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oldavid1

Jan 16, 2008
379
0
The thing that most impressed me was how the heck did you manage to set up their napkin beforehand. Blows my mind.
Btw I think you freaked them out with your attire...you dress like that for casual Draven?
 
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AlfieWhattamMagic

Nov 7, 2009
502
0
Very good performance 9/10

I persoanlly wouldnt of had a drink of the water since somepeople wouldnt be ok with that... I would of just said can I borrow that for a second then sprinkled it. Just me though :)
 
William Draven

William Draven

Dec 1, 2008
3,526
126
Las Vegas
www.facebook.com
Thanks for the feedback.

Yeah in retrospect drinking from the bottle probably wasn't the best idea. That's a good note for the future.

Yes, the hat is a Draven Original!, and that is my casual look. My makeup is a little more fierce for the stage.
 
Jacob L

Jacob L

Jun 1, 2009
1,066
6
DannyT said:
PS: Loved the question mark you made on the ground with the deck. I think little things like these make the performance so much better.
Click to expand...

I didnt even notice that, very nice subtlety. Like the others, getting that set up just blows my mind, very well done. I loved seeing you perform, just throwing the box away cracked me up.
How often do you just leave the deck with them like that?

Jacob
 
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blakehensley

Aug 17, 2008
473
13
Ann Arbor, MI
That was a great performance. I loved every second of it, and I really like your outfit. One thing, this was posted before, but I can't figure out how you set that up. I could see were drinking the water wouldn't be a great idea, but you know. What's been done has been done. Overall I give it a 9.5/10. It was very good.


-blake.
 
CaseyRudd

CaseyRudd

Director of Operations
Team member
Jun 5, 2009
3,399
3,823
Charleston, SC
www.instagram.com
It was a good performance, but I'm a little skeptical. You couldn't have switched the napkins, because there are no wrinkles in the napkin from crumpling for a false transfer or shuttle pass, or any extra folds for it to fit in your pockets. And you never go near your pockets at all. Something tells me that they were kinda in on it before you started shooting. Not all of them, but maybe one that planted the napkin during the time before the filming began.

It was a great performance though, keep on amazin' Draven!

Cheers,

Casey Rudd
 
William Draven

William Draven

Dec 1, 2008
3,526
126
Las Vegas
www.facebook.com
casey.rudd said:
It was a good performance, but I'm a little skeptical. You couldn't have switched the napkins, because there are no wrinkles in the napkin from crumpling for a false transfer or shuttle pass, or any extra folds for it to fit in your pockets. And you never go near your pockets at all. Something tells me that they were kinda in on it before you started shooting. Not all of them, but maybe one that planted the napkin during the time before the filming began.

It was a great performance though, keep on amazin' Draven!

Cheers,

Casey Rudd
Click to expand...

Who says the illusion needs to be restricted to just sleight of hand? I'm not saying how it was done, just as long as you were entertained. ^_~ I will say that none of them knew what was going on, other than they were going to see magic.

Thanks for the complements and encouragement!

Cheers,
Will
 
William Draven

William Draven

Dec 1, 2008
3,526
126
Las Vegas
www.facebook.com
since posting this video into the media section, I've received a lot of negative reactions to the video. One of the complaints is about the nature of my character. I appear too "out of place" for the setting. Granted this may be true... but my question is: Should someone with such a unique appearance on stage edit or alter their character for public appearances on a case by case situation? Would that be untrue to your self as a character? Somethings to consider and discuss.

What do you think?
 
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WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,879
2,945
I think it comes down to devotion. Some performers are devoted to their character and their artistic vision. Three that come to mind are David Blaine, Derren Brown and Criss Angel. Whenever these people are seen in public, they look and act as their character.

Granted, none of them are playing vampires, but still. If you're devoted to a character, then I think you should always be that character when performing.
 
romeo sierra

romeo sierra

Jan 21, 2008
436
0
South Carolina
www.romeosierraproductions.com
William Draven said:
since posting this video into the media section, I've received a lot of negative reactions to the video. One of the complaints is about the nature of my character. I appear too "out of place" for the setting. Granted this may be true... but my question is: Should someone with such a unique appearance on stage edit or alter their character for public appearances on a case by case situation? Would that be untrue to your self as a character? Somethings to consider and discuss.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

When you break it down to the most rudimentary form, it almost sounds like you're asking if clothes should make the man. Surely, you already know the answer to that.

Those who went to Magic-Con will remember the presentation about keeping relevant and interesting while staying true to one's character. I unfortunately forget who presented the discussion, but they showed an amusing clip of the VH1 reality-TV show, Celebracadabra, which aired early last year. In the clip, the guest judges were all well-respected entertainers in the magic community: Jeff McBride and Franz Harrary. They were introduced to the contestants in the middle of a busy street, fully dressed in their stage garb: leather pants, sleeveless jackets, terminator shades and teased hair. They looked awfully out of place and everyone knew it. One of the funniest criticisms they received was from a contestant, "Damn, Metallica got fat..." The overall moral of the clip was that although the magicians are incredibly talented artists, their lack of adaptation forced them to not be taken seriously.

You can still stay true to your character without strictly dressing the part. For instance, a signature top hat doesn't make William Draven. If it DOES, then William Draven isn't a legitimate character.

If you fail to adapt to your surroundings, your original appearance may become more of a distraction than a characteristic of the performer you want to portray. You can still be true to William Draven and wear more contemporary clothes. You can still be William Draven and lose the make-up. These are very superficial traits that honestly don’t have as much bearing on character as many magicians tend to believe. This isn’t to say that appearance isn’t important—it obviously is. But there are different ways to convey the same message and still relate to your audience.

You asked when one becomes untrue to their character. Personally, I think that when an entertainer fails to convey the emotion or vibe they’re known for, they fail the character they’re trying to represent. Think about this. You are William Draven, Master of the Macabre. That sounds ominous, intriguing, and seedy from many angles. I imagine you want to come off darker than the typical magician, and showcase material much more crass and/or freaky than the average performer. Based upon what I’ve seen, you typically stay true to that reputation and you succeed in conveying that kind of vibe in your stage show when you have control of music, lighting, and command the presence of the room. That’s awesome. But when you bring that SAME character, with the Victorian costume, make-up, and top-hat into the general public, you become more of a clown than a legitimate performer. What would normally be understood as dark, mysterious, (and hell, even borderline sexy), suddenly comes off as laughable and out of place. Thus, by staying so steadfast to your character, you’re actually failing him…

Again… all this is obviously just theory and opinion. Granted, I think it’s an opinion that’s shared by many credible sources, but you can/should take it with a grain of salt anyway. You’re familiar with your comfort zones; you work regularly, and you are the one directly reading the people who you’re performing for. I hope you don’t find this as an attack, but rather constructive criticism that others can apply to their own work as well. If you so desire, we can continue to session, workshop, and debate via PM.

RS.
 
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