TAJ - great pic, especially as it relates to the thread! I spit out my drink when I saw it. Thanks for the moment!

Mike

I don't know what you mean Mike. It took 45 minutes of posing in the mirror to get that look.

I think it would be cool to gather the L&L audience and get their honest individual opinions on their experiences. Did they have a favorite performer? Who made them laugh the most? Which shoot was most "party" like? Which shoot was most exhausting? Which one effect really blew your mind? Which performer was most personable? Which was most "guarded"? What interesting/unexpected/unusual things (if any) happened when the camera wasn't rolling? What interesting thing was revealed about a performer that the general public doesn't know? Etc., etc.

Kaylan already gave a hint of what it's like, thanks Kaylan. But I, for one, would love to hear the answers to the above questions (and whatever else they have to offer ) from several of the regulars. Just a thought.


Ron
:)

I actually found this thread from searching specifically for some of these audience member's names. There just had to be a thread discussing this. Hehe.

I like these guys. Wish I'd had a couple of them auditioning for some of the bad short films I have made.

There are moments of bad acting tho. Or over acting I should say. The key word is acting. It doesn't mean that they aren't impressed. They just emphasize it a little. Those who are in the most videos seems to do it the most. It's quite funny when it goes a little too far over the top, as in Tommy Wonder's AC and ring box routine. (which actually almost had me stand up and shout "oh my gawd" as well, come to think of it).

Many people do this sort of thing who are not hired actors. It happens to humans when they are put center stage. Ricki Lake audiences do it... people at witch trials were famous for it. Foaming nicely at the mouth. I guess it is the same quality which makes stage hypnosis work. And speaking in tongues.

But here... probably more acting than being carried away by the crowd. How many ambitious card routines must these guys not have seen? And still gasps of amazement when the card actually appears on top. Of course they need to act. If not they would simply appear to stare bored into the horizon, drifting off into thoughts of other things. Video exaggerates lack of reaction too.

More assumptions from someone with no interaction with the people and situations being discussed here. I can tell you all, and I have about a billion times already , these are REAL reactions for these people. It has NOTHING to do with the camera being on or off. Out on the deck between sessions these few "accused over the top" are just as blown away and animated by Tom Allen doing card and coin tricks as they are during the shoot. It is their NATURE. Any person who has worked their fair share of intimate settings where people can feel comfortable reacting in their natural, albeit quite animated, manner knows these people exist and they bring another level of life to a show.

And about those witch trials... very interesting that as we look back it is the accusers, not the accused who were grossly out of line. A fitting comparison you have chosen. Fits as well with the refusal to accept the observations of those who actually have been there and experienced this first hand.

My FAVORITE L&L person is Leann Dyer. She works for them and she is in many of the shoots. Usualy in the back, where you can catch her honest reactions. She is the one doing the spongeball trcik with Michael Finney on his shoot. She's so into the magic and. She's funny, smart and ok, gorgeous.

Usually, the spectators are warmed up before the show - at least in TV shows. So by the time the real act begins, they are in such a good mood that even a small joke brings down the house. Very different compared to a "cold" audience.

Seems like everyone has a favourite L&L person. They should publish a calendar.

And since you've never been to an L&L shoot you really have no idea that this doesn't happen. So your point in regards to L&L audiences is moot.

Is Jon the guy with the moustache who is usually right next to the performer?
I love that guy. His laugh is infectious.

The girl to Steve Dacri's left in his no filler set is by far the best looking girl I've seen yet. Janelle is a close second.


Anyway, to the original poster. You talk about these not being audience tested routines. Are these not seasoned performers on these dvds? Are these not the same effects they use on a daily basis? When you read an effect out of a book, do you get to see audience reactions?

Something to think about.

I love almost all girls in L&L sometimes I mostly watch the girls

If Janelle is in the audience, I'm a happy camper.

This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. Like Tom Cutts, I've been going to Louis' Falanga's shoots for years. In fact, I've attended shoots of his in 4 different locations. One was a shoot of Michael Ammar lecturing at a magic convention, another was shot in Sacramento at a rented room in a Hotel. Bruce Cervon was the performer and I was "on camera." Then, I saw one of the early Jeff McBryde shoots at Louis's first home in Tahoe. The majority have been at the current location which used to be Louis' home, too. Yes, on shoot day it becomes a studio, but it's a great big beautiful home with a spectacular view of Lake Tahoe.

So, understand this: no one is paid money to be there. The magicians in the audience do receive a DVD or L & L book or something in exchange for giving up a day to be part of the audience. The audience is in a pretty good mood, because they prepare a nice big breakfast for everyone that gets there early enough. There's a break around noon and another nice meal is served.

No one "warm's up the audience." Actually, when Mike Close was there, he had a million jokes and told a few before the first shooting segment. During breaks he also told more jokes. But that's just Mike. He loves Jokes and love to share them. (He's just released a new book of his favorite jokes, by the way.)

There are no flashing signs to tell the group to applaud or laugh. We do know that on the DVDs audience applause is used to bridge the segments together, so at the beginning of each shot, we do applaud. But it's not the wild, intense applause filled with laughter which you see at the end of some routines. This has to be earned by the performers. And Louis brings in some of the best performers in the world, so why do you find it so surprising that they get these kinds of reactions? The people that come back again and again are there partly because they love magic. Sure, it's not a secret that Louis puts the pretty girls in the front row... but that's just eye candy. Most magicians are guys and do not mind this one bit.

L & L sets the standard for Video Magic DVDs, and I'm a guy that has produced a few DVDs myself. I know how hard it is to pull a project like this together, and if you have not done it or been involved in it, you don't know how hard that Louis and Andy and the gang work to make their DVDs entertaining and educational.

Dennis Loomis

I have just shot DVDs for L&L Publishing and everything Dennis said is true. The people in the audience enjoy magic a lot and are there to have fun. That's it. And you will see many new (pretty) faces in the forthcoming DVDs they will release!
But what is the most important is the quality of the videos (which are now shot in Widescreen HD). I can tell they work really hard to offer the best teaching videos in magic.

Boris Wild

I wish Leann Dyer would sit at the table. She has been one of the best audience members ever. Her expressions tell it all. She was up front with Michael Finney and did the spongeball rotuine with him. How could anyone not fall in love with her after that performance!

Louis now wisely uses "show girls" in the shoots.

Boris! Last time I saw you you were off to see Gwen Steffani (forgive spelling) with a big grin on your face. I wish I knew you were in Tahoe, I would have loved to have seen you. Will your new DVD have your FISM material?

Gwen Stefani in concert in Reno with a guest pass: it was indeed a great night!
I shot the DVDs on Bastille Day (not bad from French guy!) and I just came to Tahoe for the shooting. I could not stay longer because of a very busy schedule.
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the DVDs... and yes, they will include my FISM material!

Boris

This topic comes up from time to time as a new discussion. I guess it's because whoever starts these never uses the search function to read the other disucssions. This has all been talked about before.

Had some of you read those other discussions you would seen that guys like Richard Osterlind, John Mendoza and others have said what Boris, Tom Cutts & Dennis Loomis just said here about the audiences.

I've been working with L&L for over 3 years and have had to privilege to see every release in that time. What strikes me about discussions like this is why you're focusing on the audiences when if you look at the catalog of L&L titles, you can't help but be overwhelmed by the names that are available. Then you should stop and think of some of the magicians who have passed away in the last few years and how fortunate we are that L&L has an excellent record of their work - work that may have been lost or forgotten otherwise.

Boris also mentioned new audiences. On the new Bill Malone DVDs (soon to be released), 99% of the audience is new. You'll see a few familiar faces, guys like Frank for example, but not every new L&L release will have a new audience and that is because of when the DVD was shot and released.

All shoots take place over the summer and Louis books up as many as he can. But throughout the year he doesn't release as many as he's shot, so there are still some titles from a couple of years ago that are not out. These are the DVDs that will have a familiar audience.

On the note of DVDs shot, but not released yet, any word on the new Paul Wilson set?