theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

Fake Exposure Videos - BAD for Magic?

Pete Pridanonda

Pete Pridanonda

Elite Member
Jun 13, 2009
402
35
In my opinion, fake exposure videos can sometimes cause a decrease in the sale of a magic product. Think about it, if a person saw the 'fake' exposure videos and truly believe that it is the actual method, they would not purchase the product. In addition, they would not purchase other magic products by the same magician in the future due to the fact that it is very impractical.
 
but most people who would search for exposure video in the first place would have no intention of buying the original anyway, and probably don't buy any magic products in general thinking they can get it all for 'free'. All exposure video do good or bad ones in promote bad magic and create bad magicians.
 
The majority of "fake exposure" videos have a method that is so laughably ridiculous, it's immediately clear (halfway through watching) that this couldn't be the actual method. For example, Blake Vogt's "exposure" video of Transit required 10 flesh-toned band-aids. And I've seen "exposure" videos of The Code that involve duct tape, mirrors, walkie-talkies, and an accomplice under the table.

Real exposure hurts magic. Fake exposure helps fight it by making it more difficult for people to stumble on *ACTUAL* methods. In the 1990's, record labels fought music piracy by flooding Napster with fake song files. Songs that looked like they'd be the real songs (ie, 4.9 megabytes, looks legit) - but once you downloaded it, it was nothing but noisy static. The result was frustrating to those attempting to steal music, and in the process encouraged people to go legit by making it easier to acquire something legally (ethically) than it was to steal it. It worked. And movie studios and music labels continue to do the same.
 
The best way to reduce YouTube Exposure is by befriending people who expose commercial magic tricks like Calen Morelli do.....;)#Disturb Reality a.k.a EVAN CLOACA = JERK120
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Actually, the best way to reduce YouTube Exposure is both to ignore those who expose (they are just looking for attention) and also to perform unique material.
 
ChristopherT said:
Actually, the best way to reduce YouTube Exposure is both to ignore those who expose (they are just looking for attention) and also to perform unique material.
Click to expand...

1,584,779 people watched French Kiss Tutorial by Disturb Reality a.k.a EVAN CLOACA = JERK120 .For 1,584,779 people its just another trick to lay girls
and not magic.Nothing can be brought down without fighting back .
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't think Fake Exposure video is a good method because it's like you guys questioning people's intelligence.

petecardmagic21 said:
In my opinion, fake exposure videos can sometimes cause a decrease in the sale of a magic product. Think about it, if a person saw the 'fake' exposure videos and truly believe that it is the actual method, they would not purchase the product. In addition, they would not purchase other magic products by the same magician in the future due to the fact that it is very impractical.
Click to expand...

In my opinion Fake Exposure Videos are great way for THEORY 11 to advertise their own products...........
See how much attention a Fake Exposure video contest brought . AND i think T11 knows it more than anyone that no one is going to believe this Fake Exposure Videos

READ THIS COMMAND BELOW PRIZE WINNING Fake Exposure video;

"seaneihm
15 hours ago

Why do people post fake tutorials? Does Theory11 give prizes for it?

It's not as if DisturbReality and a bunch of other YouTuber's posted the explanation a long time ago. I can't see how Wayne Houchin will profit from this trick when it's already out there."#People are not fools.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Really? 'Cause there's a lot of peaceful protestors who are going to disagree with you.

Here's the real secret - Even if you are using methods that have been exposed before, if you do it in a unique way, laymen won't know how it's done. Some magicians won't even know how it's done. The human mind is extremely contextual. If you take something out of its usual context, most people have trouble recognizing it.

So stop performing what everyone else is performing, put your own unique personality into it, and exposure is no longer an issue.

And I say that from personal experience. Most of the things I do have been exposed. For years. No one recognizes it, though.
 
Learn how to properly misdirect and also learn proper timing, then you should be able to do the things that are often exposed on youtube.

Actually, just straight up ignore the 12-15 year old's exposing magic on youtube and go about doing your own thing. They are only hurting themselves..
 
I would also like to add something I said in the contest thread:

"One of the best things to do is to not watch at all. This is just my opinion, but if I really wanted to LEARN a trick, I would never look for a tutorial on YouTube. There is no substance to their teaching, because they aren't teaching you anything. They just show you how it's done, rather than give you tips to make sure you are performing it correctly. That is why it is important to learn from the original creator, because not only do you learn the trick properly, you get really insightful tips and handlings that no one else but the creator can give you. The majority of the big magic channels on YouTube are fake magicians; their purpose is to get paid for views. Plain and simple. They don't care about the audience, or want to engage with them, they just want your view."

So like I said above, these people get paid for exposing magic they didn't create, which is 100% unethical and wrong. Anyone who "learns" from these guys are only doing themselves a disservice because they will never understand how the effect works, what they're doing wrong, and they just copycat. If you really want to be a magician, learning from YouTube will get you nowhere. Like ChristopherT and Randy said, do your own thing and perform your effects with your own unique personality. You'll set yourself apart from everyone else doing the same effect.
 
But there are still the people who learn from those videos and do it wrong. They inadvertently expose the method to laymen and disgrace not only themselves, but all other magicians. And before I realized how wrong it was I'd look for something on YouTube before buying it and others do too. People need to be educated that this is wrong and needs to stop. When enough people tell them they'll start to listen. But I don't think that just ignoring those guys is going to do anything.
 
Great question Pete! I've wondered the same thing myself. I assume that having an easily accessible crummy tutorials would be more damaging than the fake silly methods. Though you are right, people do seem to believe the methods in some of my videos. Just read the comments! It's pretty laughable actually. But like others,I wonder if those same people would actually purchase it. Hopefully they are silly enough for people to understand they are not going to work.

Then again, on the other hand... it would be pretty funny if someone actually tried some of the fake methods! I mean if someone tried my version of pressure, the balloon will explode every time. My Dresscode involves shoving a shirt down your pants, Smoke involves getting gob of gooey flour in your mouth, my Code method involves a flip Sophia the First watch. It would be pretty funny if someone actually tried.

And if the whole things works to promote T11 and the creator as a publicity stunt and advertisement, the I'm all for supporting T11 and the creators that way too!
truetheory said:
I don't think Fake Exposure video is a good method because it's like you guys questioning people's intelligence.
Click to expand...

Heh, but isn't it odd when people actually believe some of these methods?
And they do! (Read the comments!)

I would add that poor teaching and trick exposure has never hurt me when I have been working. A good example is that I often do a silk vanish as my first trick for tables. Its a simple and visual effect that really gets people excited (and I like my presentation for it). I know it's a well known trick from movies and kids magic sets, yet I can count on one hand the times I have had a spectator call me out in the past ten years. However I have lost count the number of times that someone has said something like " Oh I've seen that trick, but when I saw it the guy used a fake finger" They say that as I have the TT still on my hand. I approach with it on my hand, I shake their hand with it on, I do the trick, and then I leave it on for a bit. I just don't get caught. Poor teaching on youtube doesn't hurt me as a performer at all (or at least it hasn't yet). Perhaps if I performed it the same way it might.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Now I want to know how a person who wants to learn a couple magic tricks for when he or she is out in the bar with a couple friends. Keep I mind that this person only wants to learn a couple card tricks and would probably forget about it in a few months, with this being said, I have read on this very forum that some people think that all forms of magic in the public domain is wrong to learn from, for those guys out there I want to know why you would expect someone, who doesn't even consider himself or herself to be a magican, to come to places like E or T11 and pay for magic tricks that will just be forgotten in a couple months time? Effects like French Kiss is a good example or some basic impressive slight of hand... for the people who think learning on the public domain is entirely wrong this is my question.
 
It's fine to have a free download of the key card for example. An old classic that's easy to find. but a marketed effect is not ok even if it will soon be forgotten. And if it will be forgotten it probably isn't worth it in the first place.
 
Great point FormlessMars22. In this case the material being discussed are marketed and published effects. Guys like Wayne Houchin want to share these effects to help them make a living, when they are stolen and published for free, it is unethical and they lose out on profiting from their hard work because it's not just Joe Schmoe who learns it for a night, it's also Magicians who might support the creator by purchasing, as well as the kid magician performing at school, who's friends then go and Google "Phone in Balloon magic trick". Many are affected, and it's bigger than just a forgetful guy at a bar. There are many effects in the public domain that are great for that scenario (Richard Wiseman's Quirkology and Brian Brushwood's Scam School are great resources for things like that!)
 
I fully agree and in my opinion learning public domain effects is a great way to get started, three years ago that was how I brgan. My only issue is with the purists who argue that ALL magic in the public domain is wrong whichis absolutely ludicrous.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.