Show The Camera

Are you a real magician or a “street” magician?

There was a time when “Street Magic” meant something (think Harry Anderson, Gazzo, Kozmo, et al). Today it means that you have a camera crew following you around while you “fry” people. By the way, if you don’t know any of the three parenthetical mentions, you need to get out more. Stop reading this magazine and find out who those guys are.

The phrase “Show the camera” or “show it to the camera” should never be part of your patter… unless, of course, you’re a “street magician.” I’ve had this idea to write this article for over a year, and it’s been sitting in my “someday I’ll write an article about this” file waiting for the right moment.

That magical moment came today. Jay Sankey released a very cool video on YouTube addressing this very thing. It’s a hidden camera performance of one of his marketed effects, Bigger Finish.

Aside from the very cool hidden camera performances, this YouTube video has some excellent commentary about being real with your audience. This ties in very nicely with this month’s Roots and Branches, The Magical Passion of Adele. Make sure you read it if you haven’t already.

The point in all of this is to be your real self and create real connections with real people, not faux people created by the presence of a camera. Quantum theory states that the observation of an event impacts the outcome.

No where is that more true than a spectator with a camera crammed in his face while being told (implicitly or explicitly) to “react.”

Take the time to make real connections with people, whether they be those who might hire you, those who have hired your, audience members or total strangers at a bus stop. Remember, the purpose of this column – No Stone Left Unturned is to improve the business side of magic.

You need to be able to sell yourself on paper and in person. It all begins with you. So be real; don’t be sucked into fantasy footage of over the top reactions of spectators that have been “slaughtered” by a magician. Most of the time, it’s not real.

Be real. Be you. And for the love of all that is good and holy, don’t EVER say “Show the Camera” to a spectator.

Until Next Month . . .

P.S. For the curious, here’s Jay’s video I mentioned: