Saturday Night Roundtable - Max Major!

[Anonymous user]

HOW DO I ACCESS THE LIVE STREAM?

 

[CaseyRudd]

HOW DO I ACCESS THE LIVE STREAM?

You can watch the livestream by going to https://www.instagram.com/theory11/ and viewing our Story!

 

[010rusty]

Great Live stream guys! Heads up Max said he might go onto this thread and continue to read and answer questions, but if you bought the product and have questions to feel free and send him an instagram DM.

 

[scottbaird]

Omega looks awesome. When the effect was initially in development, did you consider simply using a Svengali or reverse Svengali deck (and "Major" cojones) to accomplish the effect? How does Omega address the possible problems inherent with this approach?

Scott.

Hey, thanks for answering my question on Instagram. I realize that I may have written it in a way that sounds like you could get the same effect from a Svengali deck.

What I meant to ask in the above, is if a similar effect using a Svengali deck or some other type of tossed-out deck scenario was the starting point for your creative process, and if so, how your solution solved the problems you found with an older method.

Cheers!

 

[CaseyRudd]

Hi Max,

Omega looks awesome. When the effect was initially in development, did you consider simply using a Svengali or reverse Svengali deck (and "Major" cojones) to accomplish the effect? How does Omega address the possible problems inherent with this approach?

Scott.

Congrats Scott! We have chosen your response as one of the winners for this week's contest. Please contact our support team with your details so we can get your prize out to you ASAP!

You can view the livestream directly from our Stories on our Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/theory11/

We will be going through the livestream chat once it is posted on our IGTV and choosing a random viewer to take home the second prize. Thanks again to everyone for tuning in and submitting your questions - it was a blast!

 

[MaxMajor]

Wish I could join the stream, but with the time difference, it'll be late.
@Casey will, the stream be available to download at a later stage?

1. Outside of mentalism, what are some of your favourite effects you like to perform?

I LOVE RUBIKS CUBE MAGIC, puzzles and optical illusions!

 

[MaxMajor]

Good Luck Everyone!


What advice do you give new comers to mind reading what books should I read?

CORRINDAS 13 steps to mentalism!

 

[MaxMajor]

1. Do you have a specific process you generally use when you are trying to create original tricks, and if so, what does it look like?

2. How did you, in particular, make a name for yourself in the magic community?

I start with the effect or premise first. and then reverse engineer how we can get to that end point without compromise.

I dont know if i have a name in the magic community... but i appreciate the sentiment ;-) Ive spent 20 years focusing on performing as often as possible for REAL people. I think thats the key in any craft. Doing the work and being nice to people

 

[MaxMajor]

When creating a new effect or reworking an older idea, where do you find your inspiration comes from?

What is your best tip that you would say keeps you the most motivated when working on a new project?

I find inspiration everywhere. Honestly it mostly comes from outside of magic. Movies. Tv. Books. Podcasts.

Also collaboration. Collaboriation is key. I used to try and create in isolation but lately I've found my best ideas are a result of CONVERSATION rather than isolation. Find some magicians you know and trust and share freely.

 

[MaxMajor]

What is your favorite trick of your own creation? Like a favorite child.

What magic book you keep coming back to every now and then?

OMEGA deck ;-) thats my baby

i keep returning to MIND by Lee Earle - (mentalism in new directions) and bulletproof by andy nyman

 

[MaxMajor]

Hey, Max Major ! How are you spending time in the quarantine ? and, what does it take for an amateur cardician to develop skills to become a professional magician as yourself ?

perform as OFTEN as possible. every chance you get for all types of crowds. in the beginning I did kids birthday parties. you'll learn valuable skills that are universal as an entertainer. also dont underestimate FREE shows. a lot of performers are adverse to this, but really you should take every opportunity to perform in front of a crowd as possible. thats where growth comes from.

 

[MaxMajor]

Great Live stream guys! Heads up Max said he might go onto this thread and continue to read and answer questions, but if you bought the product and have questions to feel free and send him an instagram DM.

I'm here! doing my best to answer the ones we did not have time to discuss on instagram. love you guys!

 

[MaxMajor]

If you had to give OMEGA an honest slogan, what would it be.

If someone told you they were going to spend half of their bank account of OMEGA would you agree or would you try to talk them out of it? (Uhhh.. that’s, uhhh, Totally like a hypothetical situation of course... uhhh... like, I’m not self projecting or anything like that for those wondering!)

"the fairest card trick EVER"

dont ever spend outside your means ;-)

 

[MaxMajor]

How did you get to where you are?
When did you get into magic / how old were you when you started?

I did my first show for a neighbors bday party when i was 14 (the bday child was 6 or 7 i believe) since then i've done 1000's of live shows in every situation imaginable. and i think thats really the key. performing as often as possible. rehearsal and practicing moves will NOT make you a better entertainer. thats a seperate muscle that only gets stronger through actual shows. so get as many reps as possible.

Over time I graduated to larger events and bigger clients. But always going in the direction of what brought me the MOST JOY. Let that be your north star.

 

[MaxMajor]

1.) Can you share a unique performance/reaction story? The first one that jumps to your mind. Funny, unlikely, heart-warming, anything goes!
2.) What is the story behind Phantasmagoria Vol.1? The production is outstanding, will there be more of it?

1. I have performed an entire show with my fly down. (this has happened multiple times lol)
2. Phantasmagoria, for those who dont know, is a short documentary film project by Calen Morelli. It explores magic from a magicians perspective and includes some INCREDIBLE performances by Alex Geiser, Rodney Reyes, and more. It was conceived and directed by Calen. The idea was to spend an entire weekend together in an airbnb and FILM EVERYTHING. Not just the performances but the conversations we had back at the house.

For anyone that wants to watch:

I think its the most beautiful piece of magic content out right now. Calen and his Cinematographer absolutely killed it.

 

[MaxMajor]

When creating a new effect or reworking an older idea, where do you find your inspiration comes from?

What is your best tip that you would say keeps you the most motivated when working on a new project?

Not sure if I answered this one yet, but collaboration is really the key to unlocking great potential in yourself. Find some magic friends you can bounce ideas off of and you'll surprise yourself at how the sum is greater than the parts

 

[MaxMajor]

What’s the process behind creating an effect or a gimmick ? How long did it take you for Omega (for example) ?

5-6 years - but really it took 23... because its based off of everything i'd learned and experienced prior. nothing happens in isolation.

the process... start with premise. whats the purest thing youd like to achieve. and then work backwards towards method without compromise.

 

[MaxMajor]

Thanks to EVERYONE who joined the livestream. So many great questions. I tried to answer as many questions here as possible.

If i missed yours or there's something else you'd like to ask, send me a DM on instagram:
http://instagram.com/itsmaxmajor

So grateful for each of you who took the time to write.

 

[CWhite]

AHHHHHH!! lol I joined the live just as it was ending! Congrats @scottbaird ...
I was out delivering food to some folks who can't go out. It's my way of helping out.
I hope everything went smooth!
Cheers!!

 

[010rusty]

AHHHHHH!! lol I joined the live just as it was ending! Congrats @scottbaird ...
I was out delivering food to some folks who can't go out. It's my way of helping out.
I hope everything went smooth!
Cheers!!

That is amazing! Keep it up!!