Pro Magicians - Effect Quality

[caruso]

well i was wondering....

is it me or are magicians "pro" magicians coming up with kinda bad tricks this days?

i dont intend to be mean or anything but like there arent tricks like control or prophet (except extreme burn ) but some of the tricks arent a "wow " factor making if you know what i mean....

like the new tricks coming out make laymen go "ooh thats cool how do you do that?"

instead of " HOLY Q@#!@#!$#@$@$#$ how the !@#!@$#$@ but@#!@#!@# and then $$@@%$@#$ this is @$#$@$@$%#$%@#$@"

so that is something i thought while watching the MjMMagic.com channel on youtube

 

[AllanLuu]

I guess in some sense, you are right, alot of tricks being put out by pros lately are just refurbished and a newer version of an older method.

P.S. This is not being directed towards any theory11 products in particular.

 

[samuelmshin]

Magic, like so many other things, has become a money-making industry that is not there to help you wow people as much as it is there to make you buy something. Some magicians (I'm not going to name any names) have found success producing some early and very powerful effects, and with the fame that their products have made, they can now attach their names to sub-par products and expect people to buy them.

However, you also must place yourself in the mindset of the spectator. I'm very much guilty of looking at a trick from the perspective of a magician; it's only good if it fools the pants off me, as somebody who practices magic. What you have to realize is that with the right presentation, literally anything can be a "HOLY CRAP" type of effect.

Let's take a look at David Blaine's Street Magic special. Blaine literally makes people run around in circles with nothing more than a DL. Now, when we think DL, we most likely think of a simply color change. However, Blaine does this whole thing where he flicks the cards back and forth between his hands, showing off his manual dexterity, and, when he executes the DL, uses the absolutely brilliant line (paraphrasing), "See, it's so fast you didn't even see it go."

So, a) yes, some magicians are releasing sub-par effects and getting away with it, and b) don't jump to the conclusion that all magicians are doing this, and don't be so quick to label a trick as sub-par simply because you weren't fooled.

 

[fridoliina]

I think the quality is geting lower not by evertone but in general.

But i think we need to use some common scense when we are all waiting for the new cool effects.

why would they be better then material thats already out on the market. We have material by banachek, richard osterlind paul harris etc and they have made alot of money by doing that material, its audience tested over and over and it works.

 

[2ndDeal]

I think you have couple of flaws in your thinking.

First, you assume that it is the effect, or the trick, that gets the "wow". It's not. It is only the performance.

Second, and more serious in my opinion, is that you think those trick-releasers are "pro-magicians". They are merchants. Not magicians.

I'm terribly sorry if my harsh thoughts insult someone.

 

[..:Z:..]

Caruso, I think it's your fault that your not getting the reactions your hoping for.

I can't tell you how many people I've astounded just by using the DL (no joke). It all depends on how well you present your and your effect. It has almost nothing to do with the effect it's self.

Remember, YOU are the magician. Learn how to SELL (no pun intended) your effects...

..:Z:..

 

[SHANE BLACK]

I would have to agree with the last couple of post. Some of my material I use at the club are considered to some beginner magic for example, color changing knifes, Mental Choice, Scotch & Soda. I have heard so many negative remarks about those tricks but I laugh cause my audience love's them. It's the performance not the trick that makes the reaction.

Just my thoughts,

Shane

 

[..:Z:..]

I would have to agree with the last couple of post. Some of my material I use at the club are considered to some beginner magic for example, color changing knifes, Mental Choice, Scotch & Soda. I have heard so many negative remarks about those tricks but I laugh cause my audience love's them. It's the performance not the trick that makes the reaction.

Just my thoughts,

Shane

I like to perform the commonly known effects like the Biddle-Trick and Ace-Dribble and they also rake in the reactions I want.

It seems that your not so highly-respected when your repatoir contains E-only material and newly-released material.... But why? Doesn't the end justify the means?

..:Z:..

 

[kevin]

I think there is enough knowledge in the magic community in general that anyone can create impossible magic and be a great magician. many just dont want to start, instead, buying endless gimmicks and new tricks.

kevin

 

[caruso]

well yes you are all right.
but i mean in general like to us magicians, not to laymen, i know magic is not intended for magicians, but i mean products that make a magician forget he does magic, like babycat said on a post on ineski's 4 day matrix (which i recommend to see, reallly really good)....

i dont know if you get m point, and please dont be soo offensive when responding

 

[2ndDeal]

well yes you are all right.
but i mean in general like to us magicians, not to laymen, i know magic is not intended for magicians, but i mean products that make a magician forget he does magic, like babycat said on a post on ineski's 4 day matrix (which i recommend to see, reallly really good)....

i dont know if you get m point, and please dont be soo offensive when responding

Ahh, now I see your point.
Well, perhaps those magician foolers just aren't around youtube...
And, as you said, magic is not intended for magicians, so most of the stuff that is created or invented or whatever are designed to be great for laymen. As a magician you need to watch routines differently. Like engineer. Thinking how good way a particular move is to accomplish current problem, enjoy watching how magician controls the audience..

 

[Brad Henderson]

Who are these "pro" magicians who are putting out stuff? Most of the "pro" magician I know use their stuff - not sell it. (There are a tiny handful of exceptions.)

And the truth is, a good magician can use thier talent and understanding of audience management get more out of the key card and a great line of scripting than many can ever hope to get from some cutting edge one-trick modern wonder.

Thing is, you can buy the latter and not the former.

Brad Henderson

 

[Sean_Raf]

Someone said it earlier this week and I had to sit back and just nod.

These days, effects are often rated on quality by how well they fool a magician. This is where we're going wrong I think. I often see dotted about sites:

"This will fool lay people and magicians!!!"

I don't care! I don't want to fool magicians!! I don't perform for magicians. At the end of the day, magic is magic to a spectator. They're not gonna go home and say to their family:

"Ooh I saw this really cool transposition of two cards earlier today! And then later on I saw an even better all-alike routine that completely fooled me!"

It'd probably be something more like:

"I saw some cool magic earlier today! Yeah these cards switched places I have no idea how it happened and! and! and then suddenly all the cards were the same!"

Notice the difference? They're not comparing and categorizing tricks like we do, they have one category: Magic.

Brad above me said it fine:

And the truth is, a good magician can use thier talent and understanding of audience management get more out of the key card and a great line of scripting than many can ever hope to get from some cutting edge one-trick modern wonder.

A few of you out there are probably going to say "But that's way too easy for a spectator to figure out!" Is it really?... If you had NO idea of cards and how they work, a card next to another card tells you nothing and cutting the deck COMPLETELY messes up the cards.

I don't really see why we need magic that fools magicians... How often do you deliberately perform for people who know about double lifts etc.? Anyways I've gone on long enough and haven't really answered the question. Nevermind eh?

- Sean