I remember being about 13 or so when The Masked Magician was on TV. All my school friends would talk about it. It definitely got me into magic and spending my allowance to order tricks and at the local magic shop. Still do tricks for my family today. :) But I can also see why some would not appreciate TMM. I still love him. :)
Val Valentino might have damaged his times , but also promoted magic in a way that is a million fold than anyone could have done. Also , Val Valentino inspired people to expose magic secrets in ways to prevent people from cheating the crowd with magic. What my biggest take away from the show , is more than just knowing a few secrets , I realise to perform even a simple trick requires true effort rather than just Magic like someone just born with supernatural powers. Magicians might have their wonders mask taken off a little in some way , but more people realise magicians are artists as well. Magic is an art.
As you say the presentation is as important if not more so than the tricks themselves. I thought the atmosphere of the warehouse, with the subdued lighting, a little smoke, and the “lovely assistants” was perfect. Valentino didn’t need to say a word. His gesturing was excellent to direct the audience’s attention and get them involved. Mitch Pileggi’s narration was semi-monotone and mildly sarcastic but it helped establish the atmosphere. After Valentino revealed
Firstly, Val was a major fixture in Vegas and Laughlin long before anyone ever heard of Angel or Blaine. I saw Val climb the ranks and work his butt off for close to 20 years battling the political B.S. of the Magic Industry (specifically) all the way. This is a guy that did two midday shows in Vegas five days a week as well as a full even stage show in Lauglin by night, where he was a recognize "headliner" and yet, the trade mags and establishments kept ignoring him and to a huge extent, suppress him. Ask yourself just how much patience you would have after dealing with such situations for close to half your life. I doubt you'd really accept it and go about doing what you've always done. . . especially if you were the position to do more. Secondly, take a look at what Val said was his reason for tipping so much and compare that to how the magic world has taken a huge leap away from our yesteryear way of developing and approaching magic. I'm rather confident you'd start seeing how much good his short-lived Tv time did for the art vs. bad. Especially if you look at what Val really tipped in those shows. . . very little of what he showed was valid or, as in the majority of instances, were rarely employed methods. Too, a good deal of the things tipped were considerably out of date and no longer in common use within large or small arenas and/or were the elementary aspect of a method such as working with a Swami or the Center Tear. Let's consider the fact too, that Penn & Teller got their start EXPOSING all kinds of legit magic secrets but did so in a slightly different manner than VAL was doing. We should probably look at the fact that there is NOT ONE SINGLE MAJOR NAME IN MAGIC that is not guilty of exposing some of the same stuff Val gets' stigmatized over by way of comic books, cereal boxes, junk food novelties and of course the one standard that was common with kiddie show performers well into the mid-80's -- small booklets like 101 Magic Tricks You Can Do. Want More? When it comes to exposing our secrets, the worse culprits are magician's themselves in that the majority do little more than learn the method and instantly run out and show it off. They get it in the morning and have it in their act that night; the end result being fools that tip how a Dove Pan works or produce a dead bird from the silk and not know how to compensate on things, etc. Some such performers are actual regulars on the Vegas strip. Angel, due to his personality and general assholiness is far more a low life than Valentino will ever be. I don't say that because Val has been a friend for many years but because Val has always been honest and not stepped on his friends and those that helped him. Angel has more or less pushed everyone that saw something in him originally, away. Few of them have anything good to say about the prick; they're just professional enough to not say it in a public forum. As the Masked Magician however, Valentino still works very regularly with a pseudo-expose styled show throughout much of South & Central America and even a few cruise ship gigs that I'm aware of. He's likewise producing programs that are straight magic, at least one project I'm aware of will be for Television. So, I wouldn't discount him if I were you.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. I would never wish to "discount" Valentino, and I am glad you brought me up to speed on his career.
Valentino's show at the stratosphere was the very first magic show I ever saw, and after the show at Houdini's Magic shop at the same place I bought my first magic trick. I was actually really amazed by his show but it was the very first show I ever saw
Excellent video. All these years later I remember one thing more than anything else about the Masked Magician - What an entertaining show it was. If you make me scratch my head really hard, I might, maybe remember how a few of the tricks were done.
I remember watching that show when it aired on tv and then I forgot about it. Until a few years ago I had to rewatch this series again. It helped me keep the spark for magic.
Magicians get wrapped up in their own hype ,The audience knows your shows are not reality, They want fantasy,they want to be entertained, They want to suspend believe ,like going to the cinema, just like people have their favourite cd and video ,they still want to go to their favourite music group to hear it live,
Hi, i remember watching the masked magician on t.v when i was about 13, he got me interested in magic. Certainly presentation is important, Siegfried and Roy where masters of this. 80% of things people forget and i expect most of these illusions can be repeated. But i still think that they can be developed further. For instance how could the sub trunk be developed. Could we use a perspex sub trunk. And why not the same with the zig zag, could this be developed to be perspex with (m.glass). Could foil tables be constructed in the same way. Could colour be added and prop flourishes to make it more dazzerling. Etc.👍contact me for details here- lets create a new illusion!
I think you make some excellent points. Sometimes, a new presentation without altering the box itself at all makes the audience think they are watching a whole new effect. It really is about presentation.
That was brilliant!I don’t see a problem with exposure because knowing how to technically perform a trick ISN’T the trick.You have to present a trick in such a way that the storyline absorbs the imagination of the audience and goes hand in glove with the trick(technical part).Magicians want to know how a trick is done so that they can build a story line around it and present the whole composition as a thing of wonder.Lay people are intrigued by the exposure of the technical part but they don’t really care or store it in the memory bank or more to the point,they forget because they know the secret and so the wonder is gone.If you watch a magic exposure show all the viewers are doing is watching puzzles being unlocked over and over until it becomes boring.A real magician suspends a persons belief with an experience of uplifting wonderment.No ones interested in the secret,they let the magic wash over them and excite the senses.So I absolutely concur with you.Superb.Extremely entertaining.Thanks.
I am a magician for more than fifty years. I specialize in close up and parlor magic. But I do know how some stage illusions methods are done in various ways. I also enjoy the show Magic: Breaking The Magician’s Code. Yet, I have to admit I forget how most of the stuff revealed was done. (Heck, I even forget how some of the tricks I learned and performed was done if I didn’t do them consistently. The mind is perishable. It forgets. I remember as a young magician. Tom Ladshaw told me that he performs the same tricks night after night and gets repeat spectators and most of them don’t remember some of the tricks that they saw the night before. So, there you go! No need to worry about exposure. People forget!
A simpler example is the coloring book illusion that's included in every children's set. If I change the book cover, and change the blank pages to scribble scrabble. Now the children can experience a new wonder. At least from experience the children forget the trick if they know it
Although he gets a lot of hate, I think Val/TMM did *FAR* less damage to magic than P&T did (and continue to do) with Fool Us. Val gave non-standard methods that will quickly be either totally forgotten or people will not even realise it's the same trick (eg, if you vanish a red silk people will think it’s a TT, vanish something else, or even just a different coloured silk, and they will be stumped), where Penn and Teller train the audience to think magic is a puzzle to be solved otherwise you are a FOOL
This is an interesting thought. I enjoy the show Fool Us, and it's certainly been a huge boost to many acts. Even those who failed to fool them (Piff). I suppose Magic will always be seen as having a puzzle element, unless you're performing a trick outside the genre of Magic (a special effect, a faith healer, etc). Arguably, we magicians are the ones who care most about the puzzle. We all love the craft of method. In a way, Fool Us brings that love and curiosity to the wider public. It helps that Penn isn't an X-Factor style judge, he constantly praises. I'm not sure I feel as though overall it's damaging to Magic. I don't think either show was. They just found another way to make magic entertaining, and that's probably always a net positive.
@@davidalnwick Good points as well, David. I have not been on Fool Us. I am working on effects that could potentially "fool" them, and when I have one, I think we do it; I will certainly apply because the publicity factor for those that appear is invaluable, and you made that point.
Wonderful video. I think in some ways he did spark new interests in magic in general. This was a fantastic exposure so to speak into the world of magic.👍😊👍😊👍😊
Professor Dellman, I suggest that you post a video addressing this current hideous approach to magic where our precious craft is being treated as a competition: it challenges people to solve the puzzle instead of experiencing the mistery and the wonder. TV shows like Fool Us foments that preposterous tread.
Good point Dreams. I like the fact that so many talented magicians have been given a national spotlight on Fool Us, but it does as you point out, challenge people to solve the puzzle rather than experience the wonder.
You know this day would came anyway at some point, was it Valentino or not - Then some other guy would have done it. It was inevitable, it was destined to happen and break old walls. Valentino isn't guilty what was about happen anyway.
I lately watched some of the TMM videos on youtube and personally I also feel like 99% of the audience watching the videos now are either magicians or people strongly interested in magic. So the harm of the exposure is rather limited over all. And regardless of ones personal opinion about Val Valentino you have to admit that he was a skilled magician since he was able to learn and perform all the tricks he revealed in the show. To be honest I think that if someone is strongly interested in magic the main point of watching magic is that the person wants to be entertained. Personally for me it does not matter if I know the secret of a trick if the performance is good. For instance I still enjoyed the performance of Mc Donalds Aces from on of the local IBM Magicians even if I know how he did it. The people only interested in the secret will lose interest in magic soon anyway and moreover they gimp themself the experience to wonder
@@DavidDellman Skilled? I saw few things that required consummate skill on his part. Some of his box jumpers had to have skill and athleticism; him, well not so much! It was all about the money for him. The producers had been casting about for someone willing to do exposure for cash. I've seen plenty of people, magicians and laity, that have been badly deceived (and therefore amazed) by an effect that, when told of its secret, said, "Is that all it is?" I've had people tell me, "Oh, he was trying to force magicians to come up with new magic." Why couldn't HE do that if it's just that easy? Some magicians came up with new illusions and then he exposed those too. Thanks for nothing, L. Montano. The secret SHOULD belong to its creator, not some jerk who learns it and then decides to reveal it. The producers of these shows did it to exploit secrets for ratings. They would have revealed there was no Santa if they could make a buck!!!
@@michaeleasler5249 Good points Michael and yes the secret absolutely does belong to its creator as you stated and no one else has the right to expose it
@@DavidDellman what if 50 ppl create the same trick not knowing each other?...well, then it goes to who created it 1st and built the device...what if the trick is easy to figure out? Could i reveal it? Some tricks are pretty obvious, they really did not even need to be revealed...it was just a tv show, the ppl that got upset seem to think the public are all fools, as if nobody could figure out a key part to a trick with no knowledge of how the trick works...i respect how well one can perform, not the tricks... the tricks are just props and gadgets...i say that because when i watch magic, i'm not really watching the trick, i'm looking for tells, delays, sleight of hand etc...i really don't care about the trick itself, i just watch how well it is performed...i could watch the same trick 30 times and even if i know how it is done, i can still watch the performance... Magic is kind of like skateboarding, many ppl can do the same tricks, but only a few can make it look great or take it to new levels... You could do any older trick, speed up all the delays, improve the gadgets to make old tricks new and harder to figure out... You could literally do the trick once, show me how you did it, then do the same trick a different/better way, it would not matter to me, it's your show, not mine...teaching ppl stuff is a good thing.
@@d0n77 "Magic is kind of like skateboarding, many ppl can do the same tricks, but only a few can make it look great or take it to new levels" Good point
I do really like this video, and I think you are right. The idea of "if you know how, can you do it" is like saying "if you know a recipe, can you be a Michelin star chef". I am not sure if you are right in people not caring or remembering how a trick is made, what I think is happening is that the presentation, the performance and the entire "spirit" in the act, makes the trick become a minor detail that is not taking away from the amazing. I am sure you have seen plenty of bad Mahicans who by their "performance" alone almost makes the trick boring, mundane and almost revile how it is done. What I love the most is when the trick / cheat is performed before or after the audience it thinking it is done, i.e. predicting what a person is thinking or i.e. the catch the bullet with your teeth. On the other hand, does performers (not magician) like David Blane piss me off! Yes, he is entertaining and has done a lot, but imagine all the "audience" he has left behind who now have a totally wrong and maybe condescending opinion of our art. I do also hate that he made people believe that he was real magic or some sort of endurance miracle. I think he has crossed the line way too often and not in any good way.
It makes me think of Dunninger's Encyclopedia Magic. I had a copy when I was a kid, I loved the illustrations. I don't believe it necessarily revealed anything accurately type of disinformation so when I would see a similar trick being performed I would look for the methods of how it was done but would not be able to detect them. Which made the performance that I was witnessing even more powerful. I believe this was Dunninger's intention. Versus the Masked Magician's cynical insinuation that magicians are out to prove that audience's are a bunch of idiots.
I loved Dunninger's book. I don't think it exposed anything, but it did give the imagination something to feed on. It's a great book. Thanks for commenting
At the time of the show run, I had a friend who did magic I asked him about his thoughts on the Mask Magician he hated it for he was hurting working Magicians who had that as the only way to do the trick like he said not everyone is a Copperfield or an Angle who had at their disposal more than 1 way to perform the trick
Franky I never had a problem revealing my own methods. That’s why I published them in Lybrary I taught the secrets of my stage hypnosis without induction and explained the psychology. It’s after all not the method like you said. It’s the entertainment and the performance. I know 99% of Derren Brown’s methods but I’m always excited when he does a new show and I get (with my mentalism buddy) in the car, cross three countries to go and see the new show. Just because he’s a great entertainer. And his stage shows are far less magical and impossible than the TV shows and even layman see that, but they all love being there. A friend of mine is the second illusionist (after Hans Klok) in this country. And I never like stage magic. Not when he does it, not when Hans does it, not when Copperfield does it. And frankly I don’t know those methods and I don’t care, I know it happens somewhere in a base or that box. But they whole show doesn’t appeal to me because it’s merely effect after effect. There’s no rhyme and reason, there’s no interaction. When I did my stage hypnosis (2nd half after first half of mentalism - with a lot of instant inductions and suggestion too, just to already preselect and test). I had audience members interact in skits as well and interact with the hypnotees. I had audience member come up with funny sketch ideas and made them the director. It’s that interaction that makes it fun, otherwise hypnosis shows are boring! And the method is, there’s no method or no real skill. It’s testing and then stacking psychological principles. That’s probably why I also got fed up with it and later mentalism too. It requires little skill and it’s not really technically challenging. And I think exposure, indeed, forges development. I’m an engineer and computer scientist by trade. It’s the opensource community that created enormous leaps of innovation because there are no proprietary secrets and we all stand on the shoulders of others. And non-developers don’t care! Same like laymen in magic, they don’t care. Software users want good working affordable software, they’re goers that see magic shows want an affordable entertaining night out.
@@DavidDellman maybe I’ll come back out of retirement :) I actually fell into special effects and visual effects because of my work as a mentalist and creating props and effects. So that with my IT company are my main two focuses now. I couldn’t combine all three. This already is difficult at times. Since IT projects keep rolling (with Corona lockdowns a blessing!) so I sometimes need to plan TV/Film VFX projects around that.
@@DavidDellman Friday on my channel will be a video on how I create my electronic force die system. This is for a client who bought my system that I had used for 2 years, used it himself and the sold it off and now regrets it. So after 10 years I was commissioned to create a new one. There’s also a video already on there how I make a computer “read ‘my’ mind”; It’s all voice controlled and voice synthesis and truly any cars can be chosen. For me this channel is all about teaching electronics and software in a playful and applied manner. Getting more people inspired to get involved with Computer Science and engineering.
Hai there When I was 12-15 i watches your show it was a decade ago Suddenly I saw Loy machedo face i remember your mask so I came here to check in I am fascinated by the big reveal at end The philosophy in this video i understand as a software engineer we see this it was open source now it is ai and data If you think you killed magic i don't agree the internet will definitely killed it
really thanks for the wonderful feedback , i understand the pain of the magician , i know the pain how hard it affects when someone reveals the secret , by the way am not a magician but am a web developer , in the web developement world there a thing called open source which means free softwares like that , just think if you want to pay for every keyword or letter typing or pressing on the browser or computer would you use the computer or if its thats the case would the software it tech industry have a chance to grow big like this for example youtube , facebook etc it doesnt matter whether they revealed or not revealed , its all depends upon the mindset and as you said the way of presentation matter but one thing is true , because if Val Valentino like guys not revealing magics ,to normal people what if some groups like terror groups or mafia or some hijacking groups uses magic and loots and fear the people with that so for that type of reasons its better and less damage in a good way of saving magic industry without being get banned
@@DavidDellman yes definetly sir , it will both teaches the skillset and also gives plenty of opportunity to earn money , just take google as a example how it provides free services like browsers search engine etc and earns money by viewing ads like the same way all the things , skills ,fields can do this and can earn more really thanks for looking in to my comments sir
Здравствуйте Дэвид, и большое спасибо за интересное видео! Также смотрю Ваши видео ролики о практике и репетициях - бесценные советы, огромная помощь, спасибо! Расскажите, пожалуйста, о роли актерского мастерства в магии, нужно ли посещать курсы актерской игры или любительский театр, занимались ли Вы на подобных курсах и как это помогло Вам в занятиях магией? Благодарю. С уважением, Виктор.
Hello David, and thank you very much for the interesting video! I also watch your videos about practice and rehearsals - invaluable advice, great help, thanks! Please tell us about the role of acting in magic, is it necessary to attend acting classes or amateur theater, have you taken such courses and how did it help you in practicing magic? Thanks to. Sincerely, Victor. I was a theatre major during my first two years of college. I studied acting, directing, and theatre arts. I also studied speech communication. Magic is a performance art. The skills of acting, blocking, and stage craft are critical, I believe, to our success as performers. It may or may not be possible for you to take formal lessons or engage in scholastic study but I would encourage you to learn as much as you can about acting and stage craft. It will enhance your skills as a performer.
I totally agree. Most people havent seen the masked magician. For example my neighbors. They go to vegas every year and one of their big highlights is they go see a magic show every year. They arent watching the masked magician. They just think magic is cool. They have no idea how its done. Ive heard comments from them that lets me know they have no idea how magic is done. Like they think magicians have some sort of special power. Lol. I see those kinds of comments wverywhere on videoam of magicians people thinking the magician is some sort of scorcerer or something. You immediately know those people dont have a clue. I love magic although i dont do it myself but i know how tons of tricks are done. Its just a subject that has really interested me for many years. But most people dont have a clue. And criss angels and all the other magicians shows are still always sold out.
If no one exposed secrets, we would be still be stuck at ones like sawing a woman in half. If you're a magician you should know that one of the rules in magic is you never do the same trick twice. Its not like in the olden days where communication was that slow that you could get away with it
@@DavidDellman the whole idea of him being masked , the narration is great and no unnecessary portions or sections just the trick and its walk through, I remember watching this way back in mid late 2000s when i was much younger. obviously at some point to catch on and notice some of the imperfections of the trick and see how they did it or just know how they did it because its similar to an another trick. but its still entertaining either way. sometimes you think of ways of how they did it which can work but the way he does it is different.
The Pendragons clearly impossible thin model sawing illusion and suposedly Copperfield uses now and lady to tiger illusion Jonathan Pendragon called it fire cage illusion
hmmm this video gives me a lot to think about. When I was younger and Val first came out everyone in my family told me to go watch it. Because anything dealing with magic is something I must surely like. I remember getting extremely mad at him, because it's against the magician's code. I get the points you are making but it's simply not done. Granted I've seen folks do this and play it into their act like Lance Burton. He reveals the wooden egg and then pulls the hole off at the end and cracks the egg. But I guess a combination of having the code for so long and not revealing stuck with me. But this is certainly a different way to think about it for sure. I still feel like revealing the secret steals the magic from the audience. sure it's not only the secret but to the lay person, it will take that wonder from them.
I cannot understand how any magician, whether a hobbyist or professional, can offer the phrase, "I am a fan of the show." It doesn't matter if he's revealing the actual method or a non-traditional method, it's still the lowest form of magic entertainment. In my opinion he's a putz.
On NBC world's greatest magic TV specials Jonathan Pendragon maatero the magnificent said anyone can do these props the secrets are just tools its t he performer that makes it magical ps Charlotte Pendragon said the vanishing bowl of water illusion was the first trick Jonathan taught here ps they show how it's done with a cup and a plate and a cloth
Professor Dellman, Have you ever read the classic book "Prestidigitation sans appareils" (1914) - translated to English by Jean Hugard and published by Paul Fleming in 1945 as "Magic without Apparatus"?? It is extremely hard to get that book. Could you please review it??
Magic isnt the idea of the trick, it is the effective performance of the trick without allowing the viewer to see the trick unfolding. If you perform and your view saw the tricks method before completion, you didn't perform it right. Even after him showing how, rewatching them I still couldn't see anything giving it away. I'd look for mirrors moving or light bending, wires, shadows etc, yet I could never see it, or like slight of hand card tricks, Id know how the trick was done yet I still could never see it happen when someone good did it. To perfectly perform the trick is an art in itself. Or puttin a card on other side of glass or stick to the roof, id know howw the trick was done yet still think if performed right, htf did you do that so well??!!! wtf I cant do that!! how?!!!!
I remember being about 13 or so when The Masked Magician was on TV. All my school friends would talk about it. It definitely got me into magic and spending my allowance to order tricks and at the local magic shop. Still do tricks for my family today. :)
But I can also see why some would not appreciate TMM. I still love him. :)
I think we all love the person that first exposed us to the magic bug. Thanks for sharing your story
Val Valentino's experiment did force lazy and unimaginative "magicians" to propose better and fresh illusions. In that regard, we should thank him.
Good point Dreams
Val Valentino might have damaged his times , but also promoted magic in a way that is a million fold than anyone could have done.
Also , Val Valentino inspired people to expose magic secrets in ways to prevent people from cheating the crowd with magic.
What my biggest take away from the show , is more than just knowing a few secrets , I realise to perform even a simple trick requires true effort rather than just Magic like someone just born with supernatural powers. Magicians might have their wonders mask taken off a little in some way , but more people realise magicians are artists as well. Magic is an art.
As you say the presentation is as important if not more so than the tricks themselves. I thought the atmosphere of the warehouse, with the subdued lighting, a little smoke, and the “lovely assistants” was perfect. Valentino didn’t need to say a word. His gesturing was excellent to direct the audience’s attention and get them involved. Mitch Pileggi’s narration was semi-monotone and mildly sarcastic but it helped establish the atmosphere. After Valentino revealed
You've made some really good points; I am glad you added them to this discussion. The Masked Magician is a well-produced show, and it is fun to watch.
Firstly, Val was a major fixture in Vegas and Laughlin long before anyone ever heard of Angel or Blaine.
I saw Val climb the ranks and work his butt off for close to 20 years battling the political B.S. of the Magic Industry (specifically) all the way. This is a guy that did two midday shows in Vegas five days a week as well as a full even stage show in Lauglin by night, where he was a recognize "headliner" and yet, the trade mags and establishments kept ignoring him and to a huge extent, suppress him.
Ask yourself just how much patience you would have after dealing with such situations for close to half your life. I doubt you'd really accept it and go about doing what you've always done. . . especially if you were the position to do more.
Secondly, take a look at what Val said was his reason for tipping so much and compare that to how the magic world has taken a huge leap away from our yesteryear way of developing and approaching magic. I'm rather confident you'd start seeing how much good his short-lived Tv time did for the art vs. bad. Especially if you look at what Val really tipped in those shows. . . very little of what he showed was valid or, as in the majority of instances, were rarely employed methods. Too, a good deal of the things tipped were considerably out of date and no longer in common use within large or small arenas and/or were the elementary aspect of a method such as working with a Swami or the Center Tear.
Let's consider the fact too, that Penn & Teller got their start EXPOSING all kinds of legit magic secrets but did so in a slightly different manner than VAL was doing. We should probably look at the fact that there is NOT ONE SINGLE MAJOR NAME IN MAGIC that is not guilty of exposing some of the same stuff Val gets' stigmatized over by way of comic books, cereal boxes, junk food novelties and of course the one standard that was common with kiddie show performers well into the mid-80's -- small booklets like 101 Magic Tricks You Can Do.
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When it comes to exposing our secrets, the worse culprits are magician's themselves in that the majority do little more than learn the method and instantly run out and show it off. They get it in the morning and have it in their act that night; the end result being fools that tip how a Dove Pan works or produce a dead bird from the silk and not know how to compensate on things, etc. Some such performers are actual regulars on the Vegas strip.
Angel, due to his personality and general assholiness is far more a low life than Valentino will ever be. I don't say that because Val has been a friend for many years but because Val has always been honest and not stepped on his friends and those that helped him. Angel has more or less pushed everyone that saw something in him originally, away. Few of them have anything good to say about the prick; they're just professional enough to not say it in a public forum.
As the Masked Magician however, Valentino still works very regularly with a pseudo-expose styled show throughout much of South & Central America and even a few cruise ship gigs that I'm aware of. He's likewise producing programs that are straight magic, at least one project I'm aware of will be for Television. So, I wouldn't discount him if I were you.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. I would never wish to "discount" Valentino, and I am glad you brought me up to speed on his career.
Valentino's show at the stratosphere was the very first magic show I ever saw, and after the show at Houdini's Magic shop at the same place I bought my first magic trick. I was actually really amazed by his show but it was the very first show I ever saw
Excellent video. All these years later I remember one thing more than anything else about the Masked Magician - What an entertaining show it was. If you make me scratch my head really hard, I might, maybe remember how a few of the tricks were done.
Indeed so, it was a very entertaining show.
When someone tells your secrets . You need to get better secrets. Better secrets makes better magic
I remember watching that show when it aired on tv and then I forgot about it. Until a few years ago I had to rewatch this series again. It helped me keep the spark for magic.
Magicians get wrapped up in their own hype ,The audience knows your shows are not reality, They want fantasy,they want to be entertained, They want to suspend believe ,like going to the cinema, just like people have their favourite cd and video ,they still want to go to their favourite music group to hear it live,
Hi, i remember watching the masked magician on t.v when i was about 13, he got me interested in magic. Certainly presentation is important, Siegfried and Roy where masters of this. 80% of things people forget and i expect most of these illusions can be repeated. But i still think that they can be developed further. For instance how could the sub trunk be developed. Could we use a perspex sub trunk. And why not the same with the zig zag, could this be developed to be perspex with (m.glass). Could foil tables be constructed in the same way. Could colour be added and prop flourishes to make it more dazzerling. Etc.👍contact me for details here- lets create a new illusion!
I think you make some excellent points. Sometimes, a new presentation without altering the box itself at all makes the audience think they are watching a whole new effect. It really is about presentation.
That was brilliant!I don’t see a problem with exposure because knowing how to technically perform a trick ISN’T the trick.You have to present a trick in such a way that the storyline absorbs the imagination of the audience and goes hand in glove with the trick(technical part).Magicians want to know how a trick is done so that they can build a story line around it and present the whole composition as a thing of wonder.Lay people are intrigued by the exposure of the technical part but they don’t really care or store it in the memory bank or more to the point,they forget because they know the secret and so the wonder is gone.If you watch a magic exposure show all the viewers are doing is watching puzzles being unlocked over and over until it becomes boring.A real magician suspends a persons belief with an experience of uplifting wonderment.No ones interested in the secret,they let the magic wash over them and excite the senses.So I absolutely concur with you.Superb.Extremely entertaining.Thanks.
Well said, Kalvin. Thank you.
I am a magician for more than fifty years. I specialize in close up and parlor magic. But I do know how some stage illusions methods are done in various ways. I also enjoy the show Magic: Breaking The Magician’s Code.
Yet, I have to admit I forget how most of the stuff revealed was done. (Heck, I even forget how some of the tricks I learned and performed was done if I didn’t do them consistently.
The mind is perishable. It forgets.
I remember as a young magician. Tom Ladshaw told me that he performs the same tricks night after night and gets repeat spectators and most of them don’t remember some of the tricks that they saw the night before.
So, there you go!
No need to worry about exposure.
People forget!
@@samuelhodges3119 amen I wholeheartedly agree
A simpler example is the coloring book illusion that's included in every children's set. If I change the book cover, and change the blank pages to scribble scrabble. Now the children can experience a new wonder. At least from experience the children forget the trick if they know it
Great point, often a little cosmetic change is all that is required to create a new experience
Anyone who hates him for what he has done, is Jealous cuz they didn't think of it first!!!😊
LOL, I suppose so. I sincerely hope no one hates him. We can agree or disagree with his choices but hate must not be given license
Although he gets a lot of hate, I think Val/TMM did *FAR* less damage to magic than P&T did (and continue to do) with Fool Us. Val gave non-standard methods that will quickly be either totally forgotten or people will not even realise it's the same trick (eg, if you vanish a red silk people will think it’s a TT, vanish something else, or even just a different coloured silk, and they will be stumped), where Penn and Teller train the audience to think magic is a puzzle to be solved otherwise you are a FOOL
Good point Mexie. I agree
@@DavidDellman Perhaps a video about Fool Us?
This is an interesting thought. I enjoy the show Fool Us, and it's certainly been a huge boost to many acts. Even those who failed to fool them (Piff). I suppose Magic will always be seen as having a puzzle element, unless you're performing a trick outside the genre of Magic (a special effect, a faith healer, etc). Arguably, we magicians are the ones who care most about the puzzle. We all love the craft of method. In a way, Fool Us brings that love and curiosity to the wider public. It helps that Penn isn't an X-Factor style judge, he constantly praises. I'm not sure I feel as though overall it's damaging to Magic. I don't think either show was. They just found another way to make magic entertaining, and that's probably always a net positive.
@@davidalnwick Good points as well, David. I have not been on Fool Us. I am working on effects that could potentially "fool" them, and when I have one, I think we do it; I will certainly apply because the publicity factor for those that appear is invaluable, and you made that point.
@Nobody .12 This topic has certainly stimulated a lively discussion and a wide variety of opinions. I love it
Wonderful video. I think in some ways he did spark new interests in magic in general. This was a fantastic exposure so to speak into the world of magic.👍😊👍😊👍😊
I always had fun watching the show. A guilty pleasure
Professor Dellman,
I suggest that you post a video addressing this current hideous approach to magic where our precious craft is being treated as a competition: it challenges people to solve the puzzle instead of experiencing the mistery and the wonder. TV shows like Fool Us foments that preposterous tread.
Good point Dreams. I like the fact that so many talented magicians have been given a national spotlight on Fool Us, but it does as you point out, challenge people to solve the puzzle rather than experience the wonder.
You know this day would came anyway at some point, was it Valentino or not - Then some other guy would have done it. It was inevitable, it was destined to happen and break old walls. Valentino isn't guilty what was about happen anyway.
I lately watched some of the TMM videos on youtube and personally I also feel like 99% of the audience watching the videos now are either magicians or people strongly interested in magic. So the harm of the exposure is rather limited over all. And regardless of ones personal opinion about Val Valentino you have to admit that he was a skilled magician since he was able to learn and perform all the tricks he revealed in the show. To be honest I think that if someone is strongly interested in magic the main point of watching magic is that the person wants to be entertained. Personally for me it does not matter if I know the secret of a trick if the performance is good. For instance I still enjoyed the performance of Mc Donalds Aces from on of the local IBM Magicians even if I know how he did it. The people only interested in the secret will lose interest in magic soon anyway and moreover they gimp themself the experience to wonder
Good points Markus. You are so right Valentino put a lot of work and effort into that show and it really shows in his presentation
@@DavidDellman Skilled? I saw few things that required consummate skill on his part. Some of his box jumpers had to have skill and athleticism; him, well not so much! It was all about the money for him. The producers had been casting about for someone willing to do exposure for cash. I've seen plenty of people, magicians and laity, that have been badly deceived (and therefore amazed) by an effect that, when told of its secret, said, "Is that all it is?" I've had people tell me, "Oh, he was trying to force magicians to come up with new magic." Why couldn't HE do that if it's just that easy? Some magicians came up with new illusions and then he exposed those too. Thanks for nothing, L. Montano. The secret SHOULD belong to its creator, not some jerk who learns it and then decides to reveal it. The producers of these shows did it to exploit secrets for ratings. They would have revealed there was no Santa if they could make a buck!!!
@@michaeleasler5249 Good points Michael and yes the secret absolutely does belong to its creator as you stated and no one else has the right to expose it
@@DavidDellman what if 50 ppl create the same trick not knowing each other?...well, then it goes to who created it 1st and built the device...what if the trick is easy to figure out? Could i reveal it? Some tricks are pretty obvious, they really did not even need to be revealed...it was just a tv show, the ppl that got upset seem to think the public are all fools, as if nobody could figure out a key part to a trick with no knowledge of how the trick works...i respect how well one can perform, not the tricks... the tricks are just props and gadgets...i say that because when i watch magic, i'm not really watching the trick, i'm looking for tells, delays, sleight of hand etc...i really don't care about the trick itself, i just watch how well it is performed...i could watch the same trick 30 times and even if i know how it is done, i can still watch the performance... Magic is kind of like skateboarding, many ppl can do the same tricks, but only a few can make it look great or take it to new levels... You could do any older trick, speed up all the delays, improve the gadgets to make old tricks new and harder to figure out... You could literally do the trick once, show me how you did it, then do the same trick a different/better way, it would not matter to me, it's your show, not mine...teaching ppl stuff is a good thing.
@@d0n77 "Magic is kind of like skateboarding, many ppl can do the same tricks, but only a few can make it look great or take it to new levels" Good point
I do really like this video, and I think you are right. The idea of "if you know how, can you do it" is like saying "if you know a recipe, can you be a Michelin star chef". I am not sure if you are right in people not caring or remembering how a trick is made, what I think is happening is that the presentation, the performance and the entire "spirit" in the act, makes the trick become a minor detail that is not taking away from the amazing. I am sure you have seen plenty of bad Mahicans who by their "performance" alone almost makes the trick boring, mundane and almost revile how it is done.
What I love the most is when the trick / cheat is performed before or after the audience it thinking it is done, i.e. predicting what a person is thinking or i.e. the catch the bullet with your teeth.
On the other hand, does performers (not magician) like David Blane piss me off! Yes, he is entertaining and has done a lot, but imagine all the "audience" he has left behind who now have a totally wrong and maybe condescending opinion of our art. I do also hate that he made people believe that he was real magic or some sort of endurance miracle. I think he has crossed the line way too often and not in any good way.
I think you and I agree on a great many things. I love the recipe analogy. That was really good. Thanks for commenting and sharing.
It makes me think of Dunninger's Encyclopedia Magic. I had a copy when I was a kid, I loved the illustrations. I don't believe it necessarily revealed anything accurately type of disinformation so when I would see a similar trick being performed I would look for the methods of how it was done but would not be able to detect them. Which made the performance that I was witnessing even more powerful. I believe this was Dunninger's intention. Versus the Masked Magician's cynical insinuation that magicians are out to prove that audience's are a bunch of idiots.
I loved Dunninger's book. I don't think it exposed anything, but it did give the imagination something to feed on. It's a great book. Thanks for commenting
At the time of the show run, I had a friend who did magic I asked him about his thoughts on the Mask Magician he hated it for he was hurting working Magicians who had that as the only way to do the trick like he said not everyone is a Copperfield or an Angle who had at their disposal more than 1 way to perform the trick
That is true. At the time, many magicians were outspoken against what the Masked Magician was doing, and many were quite angry about it.
Hello I 100% agree with you! I've a french UA-cam channel where I try to say and explain everything you say here.
I am deeply flattered. Thank you so much for watching and commenting
@@DavidDellman Thx to you! See U
Franky I never had a problem revealing my own methods. That’s why I published them in Lybrary I taught the secrets of my stage hypnosis without induction and explained the psychology. It’s after all not the method like you said. It’s the entertainment and the performance. I know 99% of Derren Brown’s methods but I’m always excited when he does a new show and I get (with my mentalism buddy) in the car, cross three countries to go and see the new show. Just because he’s a great entertainer. And his stage shows are far less magical and impossible than the TV shows and even layman see that, but they all love being there.
A friend of mine is the second illusionist (after Hans Klok) in this country. And I never like stage magic. Not when he does it, not when Hans does it, not when Copperfield does it.
And frankly I don’t know those methods and I don’t care, I know it happens somewhere in a base or that box. But they whole show doesn’t appeal to me because it’s merely effect after effect. There’s no rhyme and reason, there’s no interaction.
When I did my stage hypnosis (2nd half after first half of mentalism - with a lot of instant inductions and suggestion too, just to already preselect and test). I had audience members interact in skits as well and interact with the hypnotees. I had audience member come up with funny sketch ideas and made them the director. It’s that interaction that makes it fun, otherwise hypnosis shows are boring!
And the method is, there’s no method or no real skill. It’s testing and then stacking psychological principles.
That’s probably why I also got fed up with it and later mentalism too. It requires little skill and it’s not really technically challenging.
And I think exposure, indeed, forges development. I’m an engineer and computer scientist by trade. It’s the opensource community that created enormous leaps of innovation because there are no proprietary secrets and we all stand on the shoulders of others. And non-developers don’t care! Same like laymen in magic, they don’t care.
Software users want good working affordable software, they’re goers that see magic shows want an affordable entertaining night out.
I would love to see your act someday
@@DavidDellman maybe I’ll come back out of retirement :)
I actually fell into special effects and visual effects because of my work as a mentalist and creating props and effects.
So that with my IT company are my main two focuses now. I couldn’t combine all three. This already is difficult at times. Since IT projects keep rolling (with Corona lockdowns a blessing!) so I sometimes need to plan TV/Film VFX projects around that.
@@CallousCoder I would love to hear more and if you ever start producing products for mentalists I would love to see those too
@@DavidDellman Friday on my channel will be a video on how I create my electronic force die system.
This is for a client who bought my system that I had used for 2 years, used it himself and the sold it off and now regrets it. So after 10 years I was commissioned to create a new one.
There’s also a video already on there how I make a computer “read ‘my’ mind”; It’s all voice controlled and voice synthesis and truly any cars can be chosen.
For me this channel is all about teaching electronics and software in a playful and applied manner. Getting more people inspired to get involved with Computer Science and engineering.
@@DavidDellman I hope this isn’t deleted. This is the video about the mind reading AI
ua-cam.com/video/dr8kb0KI1Fw/v-deo.html
If you watch the show His name is in the end credit
Hai there
When I was 12-15 i watches your show it was a decade ago
Suddenly I saw
Loy machedo face i remember your mask so I came here to check in
I am fascinated by the big reveal at end
The philosophy in this video i understand
as a software engineer we see this it was open source now it is ai and data
If you think you killed magic i don't agree the internet will definitely killed it
Just saying as a boy i enjoyed the show more than the magic itself
And I feel the world has become very small
I am not the masked magician but I do appreciate your comments
really thanks for the wonderful feedback , i understand the pain of the magician , i know the pain how hard it affects when someone reveals the secret , by the way am not a magician but am a web developer , in the web developement world there a thing called open source which means free softwares like that , just think if you want to pay for every keyword or letter typing or pressing on the browser or computer would you use the computer or if its thats the case would the software it tech industry have a chance to grow big like this for example youtube , facebook etc
it doesnt matter whether they revealed or not revealed , its all depends upon the mindset and as you said the way of presentation matter
but one thing is true , because if Val Valentino like guys not revealing magics ,to normal people
what if some groups like terror groups or mafia or some hijacking groups uses magic and loots and fear the people with that
so for that type of reasons its better and less damage in a good way of saving magic industry without being get banned
Interesting information about the "open source" software. Maybe we magicians can learn a lesson from that
@@DavidDellman yes definetly sir , it will both teaches the skillset and also gives plenty of opportunity to earn money , just take google as a example how it provides free services like browsers search engine etc and earns money by viewing ads
like the same way all the things , skills ,fields can do this and can earn more
really thanks for looking in to my comments sir
@@DavidDellman defintely there will be more beautiful innovations i love to see from magicians in this wonderful modern era
@@designcoded7585 Interesting comments
Здравствуйте Дэвид, и большое спасибо за интересное видео! Также смотрю Ваши видео ролики о практике и репетициях - бесценные советы, огромная помощь, спасибо! Расскажите, пожалуйста, о роли актерского мастерства в магии, нужно ли посещать курсы актерской игры или любительский театр, занимались ли Вы на подобных курсах и как это помогло Вам в занятиях магией? Благодарю. С уважением, Виктор.
Hello David, and thank you very much for the interesting video! I also watch your videos about practice and rehearsals - invaluable advice, great help, thanks! Please tell us about the role of acting in magic, is it necessary to attend acting classes or amateur theater, have you taken such courses and how did it help you in practicing magic? Thanks to. Sincerely, Victor.
I was a theatre major during my first two years of college. I studied acting, directing, and theatre arts. I also studied speech communication. Magic is a performance art. The skills of acting, blocking, and stage craft are critical, I believe, to our success as performers. It may or may not be possible for you to take formal lessons or engage in scholastic study but I would encourage you to learn as much as you can about acting and stage craft. It will enhance your skills as a performer.
David Seth Kotkin Copperfield revealed light and heavey chest illusion and how the locks moved without connection idea concepts
I totally agree. Most people havent seen the masked magician. For example my neighbors. They go to vegas every year and one of their big highlights is they go see a magic show every year. They arent watching the masked magician. They just think magic is cool. They have no idea how its done. Ive heard comments from them that lets me know they have no idea how magic is done. Like they think magicians have some sort of special power. Lol. I see those kinds of comments wverywhere on videoam of magicians people thinking the magician is some sort of scorcerer or something. You immediately know those people dont have a clue. I love magic although i dont do it myself but i know how tons of tricks are done. Its just a subject that has really interested me for many years. But most people dont have a clue. And criss angels and all the other magicians shows are still always sold out.
You make some excellent points, and I love the story. I know many who believe magicians have "special powers." LOL
If no one exposed secrets, we would be still be stuck at ones like sawing a woman in half. If you're a magician you should know that one of the rules in magic is you never do the same trick twice. Its not like in the olden days where communication was that slow that you could get away with it
not big on magic or an expert but I just loved that show
it was a good show and very entertaining
@@DavidDellman the whole idea of him being masked , the narration is great and no unnecessary portions or sections just the trick and its walk through, I remember watching this way back in mid late 2000s when i was much younger. obviously at some point to catch on and notice some of the imperfections of the trick and see how they did it or just know how they did it because its similar to an another trick. but its still entertaining either way. sometimes you think of ways of how they did it which can work but the way he does it is different.
@@Shrek_Holmes he generally did come up with some unique methods
And New masked magician and Val Valentino leanered Montana family also
The Pendragons clearly impossible thin model sawing illusion and suposedly Copperfield uses now and lady to tiger illusion Jonathan Pendragon called it fire cage illusion
Copperfield revealed the chop cups illusion
hmmm this video gives me a lot to think about. When I was younger and Val first came out everyone in my family told me to go watch it. Because anything dealing with magic is something I must surely like. I remember getting extremely mad at him, because it's against the magician's code. I get the points you are making but it's simply not done. Granted I've seen folks do this and play it into their act like Lance Burton. He reveals the wooden egg and then pulls the hole off at the end and cracks the egg. But I guess a combination of having the code for so long and not revealing stuck with me. But this is certainly a different way to think about it for sure.
I still feel like revealing the secret steals the magic from the audience. sure it's not only the secret but to the lay person, it will take that wonder from them.
I agree Blaze its always a bad idea to reveal magical secrets indiscriminately
I used to know Val.
I cannot understand how any magician, whether a hobbyist or professional, can offer the phrase, "I am a fan of the show." It doesn't matter if he's revealing the actual method or a non-traditional method, it's still the lowest form of magic entertainment. In my opinion he's a putz.
Its in a cammale cigarettes
CBS 1980mystery magician
On NBC world's greatest magic TV specials Jonathan Pendragon maatero the magnificent said anyone can do these props the secrets are just tools its t he performer that makes it magical ps Charlotte Pendragon said the vanishing bowl of water illusion was the first trick Jonathan taught here ps they show how it's done with a cup and a plate and a cloth
Abc TLC TV specials abc more secrets revealed abc secrets revealed books by William pounstone books big secrets bigger secrets and biggest secrets
Magic is a scam
Professor Dellman,
Have you ever read the classic book "Prestidigitation sans appareils" (1914) - translated to English by Jean Hugard and published by Paul Fleming in 1945 as "Magic without Apparatus"??
It is extremely hard to get that book. Could you please review it??
Yes, I have a copy in my library. A Classic
@@DavidDellman
Thanks.
Looking forward to the review.
Magic isnt the idea of the trick, it is the effective performance of the trick without allowing the viewer to see the trick unfolding.
If you perform and your view saw the tricks method before completion, you didn't perform it right.
Even after him showing how, rewatching them I still couldn't see anything giving it away.
I'd look for mirrors moving or light bending, wires, shadows etc, yet I could never see it, or like slight of hand card tricks, Id know how the trick was done yet I still could never see it happen when someone good did it.
To perfectly perform the trick is an art in itself.
Or puttin a card on other side of glass or stick to the roof, id know howw the trick was done yet still think if performed right, htf did you do that so well??!!! wtf I cant do that!! how?!!!!
"To perfectly perform the trick is an art in itself." Indeed so