What Makes a Magician?

[harapanong]

Shodan and MaxDeVill all have very nice points! I like what Shodan said about categorisation, and what MaxDeVill said about you being what others say you are.

But then again, we keep in mind that we do need to sometimes define ourselves by our own standards, so we can better portray ourselves to others. After all, other's opnions are formed on our actions.

Very good, let's keep it rolling.

- harapan. magic!

 

[KeenanG]

Harapanong,

I believe I took what you first said out of context.

I understand now, your views on why you think the way you do and such.

You and myself have completely different performing styles and meanings to our magic, so the views will be completely different. Which is most likely why I took what you said out of context

A magician is someone who amazes people in a good way. Someone that can take the reality for one or more people and twist it for just a moment in order to make their mind do a stutter step. Putting peoples mind in that place that completely destroys their sense of reality and physics is what makes magic great.

Magicians are the generalization term placed upon all magic entertainers. So depending on your style of presentation and what you portray to your audiences, can be a label of appreciation or worse yet, it can be a label of disdain.

As I've always believed, you aren't anything you say you are. You are only what other people say you are. Other peoples perceptions are what label you.

I completely agree with this, thank you Max Devil.

I'm liking this discussion

Keenan

 

[Sharog]

a point stated earlier by many ppl that magician is no different than trickster in terms of we all just do trickeries, i believe the main difference is that magician's goal is to entertain instead of taking advantage of people.

in the end we are just in the entertainment business. your goal is to make your spectators wonder and have a good time. by the means of doing certain trickery.

 

[harapanong]

Sharog: Exactly. The goals of magicians and tricksters are different, but I feel that often as magicians, we forget what we are actually doing and start believing we are miracle workers or something, here in the world to bring dreams to everyone and make the impossible come true...

1. It's not something I would choose to do personally
2. Admit it, you're not making the impossible come true at all.
3. You're only making the impossible come true in the audiences' minds, hence the "trick" comes in. You trick them into thinking something happened, when it didn't.

I personally choose to be more honest and not be afraid to let others know what I do is just sleight-of-hand, trickery, misdirection, psychology etc. because I believe I am being honest about my art and what I do. I don't necessarily say it out loud, but when I perform, I try to use my character to portray such an image. Also, when asked about it, I admit that it's just my fast hands at work.

But I make sure they have a good time watching my magic and being "tricked". They're happy, I'm happy, everyone's having a good time.

Bluntly put, I still stand that magic is the Art of Deception, and Tricks are the essence of the art. Presentation is the way to convey the art to others. Technicality is the professionalism.

- harapan. magic!

 

[Sharog]

I believe that just sums it all up harapanong, too bad u dont live in amsterdam.

 

[DannyT]

What makes a magician. . .

The passion he has for the art.
When someone wants to be a magician, he must love what he's doing. It's not based on the best tricks he could do. It's the effort and time he puts into practicing.

"The Best Magician in the World is the One Having the Most Fun."

 

[b.boulton]

"magician

Main Entry:
ma·gi·cian Listen to the pronunciation of magician
Pronunciation:
\mə-ˈji-shən\
Function:
noun
Date:
14th century

1: one skilled in magic; especially : sorcerer:
2: one who performs tricks of illusion and sleight of hand"

thats what Merriam Webster has to say

i say that a magician is someone who uses the art of illusion and sleight of hand to entertain, mystify, or astonish a spectator

 

[The Royal JRA]

I agree with Keenan, I mean, categorizing us with the likes of frauds shows a lot about how you think about magic. Magicians don't make their living off of tricking people, they make their living off of entertaining people, entertaining them using magic. Magic is deceptive, the effects are deceptive, but the magician is not deceptive. He simply entertains the audience to the fullest extent. Without presentation to distinguish who the performer is, your performance would be lost.

The magician makes the magician, the magician controls the "tricks", the tricks don't control the magician.

Mitchell

Magicians don't make their living off of tricking people....ok do I even have to start going into why this line doesent make any sense at all. Magicians don't make their living off of tricking people so when we say'"hey do you want to see a magic TRICK" we are not tricking people? magicians do make thier lives off tricking people hence why we refer to them as tricks we dont walk up and say "hey want to see a magic entertainment?"