talkmagic.co.uk

Hey, I know this is the 2nd post about the same thing, but I wanted to start afresh as I now have a link to the article:

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/disp ... dlines.php

Let me know your thoughts!

Cheers.

its a very confused piece of writing.

anything that starts...

AN ILLUSIONIST who claimed he could see into the future has predicted the Evening Times' headlines

shouldnt contain the words....

Paul was given a Paul Daniels magic set

because it kind of detracts from the potential power of the piece.

but then, i dont think i would call myself an Illusionist either.

thats the press for you.

( I wouldnt of said the bit about the car either. It doesnt project confidence in the performers ability.)

Is this the same as what Derren Brown did with David Tennant using automatic writing?

Valid point.

I have to restrain myself here from slamming the press, but they are useless!

For instance, one of the papers we contacted weren't interested in the story. Just to reiterate - we did a close-up magic/mentalist show for 200 people, the show was presented by Michelle Watt, we revealed the headline predictions for the finale and raised over £1000 for Marie Curie in the process.
Do you know what their headline story was on the front page the day after the show? Some nonsense about a police dog having its name changed in case someone thought it was Nazi related.
UNBELIEVABLE.

Is this the same as what Derren Brown did with David Tennant using automatic writing?

No.

Ah well, atleast cannabis may help the war on cancer.

Well, I'm sure the dog was a german shepard after all. I didn't mind the magic set comment. What got me was use of the word 'guesses' and then they switched to 'prediction's' poor writing and editing. But you got your name out there and in a good light.

112 views at this moment in time and only 3 replies.

What's the point.

What sort of replies are you looking for?

I think magic bill was looking for a conversation, rather than just posting for others to read.
I have noticed on many posts, they get a lot of views, but very few have/or take the time to reply or contribute to the thread.

I know myself i dont often reply as i dont know much about the topic so rather than post for posts sake and look a bit of a plum, i just post where i can actually contribute.

Chin-up MB, at least people are reading it, even if they dont have the time etc to reply.

F x

Ok folks. I did the show with Billy and the show was a great success. The prediction was also a great success until it hit the press. The taxi thing was never mentioned and I was never in yorkhill , I also never performed magic to the nurses. I agree the editing was bad and took away from the effect. That is the press for you, I guess. Not good.
Billy performed top class that nite and the press made out that it was all me. That in it's self is bad editing because the press interviewed Billy as well. We will post a bit from the show as soon as we get it.

Well to begin with THE PRESS will never state things properly in that they all think they know more than the people they are doing stories on... kind of like magicians in a pub acting out the classic claim "anything you can do I can do better..."

The other thing on this particular issue that gripes me and it seems to be a UK thing... is calling anyone that does tricks an "Illusionist" when not that long ago (about a decade back and long prior) an ILLUSIONIST was the individual that had the huge funky looking (over priced) boxes with which various modes of female cruelty would be exhibited as entertainment... the guys with the bunnies, doves, silks, cards and newspaper tricks were MAGICIANS who may occasionally have a large illusion in their act.

But the real rub in this article is what Dale and others have pointed out... how the association with magic tricks and age old magic sets robbed said individual of the intrigue and accolades he's normally generate via such a stunt -- that was and still remains the true purpose of doing a Headline Prediction, not some masturbative antic for generating cheap ink for what seems to be an even cheaper act.

Glen Falkenstein and if I remember right Charlie Miller lectured me one evening about Prediction Effects and especially the Headline Prediction and how such things were always planned out way in advance by the "Masters" of the craft and that some of the biggest names in the industry one presented such a stunt once a year at most, some of them only once in their life-time. Especially those versions that entail the more elaborate set-ups.

Glen actually owned one of the little nesting chests with the special key, etc. but had never used it. His preference always being the classic "Air Tight" prediction with a Balloon... I have to admit that of all the methods out there, I've gotten more mileage with the Air Tight technique than I have most any other; the two exceptions being Knepper's "Committee Challenge" technique (which is priceless) and Ted Lesley's method noted in the book Paramiracles.

It's a shame more people don't THINK a bit before staging this sort of stunt. Not just about the stunt itself but the wordage used in the press release, interviews and of course the set-up. This fool just hurt himself and most anyone that may want to do a similar bit over the next 5 years or so within said region. No matter how good a bit you have, people will remember Idiot Inc and cause you to loose support... that's a sad, sad truth. But it happens regularly when shoddy performers (selfish individuals) take off on this sort of tangent... alone!


Note to MINDPAUL... I mean no direct insult to you personally in that there is more to the issue. But I do stand behind my statement when it comes to the seeming "self-serving" manner by which this stunt was staged and how it can (and will) hurt other performers.

Craig, I find your post insulting, disrespectful, arrogant and ignorant!

for what seems to be an even cheaper act.

You don't know us and you haven't seen our act so how can you comment like that? We decided to do this show to raise money for charity - and we did, over £1000 in fact! I have been performing for 17 years and have spent a lot of money, blood, sweat and tears refining my act to be original and entertaining - unlike the majority of Blaine/Brown wannabes in our ranks!
Paul has been doing magic twice as long and his some exceptional knowledge in the field of mentalism.
Neither of us have been happy with the coverage by the press - they basically made-up a whole lot of stuff that wasn't true, but at least we had the initiative and the balls to try something different and try and raise the profile of magic in Scotland.

This fool just hurt himself

Again, you are way out of line calling Paul and/or me a 'fool'. We've generated a lot of interest over our 'masturbative antics' so their must be some people out there that recognise talent when they see it.

Well I think that you've both done brilliantly, you got out there, put in what sounds like a good performance and managed to raise alot of money for a very worthy charity.

Well done you both

You know, Its funny that Craig mentions teh air tight method.
though ive not done it, i will always remember the time i found out how it was done.

you see, i was sitting in the front row of an audience, watching somebody doing it. when the balloon was bust, the gaff fell out and hit my foot.

It didnt take me long to work out the rest