New Copperfield TV Special

Discuss the latest news and rumors in the magic world.
Timothy Drake
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Timothy Drake » November 7th, 2008, 9:53 pm

TrixNBag wrote:Wow. I remember I used to tape his tv specials when I was a kid. He looked fly with his poofy white shirt and the doves fluttering out of him.


Ah yes... the poofy white shirt that spawned a thousand clones.

Best,

Tim

Frank Dudgeon
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Frank Dudgeon » November 8th, 2008, 11:43 am

"And you know the old addage, you can bring a horse to water...."

And you probably know the old joke, "You can bring a horse to water...but if you can get him to lay on his back and float then you've got something."

Forget where I heard that...probably should have forgotten the joke.

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smokemist
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby smokemist » November 8th, 2008, 12:36 pm

Kevin Connolly wrote:
Another big draw-back that I don't think anyone mentioned was IF DC made a new special, would it drop him down to a Blaine or Angel status? It could in many eyes.




I think not.. becuase DC's show would be in a theatre setting infront of a more believable audience.. I think this setting will make a comeback.


And as for us doing magic if we were really the last person on earth.... hmmmmm
I'd really like to see if there would be any. I'd be chasing food, driving recreational vehicles, and travelling..

LV720
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby LV720 » December 3rd, 2008, 11:15 am

Didn't I read something...years ago...that DC stopped doing specials when the WGM, and all that was saturating the airwaves? He said something to the tune of taking a step back and letting everyone beat each other up. Well, I point to an earlier post that Andrew Goldenhirsch's intro at the Castle a few weeks ago said that he had just finished working a TV Special with David...fingers crossed!

Timothy Drake
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Timothy Drake » December 3rd, 2008, 11:30 am

I would love for this to be true but nobody connected to David ( that I know) knows anything about a new special. I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway!

Best,

Tim

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Magic Newswire
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Magic Newswire » December 3rd, 2008, 3:16 pm

I've been told, in no uncertain terms, that there is no DC special currently in the works. We'll see...

Geno Munari
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Geno Munari » December 5th, 2008, 5:34 pm

I saw David Copperfield's show at the MGM Grand last Friday and he blew me away. Absolutely GREAT!!!!!!!!
The car appearance was overwelming. Go see the show.

Geno Munari

Charlotte Pendra
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Charlotte Pendra » December 7th, 2008, 4:10 am

Dear Richard

It's Jonathan, not Charlotte, I use her ID to log in sometimes.

Having been there (I helped David with several Illusions) I feel the big difference is that David used editing to clean up his magic (a world new to the VCR and the rewind button) for those who planned on multiple viewings. With only a few exceptions, if you saw his live show and the special, they would appear (to a non-magician) the same. Chris Angel and David Blaine have used editing to create magic that doesn't exist in the "real" world, unless your real world is the web. The viability of the that world is a legitimate question, but don't confuse the two. David and I have always had love/hate relationship, but I recognize his great work on TV and stage. He used his specials to fuel the machine that is his live concert ticket count. And it worked because he could deliver a very entertaining performance in both venues. Angel and Blaine have never been as successful as DC in this regard.

With Respect
Jonathan Pendragon

Ian Kendall
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Ian Kendall » December 7th, 2008, 5:26 am

quote Jonathan: David used editing to clean up his magic

I'm not sure that this is true. If you watch things like the Niagra Falls or Bermuda Triangle there are glaring edits in the footage, usually right after someone on voiceover says 'don't cut away'.

I've always been amazed at the double standards about camera tricks on TV.

Take care, Ian

Timothy Drake
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Timothy Drake » December 7th, 2008, 9:08 am

Ian,

I don't think its so much of a double standard. The "clean up " part makes sense. A lot of magic using principles like misdirection will be exposed on television after mulitiple viewings. David has in fact used outright camera trickery like in the Grand Canyon Levitation but he cut that stuff out long ago and focused on magic that he could only do live. For quite a long time now the effects you see in the DC specials were the same illusions performed in his live tour.

Angel is doing just the opposite. Just about everything he does cannot be done live. He casts most principles of the art aside and produces a hollywood effect instead. It's still entertainment to some but lets call it what it is.... it's not a magic performance. His effects cannot be done in front of a live audience. His recent $85 million dollar effort/flop backs me up on that theory. He has risen to the top talking of how other magicians have made a mockery of magic and ruined it and yet that is the very thing his legacy will say about him.

Magics only hope at legitimacy again is to get back to more " live performance" on television where an real ( not faked) audience is seated before the performer.

Best,

Tim

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 7th, 2008, 9:24 am

From now on, if you're going to talk about Criss Angel's work, you need to be specific about whether it's TV stuff (usually Mindfreak) or the stage show.
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Charlotte Pendra
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Charlotte Pendra » December 8th, 2008, 2:13 am

Jonathan Pendragon

Tim is making the right point. Filming an illusion so that it can be viewed again and again without betraying the method is what DC was doing. He would perform the piece live on stage and only a few, mostly magicians, would see a difference in the performance. Yes, he created giant stunt/illusions that used the camera's narrow vision and lack of depth perception to his advantage. I used a my twin brother Mark in several televised illusions (Motorcycle (the original transported man?), Exploding coffin, Time and Space). I came up with a technique where we would begin to film and then fake a camera malfunction. I would go backstage and Mark would return to shot the trick again. I would go to the spot for my reappearance. Later we edited both pieces so that I was on screen for most of effect. You could rewind it again and again and not see a difference. The live audience watching were not aware of this. They thought we had shot the piece, had a camera malfunction (dead battery), fixed it and then finished filming the trick. They saw a finished illusion never knowing the dead battery was part of the method.

Creating an illusion for TV that only works on TV is a legit method if it is used SPARINGLY, to use the technique all the time is like using any technique too often, it's bad craft. Everything Chris does is suspect because he has used the technique too often, much too often. He has created a catalogue of magic that can't be done live.

With Respect
Jonathan Pendragon

Greg Edmonds
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Greg Edmonds » December 8th, 2008, 4:41 am

Having finally had the opportunity to watch Jonathan, Charlotte and company work live earlier this year; I was extremely impressed, in particular, with Jonathan's capacity to stage large-scale, and genuinely amazing, illusions while simultaneously maintaining an intimate nexus with the audience members as individuals (a key to success for any kind of performer). He even fielded questions from the audience, and won them over by recounting his equally amazing recovery from the nearly fatal arrow accident last year.

Television has created jaded magic program audience members for the better part of a generation. The clever ruse Johathan describes above is an excellent ploy, as I visualize it, to keep the live audience "in the dark." While it seems, perhaps, a small measure on some level, the reaction of those watching in person will most certainly reflect upon the ultimate production value of the video product. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, J. Keep up the great work!

Greg

magicbar
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby magicbar » December 8th, 2008, 9:26 am

I don't see the logic or need of a petition... especially a petition on this site. If DC wants to do TV all he has to do is pitch one to potential sponsors and networks. I'm sure with his resources and contacts he doesn't need my signature. Where does this petition go...to DC? to the networks?

also, the reason I clicked here was because the topic title indicated there is a new special in the works and I wanted to get the show time info
Last edited by magicbar on December 8th, 2008, 9:29 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: clarification

Timothy Drake
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Timothy Drake » December 8th, 2008, 9:46 am

magicbar wrote:I don't see the logic or need of a petition... especially a petition on this site. If DC wants to do TV all he has to do is pitch one to potential sponsors and networks. I'm sure with his resources and contacts he doesn't need my signature. Where does this petition go...to DC? to the networks?

also, the reason I clicked here was because the topic title indicated there is a new special in the works and I wanted to get the show time info


Magicbar,

The petition is not here on Genii but on another site... its only being discussed on Genii.

The petition goes to DC. Its not a pitch to the networks. Its a pitch to David that there is indeed an interest for his style of magic on television these days. I found your post interesting because you clicked this thread because you thought it was about a new DC special that you wanted info on. Obviously you want to see a new special which proves that there is interest in a new one. Enough interest to log into this post, and then to take the time to discuss an opinion on it but not enough interest to add a name to the list? lol

Best,

Tim

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 8th, 2008, 10:07 am

David still owes CBS specials on his contract. He doesn't have to pitch anything. Not doing a TV special is his choice.
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby mrgoat » December 8th, 2008, 11:53 am

dead/horse/flogging

Timothy Drake
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Timothy Drake » December 8th, 2008, 12:41 pm

mrgoat wrote:dead/horse/flogging


You made my day man. I laughed out loud when I opened your post as I guessed what it would be. Just call it a " slow news day" and thus why we flog a little now and then.

Best,

Tim

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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Magic Newswire » December 8th, 2008, 12:49 pm

Having seen the tapings in person, I can tell you that I have seen no evidence of David using editing to do anything more than clean up the production. No cutaways/reshoots were used to "Create magic" that you would not see if you were there in person.

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Kevin Connolly » December 8th, 2008, 1:02 pm

All I want for Christmas is a lock for this thread. :)
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Timothy Drake
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Timothy Drake » December 8th, 2008, 2:29 pm

Kevin Connolly wrote:All I want for Christmas is a lock for this thread. :)


Yeah.... but thats not for 17 days yet! LOL

Best,

Tim

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Kevin Connolly » December 8th, 2008, 2:37 pm

I bet I get it and sooner too. ;)
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LV720
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby LV720 » December 8th, 2008, 4:39 pm

I agree, however, at least this isn't going in as many circles as the SAMTALKING or BELIEVE thread...talk about painful.

djk

Corbin
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Re: New Copperfield TV Special

Postby Corbin » December 11th, 2008, 1:17 pm

With very few exceptions, I really dislike the magic specials on T.V. nowadays. It seems the most talented/professional magicians have been choosing to do short cameo spots on talk shows, late night shows and the like lately. (Ellen, Letterman, Conan, ect.) I'm thinking that one routine on Letterman gets the exposure the performer requires with a minimum of work.

I'm a professional magician, and although I'd love to perform on T.V. most of my career decisions are business decisions. I expect this would be the same for D.C. I don't think a petition would change his mind. Just like a group of people telling me I should do a show at the local library would not make me go there to perform. If the library asks me to perform and the money makes it a good business decision then I would go.

That being said, I signed the petition, here is why;
I think that alot of people are looking at this petition as Tim trying to convince D.C to do a show.( I don't care if he is or not-does not matter) D.C. probably would not care about a petition.He's a business man, running a business, and he makes business decisions. Like me it does not matter what my fans want - I'm running a business, I'd like to make my fans happy, but not at my expense. However you can bet your arse that the television Networks scan the web and research who is generating the most interest. Don't believe me? just look to see how many Youtube yahoos are now touring the daytime talk shows and making appearances on late nite tv shows and guest shots on sitcoms.

I don't like the state of T.V. magic nowadays. Even though I like Copperfield, He would not be my first choice for a t.V. special.( Jason Latimer or David Williamson would do great) I signed the petition to add to the buzz being generated for a performer who is defiantly better then most of the "magicians" being offered on T.V. today. In the end it will all boil down to how much buzz Copperfield is generating (on the web and elsewhere) How much the networks are going to offer him, and if it is a good business decision for him to make.


P.S. Don't doubt that there is some big names already on that petition, I know there is. And Tim, stop using "LOL" it's driving me crazy buddy.


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