he's actually right I like DB a lot but I don't think he's the BEST MAGICIAN in the world but he puts up a good fight and for the stunts houdini did them too aswell as Copperfield and Burton and cris Angel the list goes on and on and on ect... THX Cameron Woodward:subtrunk:

Ugh, I hate to even chime into a David Blaine centered post, but here goes...

Y'all don't know what you're talking about.

The stunts boring...maybe, maybe not.

The truth? The stunts are a critical part of the program that'll be produced and put on TV.

All this publicity means millions of people know his next TV special is coming.

Millions of people tune into his TV special to see his close-up (and 5 or 6 watch his "boring" stunt as you all call it)

In the process, the part you all miss so miserably is that because so many MILLIONS of people tune in, the network gets to charge PRIME TIME DOLLARS for every commercial spot.

Thus, the rich get richer and all that stuff.

Whether the stunt is considered "boring" or not becomes, completely irrelevant.

It's business.

Robert Bloor

What I find funny is all the people who say they hate David Blaine and find his stunts boring are the ones who are posting and talking about him. If you find him so boring why would you bother taking the time to talk about it.

crazyhands: marketing monster is an understatement.

Robert Bloor.. the point of this topic was whether they were boring or not.. not how his business plan was working.. so we're not miserably missing the point.. the stunts IS the point.. if you didn't want to post around a David Blaine centered topic.. then why did you?

Justin

JustinDavid,

The 8mil was directed toward the questions of his repertoir. I bet lots of people who "knew him before..." are looking to get reaquainted with Blaine. I don't blaim the guy one bit.

Win the lottery and see how many "relatives" crawl out of the woodwork with investment ideas for you. Unfortunate reality in today's society.

Tom

Well said. Thus why I chimed in a different opinion (forgive me), that being boring was irrelevant.



Justin,
Because sometimes it's helpful to magicians to see things from a professional/business standpoint.

Me not wanting to get into a David Blaine thread believe it or not (you can go ahead and believe not), has nothing to do with David Blaine and everything to do with the business strategies of another working professional.



If 74% of his viewers find his stuff, "boring" then why is that 74% still watching? (and talking)

Robert Bloor

Lol.. that is very true .. BUT I know this guy.. and Blaine lost contact with him.. I know him very well and this guy is no freeloader.. once Blaine started his little thing he cut off his ties with all of his friends.. including the one whos couch he slept on when he didn't have a place to live..

It's none of my business.. but I need to prove a point.. LOL

74% are still watching because he's a good attraction.. I myself never said he was boring.. his stunts may be somewhat .. eh.. but he can make it into something good. I never put the guy down once except for the fact that he is egotistical now.. and a little too cocky for his talents..

Justin

Man, the guy is struggling right now, I seen a pic of his gums in the globe and mail and hes dying! The people of thw town aren't giving him the support he needs, I say everyone in the Café goes and gives him a hand with the support. Like him or not he did bring us a little more popularity in these last few years.

A bit of fact-checking is due! Okay, here they are:
1) According to several media reports, Blaine is not getting "$8 million" for the stunt in London.
2) In the professional marketing and p.r. world, in which I've worked as a professional, you are not a "wizard" or a "legend" or anything else positive if there is more negative reaction than positive--really. That is considered counterproductive and a career-ender. As well as counter to producing decent future sales and acceptance. And, in the last three years, the grand sum of publicity about Blaine, no matter what the subject, has mostly, largely, been negative. That is not good marketing, people! It is bad marketing.
3) There is some talk that the London thing, the ice thing, the buried alive thing and even the pole thing are "stunts" and could have some gimmicks or ruses to bypass the obvious physical dangers involved. Come on, guys, we're magicians here!
4) I don't mean to be critical, or negative, but even Blaine's "street magic" television hoedowns were not "revolutionary" in the fact that they all used tricks that were previously established and performed by others (I've talked to magicians who were doing tricks from those shows literally 15 years before Blaine did them);
5)his stunts have indeed had dwindling television ratings each time out--which can also be a career-ender. I hope these facts help out some. Thank you.

I should get $8 Mil. for sitting in this computer chair for the past 44 days yapping in this forum!

Of course, I did have a bountiful supply of Pringles and Hot Pockets.

Uh-Huh, sure.

Firedice, I'd be careful. 6 magicians are going to perform the stunts you mentioned, 3 of them are going to claim ownership, and none of them will survive.