Rebuilding A Mystery

Marco's MultiVid

I've been disappointed by all the "iPhone magic" applications I've tried, but that's the subject for another post. It's refreshing to see an application for magicians, built by a magician. By none other than Marco Tempest, which isn't a surprise if you think about it.

MultiVid/ is not a trick, but it has one up its sleeve, so to speak. It's a method of synchronizing video playback between several iPhone OS devices. This allows you to create a video wall that stays almost completely in sync, without having to haul around several computers.

A niche product for sure, but one that could be exceptionally useful if you need it. Thanks for making it available, Mr. Tempest.

Afraid of magic

Mentalist Stewart Cumberland offers his observations on magic-as-tricks in his post Where Has The Mystery Gone In Magic And Mentalism?.

The comments are worth reading, too. My quick two-cents is that many magicians are afraid of magic. The powerful mystery angle is the antithesis to the "life of the party" promise that permeates modern magic, so you have to really seek good examples and mentors to explore other approaches to the art. In my opinion the work of Robert E. Neale best represents a contemporary, wonder worker who isn't performing magic to be a buffoon or run some sort of power game.

Playboy's collection of sexy magic

Hometown icon Playboy offers a video retrospective of magic's sexiest assistants. Leading off the pack is Pamela Anderson's short-time work with Hans Klok, of course. See Sexy Magicians Assistants for the remaining 9 candidates. Do I have to mention that this site is LSFW? Of course not.

The importance of storytelling

Writing for Newsweek, Ann Banks pens Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One, an essay about the importance of storytelling in tough economic times. Her point is well-made, but also reminds us that first-person stories are always important, and for magicians provide endless opportunities for inspiration and a chance to discover what magic, real magic, would look like.

See also Listen, Magus, Listen.

Listen, magus, listen

As Jeff McBride and others have observed, we live in a story culture. Books, movies, television and life itself. The National Day of Listening project has started, and it's a wonderful. Tune in for short stories, from regular people, and perhaps you'll want to add your own.

Listen to the authenticity of the speakers, and how at the end you feel like you know something about this person. The anecdotes are often mundane, on the surface, but meaningful nonetheless. These are the moments that, when asked, these individuals chose to preserve and share.

Compare and contrast with your average magic presentation, particularly the meandering, incoherent "tales" that abound in bizarre magic. These recordings, just three minutes long, are magical and meaningful and nary a card trick among them.

On a crass commercial note, a tool that I use for memorizing and refining my work is on sale in support of the National Day of Listening. Tape Deck is a great Mac application well worth its regular, modest, price but definitely a good deal for the next few days.

Asher's vintage videos

Lee Asher is putting up a new vintage magic clip every day. He's just getting started and already there have been some nice treats. But there's no archive, so visit his site daily to get the goods. Thanks, Lee!

The Graveyard, for magicians

In addition to theatre, books and movies can provide inspiration and good examples of how we can make our magic better. Add video games to the list and check out The Graveyard. An intriguing game for your Mac or PC. Here's the description from the website:

The Graveyard is a very short computer game designed by Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn. You play an old lady who visits a graveyard. You walk around, sit on a bench and listen to a song. It's more like an explorable painting than an actual game. An experiment with realtime poetry, with storytelling without words.

The Wonderground and Magic at the Edge

If you're visiting Las Vegas between now and Thanksgiving 2008, you should treat yourself to tickets to see Jeff McBride's show at Palace Station. It's his full evening show, running about 90 minutes, and the showroom is a near-perfect setting in which to experience the McBride style of magic. Also appearing in the show are magician Jordan Wright and dancer Melanie Kramer. On weekend nights, following the show, the room is transformed into Wonderground -- a new concept that mixes nightclubbing with magic and related performances. The night I was there included performances by Scott Hitchcock, Eugene Burger, along with a live DJ and performance art by Buster Balloon. Admission is free with your show ticket, or you can pay $10 at the door when you enter Wonderground.

Lio discovers Merlin's secret

The June 1, 2008 edition of the Lio comic strip reveals what happens in Merlin's lair.

Learning how to gesture

A few years ago, in San José, I saw Joshua Jay lecture and he gave a nice tip about how to look natural while palming a card. I won't tip it here (email me if you're dying to know) but I will tell you how to discover it for yourself. Watch the weather person your local TV news. Study how they gesture and how their arms and hands come to rest when they've finished. Their gestures are natural and motivated, but not scripted like you'd see in a drama. (More-so with real meteorologists as opposed to weather-readers.) They're also standing, like many magicians, which makes their motions even more applicable. Watch closely enough, and you'll discover the secret to unnatural naturalness, and probably a few other tips, too.