Now we are getting somewhere. NEITHER WAS HOUDINI.

You are so right. The comparison is pretty good actually I agree. MANY magicians, (MYSELF INCLUDED) are not that "technically proficient". No arguement from me there.

Now when you admit that BOTH sides are being extreme, well you eliminate those and find the middle, and you have some sort of truth EVERYONE can probably find common ground. Which is my point.

Ahh and there is the truth that in fact everyone has been agreeing upon for the last two pages of posts! I haven't said much in this thread yet because I've watched two distinctly different sides of the argument actually agreeing with each other with a common ground, and yet continue to fight about it! I think Danny is right that there will always be extremists on both sides, but it is in the middle where everyone pretty much can agree on Blaine, Angel. Houdini, or whoever else you'd like to name.

Hmmm, it seems like the people who like his magic think David Blaine is good. The ones who don't like it, think he's not so good. Am I missing anything?

Naw that pretty well sums it up.

Ahhhh.... not this argument again This topic seems to come up a lot in the forum, and just in general discussions amongst magicians. So maybe David Blaine's performance style isn't all that great. He's taking simple tricks that you know how to do and getting really famous by doing them. But I believe that the reason he is so popular (besides the fact he's on TV etc. etc. etc.) is because he knows how to get a certain reaction from people. If his style is the mysterious random guy walking on the street showing magic, then that's fine. That's what gets people interested. When they see a person in a top hat and tails, they expect to see some magic. It is more amazing to see a "normal" person perfrom magic. I won't go on for too long, all I can say for sure is I like him a lot more than Cris Angel... don't even get me started on that guy!
Just my two cents,
-Greg

He's a multi-millionaire who hires cinematographers and directors to make him LOOK like a guy walking around Hells Kitchen doing tricks for people.

In reality he's drinking Crystal with his toes in the water down on Mustique.

Now there's a question. Did David Blaine have a period when he was walking around the streets doing magic for strangers <without> a camera crew nearby to watch his every move? What did David do before the first special?

Blaine's performance "events" cannot be fully appreciated in a televised 2 hour special. His connection to his audience is built in person over several 24 hour days leading up to these TV shows. Look at the faces of these people...
http://darkartsmedia.com/Blaine.html

That video clip captured David's purpose better than ABC did.

Thanks Alex!

Eddie, I agree that your clip shows me something about Blaine that I otherwise might not have ever seen. Thanks for the eye-opener.

Jeff
Goettingen

You're welcome Eddie. Thanks for putting it up.

How good is David Blaine is the question of this thread. My point was technical abilities have little to do with how "good" someone is as a magician. As a magician Blaine is amazing. He really knows how to present magic in an impressive way. I think that is what makes a great magician. There are many technicians in our business who are highly respected but who would not be looked at as the greatest magicians. But as performers we each learn how to exploit our abilities. I think Blaine has learned what his abilities are and he uses them extremely well.

In an interview Mariah Carey lamented that singers who have perfect singing voices but not the look are nearly never bothered with by the record company.The point is that technical skill is not all in show business.Its all about image!

I guess it also depends on what you define skill, and success as. Blaine is probably a lot more wealthier than all the Fism winners put together, as well as a lot richer, and more world renowned than most of the world's top magic technicians. So I doubt what some are saying on a public forum has any effect on him. Part of being skilled at your craft is being able to market and sell what you already know, not how difficult it is.

Interacting with other magicians does not necessarily define success, it may open some doors, but that is about it. I was a full-time performer for 16 years already before I began to meet any magicians in person, and already had my livelihood established regardless. Some are competent enough to make it on their own, and do not need to ride the coat tails of others. Not that I refused to meet other magicians, but there simply is none in my local area. Never was, and still isn't many. But that never stopped me, and still hasn't after 26 years. Recognition/fame among others is merely a plus, not a necessity.

"Great magic" requires a mastery of timing, misdirection, audience interaction and control, competent planning, improvisation, social skills and management, dexterity, nimbleness, eloquent speech, and overall mastery of the physical, and psychological dynamics of the art in general in order to be a professional. We are not talking about doing one little show for your grandmother's birthday party, we are talking about doing magic for a living every single day. This not only takes a tremendous amount of skill, it also requires a lot of talent, patience, and maturity.

The fact is that if you cannot do something out of the ordinary, and something so amazing that they have never seen before, you are not going to create that true level of astonishment. What you are able to do now is a product of all the hard work you have put into your magic over a long period of time. It usually takes skill to recognize skill.But yes, Blaine has no skill...We all know how easy push off doubles, Randy Holt's Curly Cue, Simple Switch, Shapeshifter, one-handed riffle shuffles, and the Hotshot Cut, to name only a few, are.

Is he good?

Buy the CD and judge for yourself!

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......77&1


Lyndel

Tell that to Milli Vanilli. There has to be <some> skill involved, but if you had a Pierce Brosnan type doing magic next to a Jim Belushi type and both had the same qualifications, who's going to get the better reception?

Aceess to topic denied.

I think Sirbrad makes a good point; being admired/emulated by other magicians alone won't pay the bills, it's ultimately between you and your audience. For a little background on Blaine (if you are so inclined) his book, Mysterious Stranger, is a reasonably fun read. There's some background as to his earlier performances in NYC restaurants etc, and how his fee gradually climbed whilst working them. Also a little on that 'prop' homeless person, Richard, who he treated very well, as it turns out. Dangerous to make assumptions and claims. The guy himself felt overjoyed, not 'used' at all.

Cheers

Chris

Yeah, it doesn't matter if Richard FELT used or not, he WAS used.

Get the difference?