Some people think of them as supernatural beings, while others, including some magicians themselves, think of them as just plain, common people – just individuals who went through rigid practice and discipline. With their clever showmanship skills, some magicians are actually earning huge piles of wealth.
Are you one of those people – those who seem to appear to be supernaturally gifted mainly due to their smartly designed props and amazing sleight of hand techniques? If you are, then let me ask you a question, “Have you thought about showcasing your skills for an internet audience?”
Or maybe you’re someone who’s mesmerized by the idea that existing internet technologies could be “magically” utilized to make some earnings? Read on, I have something really cool to discuss with you.
Why are people still fascinated with magic even in the Internet age?
The answer to this question would be that there will always be...
The need to be amazed.
For the same reason that we are so engrossed in movies and TV serials even though we know they are not exactly as real as it gets, people in this generation still love to stare and behold at magical performances. We know that the triumph or defeat of someone onscreen is just the machinations of a brilliant director. Why do we still cry our laugh so hard that we tend to forget that it’s just a movie?
The reason for this is that people will always have the desire to be amazed at high levels. Regardless of their ages, people from all races and cultures will always be fascinated with magicians doing their stunts on stage, or on video.
The need to experience the unreal.
We live in this real world for the majority of our lifespans and even though we may hate to admit it, reality gets really boring sometimes. If we get to experience the same reality, again and again, we’d get depressingly, frustratingly sad.
As a solution, people seek ways to get enthralled with situations that appear to be unreal.. because, in connection to the item above, they want to be in moments that seem inexplicable.
The need to see that “the unbelievable” could happen.
Logic is often what dictates the flow of reality. And since the same thing seems to happen over and over again in our dull and predictable lives, we occasionally feel the urge to witness events that are truly remarkable, things that can’t be easily explained via natural perception.
In connection with our movie-watching habits, we hate seeing things that are so typical in terms of entertainment. For this reason, magicians have a very strong appeal even in this digital era.
Many people, even in this superbly high-tech generation still resort to the likes of mediums, psychics, and magicians to bring about an “unnatural” experience for themselves. Many are even choosing to absorb the enchantments of those kinds of people as the main deciding factor of their lives’ directions.
Call it cheapness, call it irrationality, but such a trend is still here and is actually well-loved by people from various cultural backgrounds.
Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos, popularly known as “Criss Angel” once mentioned in one of his shows that there are tricks that he does purely on TV, while there are those that he prefers doing on stage, or on the streets.
As a magician, you should highly think of that knowledge since it came from one of the most successful magician celebrities in existence.
Ponder upon the following points why the likes of Criss Angel and David Blaine are so successful these days.
They communicate with people on a “street-level” approach.
It is a very common scene in Criss’s and David’s shows: they walk on city streets, talk to people, and then execute their well-crafted tricks. They don’t just approach people and “show off.” They engage with them and deal with them in a truly personal and heart-warming way. They treat those people like their close friends. They make them feel that they are just next-block, or next-door guys.
While performing as a magician within the online platform (should you decide to hop on it), make sure you communicate to your audience first. Perhaps, you could teach them some life lessons about why your tricks are important, and what are some important facts and trivia that they could obtain from it.
They utilize common objects from typical environments.
Card tricks are by far the easiest to learn among the typical magic tricks. They are so overused already that they are now considered to be a cliché when seen on a magic show. Should you still use them at your own shows? Absolutely… yes. But of course, you need to provide some fresh spin on it.
What kind of spin? How about a deck of playing cards that can appear inside a fully unskinned coconut? Or an 8 of Spades that can transform itself into a car? Or how about a Jack of Hearts that bursts out from the belly of a dog? Okay, that’s a bit too brutal… forget that.
What I’m implying is that whether it’s a typical magic prop utilized in your chosen trick or a very common magical act you’re executing, make sure to include some everyday objects that can be found in standard environments. And most importantly, provide a different spin on it to come up with a truly unique brand of performance.
They greatly intensify the drama of magic.
Another factor that makes Angel and Blaine so successful is that they are great actors – not the ones for movies or TV serials, but for the live stage. Many magicians on TV and on the web today portray emotions on their shows, but only very few of them are on the same level as those of the craft of Criss and David.
To become a truly successful online magician, you need to master the art of creating drama too, preferably, on video. Although doing it live would still be the most impressive way to do it, utilizing a camera to record your act and sell it to people should be a very viable option for you too, considering the global crisis we’re currently experiencing.
Even Harry Houdini, considered to be the greatest magician of all time leveraged the advancements of videography to further enhance his fame. He was active from 1891 to 1926. Videos and filmmaking weren’t really that widespread during those days, but he still utilized those techniques to bring more life and creativity to his performances.
"Magic isn’t supernatural at all, but it can surely bring out the child in each and every one of us."
Maybe being a magician is what you're meant to be all along. You should personify the traits mentioned here and be like Blaine, Angel, and Houdini!
Magic was one thing that we held in high esteem while we were younger. Personally, magicians are a class on their own. I place them as spiritually powerful people who can do and undo. Overtime, I come to realize that magis is more smartness and action brought up with a little distraction here and there.