It does NOT matter how you feel when you are performing. When you perform the only thing that matters is how the spectators feel. If you worry about what you are feeling instead of communicating and reaching your audience on an emotional level, then you are missing the point. And if you just think of yourself, your performance will suffer.
I also never use gimmicks, because I enjoy slight of hand. However, when I am in front of an audience this has no bearing at all. Would the audience know if I was using a gimmick? No, they would not (if used correctly). The only thing that matters is the emotional impact the effect has on your audience, not how it makes you feel. If this is not true for you, then you most likely come off as being self centered and a poor performer. You must remember that magic only happens in the spectators mind.

Tilt

Blaine, in my opinion, is just fine for lay people. I personally don't like the way that he does things, but then again, that is just me.

If Blaine likes to edit his material and make a fool out of himself to his peers, that is his option.

If he likes using his girlfriend as a spectator that gets all excited, that is his option.

If he doesn't use or create any of his own material, that is his option.

From a T.V. viewer's standpoint, the man is outrageous. From many a magicians'standpoint, he is lame and unethical.

After being a magician for a while, or years, how excited do you get when you see magic from a magician's view?

Magic is like drugs....it takes something really stronger and impressive to rattle your nervous system. If it is familiar or semi-familiar magic that you are viewing, then it is extremely easy to become a critic.

I believe that a lot of magicans become more callous and critical of others over the years and lose a lot of that "Real Love" for the art.

No matter what you do, or how you do it.....do what you love. You are not here to answer to the world. If the world loves you, then you have it made. If the world doesn't love you..........well, at least you will still be happy...and that is what counts.

But even with all of that, as a magician, Blaine doesn't impress me, however, he impresses a lot of people.....for whatever this is worth.

If it weren't snowing out today, I would be at work and not writing this! lol

Happy Magic and Peace,

Bill

Nice post Bill..and no mention of Dante..LOL...I'm jokeing..and whats SNOW..Tom in Florida

Do we know for a fact that "Brandy" was Blaine's girlfriend? I'm not questioning anyone's honesty on this thread, because I do believe that you heard that. But it sounds like something that might be a rumour only. Does anyone know the name of the game show she appeared on? I've long suspected that, for certain effects, Blaine has used plants, but I wouldn't want to come out and accuse him, only to find out that I'm just passing on a false rumour.

For what it's worth, I'm not a Blaine fan myself. I enjoy watching him only because I enjoy watching any magician perform. I'm not terribly impressed by his technical skills -- all he really shows me is that he can do a double lift (sometimes a triple lift), and I know when he's doing it every time. I'd rate him as a "good" card man, but not "great."

But as a performer, he does have a good sense for the dramatic, and even some very simple routines get great reactions. He's excellent with misdirection -- there are even a few times in Street Magic where he has to tell his spectators to watch the cards/coin/whatever because they're busy looking at him as he speaks.

Sure, it's possible that there are some phoney spectators, but I doubt that's the case in all his routines. Certainly he didn't get the Dallas Cowboys to fake their reactions. (And they were blown away by some pretty ordinary stuff. The two-card monte routine is very simple to do, and few magicians would have trouble picking up on what Blaine does, but Emmett Smith almost ran out of the room.)

Yes, these are laypeople he's impressing -- but laypeople are the audience magicians work for, and are the people we're supposed to impress. I'd love to get some of the reactions Blaine gets.

However, the editing and the plants (if he uses plants) have got to go.

Hi,
I really dont want to comment much on Blaine here. I am not much of a fan (thats a different story), but everyone has already expressed their opinions and thats fine.
Anyway, earlier a post was made about musicians editing their music to make it sound better on tv would be the same as a magician editing his effect to make it look better on tv.
Well, first off, not all music groups edit their recording when putting it on cd. Many indie rock band (independent label) simply record, and put it out. Also, many famous bands also put out live records (Take for example, Dave Mathews and Tim Reynolds live cd...) and there are many, many others.
Musicians edit their music to make sure everything blends and sounds better. However, when you compare this to Blaine editing his effects in television I feel that this doesn't really relate to music...
David Blaine often times didn't even include the entire effect, and used cuts to create scenes that are otherwise not very likely to be done live. For example, when doing some mentalism effect, Blaine only shows the final revelation...something that otherwise would be VERY difficult (I would almost think impossible...) to actually do without any questions asked...just walking up to a person and telling them what they are thinking and then have a cab drive by with the same words written on the side of it does not seem very likely! So try and relate this to music. You cant! The reason is, many bands often tour, and while they may edit some of their music when putting it on television, tape, or cd, they can actually perform the songs live...I sure would like to see Blaine do many of his 'feats' on the spot...for example, could David Blaine do the 'resurection soda/'re-pop' effect with any borrowed can he finds...? NO, he needs some preparation (won't say anymore as that may reveal the method)But, upon being handed the instrument that they play, I am sure most musicians would be able to play their songs. I hope you understand what I am trying to say....Copperfield, sure, he may use stooges, but the shows he has done on television have been done in front of live audiences (maybe not on the ones he's filmed, but he does do them in his tours.) I respect Copperfield much more than Blaine. I would say Copperfield actually can do what he does on television live.
Blaine? He is very questionable. Maybe he can prove it by levitating for us or reading our minds without any questions asked, or make 'any' card appear in a 'unprepared' basketball (haha)
I will give him credit for being succesful and good at marketing himself. But thats all. You can try and bring up an argument about Blaine being so good in front of lay people...first off, I have heard a story from a professional (and well known) magician about Blaine doing a show for some people...there was a reason they hired this other magician the next year instead of Blaine! He may be good on television, but how many of you have seen him in real life doing the same stuff he does on television???
Secondly, how many magicians has a layperson seen???NExt time they tell you how good Blaine is, ask them how many magicians they have seen...even better, ask them to name them for you. They can't name many because they proabablly havent seen many. It would be like you calling a music band the best music band in the world when you have only heard one or two other music bands...its an unfair judgement.
Enough said,

Doug-The Magic Sponge.

If you watch all of his street magic shows carefully, you can see that about 80% of people he does magic to are African American. He should more varitiy of color and gender in his shows.
-Evan

He's doing what he likes, and he is making money doing it. Plus lots of people like to watch him. I don't understand why anywould would bash him, if you enjoy watching him then do so and if you don't enjoy watching him then don't.
I could go on about this but I'm too tired right now, so my point is just leave the guy alone if you don't like him. But if you do, then go ahead and enjoy watching him.

What the-- how in the world does that have any bearing??

And he performs for males and females alike.

Take care,
Bobby.

Florida Tom -

Thanks, buddy! You know me and what I stand for.......I just didn't want to be pimpin in this subject.....Brown knows too.....and great point, Brown!

Snow?? White stuff (oops! lol) that comes from the sky! I just don't know if snow is male or female, though! (kidding)

Happy Magic and Peace to all!

Bill

Well, I have not been in the Café long, so I think I should get my two cents out about Blaine early in the piece!
He is a performer (something we all should be). He is not performing for us, but for the public, so let him!
I agree with an earlier post. If Blaine wants to 'sell out' and use editing and stooges then it is his choice. He performs how he sees fit.
I also think that his technical skill (or lack of it) is not much of an issue. His double lift may be obvious to us, but combined with good misdirection it is flawless. An example of this is a little trick I do if I only have one or two people around. I use the pass to make aces jump from the outside of the deck to the middle. My pass has only been practised for the last 3 years, so it is not that great yet, but with the right misdirection this is one of my strongest card tricks.
Hmm, sorry about the long post. I will wrap it up by saying I think that Blaine does what he does extremely well, but I prefer to refer to him as a performer more than a magician.

MagicSponge said:

“David Blaine often times didn't even include the entire effect, and used cuts to create scenes that are otherwise not very likely to be done live. For example, when doing some mentalism effect, Blaine only shows the final revelation...something that otherwise would be VERY difficult (I would almost think impossible...) to actually do without any questions asked...just walking up to a person and telling them what they are thinking and then have a cab drive by with the same words written on the side of it does not seem very likely!”

The fact it seems impossible is the whole point of the effect!

Information gained covertly before a performance begins is called pre-show work; it is one of the fundamental techniques used in mentalism (do a search in Penny for Your Thoughts.)

I know a lot of people don’t like Blaine, but I think it’s taking things a little bit too far to criticize him for using a well-established technique used by virtually every single successful mentalist (including all the greats) since the dawn of time.

Regards
Dave

Hmmmm, there are so many takes on Blaine. If nothing else he is creating a lot of talk and interest. Stooges, editing, acting? This artform certainly changes through time and is still morphing. I suppose stooges are not new, editing TV - who knows how many have used that now? I use a stooge for a mental routine, it is extremely effective, because it appears that the spectator was chosen randomly but I do somehow feel a bit "dirty" about it afterward.

However, if I built my whole show on that same premise it would still be an effective show UNTIL I got busted. Then I would look like such a fool. I keep thinking about this and about those fake "healers" who get busted using stooges and hidden electronics. I know they are not the same but they look alike. And here in the states, who remembers Milli Vanilli, the brothers who "faked" their way to the top of the pop music charts? After being busted, I think one of them killed himself and the other has performed his own disappearing act! I guess what I'm saying is, if this is the style you choose, just consider the consequence of getting caught. Most of us won't have a TV special to worry about any of this anyway!

Have fun, and re-discover your art and the love you have for it

David Blaine, Criss Angel, David Copperfield... it seems like every magic television special performed by a "professional" magician lately is being picked apart by magicians until there is nothing left. It's not just on the Café boards, it's everywhere. Every single effect performed is stripped down to "it was so obvious how he/she did that, how could anyone not figure it out, the execution was horrible! etc. etc." I think everyone has been forgetting one very important thing. THE LAYPEOPLE LOVE IT. There isn't one single person (other than a magician) that I've asked that didn't think David Blaine was amazing. True, he uses stooges, editing and acts like a drunken idiot, but most that I talked to went "WOW, how'd he do that?" I say if he's going to give magic exposure on a national level, let him. If they remember the magic he did, so much the better!

It all basically comes down to one thing: Magic is a big *****ing contest. It's male driven, and we need to get over our egos. When I first got into magic, the biggest thing that stuck out was how much everyone wanted to show up everybody else. I'm not saying this is the case with every magician, but by and large we as magicians seem eager to cut down other magicians. It's a sad state for the art. And as one who comes from another performing art genre'-theatre-and one who's made a living at it for some time, it's sad to see how quickly magicians can relegate themselves to being name callers. That mentality doesn't make you a professional in the eyes of your audience. I feel that the art is suffering becuase of this current state of mind. Like I said, it's a *****ing contest, and that's a *** shame.