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
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
Exposure
- I would ask: "What is the intent of exposing a trick". I do not see a productive reason to this this. Exposure is like computer virus. There is no reason to set that wheel in motion but it is being done. It hurts some but not all. The creative thinkers are able to overcome the breach because they can think outside of the box. Unfortunately, many of us do not have that ability....
- —musicman20190
Exposure v. Evolution
- I think that ultimately this sort of thing will cause magic to become stronger in the long run. I don't condone exposure, but, I can think of 2 or 3 subsequent and different routines to those listed here, that are just as strong, and are essentially the same effect, either with a different prop or approach. Magic these days is moving at light speed with evolution of effects, and things that are new (Soda Can Tricks) are old, and things that are old, are new again. This sort of thing should cause a magician to carefully consider his craft, and change course for the time being...then again, it's never the 'effects' that make us great...it's 'us' that makes the effect great.
- —Caseymagic
David Blane takes a bite out of profits
- The coin needed to perform the coin in the bottle trick on the streets was needlessly revealed by Blaine. Oh, he didn't expose it. He did it and the shops sell any trick like that to anybody. "Gimme the trick coin David Blane used." And what's worse, he did a clown stunt with it. It makes it hard to do the coin in the bottle trick now for obvious reasons. Ditto for his use of the brainwave deck.
- —DonMilagro
what is exposure
- What actually is exposure? I'm a full time professional magician. Exposure has never hurt my business or artistic integrity in the slightest. In fact, when things have been exposed, it appears that people attracted to the exposure are actually interested in the art. This has proven to increase interest, in a live performance, especially when they think they know what is happening, however you are still fooling them, but also enchanting them with a good performance. Exposure, tends to hurt poor performers with no imagination. I.e performers who present material which is not theirs anyway, in a stock standard way. Exposure prevents copy cats, and pushes the industry forward. However, I am appalled at how things are exposed in a trivial manner. What about all the other psychological aspects of the routine, which allow it to work, what about the years of development. IF exposure went into more depth on an intellectual level, as an architect may expose his design process....
- —Guest nomask
Svengali Deck???
- I'm not naming a trick I've stopped performing due to exposure. I just wanted to point out how many people have seen the Svengali Deck demonstrated by pitchmen for years and years and YEARS, many more, I'm sure, than have seen the D'lite or the Hovercard -- and the Svengali is still going strong. See Dick Cavett's great blog this past week in the New York Times -- seeing a pitchman with a Svengali is how Cavett got started in magic.
- —Hushai
Stopped by Exposure ?
- While I don't condon it or like it I don't think exposure is necessarily the death warrant of a trick. The "Linking Rings" have been exposed at least twice on TV that I know of, and thousands of "Adams" sets have been sold over the years, yet with the proper routining and handling, they continue to astound even those who know. People have very short memories, and in time will forget what they have seen, and most won't recognize the same trick in a different setting or presentation. People expose magic to stroke their sick egos, and only prove that they are NOT now or never were truly professional magicians. If a trick you use has been exposed realize the following; 1. Probably not that many people saw the exposure in the first place. 2. Remake or re-invent the effect principle into a new presentation that doesn't look like the exposed version. (You just may come up with a better effect as a result.) 3. Let it rest. Put the trick away for several months or a year.
- —Guest Paul W. Estes
exposure hurts all
- dont know why they would want to expose magic, the mystery is gone when revealed. i wonder what their motives are, i am sure many shops are hurting because of this selfish act.
- —Guest rjc
Criss Angel Effect
- Yes, I've suffered the Criss Angel effect. A card trick I do, one where the deck is shuffled a certain way so the spectator's card appears upside down in the middle of the pack, was exposed by Criss. It was one of the tricks I used quite frequently until that happened. I wish Criss Angel would stop exposing and stop claiming to "raise the bar." His recent craptacular reviews of his Cirque du Soleil performances tell me that he's not as great the magician as he thinks himself and he's just making it harder for bar magicians (like myself) to entertain.
- —Guest Vick D'Mental
needle thru arm
- Just the week before last, the masked madman shows how to do the needle thru arm, by Harry Anderson, I used to do this trick maybe once or twice a year around Halloween. I really don't get the reason for exposing magic, it takes away the entertainment value for all Magicians. And yes I have a zombie ball, maybe I can sell at our club's next swap meet.
- —Guest Randy1s
Can't Do Soda Can Trick
- Was doing soda can. Had it all setup with a can in wastebasket. When I brought out the crunched can, one friend said he saw it on TV and knew it. Killed with this trick at a party last year.
- —NevelMagic
