What is a Magician?

[Ashrei]

Magic is a form of an entertainment. Or at least to me. As me, I like to portrait myself as either bumbling idiot who can do amazing things (just so I don't have to face the question of how I did it) or someone who wants to have a good time with them. As for me, if I am having a good time with someone, I want it to last. In that sense, I make my performance slower, but not slow enough it's boring.

Unfortunately, I can't make my cards rise to the top 52 times, and personally don't see no need for it. Kudos to you for achieving that kind of speed. Regardless, you have to realize to a certain degree, we are not here to impress ourselves, but to a little degree impress others (non-magicians), and to even larger degree to entertain others.

Couple of my personal favorites being Lennart Green and Jay Sankey. Lennart Green may not be the one to perform at extremely fast pace, but his works, looks absolutely magical. I think only few people would disagree with me when I say that, his slow work looks magical. Jay Sankey, again, another one of my favorites makes plenty of points about doing things slower so it seems fair to the audience and makes things impossible. If you just show off your fast hand, it just look like you can do that BECAUSE you have fast hand. I don't think that's necessary. I think if that is what you are shooting for, I think you should aim for Guinesse Word Record, or something, not performing art.

I apologize for my last statement, I do realize it sounds arrogant and rude, but fast isn't better. It's just fast. Being a magician and being fast at sleight of hands is different matter. Also, why would you need a fast hand when you have a help of misdirection, eh?

 

[Steerpike]

Quoted for the truth.

Gentlemen, we have a serious situation. Irony... has failed. Our attempts it diplomacy and humor have been negated. We must prepare for war.

 

[BrianationX]

You actually made sense
Smooth=Slow

 

[ThrallMind]

You actually made sense
Smooth=Slow

Explain to me. If smooth = slow. Then the opposite of that is rough = fast. And since you say fast is the way to go, my only assumption is that your magic is rough, and not flowing.

-ThrallMind

 

[chrismshelton]

But Brian Tudor is so talented he exists outside the laws of both logic and physics.

But seriously, to me magic should be something that seems impossible. In fact, I think that magic, by definition, is something that is impossible, at least without some sort of extraordinary power. While flourishing is impressive and aesthetically pleasing, it's not really impossible; even a layman can tell you how it's done. They may not know which fingers go where, what a pivot point is, or the difference between a revolution cut and charlier cut, but they understand that flourishing is accomplished by practice, practice, and more practice. It's no different than weight lifting, really. It's impressive, but it's not magic.

However, every time I watch David Stone produce four cocktails from his sleeves without spilling any and moving completely naturally throughout his whole routine, well, it's hard for me to believe (even as a magician) that any amount of practice could accomplish that.

 

[Avatar603]

I just love reading these kinda threads.

And Brian Tudor has skill, but no soul. They burn in the candles he has in his videos.

Avatar

 

[BrianationX]

Explain to me. If smooth = slow. Then the opposite of that is rough = fast. And since you say fast is the way to go, my only assumption is that your magic is rough, and not flowing.

-ThrallMind

No you are wrong because Fast=Inconceivable
Smooth=Slow
Slow=Boring
Boring = slow too
"Inconceivable" is what you should be aiming for

 

[ThrallMind]

Explain to me. If smooth = slow. Then the opposite of that is rough = fast. And since you say fast is the way to go, my only assumption is that your magic is rough, and not flowing.

-ThrallMind

No you are wrong because Fast=Inconceivable
Smooth=Slow
Slow=Boring
Boring = slow too
"Inconceivable" is what you should be aiming for

The opposite of smooth is rough. Not inconceivable. The opposite of believable is inconceivable.

Magic is about making the impossible seem believable. NOT about making the impossible seem more inconceivable.

Slow = Boring is opinion, not fact. Therefore, this entire post saying I'm wrong...is your opinion. And since your post was opinion, and my post was fact, that makes me...well...correct.

-ThrallMind

 

[Deechristopher]

I'll be perfectly honest, Since BrianationX has exploded onto the scene I've not stopped smiling.

I'm sure if it wasn't for the Tudor obsession and narrow-mindedness you may have alot more respect on the forum for valid discussions. I always try and stay neutral however, people are never the same online as they are in real life and I'm sure everyone on here is a genuinely nice person to sit down and chat with.

Now, I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but I know enough to make a nice living out pretending to read peoples minds...and bending things.

I can understand where you're coming from Brian, I, like alot of other performers like to drop my voice as something visual begins to happen to let the craziness sink in, but calling scripting mouth garbage is quite out of line.

Have you ever taken the time to read anything by Kenton Knepper, or Banachek, or even Luke J.. Now try and tell me that scripting is mouth garbage.

Have you ever seen the bewilderment and anxiousness on a couple of thousand people faces when you allow a bit of a build up before a climax point during your stage show?

Sure, it's nice to see someone who has the skill to do lots of crazy cuts uber fast, but if you were to work through most magic so fast it'd kill the mood, the effect, because no one would have a clue what's going on.

With some stuff I can see how speed would appeal, for instance a crazy cutting routine ending with all 4 aces produced which progress to change into 4 queens and then the entire deck is fully retained or something, I don't know, I don't really do much of that kind of magic, but I imagine slowing that kind of thing down probably would look less than flowing and a bit rubbish

Saying that this is the way magic should be done, or being able to rise a card from the deck 52 times in just over a minute makes a magician then in this case Brian you are very wrong.

Look at pretty much every other magician outside of Brian Tudor, look at the magicians that are VERY successful, Blaine, Angel, Cyril, are you trying to imply that because they slow things down and allow time for reaction and anticipation they are boring magicians?

There is a balance with everything. If you just perform magic that looks amazing sped up, that's great - it works for you. That's not an excuse to insult magicians that take time in the theatrics, the rhythm and the like for their magic.

Saying that magic performed slowly is boring is ridiculous in concept. Tudor is good - He's very, very good at what he does... but I couldn't sit through hours of that kind of magic, it's very one dimensional.

I hope you've paid attention to the points I've brought forward, but alas, I fear the worst!

D.

 

[FOO:L]

Smooth=Slow
Slow=Boring

and so it goes by your words, that Smooth=Boring.

 

[copperfield 14]

Brian tudor is not a magician.

 

[Ashrei]

I'll be perfectly honest, Since BrianationX has exploded onto the scene I've not stopped smiling.

I'm sure if it wasn't for the Tudor obsession and narrow-mindedness you may have alot more respect on the forum for valid discussions. I always try and stay neutral however, people are never the same online as they are in real life and I'm sure everyone on here is a genuinely nice person to sit down and chat with.

Now, I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but I know enough to make a nice living out pretending to read peoples minds...and bending things.

I can understand where you're coming from Brian, I, like alot of other performers like to drop my voice as something visual begins to happen to let the craziness sink in, but calling scripting mouth garbage is quite out of line.

Have you ever taken the time to read anything by Kenton Knepper, or Banachek, or even Luke J.. Now try and tell me that scripting is mouth garbage.

Have you ever seen the bewilderment and anxiousness on a couple of thousand people faces when you allow a bit of a build up before a climax point during your stage show?

Sure, it's nice to see someone who has the skill to do lots of crazy cuts uber fast, but if you were to work through most magic so fast it'd kill the mood, the effect, because no one would have a clue what's going on.

With some stuff I can see how speed would appeal, for instance a crazy cutting routine ending with all 4 aces produced which progress to change into 4 queens and then the entire deck is fully retained or something, I don't know, I don't really do much of that kind of magic, but I imagine slowing that kind of thing down probably would look less than flowing and a bit rubbish

Saying that this is the way magic should be done, or being able to rise a card from the deck 52 times in just over a minute makes a magician then in this case Brian you are very wrong.

Look at pretty much every other magician outside of Brian Tudor, look at the magicians that are VERY successful, Blaine, Angel, Cyril, are you trying to imply that because they slow things down and allow time for reaction and anticipation they are boring magicians?

There is a balance with everything. If you just perform magic that looks amazing sped up, that's great - it works for you. That's not an excuse to insult magicians that take time in the theatrics, the rhythm and the like for their magic.

Saying that magic performed slowly is boring is ridiculous in concept. Tudor is good - He's very, very good at what he does... but I couldn't sit through hours of that kind of magic, it's very one dimensional.

I hope you've paid attention to the points I've brought forward, but alas, I fear the worst!

D.

I've never met this guy and I like him already. Excellent points are made by his post.

 

[BrianationX]

The opposite of smooth is rough. Not inconceivable. The opposite of believable is inconceivable.
-ThrallMind

Brian never said they had to equal opposites

Calling scripting mouth garbage is quite out of line.

Have you ever taken the time to read anything by Kenton Knepper, or Banachek, or even Luke J.. Now try and tell me that scripting is mouth garbage.

I fear the worst!

D.

I never said Scripts were MouthGarbage
I said Using Comedy Scripts = MouthGarbage In Magic
Of course is not garbage in mentalism
But in Magic MouthGarbage Takes away from the magic
And Its A means to justify a weak effect
Take away the MouthGarbage and you got nothing

And Yes I read Some of their Stuff (mostly Luke)
To Tell you the Truth It was Kind of Boring
But Im Not hating or anything

No disrespect to everyone that does that sort of thing.

And Brian Tudor is Not A Magician
He Is The Magician

 

[cbols23]

Brian never said they had to equal opposites

Of coarse, because everything he says must be true. A'rep to all of ThrallMind's and Steerpike's posts.

I would rather see Daren flourish, rather than Tudor any day.

 

[Ashrei]

I don't understand why you persist on bashing others for incorporating comedy into their acts. Comedy is one of the best way to get a misdirection. What is wrong with that?

Your sleight may be perfect, but people can still notice your sleight because it's not the most natural thing in the world. Using misdrections, you can get away with doing anything. Using misdirection, you can pull out a dodo bird from your pocket and not get caught.

Plus people need to laugh. This is my personal opinion, but they need to laugh. There's just too much stress in the world as it is, what's wrong with making people enjoy and living in the moment?

For the topic question, since I REALLY REALLY want to stay in topic, denotative meaning of a magician is as followed:

1. an entertainer who is skilled in producing illusion by sleight of hand, deceptive devices, etc.; conjurer.
2. One who performs magic for entertainment or diversion

I thought it was interesting, and fairly correct. What do you guys think?

 

[chrismshelton]

I still can't figure out if BrianationX is joking or not.