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* Magic New Zealand®
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Issue Number: #1773
Date: Sunday 1st September 2024
Editor: Alan Watson QSM
www.watson.co.nz
E-mail: Editor@magicnewzealand.com
================================
Hi here is the latest news
================================
1.Editor's
Message
2. Vanish Magazine - Major Announcement
3. Lost In The Shuffle Official 2024 Trailer
4. September Genii Magazine
5. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article 167
6. Lance Burton's Las Vegas Mansion For Sale $10 Million
7. The Magic Word Podcast
8. Update: The Excelsior Tour
9. Magic Museum Bellachini - Episode 85/86
10. Tales From The Fantastic Magic Center - #98
11. Hummer Funner! - John Carey #242
12. Triadic - Just Released - A Brand New Book Test
13. E-zine Archives
14. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
1. Editor's Message
--------------------------------------------
If
you would like to read the Magic New Zealand E-zine in HTML
format, go to: http://www.magicnewzealand.com/ezine-archive/2024-Jan-to-Dec-2024/1773-Sep11-2024.html
If
you would like to write a regular column for Magic New Zealand
or
have some magic news drop me a line:
Editor@MagicNewZealand.com
--------------------------------------------
2. Vanish Magazine - Major Announcement
---------------------------------------------
Message by Paul Romhany, Editor Vanish Magazine
13
years ago, people thought I was crazy starting up a digital
magic publication. I watch technology and trends daily and
Vanish leads the way in the digital field, from the most
advanced search capabilities to interactive experiences
like no other. I spend hours a day working on making it
better and we have features never seen before. Vanish has
broken grounds and pushed boundaries of what was possible.
It has become my life's work.
I
am pleased to say my vision has just taken a major step
forward as I bring Vanish in to the Virtual Reality World.
Vanish
is NOW available for VR headsets including Meta Quest and
Apple VR. As I move in to this more, I will be tailoring
it towards this immersive experience so you can watch videos
and experience Vanish in 3D. The ground is broken as I learn
and grow with this incredible technology. I have a vision
for what I want to do with it.
This
is in addition to the digital publication and the printed
publication.
The
video here is a small example from my Meta Quest and its
early days but, it's now available. I'll be adding more
360 experiences over time. We will share an Apple VR experience
soon too.
If
you own a Meta VR headset or Apple headset I would like
to hear from you as I will set up a group so we can work
together to revolutionize the magic publication world.
-------------------------------------
3. Lost In The Shuffle Official 2024 Trailer
-------------------------------------
Take a look at the official trailer for Lost in the Shuffle,
a feature length documentary exploring the relations between
magicians and playing cards, while investigating a 500-year-old
cold case murder mystery!
Find
out more, join their mailing list, even buy bespoke LITS
playing cards! www.LostintheShuffle.film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmYGSEpJJPA
-------------------------------------
4. September Genii Magazine
-------------------------------------
Message by Richard Kaufman - Editor Genii Magazine
Subscribe
to Genii today for as little as $35 a year and you can visit
The Magic Castle with your subscription! And get eight gazillion
pages of magic in every back issue of Genii and MAGIC magazines
ever published. www.geniimagazine.com.
Boomsky,
Boomsky, Boomsky! How many Boomskys were there? Have you
even heard of Boomsky before? The poster you see on our
cover is only one of the many Boomskys. While most were
assistants to Alexander, Adelaide, and later Leon Herrmann,
other Black performers also took the name because Boomsky
gained great fame during the era of Reconstruction and early
20th century.
Our
cover story this month consists of a pair of excerpts from
Margaret Steele's new book The Great Boomsky, a terrific
read that traces many of those who took the name, but our
focus here is on the first - M.H. Everett, known as "Hutchin."
He ran straight from a field picking cotton with his family
to Alexander Herrmann's show in Americus, Georgia in 1891
and never looked back. His was a life of amazing tales.
Counting
down our last five months of the current iteration of Genii
with this line-up of great columnists, this month we present:
Jon Racherbaumer "Three's the Charm," a variation
on a trick by Carl Jones that appears in Greater Magic (which
I happened to read the other day).
*
A stunning French Physic magic set from the late 1800s from
John Gaughan's collection is on display in this month's
"Chamber of Secrets."
*
David Kaye keeps a diary of his experiences doing children's
shows, and this month he shares a bit of it with you in
"Expert at the Kids' Table."
*
Rafael Benatar shares his "Thoughts" on getting
ready for the Double Lift, with four video clips.
*
Part 2 of the story of The Pendragons appears this month
in "Panmagium."
*
In "Cardopolis," David Britland delves into a
clever use of a double-backed card in a trick with a funny
name.
*
Roberto Mansillia, like so many Spaniards, has a deep and
abiding love for the Color-Changing Knives, and he shares
some of his ideas in "Artifices" (with video).
*
Jamy Ian Swiss helps Matt Holtzclaw open his "Umbrella,"
which is a full performance piece with everyday objects,
in "Magicana" (also with video).
*
Vanessa Armstrong, one of your new editors starting in February,
scans the globe for news in "The Eye."
*
Shawn McMaster gives you the latest news from our home in
Los Angeles in "Knights at The Magic Castle,"
which focuses on the initial Artist in Residence program
with Juan Tamariz.
*
And in the final pages of this issue you'll find "Light
from the Lamp" with reviews of videos, tricks, and
books by Jonathan Levit, David Regal, and Francis Menotti.
-------------------------------------
5. Lance Burton's Las Vegas Mansion For Sale $10 Million
-------------------------------------
Stunning
Las Vegas mansion once owned by magician Lance Burton with
its own grotto spa hits the market for $10 million
The
property sprawls over 14,756 square feet and boasts six
bedrooms as well as its very own private cave
The
celebrity castle is said to be located at the 'top of the
world' because it is nestled atop a mountain
Built
in 2006, the stunning property sits on a 10.05-acre lot
and features a turret that overlooks the valley
Balance of article go to:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13735545/las-vegas-magician-lance-burton-house-selling-10-million.html
-------------------------------------
6. No Stone Unturned - Paul Stone - Article 167
-------------------------------------
Message by Paul Stone (US)
Once
again, I've been going through some of my collection of
DVD's starring magicians from around the world. I came across
a couple that featured Paul Daniels, but that were both
very different from the regular Paul Daniels TV Shows on
BBC.
I
must have recorded the first one from the TV at least forty
years ago. I know that it was originally recorded on an
old VHS cassette player, and later transposed to a DVD.
Paul hadn't quite become a huge star at the time, but had
started to make a name for himself.
The
program was called 'The Lunar Society' on Granada TV, and
came on at 12 Midnight for just five minutes! The set was
a cross between court and a library, with around 50 people
making up the audience. Paul performed a couple of close-up
effects in what could be best described as 'Parlour magic'
conditions. There were a series of I believe six short episodes,
but to my knowledge these were only shown on Granada TV.
Paul's comedic and attacking style were in great contrast
to the set, but somehow it worked.
The
other DVD was called 'Paul Daniels - In A Black Hole'. This
was a documentary filmed when Paul was already well established
as a headline star in UK. The premise was that Paul would
tour round America in cities and towns where no-one knew
who he was, under the guise of a jobbing magician called
'Eldani' (the same letters as Daniels but in a different
order!).
Over
the course of a month he would arrive in different towns
and try to set up gigs for himself, often at a variety of
sleazy venues, and in front a very few spectators. Even
with Paul's considerable talent and experience, this proved
to be a massive challenge, and one that would have destroyed
the confidence of most lesser magicians.
It
was a fascinating experiment and made for a riveting watch.
It just showed how difficult it can be at times to persuade
venues to give a magician a chance. As you would expect,
Paul took it completely in his stride, probably the result
of several years of working in the Northern clubs, where
he cut his teeth.
I've
travelled a lot over the years and visited many different
countries. I'm writing this article today sitting in the
lounge of a Crystal Cruise ship, on which I'm currently
a Special Interest Speaker, and having sailed first from
Copenhagen to Amsterdam, we have now docked at a small town
in Scotland called Invergordon. It's not a place I knew
anything about, and more than likely neither will you.
Only
around 4,000 people live in this town, and it boasts a small
high street, on which curiously, there are four Turkish
Barbers Shops! But the main reason for the ship stopping
here is that it is only a relative short drive to Loch Ness,
the home of the famous Loch Ness Monster!
Unfortunately
'Nessie' didn't appear for us today, but the locals are
adamant that it is definitely in the loch somewhere. Of
course they would say that. This mysterious creature has
created a very successful industry here, which has endured
for years. Is it real? … No-one can say for sure, but
what an amazing PR coup it has proved for this area.
-------------------------------------
7. The Magic Word Podcast
-------------------------------------
Message by Scott Wells, M.I.M.C. with Gold Star
David
Williamson and Michael Mode on The Magic Word Podcast
You
can listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts.
But for more content, please visit: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/850-david-williamson
This
week we feature a chat with Michael Mode. Not as well-known
as David Williamson, he is no less important to our community.
He was an "in demand" trade show performer in
Detroit for auto shows then later, along with another Detroit
native, Jeff Hobson, developed a joke app which has now
been turned into a book, "Best Jokes Ever." Michael
is also the person who had the idea and produced the two
colored Napkin to Rose napkins used for the effect. In this
week's episode, Michael offers multi-packs of these napkins
plus a copy of his book as prizes to listeners. You can
sign up for the contest on this week's blog on the website.
As
with all episodes, you can listen wherever you get your
podcasts; however, most popular podcast domains only go
back to the last 100 episodes. The Magic Word Podcast is
in rarified air because we are approaching 1,000 episodes!
But you can explore our catalog and listen to any or all
of the past episodes in the archives at: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/archives
But to listen to this week's episode on the website plus
view a video, see some photos, and register for the contest
to win a valuable prize, please visit: https://www.themagicwordpodcast.com/scottwellsmagic/853-michael-mode
Next
week we head to MAGIC Texas in Dallas, Texas, which promises
to be an epic, once-in-a-lifetime event. If you cannot make
it, then be sure to tune in beginning late Friday for the
first of four daily convention reports.
And
be sure to watch our new, weekly video short "The Magic
Whisper" on YouTube where we discuss a little bit of
what I've heard in the magic world during the past week,
upcoming conventions, lectures, and clips from upcoming
podcasts. You can find The Magic Whisper at: https://www.youtube.com/@texasmagician/videos
Please like, share and subscribe!
---------------------------------------------
8. Update: The Excelsior Tour
---------------------------------------------
Message by Jay Scott Berry (Australia)
Robert
Houdin famously said, "The magician is an actor playing
the part of a magician." The actual quote, in French,
is longer and more detailed. However, what always struck
me was the verb: To Play. In French, you don't 'do' magic,
you play magic: Je jouer à la magie!
This
idea of always playing applies from Strolling to Stage,
as an Emcee and Lecturer. Whenever I'm in front of an audience,
I have fun and play! I learned as a kid that the stage is
my 'Happy Space'. Instead of being nervous to perform, I'm
excited to perform!
Like an iceberg, the audience only ever sees the tip peeking
out of the water. We invest a great amount of time and effort
into our craft in order to achieve excellence. The dividend
is the tip, when we're onstage and get to play! Think about
it, that's an integral piece to any great performance.
Hence
my acronym, ACE: Attitude, Charisma, Enthusiasm. It's my
preshow Mantra that I use to shift focus from all the daily
issues and backstage prep, to the character and excitement
that I bring to the stage. I teach this to all my students
as a fundamental cornerstone of their magical mindset.
All
that said, I'm very excited to announce that I'll be Lecturing
at The Magic Circle in London on May 19th. This will bookend
my brief barnstorm of Britain, before heading across to
Europe. Big thanks to Daryl Rose for setting this up. I
look forward to seeing all my Magic Circle friends…
Cheers!
--------------------------------------------
9. Magic Museum Bellachini - Episode 85/86
---------------------------------------------
Message by Wittus Witt (Germany)
Dear
readers, I was a little inattentive and completely overlooked
the fact that our good friend Alan is taking a break for
a few days.
So
I dutifully wrote my report for the weekend of August 17th
and sent it off without thinking that no issue would be
published during this time.
But
since I don't want to have done my work in vain, here is
the planned issue 85 followed by the actual one for the
coming weekend August 31.
Magic
Museum Bellachini - Episode 85
This week saw the publication of the latest issue of my
magazine "Magische Welt", which I have been publishing
for 24 years. I am a little proud of the fact that the magazine
has not been sent out late once in those 24 years. I think
only a few magic magazines can claim that.
And
believe me, there have been a few problems over the 24 years,
both economic and personal.
The current issue, No. 4, focuses on the wonderful Julie
Eng. My friend Richard Hatch had already done the portrait
at the beginning of the year, when there was no talk of
Julie replacing Richard Kaufman as editor-in-chief. And
when I prepared the portrait for No. 4, I didn't have that
information either. Sometimes coincidental events really
do coincide and yet they fit together.
Another
main article is by Dr. Alex Romanoff. He wrote about the
FISM Congress in Turin. This is not a "typical"
congress report, but rather a critical examination of some
of the events during the congress. For example, Alex questions
why in the 21st century women who act as assistants are
still deliberately trying to be sexy? That time is actually
over.
Incidentally,
Alex has uploaded a very nice recording of the congress
to his YouTube channel. You can watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGfl3KsG9R4&t=630s
The
third exciting article comes from the pen of Dr. Andreas
Michel-Andino. It is already his 111th article in the "MW",
in which he writes about the art of magic: What is (magic)
art?
In
this episode, he sheds light on a particular shadow that
lies over the art of magic. It is about the often fatal
confusion between the art of magic and magick. The art of
magic is still associated with mystical magick. This is
particularly evident with mental magic, where the performers
often consciously promote belief in the supernatural.
In
the supplement "Magic Salt", a special trick is
presented and described by Eric Eswin, Honorary President
of FISM. A trick between psychology and the art of magic.
Here
is a visual impression of the magazine:
https://youtu.be/xecY2IodqdE
Now
that the issue has been published, I have time to prepare
the next exhibition at the Bellachini Museum. It is dedicated
to the cups and balls. There will be a very comprehensive
accompanying book with historical information and, above
all, many illustrations, many of which have never been shown
before.
See
you there.
Wittus
Witt
www.hamburger-zaubermsuem.com
Magic
Museum Bellachini - Episdoe 86
Episode
86
In just three weeks, the popular "Hamburg Magic Nights"
will be back. For the 14th time since 2010, artists have
been invited to enchant the audience with a complete evening
program. The dates are September 19 to 21, all at 20:00
in the beautiful "Sprechwerk" theater.
Dr.
Alex Romanoff will be there for the first time and will
also be performing a program for the big stage for the first
time. He has been performing regularly in my ZauberSalon
for two years and only for a small circle here. I am excited
to see how he will perform on stage with his program "The
Art of the Impossible".
The
second artist I have been able to win over is Christian
Knudsen, a well-known colleague in Germany, to perform his
program "SalonWunder". Christian is well known
to German magicians. He has published several books for
magicians and gives successful lectures for his colleagues.
The
third artist is equally successful: Marcel Kösling.
He already enjoys somewhat greater popularity with the public.
His specialty is to present skilful magic with a lot of
wit and humor. The title of his program is: Top Secret.
I
also present all three artists on my YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/137xvudrFoc
See
you next week ... if I haven't missed something again ...
;-)
Wittus
Witt
www.hamburger-zaubermuseum.com
--------------------------------------------
10. Tales From the Fantastic Magic Center - #98
--------------------------------------------
Message by Kent Cummins (US)
"Artificial
Intelligence"
Artificial
Intelligence (AI) offers magicians a modern toolset to enhance
their craft, bringing a blend of technology and traditional
illusion that captivates audiences in new and exciting ways.
Creating Interactive Experiences: AI can be integrated into
magic performances to create interactive experiences. Using
computer vision, AI can track audience members' movements
or recognize objects, allowing magicians to create tricks
that respond to the audience in real-time. This could involve
predicting a spectator's choices or making objects appear
to move on their own.
Enhanced
Illusions: AI can be used to refine traditional tricks.
For instance, machine learning algorithms can analyze countless
iterations of a trick to optimize the performance, ensuring
smoother execution and reducing the risk of errors. AI-driven
robotics can also bring a new level of precision to mechanical
illusions.
Personalized
Performances: AI can help magicians personalize their shows.
By analyzing data about the audience, such as demographics
or real-time reactions, magicians can adjust their performances
to better suit the audience's preferences. This customization
can make each performance unique and more engaging.
Virtual
and Augmented Reality: AI combined with virtual reality
(VR) and augmented reality (AR) can create immersive magic
experiences. These technologies can make it seem as if objects
are appearing or disappearing in the real world or transform
the environment around the audience, creating a magical
atmosphere that is hard to achieve with traditional methods
alone.
Innovation in Trick Design: AI can assist in designing new
tricks. By using AI tools to simulate different scenarios
and outcomes, magicians can develop innovative tricks that
were previously unimaginable. This allows for the continual
evolution of the art form, keeping it fresh and intriguing.
In
essence, AI is not replacing the magician but is an enabler,
offering new ways to amaze and entertain, ensuring that
the magic remains alive in the digital age.
(Written
by ChatGPT)
kent@magichotline.com
-------------------------------------------
11. Hummer Funner! - John Carey #242
-------------------------------------------
Message by John Carey (UK)
Hummer
Funner is a quick, commercial, strong and funny application
of the late Bob Hummer's Mental or Mathematical Monte effect.
Here I've applied the Hummer concept to a magician in
trouble scenario. It's an ideal anytime and anywhere piece
as all you need is some pocket change.
Reach
into your pocket and take out some pocket change. Casually
toss three different coins down one at a time onto the table
in a row and make a mental note of the middle coin. Put
the rest of your change away and say that you will turn
away and show them the trick that never fails! This should
get a reaction. Ask your participant to think of any coin.
Then say to make things harder, switch the positions of
the other two coins. Turn back to face your helper.
Make
a note of where your target coin is. If it's still in the
middle of the row, that's the coin they are thinking of.
If it's at the left end of the row, the coin they are thinking
of is at the right end. But if you note the target or key
coin is at the right end of the row, their thought of coin
is the one at the left end. Bob Hummer genius at work here.
"Three
different coins, one of which you are thinking of. They
often say that the inflections in one's voice can sometimes
give your true thoughts away. Please call out each coin.
I think I picked up on a vocal tell. Don't say a word as
I will now eliminate two of the coins." After the above
monologue the right hand goes back and forth over the row
of coins and you feign concentration. A moment later pick
up their coin and apparently place it away in your right
pocket. In reality, you finger palm it and come back out.
They will believe you've already screwed up. Next pick up
either of the remaining coins at the right fingertips and
apparently toss it into your left-hand which closes into
a fist. Really though you execute a Bobo switch, secretly
switching in their thought of coin. Pick up the remaining
coin from the table at the right fingertips and look intently
at your participant. "I know it's one of these two,
but don't clue me as this is the trick that never fails!"
A
moment later the right hand puts its coin away into the
pocket, at the same time ditching the other coin. Come back
out and ask your helper to reveal the coin they merely thought
of? When they do look ruffled and confused and look down
at your left fist. "What's the name of this trick?"
They answer you and a moment later you open your left hand
to reveal their thought of coin and then say: "That
my friends is the trick that never fails!"
-------------------------------------------
12. Triadic - Just Released - A Brand New Book Test
-------------------------------------------
Message by Chris Wardle
Triadic
- Just Released - A Brand New Book Test by Award-Winning
Creators Chris Wardle and James Ward
*
Triadic - A Three-phase routine with three separate reveals!
*
NO fishing, NO memory work, NO peeks, NO cribs, NO procedures,
NO guessing letters, NO codes, NO misses - a direct hit
each time and completely out of your hands!
*
Very easy to perform, Chris Wardle and James Ward have done
all of the hard work for you, by creating a craftily-written
and devious book test which you can perform almost immediately.
It is completely self-contained, as the instructions are
'hidden in plain sight' in the final two chapters of the
book!
Using an innocent-looking poetry book, but you can divine
a significant word from the start of the poem, then go on
to describe the features, theme and tone of the chosen poem
and finally you reveal a significant word on the final line!
Multiple principles at play make this so easy to perform.
"I'm a force book junkie - I love them, I've owned
many of the best and now I have another corker to add to
the pile. The great advantages of this one are its size
- it fits into a back pocket or a handbag - and its style:
it appears simply to be a treasured book of poems. It also,
crucially, delivers three clear climaxes every time, so
if you handle it right it could establish your reputation
as a versatile reader of minds."
British Magic Legend, Geoffrey Durham.
"Triadic - Wow, is it ever devious! I can't wait to
perform it!"
Michael Breggar, magic creator and columnist in 'The Linking
Ring' magazine.
"This is a genius concept, executed brilliantly. This
poetry book is now a permanent fixture on my coffee table."
TV and radio presenter and magician, Matt Edmondson.
Available now from your favourite dealer.
---------------------------------------------
13. E-zine Archives
---------------------------------------------
Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e- zine go to:
www.magicnewzealand.com
Click
on the red button centre right "Archives"
When you enter the archive the e- zines are in issue order
in folders for each year and are Coded, e.g. 001 Nov06 1999.txt
first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the
date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999)
--------------------------------------------
14. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice
--------------------------------------------
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You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand®
E- zine at: www.magicnewzealand.com
Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday.
The opinions and statements expressed therein are those
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of any opinion, message, statement, or other information
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, this publication may be freely
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the above disclaimer.
© Copyright 2024 Alan Watson QSM
www.magicnewzealand.com
http://twitter.com/#!/magicnewzealand
www.watson.co.nz
www.balloon-twister.co.nz
