Michael Kras
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Redefining Street Magic A Bad Thing?Ever since David Blaine hit the streets with a camera crew, street magic has been redefined... literally.
Gazzo is a street magician. Some kid walking around scaring people with a Balducci Levitation is NOT a street magician. At least, that's my view of it.
I mean, who dcecided that walking around and showing "killer" effects outside in the city was street magic? I mean heck, they aren't even making any money for it. Street magicians are essentially buskers, who have a full set-up outside and an imnverted hat beside their table.
What are your views on this subject? Are you alright with the redefinition of street magic, or did this whole thing strike a sour cord with you? Let's hear your thoughts!
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BrianMillerMagic
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Street magic doesn't exist. It only exists as a product of a performer being followed by a large crew of cameras, and that's television, NOT real. Busking is the true form of street entertainment, and busking magicians are by no means walking up to random strangers. If you actually try to walk up to a random stranger without a camera crew behind you, prepare to get your butt kicked a few times.
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Dbaker
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| BrianMillerMagic wrote: | | Street magic doesn't exist. It only exists as a product of a performer being followed by a large crew of cameras, and that's television, NOT real. Busking is the true form of street entertainment, and busking magicians are by no means walking up to random strangers. If you actually try to walk up to a random stranger without a camera crew behind you, prepare to get your butt kicked a few times. |
Well, I walk up to random strangers pretty often and I've never "gotten my butt kicked".
What is now known as "blaining" on many magic forums is what most people refer to as "street magic". Contrary to popular belief this is actually an excellent way to make money - though not directly. You will receive no tips from the audience, but you do get the opportunity to pass a few business cards along (possibly getting future work). You can also hire yourself out to local businesses as a promoter and have "street magic" be your medium.
"Busking" also known as "A Sidewalk Show" and "Street Performing" is an excellent way to make money directly from the viewers, assuming you're good enough to draw and keep a crowd interested.
Both have their place, but I don't think that they are on the same plain. Busking requires vastly more skill than blaining, but if you live in an area where busking is unusual you will probably be dismissed as a pan handler. In such an area, blaining is better, since it will be considered strange, but not offensive.
I consider the main problem with Busking to be audience perception. The perception is based almost entirely on location of the performance. i.e. San Fransisco: good busking location, buskers are part of the city.
Antioch, CA: bad busking location, busker will be viewed as a begger.
The main problem with Blaining is the magician himself. Magicians tend to take it too far and try to imitate Blaine himself, as well as the genere of effects he is commonly associated with. This is a mistake. If you look at blaining as 'restaurant magic in a really big restaurant' you'll have ALOT more success at it.
As far as redefining "street magic", I don't use the term anyway.
I describe what Gazzo does as "Sidewalk Shows".
I describe what Blaine (sort of) does as "Promotional Magic".
If street magic was to be redefined, it would be defined simply as: A performance of magic via illusion, misdirection, or other such methodology which is performed in a shared/public area rather than in a private home, business, or on a stage.
This is the only reasonable definition I've been able to come up with to define street magic. Under this definition, both blaining and busking would be considered sub-divisions of street magic.
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