talkmagic.co.uk

I may have to look into the casual shirt thing then!!

Much love

Aza

All these opinions and moaning are nothing new. As long as folk continue to buy the majority of the rubbush that's put out these days the misleading ads that get them sold will continue. The only ones who I feel for are the new guys who unwittingly waste their hard earned cash on something that's either useless to begin with, or no use to them for some reason. I have no sympathy for those who should know better than to listen to the hype. Let's face it, a lot of magicians are idiots - if you've been in this game for years and still think the latest "must have" will make you great then its your own fault that your dissapointed when you receive a rubber band and a bit of blu-tak.

I also suspect another reason why a lot of these ads hide what's actually going on, move wise I mean. That is that many magicians sleights are not up to the standard they should be. Its not just magicians who would spot what's going on, lay people would aswell (I hate the phrase "layman" but can't think of another word to use). So its much easier and safer to just cut away every time a move is done. Compare this to the close-up section on Paul Daniels - the camera was right on him even when sleight of hand was afoot. Yet you saw nothing.

The guys who are putting out these overly edited videos to hide every poorly executed sleight would do well to take a look at our very own Lee Smith and Gary Jones. Their videos and clips show it as it is. No fancy editing. You know exactly what you're getting and paying for. Nuff said.


Jim

RSVP have started posting full unedited videos of effects from their newer DVDs, I think this shows a certain level of confidence in their products and the respect Russ has for his customers.

I think the problems with magic trailers are:
- the majority of producers knowing the difference between a showreel and a product trailer...
Showreels = audience reaction
Trailers = effects with some reaction
- we're buying a secret, most of us, unintentionaly, can backwards engineer part of, if not all of an effect. Which is why we get heavily edited trailers so the overall effect is hidden by MTV style production and audience reaction shots.

It's nice to see what we're buying but a balance needs to be struck between showing too much and showing nothing at all.
Just my thoughts.

Frankly I think if the method is really that obvious to a casual spectator it's probably not even worth performing.

-Stacy

Perhaps we should start seeking out the worlds worse magic trailers. I've seen my fair share of poorly shot ones but it would be interesting to see the worst.

With regards to spotting methods in trailers. I think it depends on the type of effect being sold. I don't really know the best way to go about it but you'd have to consider that some effects are sold because they are a new method for something, where as some are sold because of a performance and perhaps a slightly altered but well known method. The latter is something that would be difficult to shoot.

I think the magic trailers we're talking about are ones stating that the product is the new awesome ingenious trick that will make people think you're the messiah.

If they have to shoot carefully to prevent exposure, they're probably not as convincing as the blurb suggests.

-Stacy

Sorry, what I meant was that sometimes they're not selling the hot new gimmick/trick. Instead they're selling something else like an act, performance, ect. Something that could be simply copied if seen in full. Obviously without the insider tips on the actual routine but still, there are plenty of people who wouldn't care.

I'm not saying that it's acceptable sometimes to be obscure, just that there could be a reason such as this that needs to be considered. Saying that though, the majority aren't going to fall into this category and so they have no excuse.

I'm with you though with the idea that if it's the hot new thing and you're able to work it out just by watching then it can't be that hot.

I agree on the idea of a routine being something where you would want to keep most of it under wraps, but I think all of the tropes and indeed examples shown here have been of the modern street magic variety.

<sarcasm>
And we all know what wonderfully in depth characterful performances you find in hip urban street magic.
</sarcasm>

Imagine them keeping a straight face during the argument "We can't show the whole thing because it's not the secret we're selling, it's the unique way in which our performer says 'yo, yo, look, check this out, look look... watch... boom' people shouldn't have access to dynamite scripting like that for free."

-Stacy

Well this has given me some lovely ideas!
Good read

Here's something I didn't expect to see in a magic trailer.

I was on Dude That's Cool Magic (I'm allowed to mention them they advertise here) and I watched the trailer for Detach, which was an embedded youtube video. After the trailer finished, it came up with 4 suggested things to watch next, one of which was some kid revealing how it worked!

Possibly something magic shop owners should be wary of....

-Stacy

Those 'suggestions' are something which Youtube does automatically, perhaps it would have been better to link to one of those vids where that's all that can be seen and only that link can access it? Dunno what it's called but certainly there's a an ever increasing risk of an exposure vid being mentioned. Flippin' kids.....

My personal pet hate is ... "visibly changes [vanishes/melts/turns to gold] before your eyes" when it's nothing of the sort and actually happens under a silk.

I'm then particularly distressed when I read people say "well I bought it anyway, just to see what it does / how it is done". Which just encourages 'em ...