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magic_tony Loyal user 277 Posts |
I think magicians using TV techniques (stooges, camera 'tricks' etc) is somewhat comparable to athletes who dope.
Physical training and fitness will translate into athletic ability which can achieve a limited performance level. However, if certain drugs are taken then the performance level can be increased to surpass what is achieveable without doping. Legality / health aside, the only problem with this is that doping athletes do not openly promote the fact they use performance enhancing substances. Therefore an unfair comparison is made between doping and non-doping athletes simply because the public is unaware the 'dopers' are using drugs. If everybody knew Chris Boardman was pumped full of drugs, he would not have been so revered and his race times could have been adjusted to account for his drug use. Similarly, regular magicians have a limited toolset available to them: sleight of hand, gimmicks etc. and sometimes assistants and stooges. With such tools only certain effects are possible to achieve. However, to TV magicians, there are other tools available which are inaccessible to real world magicians. These tools allow them to achieve effects simply not possible in the vast majoirity of normal performing situations. Since these TV shows openy lie by stating no stooges/camera tricks are used, the public is mislead into believing that if they were actually present during filming, they would have seen exactly the same trick, but a lot of the time is not the case. Also, when performing in the real world, people will make comparisons between your magic and magic seen on TV. This is like comparing a secretly doping athlete to a non-doping one. And this is why I think most magicians who critisize the likes of Dynamo and Criss Angel do so. However, I'm sure his lecture will be interesting from the point of view of self-promotion. He also does seem like a genuinely nice guy which is good to see. |
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hackmonkey Inner circle England 1093 Posts |
A few things to say.
Dynamo did work very hard to get where he is. Often performing for free years on end at big celebrity parties to get good footage and make connections. He does have good card skills, what lever you think of his charisma or presentation. He does have some skills. Having been in a prime time magic series on a major channel in the early/mid 2000's and getting then losing a second series. Then turning down a few other offers from differen channels. Yes they will ask you to fake things or want to edit stuff to hell even before it's shot, or do major set-ups. It's a struggle to get them to film anything real. Probably even harder these days after Criss Angel. It's up to the person to stick to their guns or give in and go for the cash. One of the reasons I started doing festivals/cabaret instead. But none of us can say if it keeps going this way it won't harm our art. Seriously, who can argue that point? I wish dynamo major luck on his live tour and stage show. |
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movemonkey Loyal user Detroit, USA 210 Posts |
Most people seem just jealous he got 4 millions fans on Facebook....
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Mark_Chandaue Inner circle Essex UK 4187 Posts |
I doubt most people are aware of how many fans he has on Facebook and personally I couldn't think of anything worse than having 4 million friends on Facebook. I am extremely selective over who I add on Facebook.
I saw how Paul Daniels was mobbed every time he left his house and even whenever he went to a convention and so when they handed me the contract for my own TV show I knew that the moment I signed that piece of paper I would be putting myself under a microscope and I did not want that so I did not sign. I don't regret it although by now I'd have faded back into relative obscurity but with a healthier bank balance. Personally I find obscurity infinitely more attractive than fame and celebrity. I find a small circle of good friends who want no more than my hand in friendship infinitely more attractive than an army of hangers on. Mark |
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Gaz Lawrence Inner circle 5991 Posts |
Facebook is for ****** to tell ****** they are ****** IMO . I would be the last person on earth to ever sign up to that or Twitter , so no jealousy from me
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TheGreatRaymondo Special user Manchester, England 969 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 24, 2014, Danny Kazam wrote: So... You don't rate Dynamo. Wow. Thanks for that. And what have you contributed to promote the art of magic recently? I won't hold my breath...
We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have not yet deceived us...
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j100taylor Inner circle 1198 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 25, 2014, Mark_Chandaue wrote: I also could have been great but chose obscurity instead.
Lakewood, Ohio
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Mark_Chandaue Inner circle Essex UK 4187 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 2, 2015, j100taylor wrote: Obscurity is way underrated. Don't underestimate the value of knowing your friends want no more than friendship from you. I must admit I didn't work that hard for my shot (assuming you don't count the 8 hours per day practice to become skilled at sleight of hand) it was a case of right place right time. I got invited to Pete Wiley's (had a hit with a band called wah) birthday party because my mate was in his class at school. My mate was invited and I got to tag along. There I was in the VIP lounge in the limelite club in Shaftsbury avenue and other than my mate I was the only person there who wasn't famous. Next thing I'm performing for Frankie goes to Hollywood, Eddie Kidd, the Pet Shop Boys, Billy Idol and a host of other celebrities. As anyone that does close up knows, the average person on the street never gets to see magic performed close up and so I was the centre of attention which did my ego the world of good. Next thing I'm being invited to stringfellows and celebrity parties to perform. In my head I am now magician to the stars, of course the reality is that I'm no more than a glorified court jester, I am simply a novelty. The next thing I know some guy is telling me he is a TV producer and wants to put me on TV, yeah yeah, if you've been working as a pro for any length of time you will have all been promised the earth a dozen times. However next thing I know I'm in a TV studio in hammersmith doing screen tests with the crew whooping and cheering etc. all fun and games until it get serious and contracts are coming into play. Whole different ball game, I've just spent two years living on the streets, sleeping on the London Underground, in Covent garden and Victoria park, I've squatted and been involved with drugs. Do I really want to be living in fear of all that crap being dug up by the press? Do I really want to kiss life as I know it goodbye and become a piece of public property? Not in a million years. All these years later I'm not ashamed of the crap I went through, it made me the man I am and I like that man, I'm proud of what I've achieved since being on the streets and that I got myself out of the gutter and made something of my life. But back then I was still getting myself back on my feet and still embarrassed about the turns my life had taken and the thought of all that becoming public knowledge was too high a price to pay for fame, not that fame was ever a goal of mine. The respect of my peers yes, public fame, no thank you. Mark |
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saysold1 Eternal Order Recovering Cafe addict with only 10794 Posts |
Great post as always Mark - really amazing stuff. I was and still am a big fan of Pet Shop Boys, Frankie (saw them at the Hippodrome when it was THE place) and Billy Idol still blows my mind.
But the best part of the story of course were your thoughts on what matters. Thank you
Creator of The SvenPad Supreme(R) line of aerospace level quality, made in the USA utility props. https://svenpads.com/
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Mark_Chandaue Inner circle Essex UK 4187 Posts |
The biggest lesson that 2 years of homelessness taught me is that the only thing of true value on this earth is people. You can have all the riches the world has to offer and it means nothing if you have nobody to share it with. On the other hand you can have not a pot to pee in or a window to chuck it out of and you will get by as long as you have at least 1 true friend.
The moral of the story is never step on somebody else to get where you want to go because that guys friendship is far more valuable than the goal you are chasing and you will be stepping over the gold to reach a tin prize. Mark |
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j100taylor Inner circle 1198 Posts |
Mark
I used to live in London for a few years - just got back from a visit there. I wish I could have had a pint with you. John
Lakewood, Ohio
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johnstu Regular user London 161 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 24, 2014, magic_tony wrote: This is a bit off topic, and I agree with the main thrust of your argument, but I'm not sure you should be throwing around accusations that Chris Boardman doped. I've never heard any whiff of an accusation that he doped, and indeed his career was cut short precisely because he refused to take a prescribed medication for a condition he was suffering from because it happened to contain something which was on the doping list. |
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magic_tony Loyal user 277 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 9, 2015, johnstu wrote: Eek! Thanks for pointing that out. I actually meant to write Lance Armstrong. Apoligies for the error. |
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Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
People are referring to this as a "lecture," but it is actually being billed by Penguin as "an extended interview."
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davidredfearn Regular user London 195 Posts |
Cannot wait for the phone in bottle, this could be the making of me!
DR |
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george1953 Inner circle Mallorca (Spain) 5943 Posts |
The phone in bottle is simple, all you need are half a dozen stooges.
By failing to prepare, we are preparing to fail.
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Gaz Lawrence Inner circle 5991 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 9, 2015, george1953 wrote: No you're not saying 😃 lol There was me scratching my head Doh 😃 |
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Neb Regular user 102 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 22, 2014, Dominic Reyes wrote: I have no problems with Dynamo all the best to him! However my take on the stooge thing is that it is actually an advanced technique only effectively used by skilled magicians who can actually pull it off. In order for any method to work it must go undetected. In order for a stooging to be undetected then you must first trust that the performer would not use such "crude" methods. Someone like Derren Brown has a certain credibility with the audience and an air of sophistication which means that most people would never expect a "plant". He has also very effectively convinced his audience of these insane skills he has to the point where they are likely to think - "He doesn't need to use a stooge, he can actually do these things." I have never used a stooge before but in order to create a powerful and long lasting effect (which is the whole point), I see it as just as valid a method as any. Unfortunately at my gigs when Dynamo's name comes up, people almost always say "you kind of know that some of the people are in on it though". This is without any negative prompting from me as I always make a point of being positive about him just in the name of not being negative! So I feel that stooging is perfectly valid if you can pull it off without arousing suspicions, but I would suggest that Dynamo hasn't got the audience trust or credibility to be able to pull it off. |
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JoelDickinson Inner circle UK 1578 Posts |
I've performed in venues Dynamo has and at various festivals and many people mention 'when Dynamo performed' and nobody ever speaks negatively of his performance, always positive. Dynamos audiences naturally have high expectations from him and he always leaves them amazed.
Joel
Online Magic Store :
themiraclestudio.co.uk |
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paisa23 Inner circle 7293 Posts |
So it wasnt worth watching?
June 22 2012 9:02 AM baby Usnavi was born!
http://twitter.com/paisa233 http://www.facebook.com/people/Wilder-J-Rua/505202382 http://www.myspace.com/wildrua |
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