Hey guys,
I was watching an R Paul Wilson video the other day. In the video, Eric Mead brings up the point that some actors, comedians, and other artists have a conception about magicians that they don't need to be as creative as other artists because they can essentially buy an act. 9:02 in this video (I recommend watching the whole thing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li8cZpa3588
Eric brings up the point that many times magicians are viewed as talentless.
Yes, obviously we know that we can be original in an act we buy in both the execution and presentation of an effect. But what are your thoughts on the idea that simply buying an effect can further your magic and possibly make you a better performer (in the eyes of laypeople)? I mean think about this scenario. A junior in high school decides he wants to start doing the magic. So, he goes on Penguin, buys a pen through dollar effect (which takes minimal skill to execute), performs it at school, and suddenly he's the hit of his school! Is it because he's a great performer? No. It's because of the simple fact that he bought a trick and showed it around school. It takes no talent to hit the "Add to Cart" button on a website. Yet laypeople may probably view the boy described above as talented.
This is a topic that I think about quite often. I recommend watching the entire video that's posted above. I would like to hear some thoughts on this.
-JP
I was watching an R Paul Wilson video the other day. In the video, Eric Mead brings up the point that some actors, comedians, and other artists have a conception about magicians that they don't need to be as creative as other artists because they can essentially buy an act. 9:02 in this video (I recommend watching the whole thing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li8cZpa3588
Eric brings up the point that many times magicians are viewed as talentless.
Yes, obviously we know that we can be original in an act we buy in both the execution and presentation of an effect. But what are your thoughts on the idea that simply buying an effect can further your magic and possibly make you a better performer (in the eyes of laypeople)? I mean think about this scenario. A junior in high school decides he wants to start doing the magic. So, he goes on Penguin, buys a pen through dollar effect (which takes minimal skill to execute), performs it at school, and suddenly he's the hit of his school! Is it because he's a great performer? No. It's because of the simple fact that he bought a trick and showed it around school. It takes no talent to hit the "Add to Cart" button on a website. Yet laypeople may probably view the boy described above as talented.
This is a topic that I think about quite often. I recommend watching the entire video that's posted above. I would like to hear some thoughts on this.
-JP