It's magic...

Wes Bucey

Quite Involved in Discussions
#11
It's been my observation most folks who rave about a good magician don't realize they are really raving about the mechanic who created and constructed the phony prop used by the magician in his act. Most of the big stage acts like Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, Penn & Teller, etc. use specially constructed props to seemingly defy the laws of physics. That isn't to say these folks are not great magicians, merely that the stuff which draws the biggest crowds and earns the most money depends on mechanical trickery, not physical dexterity.

When I was young and still a non-resident dues paying member of the Magic Castle in LA, I remember practicing some sleight of hand coin and card tricks for hours in front of a mirror to ensure my close-up audiences couldn't tell what I was doing. Guess what? As technically perfect as some of the effects were, most audiences weren't impressed. They didn't realize how difficult they were to perform and got more enjoyment from watching some schlock perform with a trick deck than from watching a closeup artist like Dai Vernon work with a straight deck.

Now,of course, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome have forced me to keep to very simple sleight of hand and a lot of patter to focus an audience's attention on something other than a palmed card or false shuffle. As I age even more, I, too, may be forced to resort to trick props instead of manual dexterity.
 
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bobdoering

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#12
It's been my observation most folks who rave about a good magician don't realize they are really raving about the mechanic who created and constructed the phony prop used by the magician in his act.
That's true - the front man always gets the glory. Don't forget the roadies, too, when praising the unsung heroes!:tg:
 
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