And some thoughts on Skepticism and Wonder.
Watch Episode III
The description of that episode on youtube is wrong. This episode is in no way "soothing". Alexander and Samuel are doing some classic effects with some of their own refinements. I've done that trick that Alex performs on this video and honestly, he's tweaked the effect in such a simple way that converts it from a cool trick to basically, something mind-blowing.
Which brings me to the point we discussed in the last post. Now that you know how a magic trick is done, do you lose that sense of wonder? Short answer, yes. Long answer, depends on what you mean by wonder. Yes, we do lose the sense of "mystery" in the trick, but at the same time, because we have a different appreciation, an understanding of the mechanics of the trick and also an eye for the nuances added in by the performer in combination with the way he or she takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster, I think, ironically, magicians might enjoy watching good (thanks JC for clarifying) magic more than lay people.
In comparison, a layperson, sees a trick a few times, might figure it out(or assume) the mechanics of it, and the trick loses its magic. Where as a magician, might see different people performing the same trick, mind you, they know what's happening, but in their minds, it "matures" like fine wine when you see how the various elements of it interact and how it is made unique by each performer.
Just to drive the analogy further, it's pretty much like the enjoyment of a fine wine by a connoisseur.
There's one more aspect to this which I'll talk about next week, and perhaps I'll share some relevant personal anecdotes.
Just a note for those who've seen me perform and are dying to see my episode, it's episode number ... I'm not telling. This project isn't really about me. It's about the talent in the local scene. As much as it looks like we work in "isolation", it's really a lot of teamwork, whether it's explicit or not.
Reading this on Facebook? Check out the rest of the blog here
Watch Episode III
The description of that episode on youtube is wrong. This episode is in no way "soothing". Alexander and Samuel are doing some classic effects with some of their own refinements. I've done that trick that Alex performs on this video and honestly, he's tweaked the effect in such a simple way that converts it from a cool trick to basically, something mind-blowing.
Which brings me to the point we discussed in the last post. Now that you know how a magic trick is done, do you lose that sense of wonder? Short answer, yes. Long answer, depends on what you mean by wonder. Yes, we do lose the sense of "mystery" in the trick, but at the same time, because we have a different appreciation, an understanding of the mechanics of the trick and also an eye for the nuances added in by the performer in combination with the way he or she takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster, I think, ironically, magicians might enjoy watching good (thanks JC for clarifying) magic more than lay people.
In comparison, a layperson, sees a trick a few times, might figure it out(or assume) the mechanics of it, and the trick loses its magic. Where as a magician, might see different people performing the same trick, mind you, they know what's happening, but in their minds, it "matures" like fine wine when you see how the various elements of it interact and how it is made unique by each performer.
Just to drive the analogy further, it's pretty much like the enjoyment of a fine wine by a connoisseur.
There's one more aspect to this which I'll talk about next week, and perhaps I'll share some relevant personal anecdotes.
Just a note for those who've seen me perform and are dying to see my episode, it's episode number ... I'm not telling. This project isn't really about me. It's about the talent in the local scene. As much as it looks like we work in "isolation", it's really a lot of teamwork, whether it's explicit or not.
About the Project : Sinema is an independent arts company based here in Singapore. The arts scene here is beginning to flourish and Sinema did their part by coming up with SinTV, an online arts channel. M for Magic is their first installation featuring 14 local magicians. Here's their facebook page and main site.
Do your part by sharing this note with your friends.
Reading this on Facebook? Check out the rest of the blog here
