Why Dynamo Magician Impossible Walks Away

Dymano Magician Impossible walks away after a magic trick.

Something was wrong and I simply could not work it out. I knew that the trick was presented perfectly, and that it was strong magic, but it never seemed to work well when I performed it live at a gig. In isolation, the trick really hit hard and spectators would go wild at the climax, but for some reason it was falling flat when I performed it to groups at tables. They it finally hit me.. Here's what I discovered:

Why Dynamo magician impossible walks away

Have you noticed that Dynamo magician impossible and David Blaine often performed a trick then simply walked away. This isn't just a style statement. The retreat at the climax allows the trick to breath and the spectators to share their disbelief with each other. The camera stays on the spectators to capture this. It's a powerful technique that YOU should be using as well.

Magic tricks need to breath

We all know that magic tricks build up to a climax, finishing with a magicial event that causes a reaction. For some reason I wasn't giving my trick a pause after the claimax to allow the spectators time to process what had just happened and to react. Instead, I rushed into a funny line about what they had just seen, which caused them to 'move on' mentally as they reacted to the JOKE rather than the trick they had just seen. By stopping for a short while after the climax, I allowed the spectators some space to show their reactions and to exchange their experience with the others around them. I took a step back from the action to give the magic trick time to 'breath' and it's impact to be expressed.

Ways that we suffocate our magic tricks

Watch out for these tempting behaviours after the climax of a magic trick. Rushing into these actions can reduce the impact of your magic:

Putting away the props too quickly
Introducing new props for the next magic trick
Telling a one liner
Talking about our own reaction to the magic
Giving a 'smart' false summery of what just happened
Trying to over prove the conditions of the trick that was just performed
Saying farewell right after the climax

Do this:

Instead of rushing on to the next trick, PAUSE. Simply look at all the spectators and share in the impossible nature of what just happened. Soak it in and enjoy thier feeling of wonder. The lesson we can learn from Dynamo magician impossible is that magic isn't a race. Let your magic tricks have time to breath.

Is Magic Art?

by Dominic Reyes 2 Comments

Is magic art? Should magic be considered an art form?

Greg's a young magician who has to write an essay for school on why magic should be considered an art form. He's being proactive and wants to get the opinion of other magicians as field research.

Do you agree that it is an art form? What arguments would you make?

Please share your thoughts at the bottom of this page.

Phil Hyslop:

What is magic? "Magic is the theatrical art of creating the illusion of impossibility in an entertaining way." Charles Reynolds

Sean Mccarthy:

I think magic isn't an art form, although it has the potential to be. In the same way that an easel and a paint brush aren't a painting. It requires an artist. Somebody with a passion for what they do and with a message to give. Magic can be an art, but only when the tricks come second to the people.

Ian Leic:

I got a copy of Ken Weber's book "Maximum Entertainment" the other day and in it he says that magic is an art as it falls under the umbrella of 'performing arts'. Like others here, I personally believe that magic has the potential to be an art but shouldn't be classed as that automatically. A block of clay needs a sculptor to create art rather than a mess. A keyboard needs a composer to create art rather than just a noise. Magic can be an art but whether it is or not is entirely reliant on the person performing it.

Jørund Werner:

Yes. I believe magic can be an art form. I went to an art school years ago, I'm not only magician, I also make comics, draw pictures and write short stories. In my experience the hard work I do when I make art has a lot in common with the work I do when I work on my magic, Yes it's an artform, if you put your soul and hard work in it. If It's original and interesting to watch, if your magic is something that does not loook like magic you have seen before, then I think you can call it art.

Chris Curley:

Magic is art. The cards are my canvas, my hands are the paint and my mind creates the master piece. Too say magic is not an art is not a wrong answer just a view on the subject. Magic that does not seem to be art was not performed properly.

Jonathan Nicholson:

Brilliant question. I would say that magic is an art but in the way that paint, brushes and canvas is not art until the creative element (artist) is introduced. Perhaps more akin to dance…

TRICKS are not artistic, but a magician has the ability to create art with them. Some card flourishers now call their card flourishes "juggling" but watching some of the videos (again part of the creative process) I would class that as art.

My partner says magic is not art. In her defence – she has seen me perform.

Tomás Ó Laoch:

Art is supposed to make you feel something you make people feel wonder and whimsy so yes i believe its an art form people look at a painting and wonder the emotion behind it so that's my argument behind my statement.

Sam Mcgurgan:

Well all art forms need to be perfected, magic also has to be perfected, therefore magic is an art.

Dominic Reyes:

Great posts on this topic! I would agree.. Magic is much like any other form of performance. The props and techniques are materials for the magician to create something. Perhaps the 'art' comes in the presentation and delivery of the magic?

How to Create Magic Tricks – Interview with Cameron Francis

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

Cameron Francis seems to be an unstoppable creative force in card magic. He has developed so many new card magic tricks and lectured in 7 countries including the U.S., England, Germany and Austria. His card magic is published in Genii Magazine, Magic Magazine, Magician Magazine and the Stone Cold Magic e-magazine. Dominic Reyes asked Cameron to answer a few questions about: