Hi all, I have 2 questions.

1) Can magic make too much sense that it no longer is magical?

For example:

Effect: Coins across
Routine: Science and technology as an explanation for the coins to transpose.

Would it make too much sense to the viewer?? "Oh he probably has a device up his sleeves or somewhere that really helps the coins go across"



2) Can your story line overshadow your magic effect?

For example:

Effect: Sam the bellhop
(excellent story, but not too magical level moderate)


Anyway the examples i give are not the best. Please pay more emphasis on the question rathen than on the examples. And please don't tell me that my examples are 'wrong' cause i already said they weren the best.

Thanks all!

Zi An

Hi ZiAn, very interesting questions you have there.

1) Can magic make too much sense that it no longer is magical?

Personally, I think not. I have performed for various kinds of people. There are still people who are amused and entertained by magic on earth. The only thing that will make magic not magical is when people know the secrets or they think they know the secrets. For people who know the secrets, I think there is nothing you can do about them. But what really kills magic is when people THINK they know the secret. They try to make sense of what magic is. In my opinion, if you perform Coins Across without sleeves or you let them hold your wrist, there can be no possiblility that you have a device. You can even let them check you if you want. The device thing comes to make sense only when people THINK they know the secret.

Don't worry, magic will forever be magical unless we magicians ourselves kill it by exposing too much. Future generations will be much smarter and brilliant to come up with better and flawless tricks/effects.




2) Can your story line overshadow your magic effect?

For this, I think there is a possibility. It would definitely depend on the magician that chooses his/her storyline. Personally, I think Sam the Bellhop is a great trick. The story is simple and easy to follow. The effect is unbelievable if done without flaws.

The only thing I can think of that your storyline overshadow your effect is you exaggerate your story and your effect is not too impressive. Maybe it is not your fault that maybe the spectator have seen the effect tens or hundreds of times. But still, the storyline should not be too exaggerating or offensive. For this, it really have to depend on what the storyline is.

First- the magician may want to fold both his sleeves :D
" "Magic" is what wizards use to make really impressive things happen, often automatically and transparently, sometimes distributed, and usually without asking about it first. "
And i feel that magic is shown to let people think of "How did you do that" and later on they will make wild guesses on how you probably u done it.

Second- he is making a simple trick out of complicated story. Most people is more intrested in what he said than what magic he did. Too much story line will definitely overshadow ones magic effect.

To answer the two questions, you may have to consider two other questions first:

1) What is your goal as a magician? To entertain, to amaze, to make people laugh, to make people scream, to make people think you are cool, to make money as a performer, to make yourself happy etc

2) Who is your audience? Kids, general adults, well traveled executives, senior citizens, foreigners, friends, family, girlfriends, strangers, charity homes etc

Every different answer to the above two questions will yield a different answer to your two questions.

That will help narrow it down.