inactive in the scene.
To kind of piggy back on top of the previous comment I made about not a lot of new magic out there; no one, other than magicians or collectors, really cares about custom decks. So while Dan & Dave's Smoke and Mirrors v.38 may be hot sauce to us, to a layperson it's nothing more special than a brand of Red rider back bikes. So fame for creating those decks only goes to a niche market of people, and not wide spread like what Blaine has enjoyed.
It's an interesting subject though. I've enjoyed reading some of others replies on it.
Getting airtime is easy. . . get yourself a pile of corporate sponsors willing to back you and then make a pitch to the networks. It's that simple. . . sort of.
Getting air time means starting small or, getting big contacts early on. In either instance it's a hustle and if you're a hit (such as Criss Angel was) and not prepared for the success (such as Criss Angel was) you end up throwing together a whole bunch of low end effects that include massive use of camera/editing cheats and using lots of stooges vs. good magic.
Blaine chose to stick within his comfort zone and what his sponsors were willing to support. . . big difference between this course and Angel's head strong antics.
I've not followed Dynamo's career, I just remember when he was seen as a nut case on the forums that annoyed lots of folks. But he's not the first such soul to make good. In his case however, his success was self-made; he exploited the internet and built a following. Anyone here has the same potential but again, it's a hustle that demands constant reinvestment.
Now let's look at what's on the horizon. . . both David Williamson and Andrew Mayne have specials coming up starting next month. These are two guys that have been at it for 20+ years. . . wouldn't you say that they've "earned" what they are getting?
Start small, get local airtime. . . I've done tons of Radio & Tv over the years and yet, I've never done the big hustle to move up the famed "fame" ladder. . . lots of reasons for that, reasons that many of you will have for not taking that route or opportunity. Believe it or not, not everyone wants that level of recognition.
My problem with the TV heads is seeing how much garbage (in general) gets aired and the lack of quality entertainment we get to see. I miss the Copperfield specials, especially when I see an arrogant punk with no class demeaning some of the most brilliant minds in 21st century magic. . . said jerk should never see another moment's air time but for as long as he has corporate backing and certain organizations running interference on his behalf, it will continue to plague the airwaves. . . that is, until someone new knocks his rating down a few more pegs. . . gives me hope for Mayne & Williamson, both of whom have more cooth than Angel has ever known.
Technicians rarely see fame outside the industry that's just a fact of life; few have an actual personality.
Getting air time means starting small or, getting big contacts early on. In either instance it's a hustle and if you're a hit (such as Criss Angel was) and not prepared for the success (such as Criss Angel was) you end up throwing together a whole bunch of low end effects that include massive use of camera/editing cheats and using lots of stooges vs. good magic.
Blaine chose to stick within his comfort zone and what his sponsors were willing to support. . . big difference between this course and Angel's head strong antics.
I've not followed Dynamo's career, I just remember when he was seen as a nut case on the forums that annoyed lots of folks. But he's not the first such soul to make good. In his case however, his success was self-made; he exploited the internet and built a following. Anyone here has the same potential but again, it's a hustle that demands constant reinvestment.
Now let's look at what's on the horizon. . . both David Williamson and Andrew Mayne have specials coming up starting next month. These are two guys that have been at it for 20+ years. . . wouldn't you say that they've "earned" what they are getting?
Start small, get local airtime. . . I've done tons of Radio & Tv over the years and yet, I've never done the big hustle to move up the famed "fame" ladder. . . lots of reasons for that, reasons that many of you will have for not taking that route or opportunity. Believe it or not, not everyone wants that level of recognition.
My problem with the TV heads is seeing how much garbage (in general) gets aired and the lack of quality entertainment we get to see. I miss the Copperfield specials, especially when I see an arrogant punk with no class demeaning some of the most brilliant minds in 21st century magic. . . said jerk should never see another moment's air time but for as long as he has corporate backing and certain organizations running interference on his behalf, it will continue to plague the airwaves. . . that is, until someone new knocks his rating down a few more pegs. . . gives me hope for Mayne & Williamson, both of whom have more cooth than Angel has ever known.
Technicians rarely see fame outside the industry that's just a fact of life; few have an actual personality.
They didn't stop creating and working within the magic field, but did they pursue a TV career? David pushed for that special. He made that his goal and kept going until he got it and beyond.
As Craig said - not everyone wants to be super famous. I can honestly say that it's not something I would spend a lot of energy on. If it landed in my lap, sure, but if I had to do the work Blaine did to get there - I'd rather not have to do that. I could be very comfortable performing locally and keeping my day job.
Daniel Garcia is one of Blaine's top consultants as I understand. He's apparently happy in that position. Daniel Madison is probably doing quite well considering much of what he touches sells out immediately (and sometimes before it's even released). He may not be a millionaire but he's not doing poorly either. They have their paths and it's working out for them.
