With all the exposure and the high cost of investing in Big Illusions, are there any Illusionist here rethinking their approach to their performances?

A serious question, I'm an Illusionist myself...

Thanks...

Look at Brett Daniels and his new show?

JA

I honestly think that lay audience are still amazed at what we do and what we present. The classics are still the classics and I fele audiences are just as impressed with them. To me it is not so much about the illusions any ways as it is what you do with them and the routines and entertainment value YOU create as a performer. YOU can give them the experience and they can remember YOU instead of the props.

Kyle

Absolutely Right, Kyle! To make it in this business, you have to be truly unique. Either in looks, props, style, music etc. The man next door does not belong on stage if people are paying to see him!

Thanks Rai. I really appreciate your kind words.

I LOVE your quote of:
"The man next door does not belong on stage if people are paying to see him!"

Beautifully stated. I always believe that so many magicians and illusionist try so hard to make the prop or the illusion the center of attention. They do so much that the focus comes off of themselves.

I want people to walk away remembering ME and the experience I created for them and within them. Sure I want them to be wowed and excited by the magic. But in the end it is about the experience I gave to them. I want them not talking so much about this prop or that illusion. I want them to recall me.

To do this, the classics should not be forgotten. They are classics for a reason. It is what you do with the illusion that makes people smile and remember you. Work towards creativity, uniqueness and a sense of style and personality that is unique to yourself.

People could steal Rai's illusions or maybe his routines but one thing they would never be able to steal his his style and personality and experience he created in everything he did. I guarentee you when audiences left his shows, they remeber HIM.

Just something to think about.

Kyle

Thank you so VERY much Kyle, it's great to be remembered! I'm very proud of what I did. And now I want to share my experiences with the new crowd. I had my day and now it's their time. I remembere all the audition tapes I got from my produceres, who gave me all the magicians. It was sad that out of the hundreds I viewed, only three of four could be used. (One had a very overweight couple doing the subtrunk!)before you step on any stage, be sure of what you are doing, and get all the advice you can. You can learn from your detractors, and it's up to you to figure it out. Don't depend on the prop to carry you. People want to see ENTERTAINERS! Please feel free to contact me if you know someone needs aid. Sincerely Rai

Yopu are most welcome. I recall seeing your show several times over the years and I always walked away remembering YOU and the experience you created. the magic was wonderful, but I remember the experience you created. That to me is what is important to me as a performer.

Thanks for your offer. I am one of those folks who always believe that I never ever stop learning. I also believe that I need to give back to magic what it has given to me and I offer advice and asistance to anyone who asks me of it. I thank you for offering to do the same.

Kyle

Don't you think everyone should think that way? You sound like a very nice man, you should have come up to me to say hello, I would have loved talking to you. Keep up the good work and good thoughts!

I ALWAYS think everyone should think that way, Rai. It is just sad to realize that so many simply do not. So many magicians have the wrong ideas about magic and what magic should be about. So many concentrate on "wowing" instead of realizing that there is more to magic and magical performance then the "wow" alone. You can give an audience way more then that.

I appreciate such kind words my friend. It is very nice of you to say so. especially coming from soneone such as yourself. I never came up to you for several reasons. the biggest one was simply fear.

Not fear of anything you did or would do. But you see I am a deaf entertainer. I am 65% deaf in both ears and have been most my life. I was always shy about being deaf and it took me a LONG while to relaize that being deaf and being an enterayioner is nothing to be ashamed of.

I technically should not be able to do what I do. lol But I always learned from my folks and others that giving up simply is NOt and never should be an answer for me. I simply love performing and I will never stop doing it. I may not be able to hear my msuic like others, but I adapt and develop methods for doing so.

maybe that is why magic means so much more to me then others. Maybe that is why I take my magic so seriosuly. Not sure. I just know that there is no greater magic to me then being on a stage. When I am out there, I am no longer handicapped. I am just a performer giving myself to my audience and trying to put a smile on any face I can.

Kyle

Kyle, what an inspiration you are! I can't tell you how much I admire you! It just goes to show that a handicap can be overcome, if you have the love and soul for it! I do hope I can get to meet you, and believe me, we will communicate! Please keep in touch, great nice people like you are sometimes hard to come by. Sincerely Rai

Thank you so very much, Rai I always admired and respected your love and passion for our art. To receive a complement from you is very heart-whelming. Thank you.

I try and be an inspiration to those around me. I never felt like I was handicapped and so always believed in doing what I set out to do. I get frustrated all the time, but then again, who doesn't. Sure it takes me a lot longer to figure out how to perform to my music or how to hit ques. It may be hard at times to read helper's lips on stage. But where there is a will and a pasion there is always a way.

Magic to me is not soemthing I want to do. It is something I HAVE to do. I simply love performing. I always have. It is a creative outlet for me. In a way when I make someone smile through what I present, I heal myself as well. It is hard to explain in words to be quite honest.

I would love the chance to meet you in person as well and hope some day to be able to do so. I have a feeling we would have a lot in common, smilea lot and spend many hours sharing our passion for the art we both love so much.

In regards to the initial question, a magician should always be "rethinking their performance". As I like to put it, you never ever stoplearning and you never stop evolving. An illusionist creates a routine but that routine should never be done. It simply means that you open yourself up to allow it to evolve over time. Learn what works and what does not and apply it.

Learn to think creatively. That way you can take the classics and apply to them a different spin on them. They are still the classics but they fit who YOU are as a magician. They fit YOUR style. Doing what has been done before is never good enough because it just produces more magic clones.

Look past the obvious and relaize and define who you are as an illusionist.

Kyle

Sorry to burst in here, but I just had to say how refreshing it is to see people thinking in terms of the props as "material" instead of the props as "ends in themselves."

How often do we see threads here where the poster wants to know what's a good illusion to start with, or a cheap illusion to build, or whether someone else's floating aardvark is personal property or open for use. I think it's so sad that the props so often take the lead, instead of the performer taking the lead.

Thank you both.

Thank you George. I really appreciate the kind words my friend. It is most appreciated.

Kyle

Wow, I'm honuored with the depth and experience of the posters in this thread...

But this is my point.

If the Big Illusions COST so much and they're being exposed right and left (the Base principle comes to mind...).

AND as the Big Illusions should NOT be the center of a good show (The Magician should be) then wouldn't it make sense for the rest of us non-millionaire Illusionists to rethink and shift the focus to ourselves with just Stage and Parlour effects?

Watch Derren Brown's live shows for instance, standing applauses, yet not one Big Illusion (except for a man in a Gorilla suit of course... ). So it can be done.

Especially in this recession, where money is tight.

Seriously, wouldn't it make more sense?

I'm not saying we should sell what Big Illusions we have already...

Just don't buy or make new ones for a while...

Take the whole of 2009 refocusing your whole Show on YOU. Using
all that you have now.

Think of a prop as an extension of yourself. You should have personality which is addictive, and the prop is like an articile of clothing that helps identifiy you. The prop should not be the act itself.

One of the things I have foucused on, is using my own unique charcteristics, and imiganation to mold the direction of my show. Not just a serious of tricks, but a storyline that backs them up. Also, we do need to start thinking out of the box, come up with new ways to do old illusions, and new illusiosns utilizing old illusions and princiapls. don't just reley on the big name builders to give you something new, but sit down, and brainstorm as so many had done in the past, and create something new and unique for your act.

Now that sounds very familar, doesn't it?

Old is the new new......lol...always has been and always will be!

AC

Amen to that, Rai. That is wht you and I have been saying all along. =)

Just because an illusion should not be the focus, does not mean you should stop doing them. That is not what I am saying at all. In a show you have to have the props. You have to just learn to utilize them effectively.

You can still have a sub trunk. But the idea is to make it your own. Make it fit who you are to think differently to add something to it that is unique.

Kyle

I have over 25,00 worth of stage illusions and I make more money doing close up SAD huh !!