Youtube Exposure

Michael Kras · Youtube Exposure

I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT!!!!

Honestly, it is angering when someone performs an effect badly then posts a "tutorial" of the effect. So now, average joe's and laypeople can simply type in "magic" in the search engine and pull up explanations for some of our real worker's effects. This is hurting us.

For example, I was performing an Ambitious Card routine with a kicker ending, and as soon as the first phase was completed a random spectator shouted out, and I quote, "It's a DL!"

This obviously cam as a big shock to me. I mean, I'm fine with Youtube videos teaching beginners who want to get into magic simple effects like a Coin Vanish or some sort of Pick A Card effect. But teaching stuff like levitations, Triumph, or Coin Matrix is just wrong.

What are your views on this? How can we all help stop Youtube exposure. I've tried complaining, but obviously they wouldn't care as they have no idea how much this means to us.

Your thoughts?

BrianMillerMagic

Exposure is a part of magic. I think the Masked Magician is one of the best things to happen to magic in the last 20 years, because by exposing all of our classic and time tested material, it caused magicians to get creative again and come up with something new. Granted the internet makes all of this happen exponentially faster, but still. You're still performing an ambitious card routine? That's fine, but what are you doing to make it unique? What are you doing to stretch it beyond the point of a terrible YouTube rendition? And not to come off as rude though I am sure it will come off that way, I perform renditions of ambitious card on a daily basis and I've not been called on a DL in close to two years probably.

As a side note, spelling out one of our most crucial moves in card magic on a public forum on the internet is essentially the same as handing someone a link to the YouTube tutorial on it. Let's try to keep specific terms general. I'll fix your post Michael.

KidMagic

I completly agree! Although there is nothing we can do to stop them, it really makes me mad! But most people who I do shows for (5 - 10 year old kids) have never even heard of youtube... and the ocasional all ages show still goes on fine I mean come on most likely the only poeple who find these exposers are us (magicians).

PS. I still think your absolutley right and it pisses me off!

Magically yours,
KidMagic
www.kidmagic.ca

Michael Kras

Well, Youtube itself could stop it if they wanted to, but they don't care about the lowly magicians if there is pornography to look after.

KidMagic

Your absolutley right!

BrianMillerMagic

Cymru1991

At the end of the day lads, exposure has always been there, and will always be there. It just so happens that now in the internet age that we live in it's more readily available. At the end of the day, I think we all need to calm down about "exposure" and spend a little more time thinking about our own performances. If we take your ambitious card Michael, no offence mate, but couldn't it possibly be that your DL just wasn't good enough? If that's the case, then work on your DL. If not, then you could have used any other sleight (a CL****c P*** for instance).

Really lads, I really don't think that exposure is THAT big a deal, After all, I've been performing the same effects for the same crowds for months, and I've never had anyone come to me saying "Oh I googled you trick and it's done like this.........".

Just one final thought people, the masked magician exposed a linking ring method, and in all of the performances I've seen since, I've never heard anyone EVER say "Oh I saw that on......... It works like this......."

Sometimes I really do think that people rant about youtube exposure because it's the "trendy" thing to do these days.

Gary Dickson

Who cares about youtube? It's a storm in a teacup, as far as I can see. Youtube exposure has not made the slightest bit of difference to me.

Michael Kras

When you're in highschool, people start to do things. I showed a girl some magic one day, and the next she came up to me asking to see more. I had her select a card and as she did, she said "You didn't use a force on me did you?"

Apparently she had been watching some Youtube tutorials. I think, for the most part we should be ok. As long as they do not discover the names of effects in our repertoires.

LIVR

I'm in the fortunate position that none of the stuff I do is of interest to the kids making YouTube vids. My material is safe.