From the article: Exposure Hurt Your Magic?
I recently thought of a trick that I performed often in the past, but stopped after it was exposed on television. And then the question occurred to me, are there lots of tricks that magicians have stopped performing because of exposure, whether it comes from television or the internet? I want to hear from you. Describe the Tricks
But How did you Do it?
- On one of the early Masked Magician broadcasts an effect was exposed that was a regular part of my adult corporate show. I did not know it was exposed on TV as I did not watch the Masked Dude... After my show a lady came up and stated, "I saw how that ring trick was done on the Masked Magician... but how did you do it?" I guess it is a bit in the handling and the comedy and misdirection. I just told her that there are several ways to do each trick. Even though my way was exposed I did not want to ruin the Magic and wonder for her.
- —MagicNorm
What tricks?
- The number of tricks that I have personally retired given exposure; I would be fortunate to count of my hand. I prefer to take the neccessary time and practice to perfect a routine and eventually it evolves to it's final form, but this is a result of countless performances and practice / rehearsal successions and carefully thought. Given the number of effects that are out there including those in print, dealer items; choose wisely and take the neccessary time and practice (commitment)so that you do not have to retire certain effects due to exposure. Magic is about special things and people. If everyone knew of it (exposures) or if everyone was doing it (art of magic); it wouldn't be special.
- —Guest D M Z
Less mystery more artistry
- I'm not a magician but I love magic. Knowing how a trick works doesn't spoil it for me. There's no mystery in acting, singing or dancing what makes them watchable is how well they are done. I've often been amazed by a magician doing a trick that I understand the workings of. If I know how it's done but still can't spot it being done that's pretty damn impressive. I've also seen magic where I haven't a clue how it was done and really don't care because the presentation was rubbish. A good enough magician will be able to 'sell' a trick to the audience even if every member knows exactly how it's done.
- —Guest Karl
exposure
- While I hate exposure (don't magicians ever think of their fellow younger magicans who are trying to break into the art), even if someone knows how the trick is done, most likely 99% of your audience doesn't know are are still amazed. Those are the people I perform for and I forget about the others.
- —Guest GR Magician
Artform
- I experience that even if people know how it is done, they appreciate the skill of the performance. Even if everyone knows how to sing and even sing well, they appreciate the singing of someone who does it even better! In fact, the more they know about the artform the more they admire true skills. I am a magician, but I still admire and search out the performances of those better than me. I also make kaleidoscopes and those who make kaleidoscopes are so terrified when I tell people "how it is done," yet once I tell people how it is done, they usually and frequently become the buyers of scopes made by my fellow artists and in fact at one time, I brought in 50% of the new members "to the fold" of collecting kaleidoscopes by my "telling the secrets." That would be the same as increasing the audience of all magicians by two! (OH yes, I was kicked out for doing it too...yet they still profited).
- —Guest kaleidomagic
exposure
- Much of what I have read is true: the secret is a small part of the overall presentation. It's a small part like a key is a small part to a car! It may be a small part but you need it to make the damn thing work. I suspect that most of the magicians who responded thinking the secret does'nt matter are stage magicians. It's somewhat harder for a spectator to ruin a stage magicians tricks. Try being a close up guy where particiapation is key to the trick working . People say that exposure does'nt hurt magic. If that's the case, where are the magicians on tv? Masters of Illusions is done as far as I know. Criss Angel as well (on t.v.). There use to be 7 to 8 magic specials a year on t.v. I'll tell you what happened: these guys were going on t.v. for scale pay (minimum) so that could put it in their advertising (I'm talking about the shows where they featured many magicians). Now they don't to shoot themselves in the foot.
- —Guest mark bond
considering quittining altogather
- My name is Mark Bond and I've been doing magic for 40years. I' ve won local, regional, and national awards. I've worked for major sports teams and celebraties, country clubs etc. I don't tell you all that to toot my own horn but so that you understand I'm not simply a discouraged beginner. I had my entire act busted and had my customers delight at my extreme discomfort. I don't know if people don't realize how incredably cruel that is or just don't care. At this point in my life, magic is'nt simply what I do. It's a big part of who I am. This kind of thing to a guy like me not only kills the dream but the dreamer as well. People seem to be giving themselves more credit for being able to sit and watch a trick ruined than the guy who's able to do it well.
- —Guest mark bond
Exposure
- Johnny Thompson exposed the Three Shell Game on Mindfreak and I've never performed it since. I lose over $1,200.00 a year at one venue alone.
- —Guest Slim King
stop worrying about disclosure
- Movies have been using CGI that the public understands are effects for 30 years - since the first Star Wars movie made a splash. If we continue to make magic an "occult" [hidden] art, it will die in the next generation. Why not open source it, and let the Maker culture in to create new routines and devices for us? There is a whole culture of young people who love clever inventions, and magic is full of them. If we said, "Look, everyone knows it's tricks -- but this is like singing well, or being an ace athlete. Enjoy it for what it is as performance, and embrace the ambition that if you have a little talent and a lot of elbow grease, you could do this too!" Maybe we'd get more students for lessons. Maybe we'd get shows where people pay admission for the show, and then *more* for the workshop after to demonstrate the methods.
- —Guest Shava Nerad
I still Continive
- A chocolate company gave away the coloring book in exchange of a few empty wrappers. During this period, the kids at my B' Day party shows started to shout that they have the book, and I would say "OK that's good, let me show you how to perform it in a Magical way if you want to show it to your friends" and I could see the surprise in there face's as I did my best with presentation & performance. So It's in the hand of the Magi to make any exposure to his benefit.
- —Guest WonderRo
Sad exposure
- I was very disappointed when the coin and dental dam was exposed, as it was something I could have a young volunteer do. They could be the magician and fool the adults. I did not do it for over two years. But now I sometimes put it in. But, because of Penn & Teller and their TV special, I never do the disappearing submarine.
- —Don1B
When in doubt, skip the country.
- I haven't had a problem with exposure for two reasons. One, I'm proactive. I regularly scan the children's magic trick section of local toy shops and see what's being sold. Second, I live in Japan where magic has been far less exposed than in the US. For example, the Masked Magician specials never aired here because TV producers took one look at the premise and said "Why on earth would we want to air that? We make good money off of magic shows." Heck, I've gotten away with D-Lite routines because nobody's ever seen it before.
- —CarterSensei
Ninja Rings
- I have never stopped performing before of exposure. Best example ever was when I was performing Ninja Rings. Somebody said: "I bought a set of those in a toy shop. But mind can't do what your can do". Although he knew the secret I still managed to perplex him as I spent hundreds of hours practising the moves. Also: ask yourself why magicians enjoy watching magic although they know the secret: because it is entertaining. The secret is secondary.
- —Guest Peter Prevos
It's The Presentation, Not the Method
- It is my experience that an experienced and practiced performer can do any trick or effect that he or she wants to do. Because it is not how the trick is done, it is what is done with the trick. I perform the Linking Rings a minimum of twice per week with great sucess. People even state they saw how that was done on television but I must be doing it a different way. I have done other effect that were "exposed" but if the performer is professional enough to practice enough to come up with his own routine with proper blocking and framing and then present it in a very entertaining presentation, noone will know or even CARE that they saw it on TV. It's all in the PRESENTATION.
- —Guest Glenn Gary
Yes, it is frustrating...
- I'm a street magician myself. It can be annoying to hear people talk about how fake magic is and how they "know" how a trick is done. We must note, however, that it's kind of part of the unspoken agreement between magician and audience. Said agreement is that we use misdirection and distraction to make the seemingly impossible occur, and the audience agrees to be entertained by something they know to be fake, even a hoax. The truth is that magic does and always will continue to astound audiences, no matter what is exposed. Honestly, exposure IS a breach of trust that can effectively cause a magician to be blackballed by the rest of us, but we have to remember how WE learned the art. I know I didn't start doing real illusions until after one was taught to me by a magician.
- —RozeParadox
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