Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

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mrgoat
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby mrgoat » January 18th, 2010, 7:56 am

Tim Ellis wrote:Is this you Mark?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PB3wQz-Md4


I think the title is a clue to the answer of your question.

"Magic and Fun with Mark Lewis"

I love the video. Hearing the kids scream and laugh, yet remaining in his control. Excellent stuff.

Did you have a point?

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby amp » January 18th, 2010, 7:57 am

Mark.Lewis wrote:
Tim Ellis wrote:We just saw Shawn on Ellen her in Australia last night.

I thought he did a great job. Well routined and a great selection of effects.

Yes, he was fast, but that's TV.

When Sue-Anne did a spot a few months ago on a live show with the regular magician from the program, the 5 minute segment was pushed back repeatedly and suddenly became a two and a half minute segment a few moments before they went on.

The producers expected (and got) every single effect in half the time.

I do enjoy slower, more deliberate magic pieces, but to capture and hold the interest of non-magic fans on TV you do often have to work at a somewhat breakneck speed.


Dearie me. Young Timothy has a lot to learn. Television is the LAST place you should operate at breakneck speed.



TV is changing Mr.Dearie me . It's been how fast or how much you can cut out.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Mark.Lewis » January 18th, 2010, 11:40 am

I must respectfully disagree with amp. If you work too fast on television it shows up like a sore thumb. I have seen magicians often get tempted to make this mistake just because they have a time limit.

You shouldn't work too fast anywhere but on television the fault is magnified. The key is to be yourself and work at your normal pace. If you have to cut things ou then so be it. And if your normal pace is too fast then slow down. I well remember many, many years ago watching Roger Pierre on the Johnny Carson show. He had only a limited time and tried to fit in everything he could, by working a million miles an hour. . Bad mistake.It only made him look bad.

Television is an intimate medium. The best way to work it is in an intimate natural relaxed manner. The best television worker was the late David Nixon. No rush, he just took his time and worked with great charm.

Shawn's performance reminded me of something I read in "Expert Card Technique". It applies to the type of magic he does as well as his pace.
"The performer who constantly riffles the ends of the pack, who rushes through his feats as though Beelzebub were hard on his heels, whose movements are quick and jerky, is defeated before he starts, for his spectators always are concious of the fact that he is employing sleight of hand; his every action betrays this fact."

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Dustin Stinett » January 18th, 2010, 1:21 pm

Ryan Matney wrote:I'm not sure the torn and restored effect works the way you are thinking.


Signed and "mis-made"? (And quite openly signed, not cozy at all?) Wowsers...I'm glad it's still on my DVR....... :)

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Dustin Stinett » January 18th, 2010, 1:26 pm

I used to riffle the pack with my thumb like crazy. Barry Price use to admonish me on it all the time (he called it "finger fibrillation"), but it took seeing myself on video to break me of this annoying habit.

There are a lot of folks who do it.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Ian Kendall » January 18th, 2010, 1:36 pm

Gary Kurtz talks about this 'visual noise' in Leading with your Head. Reading that book changed my performance dramatically.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby mrgoat » January 18th, 2010, 1:38 pm

Dustin Stinett wrote:I used to riffle the pack with my thumb like crazy. Barry Price use to admonish me on it all the time (he called it "finger fibrillation"), but it took seeing myself on video to break me of this annoying habit.

There are a lot of folks who do it.


Yes, that at the perpetual 'clicking' of cards against the right thumb as they are turned over. Like when you are 'proving' there is only one card.

Many people do that ALL THE TIME. FOR NO BLOODY REASON AT ALL.

It gets on my tits a bit. :)

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 18th, 2010, 1:39 pm

Ugh--manboobs again.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Ryan Matney » January 18th, 2010, 4:33 pm

Signed and "mis-made"? (And quite openly signed, not cozy at all?) Wowsers...I'm glad it's still on my DVR.......


Well, it fooled just about everyone at Winter Carnival last year, myself included.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Pete McCabe » January 18th, 2010, 5:38 pm

Good scripting can pack more tricks into the same time at your natural pace, if that's what you need to do. A good exercise is to take any trick you perform and try to streamline it to the bare minimum words, time, and procedure necessary to communicate the effect, then add back only that which makes it stronger.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Mark.Lewis » January 19th, 2010, 12:25 am

I detest that word "scripting". The correct word is "PATTER". The word "scripting " reminds me of the acting profession. And I have never seen a single magician in my life who is any good that has taken acting lessons. They are always over loud and artificial.

Having said that I sort of agree with Mc'Cabe. I have often thought that magicians are too long winded. Mind you , you certainly couldn't say that about David Blaine even if he is a little publicity hungry.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Joe Pecore » January 19th, 2010, 5:32 am

Mark.Lewis wrote: The word "scripting " reminds me of the acting profession.

I think that is exactly what Pete wants people to think. I believe Pete is referring to Scripting as in actual TV Scripts, like an actor and director would use.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Mark.Lewis » January 19th, 2010, 12:19 pm

How awful. A magic performance is not a television script. You have to have the human element. And using a written script that you learn off by heart makes me shudder. It is actually the wrong way to go about things. And I don't care what the standard wisdom on this is. That is not to say you can't say the same thing every time you work. You do have to plan your patter. But there are better ways of doing it than learning it off by heart the way an actor does.

I believe that actors should stick to acting and magicians should stick to magic. They are two different professions with little in common even though people of dubious competence will tell you otherwise. I am referring to formal acting here. As in awful acting training and drama school. A magician should be a good actor but that doesn't come from bloody drama school. I have seen magicians on stage chatter as if they are reciting Hamlet instead of doing the damn professor's nightmare. And nightmare it is.

I can always tell a magician who has had acting school training and worked with a director. Without exception they are all bloody awful. I often ask them after their show if they have had acting training. They always say "yes". They don't realise I am not paying them a compliment.
Magic should come from the heart and you don't show heart when you are operating from a formal script that you can't deviate from. You should certainly prepare your patter and how you deliver it but you should remain human and not a robot.

This way is not perfect but I would rather be human than perfect.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby mrgoat » January 19th, 2010, 12:29 pm

Mark.Lewis wrote:Magic should come from the heart and you don't show heart when you are operating from a formal script


Hahahaha.

You are amusing.

I am glad Pete Mc isn't rising to your bait.

Come on, Lewis, do try harder. This is below you. Sorry I spoilt your game on the SNAP thread. Maybe you could revisit the Haiti one. I reckon that has more potential for you to annoy folk.

HTH

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby John Lovick » January 19th, 2010, 12:41 pm

And I have never seen a single magician in my life who is any good that has taken acting lessons. They are always over loud and artificial.


Too bad youve never seen Andy Nyman or Jonathan Levit or Tommy Wonder or Richard Kaufman or Derek DelGaudio or Aaron Fisher or Steve Valentine or Rob Zabrecky or Bob Fitch or David Regal or John Carney. All good magicians who have taken acting lessons or formal training in acting. And those are just the ones I know about. I'm sure there are hundreds more.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby mrgoat » January 19th, 2010, 1:02 pm

John Lovick wrote:
And I have never seen a single magician in my life who is any good that has taken acting lessons. They are always over loud and artificial.


Too bad youve never seen Andy Nyman or Jonathan Levit or Tommy Wonder or Richard Kaufman or Derek DelGaudio or Aaron Fisher or Steve Valentine or Rob Zabrecky or Bob Fitch or David Regal or John Carney. All good magicians who have taken acting lessons or formal training in acting. And those are just the ones I know about. I'm sure there are hundreds more.


My degree was in Drama and I acted from the age of 7 or so. And I'm much better than ANY of the no-names you listed there, Lovick.

:)

It's obvious Lewis is just trolling.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Pete McCabe » January 19th, 2010, 1:03 pm

Mark.Lewis wrote:How awful. A magic performance is not a television script.


A magic performance on television, which is what we were discussing, is a television script. Right?

Mark.Lewis wrote:Magic should come from the heart and you don't show heart when you are operating from a formal script that you can't deviate from. You should certainly prepare your patter and how you deliver it but you should remain human and not a robot.


Mark,

It seems that you and I mean different things when we say Scripting. In particular the idea that if you have a script you can not deviate from has nothing to do with scripting as I understand it.

I realize that you do not read anything written after 1954 but if you PM me your address I will gladly send you a copy of Scripting Magic with my compliments. I can send you a list of which scripts are for tricks which were created before 1954 if that helps.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Jager » January 19th, 2010, 1:12 pm

Pete McCabe wrote:I will gladly send you a copy of Scripting Magic with my compliments.

Hey... I paid $36.00 for my copy. And It is worth Ten times that.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby mrgoat » January 19th, 2010, 1:25 pm

Jager wrote:
Pete McCabe wrote:I will gladly send you a copy of Scripting Magic with my compliments.

Hey... I paid $36.00 for my copy. And It is worth Ten times that.


Ditto. But did you get him to personally uncensor the censored word?

I did.

Beat that.

:)

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Brad Henderson » January 19th, 2010, 1:35 pm

Mark has a point, but I don't think it is the one he is actually making.

First, I think Patter is an awful word. On one of those 1950's game shows where you had to guess the words from clues, patter came up. The clues were akin to "meaningless, drivel, chatter" etc.

I think a magician's words can be a powerful tool both methodologically as well as dramatically and to stick one's hand blindly into a tool chest hoping to come up with the right one for the job is a position I cannot advocate.

I would be willing to bet Mark has a script, though it probably evolved out of performance as opposed to having been written from theory and memorized by rote. I also think a lot of people assume, incorrectly, that a "script" must be set in stone. It does not. I prefer to think of it as a spine. The script gives a performance structure and form. One can deviate when experience dictates it is wise, but that core structure keeps the show/trick headed in the correct direction.

I can imagine someone who has been "in the trenches" for years feeling as if their work is more free form that it is. It's like a great jazz man telling you "just play what you hear." But I think this comes from being such a master of your instrument that you are making conscious choices so quickly, that you know your chord changes (script) so well, that it seems like you are completely extemporaneous when in reality, there is a lot of ingrained structure swimming beneath those waters (to mix a metaphor).

HOWEVER, I can think of dozens and dozens of times when I have seen a magician "ACTORRRRRR! (to be read ala Lovitz) perform. They are forced and stentorian. They speak at the audience, not with them. They over gesticulate. And they usually mysteriously acquire some sort of faux British twang.

Of course these people understand "acting" as well as a lot of "magicians" understand "magic."

Like magic, I think a lot of people take acting classes and assume they are now actors. They think acting is little more than "being louder." And I agree with Mark, in those cases, there may be no worse combination.

In the best of cases, acting becomes invisible. It should seem real. Seems an appropriate match for magic. However, to achieve that "reality" in either art takes much more work than many might realize.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Jonathan Townsend » January 19th, 2010, 1:44 pm

Brad, these wanded thespians seem to have missed the advice offered by Shakespeare (Hamlet and Midsummer Night's Dream) - and demonstrated via parody by Vincent Price in some 1970s movies like Theater of Blood or Dr. Phibes.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Jon Allen » January 19th, 2010, 1:53 pm

Mark.Lewis wrote:How awful. A magic performance is not a television script. You have to have the human element. And using a written script that you learn off by heart makes me shudder. It is actually the wrong way to go about things. And I don't care what the standard wisdom on this is. That is not to say you can't say the same thing every time you work. You do have to plan your patter. But there are better ways of doing it than learning it off by heart the way an actor does.

Magic should come from the heart and you don't show heart when you are operating from a formal script that you can't deviate from. You should certainly prepare your patter and how you deliver it but you should remain human and not a robot.

This way is not perfect but I would rather be human than perfect.


Interesting comments and absolutely right. What makes them more remarkable is the performance style shown here: http://www.marklewisentertainment.com/h ... eshow.html which appears to go against everything you said, including preferring being human rather than robot.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 19th, 2010, 2:10 pm

I think it's unwise to make over-generalizations on either side of this discussion.

For some magicians it's imperative that they have a completely detailed script from which they deviate little.

For other magicians, having a detailed script would kill their performance.

People are different, and their requirements for performance are different.

As far as Jon Allen's comment about the clip of Mark working at a trade show (which appears on Mark's website)--trade shows are an entirely abberant sub-genre of magic that have little to do with good magic (there is usually little or no applause when the magician finishes) and everything to do with being a commercial for your client's product. I would exclude trade shows from any discussion of good magic.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby NCMarsh » January 19th, 2010, 2:17 pm

The clip Jon cites isn't of Mark performing at a Trade Show.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Brad Henderson » January 19th, 2010, 2:24 pm

Correct - he is doing a sales pitch for a product. Totally not a trade show.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Jon Allen » January 19th, 2010, 2:35 pm

Magicians need to sell themselves whenever they perform. Whether it's in a restaurant, cocktail party, TV or trade show, the personality of the magician will register with people and they will make decisions (Do we want him to interrupt us; do I switch channels; do I want to buy from this company) based on who they see. We have a TV show here called Dragon's Den. Entrepreneurs looking for investment make a pitch to five very wealthy businessmen. Several times the 'Dragons' have said they loved the product but did not like the person... so they never invest. It always amazes me when they say that.

If you appear on a TV show post a clip online people will judge whether they like you... whatever the arena you are in.

My favourite quote of all time comes from Maya Angelou. She said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby NCMarsh » January 19th, 2010, 2:54 pm

I agree that the weirdness of trade shows as a venue has to be a factor in evaluating a trade show performance (the clip is Mark doing the "Long and Short of It" and then pitching the book, apparently to magicians...which is sort of clever as magicians attach an odd mystique to trade show work, and its where many of them are likely to look...I doubt it means anything to a prospective client)...

if anything, the need to be genuine on the trade show floor is deeper (and harder)...people are in a defensive, resistant mode...they're too cool for school, don't want to be sold...and authentic charm is a powerful weapon to break down that barrier, it's part of the sugar that is the performance...making folks willing to stand and listen to a sales pitch when they can leave at any moment

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Christopher Lyle » January 19th, 2010, 4:38 pm

Say what you will about his performance...good or bad, but in my opinion, he did a great thing for magic! Only Magicians will try and tear down his performance and nit pick this that and the other.

I know that I am guilty of doing that too. There are little things that he does that bug me too.

But generally speaking, for the first time in while, magic has been well represented on TV.

Ever since his spot ran, it's all people can talk about at my restaurants. I approach a table and after a few bits of business, someone says, "hey, did you see the Magician on Ellen? He was AWESOME!"

It's nice hearing people enjoyed his performance and have shut up about Criss Angel for the time being...

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 19th, 2010, 4:54 pm

Any magician who gets on TV and either screw up or bore the audience to death is doing something good for themselves--it happens to be good for magic, too.

As far as your comment: "Only Magicians will try and tear down his performance and nit pick this that and the other"--it's just a load of crap. Singers critique other singers, actors critique other actors, painters critique other painters, and in all of these cases they see things that most laymen don't see. It's not a case of "tearing down" anyone. That's a foolish statement and the refuge of anyone who thinks there should be no genuine criticism.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Christopher Lyle » January 19th, 2010, 5:03 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:
As far as your comment: "Only Magicians will try and tear down his performance and nit pick this that and the other"--it's just a load of crap. Singers critique other singers, actors critique other actors, painters critique other painters, and in all of these cases they see things that most laymen don't see. It's not a case of "tearing down" anyone. That's a foolish statement and the refuge of anyone who thinks there should be no genuine criticism.



You just proved my point Richard! If he was a singer, then I'm sure other singers would have rained on his accomplishment. If he were a painter, the same thing could be said.

Magician's will ALWAYS find fault with other Magicians.

The most important thing is that in the eyes of the LAYMEN (which is who we should all be hoping to impress) in the audience and those watching at home, he made a positive impression.
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Richard Kaufman » January 19th, 2010, 5:08 pm

No,I have not proven your point. What you have proven, by stating that "If he was a singer, then I'm sure other singers would have rained on his accomplishment" is that you have no idea what I'm talking about.

No one is "raining" on anyone else's accomplishment. Do you think we should just all suck on our thumbs when someone goes on TV instead of saying what we think?
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby mrgoat » January 19th, 2010, 5:55 pm

On the other forums you have to say they were great or you are a jealous hater.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby flynn » January 19th, 2010, 6:55 pm

Shawn did good. I , and the audience I'm pretty sure, didn't care that he hurried through his set. The magic more than made up for it. After the force and picture reveal he lost me I'll have to admit.

I try and watch magic these days trying not to see what the performer is doing. In doing so he did fool me the first time around watching the clip.

And also Mark's advice is pretty good I think. It's how I do my performances. The only part thats "scripted/pattered" is at points where misdirection is needed.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Mark.Lewis » January 19th, 2010, 11:01 pm

As for my videoclip that has sold me many a trade show but that wasn't the intention of the intention of the clip. The reason it was shown on the trade show page was because I didn't really want the magicians to see it. I had second thoughts about using it to sell my book since I figured that the whole bloody routine was on there and people would figure that there would be no point in buying the book. Now I don't think I was correct since there is so much material in my svengali book that is not included in the routine. But at the time I decided to hide my routine away on the trade show page so magicians wouldn't steal it. Now I don't give a stuff.

I can assure young Allen that I am a SUPERB trade show magician and if he were at the same trade show I would leave him standing in the dust. I have drawn more crowds in one year than the average trade show magician has drawn in his entire life.

The rather silly young man doesn't seem to realise that there was only one person present when that clip was recorded. When I have an audience in front of me I can assure you that I cannot be equalled. I am MARK LEWIS after all.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Mark.Lewis » January 19th, 2010, 11:15 pm

Oddly enough I was actually cursorily reading Mc"Cabe's book today at a magic shop. I cannot yet say if it was good or bad since there wasn't enough time to evaluate it. Pete will be pleased to hear that the magic shop owner loved the book. I asked if he had read it and he said "Of course not" I then asked why he loved the book and he said it was because it sold very well.

Of course that doesn't mean anything. Magicians will buy anything. I have always said that if you were to market gold plated thumb tips then magicians would buy them simply because they were gold plated.

I will, however be pleased to accept McCabes kind offer. By all means send me the book and I will offer a review of it on this very forum on condition that I am allowed to say what I think. I do promise to be objective but I must insist on being honest. If I think the book is crap I will say so and if I think it is good I will also say so.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Mark.Lewis » January 19th, 2010, 11:27 pm

I am sorry, Lovick old chap. It is well known that I am a soul of tact and discretion and cannot possibly be baited to comment on the performers you mention. I shall simply say that I have seen one of them perform and although he is a legend among magicians I thought he was perfectly dreadful.

As to the others I have not seen them work so cannot comment. In any event they all seem to be close up magicians and stage acting lessons have no relevance whatsoever. Close up magic is PEOPLE not learning how to act on a stage.

And of course Brad Henderson is wrong. PATTER is the correct word. "Scripting" sounds far too pretentious. Anyone that uses such a word may well be pretentious in performance. Of course he may not be. It is merely that my cynical nature tends to lean to the former rather than the latter.

Anyway to use such an awful term as "scripting" is the end of civilisation as we know it. It has been "Patter" since time immemorial and "Patter" it should remain.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby NCMarsh » January 20th, 2010, 1:26 am

"Acting is the ability to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances." Sanford Meisner

Living truthfully, sounds a lot like "being real" -- which sounds a lot like the very thing Mark is encouraging.

There are awful "theatrical" performances in magic -- particularly bad bizarre magick -- where theatrical seems to mean what Mark thinks "acting" means...be loud...make faces...take on a deep voice....

Acting is the craft of living truthfully in an imaginary situation -- it is honing your performing muscles so that the material always feels fresh, it's the set of tools to genuinely connect with the people on the other side of the footlights...as humans...it is why people like Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Alexander can do magic "on the side" that kicks the butt of 99% of the work of those of us who devote our entire professional lives to magic...it's the level of connection and conviction that separated Fred Kaps -- a damn fine actor, and apparently an auto-didact -- and Tommy Wonder from the rest of us...

I am no where near the level of the people mentioned above...but this acting thing works for us little people, too... I can tell you that the level of my work -- in terms of audience response, and the less-subjective measure of re-bookings and referrals -- has improved significantly after each of the Bob Fitch performing workshops I've attended...workshops that are focused on giving magicians some of the tools of actors...

Mark.Lewis
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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Mark.Lewis » January 20th, 2010, 8:39 am

I am all for acting and I have already stated this. But it has to be good acting and not the type you go to drama school for. Magicians are not acting in a play after all. I have seen many great actors attempt to do magic and the result is always bloody awful so that colours my view. For example I haver seen Orson Welles many times bore people to death doing magic on television. Just because you are good at one thing does not make you good at another.

And of course if you do happen to be good after taking acting lessons I suspect that is because of other factors and not the lessons themselves. In other words you are succeeding IN SPITE OF the lessons rather than because of them. For example I see Tommy Wonder mentioned above. I know he wrote arty-farty articles
in his book which sounded terribly intellectual but I rather suspect he learned more from working in the street selling worms than he ever did from his acting classes.

I note that Richard Kaufmann was included in the list above. I had no idea that Richard had taken acting lessons. However, he has admitted that he would have died the death on television so that kind of proves my point.

As for Fred Kaps also mentioned above he was indeed a superb actor. However I have never seen documented any evidence that he ever took formal acting lessons. And even if he did I still wouldn't be convinced. There are PLENTY of world class magicians who have never taken an acting lesson in their lives.

This discussion is however going off at a tangent. I merely have an aversion to the word "scripting". Before 1954 from time immemorial the word has been PATTER and patter it should remain. Scripting sounds so formal and boring and reminiscent of the acting profession. Patter is reminiscent of the entertainment profession. I really don't like the attempts to change magical history by giving things different words.

Ironically the only place I use a script that I learn by rote is at a trade show so I find that part of this discussion funny. When I work the patter to fit a product I am actually using a written script rather than my usual patter and I do have to learn this. Very laborious if I may say so. And oddly enough when I see trade show magicians use a script like this they often become quite robotic which kind of proves my point.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby mrgoat » January 20th, 2010, 8:55 am

Mark.Lewis wrote: which kind of proves my point.


Which is that some people read lines badly and can't act?

Stunning insight.

You should do a blog or something?

www.marklewisstatesthebleedingobvious.com is available, I'm sure it would be a huge hit.

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Re: Brilliant news - Shawn Farquhar on Ellen

Postby Jonathan Townsend » January 20th, 2010, 8:59 am

"Acting is the ability to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances." Sanford Meisner

That definition is missing a sarcmark.

For those who are working on reading skills, consider:
What is living truthfully?
How would one know if another is living truthfully?
Whose imagination is this about?
What does this definition imply about the audience?

Like the Clarke equation of technology and magic, another stumbling block to topple todlers.


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