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krowboom Loyal user Chicago area 233 Posts |
I am still relatively new to magic if 2 to 3 years is considered relatively new and I have noticed all the pejorative comments about learning tricks from You Tube. Although I have learned from magician friends, DVD's, books, and the like I do find You Tube to be invaluable and the knocks on it are totally unfair. This is what I think You Tube provides.
1. Exposure to many new tricks you haven't seen before. 2. Demonstrations by many different magicians doing the same trick in their own style. 3. Chance to see a trick demonstrated that if not for you tube you would not be able to see it. 4. A way for magicians to promote themselves and or their products. 5. Instructions on how to do many basic techniques. 6. Many different teachers showing you how to do these techniques. 7. Chance to post your own tricks and see how they look. 8. Buying a trick that is poorly explained or has no DVD that comes with it, but by finding it on You Tube it helps you learn it. Granted there is a lot of junk on You Tube, exposure, poorly done magic, etc., but I think the positive far outweighs the negative. I know it has helped me out in many instances and been an invaluable aid in helping me with magic. |
HerbLarry Special user Poof! 731 Posts |
Information is information and all. Glad you found use of it.
You know why don't act naive.
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PAUL K Special user Massachusetts 547 Posts |
Hi krowboom, Join a Magic Club if you can I.B.M or S.A.M. Magician's have helped me out a lot along the way and the Caf'e!!!
Paul |
soybntree New user 55 Posts |
Youtube is a great source like everything in this world its what you make it!! The ease of exposure is the main problem for me but yeah its great for watching performances and getting opinions
~ Soybntree |
Simon Southern Moss New user 51 Posts |
Something else I have gained from Youtube is learning how to teach magic. The tutorial style ranges from poor to excellent. When you're exposed to this range, you develop a greater sense of how to teach magic more effectively.
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SmithMagicMan Regular user 179 Posts |
If it's an old old old effect that appears on every: "learn magic tricks 4 free" or whatever, then that's a sort of different matter.
When people expose magic tricks that are sold for £30, it's hugely unfair to the creator. How would you like it if you spent years working on a product that you were really proud of, then someone steals it? Its kind of wrong tbh. |
soybntree New user 55 Posts |
Yes I couldn't agree with you more SmithMagicMan exposure of tricks are really unfair
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Harry Lorayne 1926 - 2023 New York City 8558 Posts |
For the record: I'm a lousy computer person, so I have no idea how laymen find magic on YouTube. When I was asked to allow someone to put me on YouTube performing some of my items I was very careful to be sure that it was only the performances (there are now, I think, over 30 effects/routines there)and absolutely no teaching. Anyway... Harry L.
[email]harrylorayne@earthlink.net[/email]
http://www.harrylorayne.com http://www.harryloraynemagic.com |
krowboom Loyal user Chicago area 233 Posts |
I certainly agree exposure is wrong but don't blame You Tube. Other media does it too. Isn't there a TV show that exposes big illusions? I find on You Tube it is mainly young kids who do the exposing. I guess it empowers them in some way to be telling the secret. However, keep in mind that when magicians sell their tricks to the public they risk exposure. You can't have it both ways. If you want to keep a method a secret don't publish or sell it. People who buy magic are honor bound by the "magician's code" not to expose it. Obviously that hasn't worked very well. People expose tricks all over the place. Having said that I find that most people don't know how tricks are done, don't care, and just want to be entertained. Those that search You Tube trying to discover methods are precious few. When I do a show I very seldom get "I know how you did that" and most of what I do is pretty standard stuff that I'm sure has been exposed on You Tube.
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dand243 New user 50 Posts |
I also agree that youtube does have a lot of exposure but its not like layman kind find that easy. they have to know what they are looking for which in turn doesn't make them laymen. just my two cents.
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rsylvester Loyal user Trying to learn to BP a duck in 269 Posts |
@krowboom, you have nailed the value of YouTube. You get it, where others do not. I say this as someone who has traveled the country training others on using social media to convey information, as I do in my day job as a journalist. @Harry Loraynez; do glad you allowed yourself on YouTube. I've enjoyed watching many of your effects that over the years I've only heard about or watched others do. Great to see a master at work.
As for promoting your work, remember this: YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world. Also remember this, the great majority of people are not going to look for exposures on YouTube. Take the cups and balls, for example. It's old to us. But I still know people who have never seen it before. It's magic to them. Same with the sponge balls. It's all over the Internet, yet knew when I show it to them. People are much more interested in looking at cats playing pianos than they are in what we do. People search for what interests them. The answer? Cats. Lady Gaga. So you want to promote your magic? Put it on YouTube, then share it on Facebook and Twitter. That will drive your traffic. It will be your friends and network of friends. If they like it, they will share it with their friends. If you're lucky, it will go viral. But you have to use social media to cross promote. Because as I said, unless you're into magic, you're not searching YouTube for magic. |
beardedbuddha New user 5 Posts |
How about reporting the videos that expose a method that someone else is selling?
I mean, the method is the intellectual property of the inventor, so it's not yours to pass on (magicians code or not). YouTube are really on top of these sorts of things when they are reported. Did anyone try this? |
bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts |
Youtube has its pros and cons
exposure of a trick is its biggest con but for the pro part I like watching how someone performs a trick to help give me ideas that I might use in one of my shows. |
sheridanmagic New user 6 Posts |
I have friends and co-workers who've been entertained and mystified by some of my tricks. But I am always saddened when they say they found out how it was done by looking it up on YouTube. And what dand243 says it not entirely true, with many tricks its easy for laypeople to find them. Just try typing in coin in bottle magic trick or phone in balloon magic trick and you'll get some videos exposing the secrets of some of my favourite effects! It's a natural thing for them to want to know how tricks are done but I think its a shame that it's so easy for them to find out. If you want to learn magic that's fine, go to a magic shop and take the time to learn some things from someone with expertise. If friends of mine have expressed a real interest in magic then I'm always keen to give them an old deck, teach them a few moves and encourage them. People putting videos of their performances of the latest tricks online is fine with me as long as they don't expose secrets through their bad performances, (something I have seen a lot of) but why would you spend £20-£30 on a great new trick which you enjoy performing, only to then expose the secret on YouTube? It makes no sense to me.
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epsilon97 Regular user 178 Posts |
I certainly agree that Youtube exposes the secrets behind a lot of tricks, but I wonder how many non-magicians really watch these exposure videos. I am sure some do, and many probably look up the tricks of mainstream magicians like David Blaine and Chris Angel. But, at the end of the day I think the pros out weight the cons. It is such a great resource for magicians.
I wonder how many magicians got mad at magic authors who started publishing the first books exposing magic. I am sure the same complaints were made back then. |
critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
I'll start by saying that I love YouTube and watch magic and other vids on there frequently. But there are definite drawbacks.
The biggest problem I have is that even without exposure in the videos, the comments aren't moderated (although if you're good you can apparently disable comments or require approval for them)and every magic video I've seen on there is riddled with "people" in the comments section going on and on about methods. I hate that. If you post a magic vid on YouTube then do yourself a favor and at least make sure you have some control over the comments section.
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
You can learn from YouTube, but don't copy. Be creative.
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Albatros Regular user Germany 132 Posts |
I think its a delicate matter and we should differ between the kinds of magic videos we find on youtube. On the one hand I really enjoy watching performance clips from more or less renowned magicians such as Harry Lorayne, Michael Vincent and many others. Did anyone here also enjoy the LeclericShow and similiar projects? Its always a pleasure to see working professionals and I think we can learn a lot here. Be it a line of patter or the overall flow/audience control - or simply the joy for a craft where we spend a lot of time alone in front of mirrors.
On the other hand its a shame that just about anybody can flash anything - those vids just spoil the fun for me. Instead, I keep searching for those pearls that leave me behind in wonder All the best, Sven ^^
"Palming cards... Like sex, it can be learned by almost anybody,but doing it well requires some native talent and assiduous practice." (John Scarne)
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Albatros Regular user Germany 132 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-05-14 07:28, epsilon97 wrote: Your statement about the first written books might contain a lot of truth, but I for myself find exposing videos to be more annoying: Most people that open a book just to get a sneak peak get frustrated soon. My cousin asked me about some card tricks, and I nicked him my copy of Erdnase. I got it back soon after, him being driven off by the effort to get the information. So if he asks me how any other trick I do is done I just have to ask "want that book again" and I am fine lol
"Palming cards... Like sex, it can be learned by almost anybody,but doing it well requires some native talent and assiduous practice." (John Scarne)
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epsilon97 Regular user 178 Posts |
Yes Albatros. Video certainly is more accessible.
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