David Blaine, Harry Potter, and YOU
Featured Article by Rick Carruth
So.. you want to be a street magic performer? Another Blaine, Nu, Benn, or Korn, perhaps?
Many of you have received ‘The Calling’. You can’t wait for the day when you can say that you’re a ‘professional magician’. You have your heroes, I do too, and you have your sights set on being a ’star’.
Let me say right now, not everyone wants to profit from magic. Many good magicians perform strictly for their love of magic, and they are more than content to keep their magic on a hobby level. They are not the reason for this article..
I’m focusing on the performer who wants to make magic a profession. In particular, I’m aiming at those of you who want to be another David Blaine – only better.
David Blaine has brought tremendous exposure to the art of magic. There are more performers now than at any time in magic’s long and storied history.. thanks in part to David.
But….
Take my heartfelt advice and don’t try to mold yourself after him. David’s persona, and reality, are two very diverse personalities. Emulating David is comparable to dreaming of going to wizards school and becoming another Harry Potter.
Both are fictional characters..
David succeeded in creating the ‘image’ of a wandering stranger, going from town to town, performing magic for the masses – one dude at a time.
In any of the specials, did you ONCE see anyone who appeared to be on the verge of giving David money? Think about it… Can you imagine David doing a levitation, turning to the screaming ladies, and asking for a little spare change?
If you have hopes of being a professional, getting paid really needs to be near the top of your list of priorities.
David earned tens of thousands up front, before the first segment was filmed. That was the seed money that fueled his travels around the country. David was lucky in that he acquired a couple of contacts that enabled him to get his foot in the right door and present his magic to the right executive..
Chris Korn and CB Benn taped their Mondo Magic series while traveling to different parts of the country, and, although their shows were well received, I honestly don’t remember seeing either of them passing the hat..
The same is true for Alain Nu. Great performer.. but he doesn’t make a living performing on basketball courts and in parking lots.
Think about it…
David taped two street magic specials and then moved on to extreme acts of endurance. Good for him. Even David knew NOT to push a good thing too far.
Benn and Korn will continue to perform their brand of magic.. just not on TV. And probably not on the streets either. They are not street magicians in the classical sense, although their magic looks good on the streets when followed by a camera crew..
Hey… I’m not writing street magic’s obiturary. I’m simply pointing you in the right direction. I know guys who make a good living as street magicians. But there’s a technique and strategy they use to fill their hats with cash…
Wandering through the streets of any-city USA isn’t part of that strategy.
If you dream of making a living in magic, then I hope you have realistic expectations and a business plan.. because without both you will find yourself broke and discouraged. Guys who make a living on the street’s have really good locations, with lots of traffic, and they are able to attract a crowd and entice their audience to tip..
And most of those who perform in restaurants have day jobs. At least until they develop a large enough following, like our contributing editor, David Breth, that the restaurant will actually pay them to perform and free both the magician of needing to depend on tips, and the customer of feeling that (s)he has to tip..
I know magicians who have been ‘in the business’ for ten to twenty years who still don’t have a clue how to make a living. Their lives are a mix of day jobs and low-paying performances, and the pain that comes from striving for recognition in a profession that won’t give an inch… mainly because they have no goals and no sense of direction.
And then there are ‘true’ street performers, like James Cellini, who make more in a day on the streets than you and I make in a week.
So whats the purpose of this article? To encourage you to research your
profession and discover HOW and WHY others succeed in the field you want to succeed in…
I’m sure if you could ask David Blaine right here, right now, how to make a living as a magician, he would tell you to seek out a professional magician, someone making a full-time living in the field of your choice, and learn everything you can from them…
Then, seek out another magician in the same field and learn all you can from them as well.
There are many excellent books, tapes, and DVD’s available to you that can offer precise details about street magic, close-up magic, stage magic, mentalism, or whatever you choose.
I’m not trying to educate you… I’m trying to get you to take a long, hard look at your form of magic, and make some critical decisions about where you need to go from here..
Also, I’m not trying to discourage you from doing what you want to do. I just want you to make SURE that what you want to do is actually do-able.
Good magicians find ways to make a living; shows, lectures, corporate events, cruise ships, trade shows, Las Vegas venues, webmasters, parties, restaurants (table-hopping), producing video’s, and a few other ways they keep secret.
So go ahead, pick your poison. But whatever you do;
(A) DON’T strive to be David Blaine. His persona is an illusion.
(B) DON’T waste your talent on a path that leads nowhere.
(C) DO make sure that what you want to do is both do-able and profitable.
(D) DO seek out the advise of professionals in your speciality.
(E) DO dream big… but have a plan!
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Rick Carruth is the editor of “Magic Roadshow Journal of Magic”, a bi-weekly newsletter for working magicians, and those who want to be. Each issue includes a combination of articles, interviews with internationally known magicians, resources gathered from across the web, and tips and tricks submitted by our readers. Subscribe and view past issues at streetmagic.info or visit our blog, “Magic Bullets”.
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