Mar 08 2009
Working Conditions - Street Magic or You Are Not David Blaine (and Neither Am I)
With things being what they are, I’m planning on taking myself to our local outdoor weekly craft market and trying my hand out there.
As I started to do my research (because that’s what I do), I found there are a lot of resources available for “Street Magic”.
Unfortunately most of them are not that good.
The reason they aren’t that good is that they use this odd definition of “Street Magic” which is based entirely off a TV special put forth by one David Blaine. This special had Mr. Blaine walking about LA and performing magic tricks for non-studio audiences in a non-studio environment. He called it “Street Magic”.
Now that’s all well and good, but it wasn’t entirely accurate. “Street Magic with an entire TV crew, producer, a 300 lb bodyguard and the knowledge that if you stuck around you’d become famous on TV” was a bit long as a title, though, so they cut it back.
Real street magic is what’s called “busking” - performing to gather a crowd, entertain them, and at the end of the show collecting money from your appreciative audience. Note that at no time did Mr. Blaine ask for money from his audiences. This is because he was being paid by the producer of his TV special.
The rest of us … are not that fortunate.
more “street magic” stuff tomorrow
How many times have you been asked to levitate?
It used to be, we couldn’t take two steps without being asked that question.
During the Blaine years, whenever any one asked if I could do what David Blaine did, I would bite a quarter in half.
Now it’s the Angel years.
Can’t you at least get an Adequate Afternoon? Then I can Have a Myth Moment.
Love the Blog.