Catchy title, don’t you think?

Recently I went to a screening for a particular magic series that’s all over the web right now. I took a friend of mine who works in a post-production house. I actually had a great time watching the show. Overall, the performer/host was extremely entertaining, the magic effects all looked pretty solid, and it had a good visual look to it. So, to my surprise, when we were offering feedback, my friend wasn’t too jazzed about it. I’m paraphrasing here, but he said something along the lines of:

“To me, that isn’t magic. Maybe it’s because I work in film, but to me it’s obvious that it’s all been editorialized.”

“It’s obvious they cut around the magic.” he said, which is an observation that magic as entertainment somewhat sidesteps. When we see magic on television or on digital media, the “magic moment” has to withstand repeat viewings, slow-motion playback, etc. No producer or performer is going to want a “trick” to be exposed even for a brief second on camera. Which makes complete sense. However, the result is something that looks so devoid of “magic” that you start to wonder what this performer is. If they cut around everything technical anyways, or accomplish the secret to the effect before they even begin filming, then what are we watching? Are we watching a magic special? Or are we watching an actor/storyteller?

Now, if you’ve followed this site long enough, you’d know that we’re all about creating the story or atmosphere around a trick. “A series of effects is not a show” after all. So then, why am I criticizing the story element being so far forward in this series? I suppose it’s only because my non-magician friend of mine thought the magic was non-existent. This honestly wouldn’t have even crossed my mind if he didn’t say it. Mostly because whenever I watch an effect, I don’t even consider the “method” or how it’s being accomplished. I’ve intentionally blocked it out to focus more on the performance or the presentation, because that is how I felt people actually received the feeling they’d eventually walk away with. However, and maybe this is just the case for video magic, there still needs to be something to chase.

Part of the fun of magic is that people can chase something, and the magician has to run away, keeping a distance between the effect and the method just outside of reach creates a fun dynamic that people have come to expect when watching a magic show. If there’s nothing to find, or if what they’re looking for is so far out of reach they can’t see it, then it ceases to become magic, and starts to become something else. But if the producers don’t seem to think so, and this form of storytelling can indeed be called magic, do we live in a post-magic world?

— J.R.