Will Tsai Matrix on AGT?

[Antonio Diavolo]

Now I want to start by saying I'm not asking how it is done because
1. It's against the forum rules and I respect that
2. I don't think I want to know how it's done

I was just wondering what everyone thought of it.
I was also wondering if this trick is actually possible and if someone here knows how the trick is done because I'm pretty sure Will is actually a wizard at this point.

I also wanted to ask those who do know, if this trick could work in a closeup setting. Because I sorta feel that this trick was perfectly designed to be performed in the AGT setting if that makes any sense.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts because even though I know it's not performed the way a traditional Matrix routine would be, it's still a very impressive and creative trick.

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Is there a video? All I see is "Will tsai blah blah REVEALED!!" or "EXPOSED!!!!!!1!!!".
Would love to see the performance - been to busy finishing these last few essays (and procrastinating) to watch TV

 

[Antonio Diavolo]

 

[Maaz Hasan]

What. The Hell. Just Happened.
Ok this man is a genius. The trick is one of my favorite tricks ever. Matrix in itself is a good trick, but this was something else.

As for the method, I have an idea as to how I would do it (possibly), but it is a complete shot in the dark, and I wish not to reveal it on the forums openly (if you really want to know my personal idea, because I have no clue if this is what he did, PM me).

However, I think I can safely say that this trick is made specifically for the show (as Will says it is in the beginning). I do not think it would work in an up close scenario. In fact, it might not even work in a staged setting. I noticed that the sort of tray thing he was doing it in would block the view of anyone not standing directly next to him. As a result, I think this is definitely a trick for the camera which people are watching on the jumbo-tron and at home. This is not to take away from the effect, kudos to him on finding the loop hole xD Its a bit like Insta magic, but in a real life scenario, which is probably super hard to pull off. If and when he makes it to the finals, he's got my vote (unless someone else truly amazing pops up).

I'm not sure where he would go from here though...

 

[Stu-pendous]

Don't worry, it'll be released on sans minds in a few weeks and everyone will be performing it!

On a more serious note, it was a great performance, I don't get the hate, who cares how he's doing it, if it's more of a camera trick than anything else. So what? It's a huge theatre packed with people that were all amazed. He did what he set out to do, so all the respect from me.

The only reason people should complain about it is if it turned out he'd stolen the effect off someone else. But that's not the case.

Also lived puddles pity party, I've lived him for so long it was awesome to see him show up

 

[notsoltd]

It's a camera trick that wasn't a camera trick.

Huh?

It WAS a camera trick in that in order to perform this, he would need to be on a stage and would have to be projecting it on a live feed just like in the audition.

It was NOT a camera trick in that what the camera saw was what was happening - there were no edits or cuts to the video that was seen and he definitely did not choreograph his moves to an already edited video like I've seen some people guess.

This routine would definitely not work in a close up setting.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

It's based off another routine out there, but I'd say Will took it his own direction. That routine was a close up routine, so I'm guessing with a slight reworking this could easily be done close up. However, it's such a distinct presentation that I wouldn't think anyone else would want to risk being thought of as the guy who copied that guy on AGT.

Personally I think the routine is very pretty to watch, but doesn't show much of Will's personality. He's very bland in the performance, so all there is to focus on, is the trick and the visual nature of what's going on. This will lead people to focus on figuring out the method.

I think this could hurt his chances of advancing so hopefully as he progresses we'll see more of him in the performances, less focus on the props. I wish him the best of luck.

Oh, and a side note, I'm getting sent this video and tagged in it left right and center. This tells me it's standing out - which that's good. I'm always happy when someone enjoys a magic performance even if it's not something I'd personally be in to. The more people think, "I like magic!" the better.

 

[William Draven]

Isn't there some controversy about him ripping this off Xeon Steel or something like that?

 

[Justin.Morris]

I agree with Christopher. I was just going to post the same thing: very amazing routine that utilize a couple of methods, and it may not have been a great display of his personality. This would have been the perfect routine for the finals because of the impact it made on the home viewers.
Very clever and looks just like how we want our magic to look in an ideal scenario. Very cool. - but where does he go from here? I'm excited to see what's up his sleeve.

 

[Antonio Diavolo]

Isn't there some controversy about him ripping this off Xeon Steel or something like that?

How did he rip off Xeon?

 

[Josh Burch]

Isn't there some controversy about him ripping this off Xeon Steel or something like that?

I'm not aware of any issues with this specific routine. Some prominent magicians have come out saying that Will Tsai has stolen from them in the past. I prefer to stay out of it but I think the allegations are that Sansminds has published rip off versions of tricks without crediting or acknowledging the creators of those tricks.

A few of these magicians have rekindled their fury in light of this performance.

 

[Antonio Diavolo]

Do you guys think he will ever release it? Maybe once his fame dies down after AGT? lol

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Do you guys think he will ever release it? Maybe once his fame dies down after AGT? lol

I doubt it. Unless it truly is a close up effect, I doubt he would sell a massive stage illusion like that, unless its in a book. But Hey, Who knows? Maybe (god forbid) he flops next round an decides to release it the next day.

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

It was a neat trick to watch. It's also the first time I have seen AGT where a close up effect was NOT where the judges could be around. Which struck me as a bit weird, but gave me an idea of what was going on.

At the risk of sounding like an armchair magician, I felt his presentation was pretty stiff. I honestly think he could have just done a silent routine and it would have been better.

I'm also in the same boat that his Matrix routine should have been a later performance. I think he has now set the bar too high and will probably get eliminated as a victim of his own success. I think he'll go far, but it looks uphill with roller skates unless his next several routines are all similar knockouts.


Personally, I'm all aboard the Puddles Pity Party train. Fight me!

 

[ParkinT]

Very clever and looks just like how we want our magic to look in an ideal scenario.

Well stated. It was obviously NOT sleight -of-hand - a heavier reliance on technology than skill/practice - but the PRESENTATION was superb.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Personally I think his presentation was non-existant. "I like flowers. Watch this." sums it up. It was very pretty, but basically had nothing of himself in it at all.

Which, really, gives him a ton of room to work in for the future performances. I think his best bet is to maintain roughly this level of visual work, but add in more personality to each performance so people are seeing more and more of himself as he goes. I am sure that if he does that, people will think each performance is better than the previous one (because visual only gets you so far).

People don't care about what you show them - they can about what you make them feel.

 

[obrienmagic]

Personally I think his presentation was non-existant. "I like flowers. Watch this." sums it up. It was very pretty, but basically had nothing of himself in it at all.

Which, really, gives him a ton of room to work in for the future performances. I think his best bet is to maintain roughly this level of visual work, but add in more personality to each performance so people are seeing more and more of himself as he goes. I am sure that if he does that, people will think each performance is better than the previous one (because visual only gets you so far).

People don't care about what you show them - they can about what you make them feel.

I 100% agree. He could do a card to impossible location next, but if he plays up there performance it could be even bigger than this was.

 

[Maaz Hasan]

I 100% agree. He could do a card to impossible location next, but if he plays up there performance it could be even bigger than this was.

I'm not entirely sure he will make a presentation though. He really didn't speak before or after the trick, and I feel like he probably thinks people will think he's completely rewritten his act if he talks too much.

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

I thought it was very well-constructed routine. He used the flower to draw people in initially, and made a nice metaphor between the flower and the fleeting, vulnerable yet beautiful nature of this life. And he brought it around full circle thematically, with the dazzling transformation of the coins into petals at the end. As magicians, we can always find one or more aspects of a performer and/or the performance to criticize, but the laymen (including the judges) were in awe watching what looked like real magic. He came up with something extraordinarily creative and beautiful, and presented it with humility, making him likable and appealing to the audience. I wish him all the success in the world.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Yes he did open with the comment on the flowers, and even pulled some petals off and showed them. Then did a routine with no obvious connection to the flower until the very end, which made no sense story-wise. "I like flowers, here's some coins that move around, the coins are petals".

As I said, the routine is visually beautiful and I am not bashing his work. I'm familiar with Will's stuff in other instances and have even considered purchasing some, but decided against it due to the gimmick/gaff-heavy nature of it.

If you review my post you'll see I'm not bashing him. He did well and it was well received, and I think he's got a lot of potential in this contest. If he puts more of himself into the performance he'll couple the emotional hook along with the visual hook he's already nailed, and people will like him even more.

The only criticism I gave was that being purely visual only gets you so far, because it lacks the emotional hook that really gets people invested in the performance.