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Back on topic, was there any mention of the vanish video he did as promotion?

Good publicity for Dynamo and money for the Charity - a win-win scenario!

The vanish at the end of ep 1 was reminiscent of David Blaine's Balducci Levitation footage.

I'm a fan of Dynamo, in the sense that I admire what he's achieved. I know there's lots of talk about his character and he's only doing what Blaine did, but I felt excited at the prospect of a new series and found myself thinking its pretty cool that he's putting magic on tele, even if it is on one of the 'lesser' channels.

Sadly, I thought the first episode was very disappointing. I'm not sure how much he has to do with the final edit, but the whole 'hot hands' thing just went on and on. And then on some more.

I'm also not sure if the personal aspect Dynamo is putting across should really be there. The appeal of Blaine was that he genuinely attempted to put himself across as someone very odd who has somehow been 'cursed' with these abilities he himself doesn't really understand. It was fun and worked very well for him. The clips at the start of Dynamo's show seemed to want to make a big thing of him having these kind of powers, but involving his immediate family provided a contrast to this, and then using the death of his grandfather in the manner he did left a sour taste with me. Clearly it was a very distressing time for him, and I wondered why he'd want to work that kind of personal grief into his show.

Nevertheless, I did get the obligatory phone call the next day from people wanting to know how he did certain things, so I may well be guilty of keeping my magician glasses on when viewing it. I think the show would fair better trimmed down to a lean half hour, with much of the footage of Dynamo using his wealth and celebrity to acquire free designer goods, as well as nights out with friends, left on the cutting room floor. Either do a documentary, or do a magic show, I don't feel that forcing the two together are really working.

I've only just seen the first two episodes and I agree that the first one was a bit disappointing, however it may just be that I don't appreciate the style of the programmes with far too many cut aways, endless views of gobsmacked specs even when nothing particularly gobsmacking was taking place. The sudden appearance of a glass bottle of just the right size and with an easily removed label looked a bit suss - as did the guy who 'loaned' it.

The second programme was better and I really enjoyed the part where he sat with the Brazilian family doing the card routine which ended with the candle and initials in wax. That was a a proper routine with several effects linked to progress more with each stage, just as it should be.

Yes, the programmes could be edited down to half an hour of tighter, more effective performance but that seems to be something totally alien to TV magic these days. Whilst some people will want to know about Dynamo's background, lifestyle, wishes and aspirations, I don't see the need to include so much of it in the show. Can you imagine Paul Daniels, David Copperfield, David Nixon, even Pen & Teller and so on padding out their shows with family matters?

Let's see what the next show brings......

Sorry, but if that vanish was at all genuine then why on earth does the Phantom of the Opera have to sit on a very oversized chair and get covered by a large cloth at the end of each performance every day?

Mandrake wrote:The sudden appearance of a glass bottle of just the right size and with an easily removed label looked a bit suss - as did the guy who 'loaned' it.

Ha, I thought the exact same thing.

Mandrake wrote:The second programme was better and I really enjoyed the part where he sat with the Brazilian family doing the card routine which ended with the candle and initials in wax. That was a a proper routine with several effects linked to progress more with each stage, just as it should be.

Totally agree, I thought it to be one of the tightest things I've seen him do. Much better than just 'here's one effect, now look amazed coz I'm off'.

That card routine with the Brazilian family is just crazy! Very good.
But when he asks the woman to think of a card and without she telling a word about it, he deals the card onto the table... it didn't convinced me. :S
There are 3 possibilities: 1- She is a stooge; 2- He is a genial mentalist; 3- The deck used is a gimmicked deck but if it is, i've no clue how it works...

Next best part for me was when he did the instant crossword for his Nan. She was so totally unimpressed, 'Are you done with me then?' being the main reaction - priceless! Every performing magician should have someone like that to help keep their feet on the ground!!!

Not so much camera tricks, but multiple cut-aways, clever edits, camera angles... and the over use of 'selected' passers-by, carefully positioned & I suspect choosen members of the public, resulting in the (long ago) tired format used by Blaine. A format that really doesn't work in the UK (if it ever really did in the US where very good friends, & professional magician's objected to this style of production in Blaine's early days!). Watch carefully & you'll see the bloopers... like the 'public' in one position on a long shot (for instance), & slightly off position immediately after in a medium close-up. Last weeks episode was an excellent example of 'camera misrepresentation' (if not outright trickery). The black guy with the football in Rio... where it's kicked to Dynamo who (seemingly) immediately reaches towards it for a levitation... much to the (over acted) amazement of the watching 'public'. Firstly, the ball goes out of camera view for a second. Innocent & understandable in the conditions... but vital for the effect!! During this amazing levitation, watch the guy walk away in the background. Obviously he wasn't briefed on which way to walk away out of shot... because he turns to his right straight back into shot... holding the switched ball... then seemingly suddenly realises, & begins to run out of shot while trying to stuff the ball up his shirt! The most amazing thing about this whole effect was the director missed it... followed by the editor!!! I'm not slagging Dynamo... he's skilled & deserves credit... but this Bradford Blaine style isn't suited to him... or the UK.

Mandrake wrote:Next best part for me was when he did the instant crossword for his Nan. She was so totally unimpressed, 'Are you done with me then?' being the main reaction - priceless! Every performing magician should have someone like that to help keep their feet on the ground!!!

That sounds very much like the reaction that I regularly receive from the good, Mrs Porcelain-Pound.

Yeah I could perform an actual miracle now and my wife would barely shrug her shoulders!

mdawg wrote:Yeah I could perform an actual miracle now and my wife would barely shrug her shoulders!

How odd, your wife does more than that for me when I perform a little miracle....

Yeah little was the word she used to describe it

Dynamo reminds me Criss Angel, doesn't he?
Some tricks are so unbelievable that makes you think that everything is camera tricked... Amazing entretrainer though...