First Timers...

 I often wonder what it would have been like the first time someone saw a Nielsen bottle or Fantasio candle used. Things we take for granted but would have BLOWN OUR DAMN MINDS the first time they appeared on a stage. 

Now imagine people seeing a trampoline for the first time.

Larry Griswold co-created the trampoline as we know it today and used it in his act. Can you imagine people going nuts for a trampoline or thinking "WTF is that thing?!". 

Innovation and creation has to start somewhere. The mother of invention and all that. Who knows, maybe one day you will create something that will blow people minds.

It could happen.

FItzkee was right...

 Have you ever read "Showmanship For Magicians"? I don't blame you if not. Fitzkee can be a bit of a dense read. (Protip: Just skim the book and read the bolded and ALL CAPS text. It summarizes the important points and saves a LOT of time)

In the book he suggests that you watch other performers who are the top of their field. Not JUST magicians, but singers, comedians, actors, athletes, etc. See what they are doing and you are not.

With that in mind, I now want you to watch this video:

Observe his timing. Watch as things happen and he just keeps going like it's normal. He doesn't turn and mug to the audience. (He COULD if he was a different performer) He just plows through undaunted which makes it even funnier. It's these bits of business in the middle of exhibiting skill that makes the performance so good. Even if it's not your cup of whatever you drink, you can and SHOULD still appreciate what goes into doing an act such as this and entertaining a theater full of people.

The internet is full of performances like these. Over the next few weeks, I will share some of them with you. 

Plan accordingly...

End of an Era...

 

While everyone is on social media talking about knowing Amazing Johnathan, let's talk about the man himself shall we?

For those who might not know, he recently passed away and it sent a shockwave through the Las Vegas magic world. Most know him for his stand up comedy and magic. A lucky bunch of us got to know him on a personal level. Unlike other celebrities in our profession who kind of hide away and keep to their own little inner cliques, AJ was very giving with his time and information. His circle of friends and family grew every year because he liked to have fun and do silly things with silly people. 

Since he left this mortal plane, many of us have been talking about his legacy and what he has left behind. His body of work was vast and while he has been stolen from by countless hacks, no one has ever really been able to follow in his footsteps. I think the reason for that is that no one could. He was a truly unique animal that came into the entertainment world at the right time and place. 

His biggest influence on the world of magic was that he gave permission to all of the rest of us who wanted to do something different. His material spoke to many of us and said, "It's ok to be weird and do outlandish things in the name of fun! Magic is a tool and doesn't have to the be the focus.". 

For all of us touched by his noodley appendage, I think it's our duty to keep that going and let future performers know it's ok to take the piss out of magic and be a little over the top, even when the world might not embrace it at first.

 The world is a little less Amazing now, but that's doesn't mean it has to stop...

 

 

 

Social Distortion...

 Have you ever seen the magic documentary "Make Believe"?

If you can't come in first place...

For those who have not, it captures the magic convention competition scene in it's death throes. These kids were basically the last generation in the magic competition scene, at least in North America.

There was a time when acts "came up together" in the competition circuit. Imagine seeing Juliana Chen, Jason Byrne, Greg Frewin and James Dimmare all vying for a shiny paper weight to put on shelf that said they were "the best"TM.

These acts would see the others other perform, most would be friendly towards each other, and even offer words of advice and encouragement (at least from various reports I've heard). As they would get booked at gigs they might suggest some of these other acts for next year or to be on the same bill. It was, an albeit small, community with many of what we now know as top pros of their time.

I feel the camaraderie has moved overseas as other countries like Spain and Korea have taken to magic as a serious stage art.With conventions like FISM Asia, the competition is a little more stiff with some heavy innovations in what one can get away with in a manipulation act. There is also more emphasis on things like character and originality than we foster here in North America.

So what happened? Well, many of the prestigious competitions here are either gone or their luster has faded. Desert Magic Seminar and the Golden Lion Head's award (celebrating originality) are defunct. The international conventions such as SAM and IBM are often used as stepping stones to FISM but the performing level of the contestants has dropped over time due to the lack of opportunities to hone an act.

The internet is a bit to blame as well as is typically the case. While new info can be seen and shared instantly, you also don't have to wait a year to see your friends and the new stuff they've been working on. There is also a much bigger emphasis on being seen by as many people you can instead of crafting an act and skill set that will carry you across the globe.

As usual it's not one thing that kills an idea, it's a slow build of many factors. Until another "prestigious" opportunity arises that provides notoriety, (as well as monetary gain), it's going to be some time before we see another magic competition scene like the ones we had before.

F in the chat for magic competition.

Dying From Exposure...

Recently someone tagged me in a post of some asshat revealing one of my tricks on social media. This is not the first time it has happened and it won't be last because there are some who believe magic exposure is "The Future" (TM).

I suppose there is a teeny tiny part of me that is flattered something I created is good enough to steal. However, with the rampant exposure and theft on social media it got me thinking about the ratio of people creating magic vs those consuming it for clicks, views, and pennies.

In a previous post I talked about how it takes very little brain energy to steal from someone and put it online. It's the bottom rung on the entertainment ladder. These bottom rung feeders will just keep taking and never contribute. This will cause those who do create to keep more and more to themselves to keep it secret... keep it safe.

Sure there will always be people pumping mediocre magic into the marketplace because it's easy and most of it only looks good on camera anyway. I think that is the reason so much mentalism is being released because it's hard to "reveal" and can't really be done over social media. (And no one really cares)

So to those who attach themselves to the magic community like barnacles I say this: enjoy your ill gotten gains while you can you leeches. One day you will only have yourselves to steal from (more than you already are) and if you show up at a magic function and I steal something from you like your wallet or phone, don't act surprised as to why.

You started this...

 

Is that my final answer?

While I was sitting here packaging up product for my lecture in Atlanta this weekend (not so subtle plug), I had a realization: One of the big issue with magic exposure as a whole is that it requires the least amount of effort. It takes no creativity and, quite frankly, very little brain power. Any idiot can show someone how something works, either on purpose or accident (usually accident). 

 

Easy Like your Mom

 

When I see someone exposing magic online like everyone else it tells me a lot about that person and one of those things is they are out of ideas and/or lazy. They can't be arsed to think of anything better so they have gone the path of least resistance to appease their algorithmic god for a quick buck and some imaginary internet points. 

I like to think of magic as an art regardless of the monetary outcome. I realize others do not have that mindset. They have chosen to throw the only thing they know (and clearly don't respect much) under the bus because they have no other options or skills. That's fine but don't go crying to the rest of us who don't like it when you made the choice to do it in the first place.

Some of us have live performances to do...

Carry your own load (ew)....

To give you some advice I need to tell you a story:

When I first moved to Vegas I started working with a group called "Short Bus Comics". It was all of the experimental and outcast comedians. The ones doing weird characters or experimental stuff. It was aptly named.

Around the same time I saw a post on a forum by a magician lamenting how the video he put up could have been better if the audience member he selected had been more enthusiastic or whatever. My first thought was, "It's not up to the audience member to carry the routine. It should be the performer." 

Those two things made me decide to scrap all of my audience participation material I was doing and not do anything with someone else on stage with me until I had 30 minutes of material I could carry with just myself on stage. Now I could still interact with the audience. Throw them stuff, borrow things, go into the audience, etc, but I wanted a more "comedy club" feel to my material and less "birthday party clown". It forced me to create presentations that were more engaging, entertaining and "adult". 

I eventually had a solid 30 minutes and started adding the odd borrow-a-person routines back into my shows. Those bits got stronger because of the lessons I learned flying solo. It was a necessary challenge to let my performing persona shine through and not be distracted by another warm body on stage with me. 

So my advice for you is to try the same thing. Not necessarily the 30 minute thing, but find ways to be entertaining without the help of someone else.With Covid still fresh on people's minds, the time is nigh to work on material of this type. Learn to write jokes, find magic that stands by itself, maybe develop a silent routine or two to slip in between the talking bits?

Also, I know this journal has been quiet for a while. Unfortunately/fortunately I have been busy with consulting/prop making/escape room making/performing. I do have a backlog of topics I want to complain about and I will try to get to them soon so stay tuned.

Until then...

A prediction...

Within the next 10 years, we will see a magic show on TV that is 100% cgi and stooges but presented as real. Think like Zack King but a total sham. It will be justified because it's for "entertainment" and no one will be the wiser.

I hope I'm wrong.

Where do we go from here?

I recently went down a rabbit hole listening to old Roger Miller tunes I hadn't heard by way of John Denver. It's interesting to watch live footage of these guys performing. Not only did they tend to write all their own music and songs, they were adept showman. It got me thinking about how far away we have gotten from people like this to where we are now where so many of our musical "stars" are manufactured. 

I started to wonder about the emergence of different media and what it took to make it in those new frontiers.

The oldest and most prolific form of entertainment is likely live theater (I include musical performance in this as well). It was the dominant entertainment for a very long time and most media that has come after has always been touched by some form of live theater. When radio emerged, there were radio plays where actors lended their voices to create soundscapes for the people listening at home to envision. 

You also had music being played on the radio which helped a number of people discover new artists and styles they had never heard before. This of course influenced more people to be musicians. Thus, more music makers started to emerge. People who worked hard on their craft be it drums, guitar, singing, etc. You also had to be pretty good to stand out from everyone else. It also helped if you were engaging live (going back to live theater). 

So for a long time, "musician" was the thing to strive for and then movies started to gain traction. Many of the vaudeville comedians and actors of the time started to take advantage of this new medium. Suddenly "movie star" was an option for a career in live performance. Again, you had to study for years in your craft and rehearse, practice, "pay your dues", and have something so many others didn't. Again, live performance ability translated to the new medium and helped others get ahead. The skill and knowledge was visible at every turn.

From there, television became the thing and this is where we start to see a plethora of variety acts get brought to the fore. Shows like Ed Sullivan all the way up to the Gong Show brought us the wild, wacky, and inventive. It gave so many chances they could never reach before. From there, so many saw someone do something cool and was smitten with performing their own act, whatever it might be. From variety shows, we had one off specials, from magic to comedy and everything inbetween. Cable opened even more doors in people's minds. Channels like MTV made the rock star role even MORE desirable than it had been. 

In all of these mediums, you saw and heard people at the top of their game. Much of their success largely attributed to the skill in their chosen field and performing ability (along with a little luck and sometimes business savvy). They worked hard on their craft and it paid off. Now obviously there were outliers but if you want to be inspired look at video of people like Cab Calloway, The Ramones, Fred Astaire, George Carl or any other people who were considered the best of their art.

Fast forward to today, where we have people famous for nothing (or THINK they are famous). The internet has enabled so many to have a presence, which is great in some ways. It lets so many discover new types of art and thoughts they would have never known existed. However, the "skill" now seems to be manipulating numbers and algorithms more than performing ability. 

I often say we are losing masters and they are not being readily replaced. Their shoes are staying empty for far too long. I wonder if it's because the current media is inspiring the wrong things. Of course, who am I to say what is right and wrong? I'm just someone who has seen amazing art by talented performers and I wonder if what we have now is just a watered down version of what came before. I wonder what will inspire future generations to inspire those who come after. Have we reached an impasse? I know entertainment will never die and there will ALWAYS be those who stand out, but originality and dedication to a craft are not rewarded like they once were and it makes me very, very nervous.

Only time will tell I guess.

When is it ok?

Magic has always had it's bouts of "exposure", from Reginald Scot to Penn and Teller, and it has kept plodding on. Various performers have exposed magical props and effects over the years. It's usually for comedic gain or to make a point. Where magical knowledge was once relegated to back rooms of magic clubs or brick and mortar stores, the internet has allowed the widespread exposure of magical secrets to many who wouldn't have given it nary a thought otherwise.

When someone gets called out for sharing a bit too much or the "wrong way", their defense is to always point to someone else and exclaim, "why is it ok for them to do it!?". The answer to that question is up to you ultimately but let's examine some cases shall we? 

At the top of this clip, Harry Anderson straight up shows the gaff of a well known (usually) kids show prop. How he doesn't walk the audience through it's workings, but it's enough for a thinking person to infer what's going on. Now the audience doesn't know this isn't his to show off. For all they know, he invented it and is exposing his own trick. The interesting thing about presentational exposure like this is, when combined with comedy, it has less of a sting. It's the same reason Penn and Teller's "Ripoff of Love" routine is hardly balked at. It's clearly a parody of magical illusions. 

On a personal note, I sit in a weird grey zone with this kind of stuff. While I am ok with certain people using magic for a comedy punchline or using it to make a point, I also don't LIKE it and wouldn't do it myself unless it was my own invention. I think the main thing is, the people who ARE exposing magical effects and apparatus also understand when it's ok and when it's not. The people who get away with it love magic but also know the power of letting people peek behind the curtain a bit.

What about when it's not for comedy? Using P&T as an example again, they have a whole act showing how they do their version of cups and balls utilizing clear cups. While it exposes the basic concept and their routine, by the end, you haven't learned anything. A week later, someone could see another magician do the cups and balls and still be fooled. They know where that fine line is as well as the publicity of making the magic world grumpy. Again, is it ok for them to do it? That's up to you.

I think in this day and age the biggest difference is the intent and reach behind the exposure. It's no longer seemingly for entertainment, education or parody. It's all about views, clicks, likes and other imaginary internet points. (And money, let's not forget that) The audience is much wider and more varied. You can "educate" more people on the internet than you could on TV. Magic has survived exposure of all types and it will always continue marching forward because even people with knowledge can be fooled and entertained. I know how to edit video, but just because I can work Premiere Pro doesn't lessen my enjoyment of movies any less.

We will survive.

Consent is sexy...

There is a bit of drama in the magic community as of late (more than usual I should clarify). A known magician who is now part of a cabal of other performers who create "prank" videos for money on fb decided to... I dunno... test the waters(?) of magic as a vehicle for pranks. The problem is, they did such by exposing a well known principle in magic. The magic community at large was up in arms and for good reasons obviously.

The main gripes I have heard are:

• Betrayal - Many who were fans of this performer's magic and creativity previously felt like this was a slap in the face to anyone who respected and/or looked up to them.
• Exposure - This one is obvious, but if it was their own creation, no one would have cared. Sadly, this was not the first magical effect they had exposed, it was just the first people had caught wind of. 
• Guilt by Association - The producer of these kinds of videos had already cut a major divide between himself and the community previously. The videos are of lackluster quality and perceived as existing merely for likes, shares and fat stacks of cash.(Mostly that last one) 
• No Real Reason -  The videos outcome would have been the same had they just cut the secret or used something different. There was no real ascertainable reason to make the video other than views and to throw magic under a bus.
  

Whenever something like this occurs in the community, the defense/excuse tends to fall on "Well THIS person exposes stuff and no one cares" or "it's ok to sell magic secrets or put it in books so why is this not ok?". This kind of deflection tends to be their main defense and smart people counter it with "We are not talking about them, this is about you".  Regardless of their reasons, none of them hold water because the main difference here is Intent. 

When magic is taught or bought, the person had to actively seek it out. They had to already have some sort of inherent interest in gaining that knowledge. They had to, even if it's only a little bit, put in some effort. What has happened recently is essentially the magic equivalent of someone walking up to you on the street completely unprovoked and saying "This is how a thumbtip works. Ok. BYEEEEEEE!" and running away. You did not ask to know that secret nor have any intent on ever knowing it. It was just thrust upon you with no consent.

Ok so, what about the people who found magic through exposure? I have heard a handful of people in their 30s say that one of the things that got them into magic was the Secrets Revealed specials (with the masked magician). I will be happy to tell you the difference between that and what is going on currently.

When one watched those specials not only did you get to see magic performed you also got to see what it looked like first. You could then decide if you wanted to know the secret or not. You could walk away if so inclined. In the aforementioned video, the secret was shoved in front of you in the first 3 seconds. (Technically sooner cuz of the thumbnail) You had no choice if you clicked play. You also did not see magic presented as the performing art it's meant to be. It was a cheap throwaway gag with no meaning.

Of course the minority who produces this content is claiming that the magic community doth protest too much. However, when things like this happen, the community SHOULD be vocal about it. There should be a discourse of some kind. Perhaps someone from the next generation will see it and say, "huh... I don't think this is the way magic should be presented. I don't want to alienate myself". I feel the damage these kinds of videos will do to the next crop of magicians will be felt long after the perpetrators have cashed their checks and faded away.

I hope I am wrong, but I can already see the ripples.

 

Same as it ever was...

 "Repetition is the death of magic" - Bill Watterson

Visual magic seems to be the crack cocaine of the magic world. Everyone is looking for that next fix. That next "hit" if you will. As a consultant for other performers and TV shows, I am often plagued by taking a magical idea and "making it more visual". There are a few problems with this line of thinking however....

1. You chew thru more material - "Visual" magic is often presented with little to no presentation other than "watch this". Without build up it becomes a throwaway gag sometimes.
2. Weaker Magic - A lot of stuff that is done visually on camera can be re-wound and watched frame by frame and figured out OR it falls prey to the "too perfect theory" and people will dismiss it as CGI because that is the most obvious answer, even when it's not.
3. Too much of a good(?) thing - If you already have a dozen "visual" effects in your show/on your timeline/etc, eventually everything starts to blend and look the same.
4. No Mystery - The audience needs a breather. Sometimes obscuring something and letting the magic happen in the audiences' head is WAY stronger than shoving it in their face. Give those watching a little mystery and it will stick with the longer. (But don't turn it into a puzzle)

 While visual magic might thrill TV producers and get you that contract, not everything has to look like a camera trick.

 

 

"The death of magicians on the internet..."

 Some people are catching on. Enjoy.

Get this guy a Merlin award.

Invisible touch...

I want to start this post by saying I am not against people trying to improve a magic effect for their own amusement/benefit/style/etc. However, I am against trying to convince people it has shortcomings that it doesn't have like it's fact just to sell it as a product.

Why do I bring this up you ask? This recent release caught my eye. Now there have been various "improvements" to invisible deck over the years. David Regal had a blank deck version, the Other Brothers have a borrowed deck variation, and there have been many presentation ideas explored with it (including the awesome Steve Bedwell version).

I bought my first ID when I was 8. That was (hand over mouth and garbled talk) years ago. It's the only gimmicked deck I use on the regular. The claims in the aforementioned video are borderline offensive. If you are having THAT much trouble separating the cards, that's a YOU problem, not the deck. Also, not ONCE in all my years of doing ID has anyone ever asked to see the backs of the cards. I am not saying it has NEVER happened, but the strength of ID is that it just seems like a normal deck of cards and the effect feels like skill and not a gimmicked deck. If you handle it like one however, it might be why people get curious.

Again, you want to make an "improvement" for yourself, cool. Just don't try and convince everyone else the original is bad as a selling tactic when there are so many people who know better.

A gift...

For all of my loyal readers, this is just for you.

If you ever need to glue pieces of flashpaper together, use rigid collodion.

It's mostly used nowadays for making fake scars but it can also be used for things like sealing the ends of rope. It also burns up without leaving any residue unlike glue stick or other adhesives you might see recommended online at large green gaudy forums.

Try it, you'll be surprised.

Comments are disabling...

What hurts magic more? Bad magic or people encouraging bad magic?

How many times have you seen a photo of a girl online in some very pre-planned pose (and likely filtered/photoshopped) that is meant to look off the cuff but probably asked the person taking the photo to re-do it 5 times to get it just right? Plenty I am sure. Now look below the photo. What do you see? The same one word praise "Beautiful", "Gorgeous", "Sexy", etc.

Now I am not here to debate about girls putting images online for whatever reason. It's more the knee-jerk praise that feels a little insincere. It's like... filler text because that person wants to be seen saying something but can't be bothered to write anything of substance... or... do they really mean it because they are easily impressed by a shiny object?

That is the crux of my discussion here today. Are encouraging comments on bad magic videos placed there because they want to be seen doing so or are they themselves bad magicians and think it's good?

First, we should probably define what "bad" magic is. Is it like porn and "we'll know it when we see it"? One bad trick can be gold in another's hands. I propose it's when the method is obvious and doesn't actually fool 80% of non-magicians. So perhaps bad magic is just poor performance? (or as per usual, no performance at all)

Social media is chocked full of quick videos of people doing magic quickly and poorly. Chances are they don't know it's bad and they are pretty proud of it. Now perhaps I am just being harsh and overly-critical as usual, but I see so many people who "know better" saying things like "so great" on these videos when it's... not.

I understand being encouraging. I'm all for it. However, you can be encouraging without it being a lie. Personally, if I see something that has merit but isn't executed great, I will message the person and offer constructive criticism without tearing it down. Some people just don't know certain things because they haven't reached a certain level of knowledge and I get that.

On the other side, I see people do questionable things and get praise for it and it makes me wonder if that person commenting is just trying to be seen in the community or if they too just have really bad judgement. There is no way to know, unless you are friends with them. Then you can message them and be like "WTF are you doing?" It could also just be habit. Much like people mindlessly clicking "like" on a post without actually reading it. Pavlov would love the internet.

Let's go back to my photos example. Are they commenting on the image just because they are female? Are they offering false praise because of their (perceived) gender? If you tell someone who is not good they are, they will stop striving to be better and perhaps that is my biggest problem with any performer in this scenario. Heaps of hollow compliments make them think they are doing a good job and don't try to improve because they are clearly not harsh enough on themselves or they might not have posted that video in the first place.

Yes I know "bad" and "good" are subjective as $^%&. It's hard to write about this without sounding like a judgey dick and I know it. "Yer just over-thinking it" I am sure some of you might be saying. You also might be right but at the same time, I might not be. Hell I have been guilty of it too when it comes to magic. However, when I say "that's real nice", I mean it but perhaps that is the problem. Too many people do mean it and their vocabulary and mental capacity is just that limited.

I guess my point is, be mindful of what you say to someone online and perhaps try to contribute to the conversation with more than one word that you might not actually mean.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

What does a hipster weigh?

I swear this journal isn't going to turn into nothing but "look at these idiots on instagram" every post. It just happens to be an easy target for my ire right now.

This is a piece of advice for those of you out there who might be new to this racket. When you get a new trick, maybe read the instructions before performing it. It's likely got two backs for a reason and showing people the gaff is just going to tell them it's a prop of some sort and in no way ordinary.

I'm not targeting this one person in particular either. He just happens to be my example. I see this all the time on social media and it feels like a slap in the face to the people who take it seriously. All I am asking is you put in more practice time than it takes to open the packaging.

We can all be better?

Can we just... not?

I know you are supposed to use a metric ass load of hashtags to "get views" on Instagram but for the love of...  maybe don't use #femalemagician if there are no performers of the feminine persuasion in it? It's pretty damn sleazy.

(Post edited to make a bit more sense)

Negative Reinforcement....

We all know the internet, and social media specifically, is an echo chamber right? It's a place where people go to justify their bad behaviors and prove themselves right to other people and themselves. We all mostly agree on this correct?

Well before social media, to inflict your bad performing habits on others, you had top go to your local magic club or, Zeus forbid, a paid gig. The average bear who knows little to nothing about the "secrets of magic" can be easily impressed by the simplest of store bought mysteries. Even the ones you weave some overly contrived story about a fictional elderly family member teaching you.

If you do enough performing for people, you will get better and start to hear how "great" you are. "You should be on America's Got Talent!" they say. The problem comes when you start to believe this stuff. It digs into your brain and you start to think you are better than you might actually be. You start to make some questionable decisions because you have had some modicum of success fooling people at private gigs or, more currently, on the internet. You start to believe your own bullshit.

Due to social media some people think they are more amazing or funnier than they actually are. Let me give you an example: Remember that magician who got in trouble for doing questionable material at a college? Do you think he learned a lesson from that? Well if Instagram is to be believed.... nope. Why do you think that is? Take a gander at the comments. They are encouraging of this behavior. In his social media bubble he gets the ego stroke he needs to believe this is another good idea and he's not alone. Tons of mediocre practitioners of the art get this fluffing every day and every hour.

I'm not saying praise is bad. What I am saying is that you need to remember that the things people are saying to you online they would say to anyone doing the same thing. They might even say it to a video of someone microwaving a burrito. It is the internet after all. You are not a beautiful and unique snowstorm snowflake. These are the same people who can't think of anything better to put other than "Beautiful" on every photo of a girl they see on the internet. I'm just saying temper what people say with reality.

I know that's asking a lot.

What's this? What's this?

What is magic?

This argument discussion goes around the forums and groups every so often and everyone has a varying opinion on what is what. I'm not saying this article is gonna do anything other than muddy the waters, but I felt like sharing.

I think a lot of people think magic is the tricks and procedure that creates the effects. For me that is more skill and technique. "Trade secrets" as it were. Plumbing is not pipes and the tools needed to attach said pipes. It's the finished product.

I think magic is the end product. It's the feeling/effect the audience experiences. It's what happens in their eyes and brain. It's what they SEE, not what they don't see. Magic is a feeling of wonder and awe. Magic has been used by non-magicians to describe many things that aren't traditionally the art form. Ever heard the term "movie magic"? It's a feeling one gets. Some things are considered "magical" like sunsets and nature. It's because of the feeling one gets from such visuals.

So while for many of us the art of magic is the creation of gimmicks, methods and skills to facilitate such things, I think it's the people who don't know the minutia that goes into creating those moments that get to define the term.

Maybe. I'm no plumber...