"What about magic on television?"

"What about magic on television?" "Is it all just special effects?" I am frequently asked these questions. The short answer is "no". For the complete answer read on ....

Television is so powerful. Because of its ability to reach millions of people, it can tremendously help the magic community, or hurt it. It is no great secret that the best way to learn how to do a magic trick is to go to a magic shop. There is a good chance you will find the trick you are seeking there, for a price. You might also find a book describing how to do the trick, a DVD demonstrating it, or the actual prop, if any has been used. Whenever there is a magic special on television, sales in magic stores go up. This is a good thing, since it encourages the creation of new magic tricks and keeps the stores in business.

But what exactly are you seeing when you watch magic on television? Also, what is all this buzz about trick photography? Well, first off, most magicians would prefer that trick photography never be used in magic, because a really good magician doesn’t need to use it. If a particular magician is suspected of using trick photography on television, then there is a danger that all magicians could be accused of doing the same. If this happens, then all magic performed on television would be invalidated.

Trick photography, by definition, has evolved as technology and techniques have evolved. However, if a magician actually used trick photography, this would not include the use of computer generated imagery or anything else as elaborate as that. The magician would use old-school trick photography - A person holds a flower up, then it disappears. This might be done by:

Filming starts:

1.    A person holds up a flower in one hand.

2.    The person freezes in position.

3.    A stagehand walks on stage and removes the flower from the person’s hand and then walks out of camera range.

4.    After the stagehand walks away the person waves the hand that had the flower.

5.    Filming stops. The film is edited. The frames with the stagehand are removed.

6.    End result - A person holds up a flower, it vanishes as the hand is waved.

This makes magicians furious.

Have you ever been watching a magic show on television and thought the magic was so spectacular that it must have been done with the use of trick photography? That is exactly the reason that magicians are so against the use of it. The most mind blowing, amazing, unbelievable magic I have ever seen I saw performed live, in person, where there was no chance that trick photography could be used. But if the same magic had been shown on television it would have been written off as trick photography because it was so amazing.

Don’t assume trick photography is being used just because an impressive and amazing magic trick has been performed.  You were probably just watching an amazingly skilled magician.

With few exceptions, magicians will make every effort to create the same viewing experience for the television viewer as the in-person audience member. This includes using one camera, from start to finish with no cut-aways. The camera position will be the same angle as if you were in the audience, not hanging from the ceiling. Often the magician only gets this kind of control if he is filming a magic special. If he is a guest on a talk show, he will have no control over what cameras are used or what angle is being shown.

In summary, if you see magic being performed on television its a safe bet that trick photography is not being used. If you suspect foul play, ask a magician that you know what he or she thought of the special and the performing magician. If he or she did not like the special, or has little respect for the performing magician, there is probably good reason.