I feel like these posts where I just brain dump a bunch of random stuff I've been meaning to say but aren't worth a whole post are the blogging equivalent of a clip show. Although since clip shows are made up of things that happened in previous episodes, maybe the analogy doesn't quite fit. Maybe this is more like the clip show episode Community did where they referenced things that never actually happened and showed clips they made specially for that episode. Yeah, let's go with that one.
A while back I made a post about how I wished there could be more transparency in magic ads. Recently, Jeff Copeland released a trailer for Blackbird that did pretty much what I was hoping for. This is a perfect example of what I was talking about it my post, so I'm going to take full credit for giving him the idea. I've seen people giving him a lot of grief for doing that, saying exposing the gimmick to lay people is a mistake. I disagree. I think very few laymen will care enough to see and remember the video, but the benefit for magicians to see exactly what they're getting and how it works is high. I look forward to seeing more ads like this in the future.
I've been reading a lot of comics on Reddit lately, and this one really spoke to me. Just replace the word "draw" with "blog" or "perform" or "work on my act" or really, any phrase about being creative in a magical capacity. It's not always being tired, but it does always seem that I get creative and motivated when I'm busy with something else.
I also like this comic, both as a funny magic gag and a visualization of my existential dread.
About a year ago I wrote about a presentation I saw on Reddit that I really liked, The Envelope Concept. I've been thinking about it again the past couple days, and I really think that combining that with this trick from Andy at The Jerx would be an awesome way to go. You lose a bit with the card not being signed, but you gain it back somewhat with the torn corner. I think they're both very strong ideas on their own and combining them doesn't necessarily make it the best idea, but I think it becomes it's own cool thing. I'm going to work on this a bit and see how it works.
I'm about ready to make an announcement soon. It's not very magic related, but it's pretty neat. I think, anyway. I know nobody's reading this thing so I could probably just say it now and it wouldn't spoil the surprise before it's due, but I'm not gonna risk something so time sensitive that I've been working on for a year. You know what though? I have been dropping hints. There are major clues in the posts that I've put up this calendar year. Find them and you'll know exactly what I've been referencing. There's no clues in this post, though. Just take what I said at face value.
Until next time.
- Andster
Monday, August 15, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Okay, it's Tinfoil Hat Time
I've been watching this season of America's Got Talent, per usual, just not writing about it because last season I didn't have much to say besides "That was neat." I think it's no secret that I'm pretty biased towards the magic acts, though I do still love pretty much any act that's not a singer. So far I've been pretty happy with the acts that have been going through.
The other night, sideshow duo Ryan Stock and AmberLynn had a bit of a mishap during their live performance. The official AGT video cuts off the worst looking part, but this video on NBC's site shows the whole thing (skip ahead to about 1:45). Definitely some scary stuff and I'm very glad nobody was seriously hurt.
However.
What if they did that on purpose? Hear me out. I know it's infinitely more likely that they suffered mechanical issues and had an accident, especially considering how (rightfully) terrified Ryan looked when he got hit. But I think a case could be made that this is all just a well-crafted publicity stunt.
Even though I like their act, I think the smart bet is that they would never win the whole show. I think it's too shocking, gross, scary, whatever word you want to pick for mainstream America to vote for. I think it's amazing that they made it as far as they did, because in my limited memory of the show, acts like that usually get eliminated pretty early on. I think they might have realized that too and then made a decision.
Realizing that, in all likelihood, you're going home after this performance you can do one of two things. You can do your best, ramp it up, and hope that somehow you get the votes. Or you can accept the fact that you're going home and give the people something to talk about to keep your name in the news and really get a push in the press.
So maybe you swallow a couple swords and then get shot in the neck with a blunt arrow from a low-powered bow. Personally, I am more surprised that the legitimate stunt went wrong and just happened to not kill him than I would be to find out the guy who sticks drills and chainsaws in his face took one for the team.
So, again, it's much more likely that this is all just a legitimate accident that fortunately didn't leave anyone seriously hurt. But if somewhere down the line it turns out that they did it all on purpose, I would not be surprised in the least.
- Andster
The other night, sideshow duo Ryan Stock and AmberLynn had a bit of a mishap during their live performance. The official AGT video cuts off the worst looking part, but this video on NBC's site shows the whole thing (skip ahead to about 1:45). Definitely some scary stuff and I'm very glad nobody was seriously hurt.
However.
What if they did that on purpose? Hear me out. I know it's infinitely more likely that they suffered mechanical issues and had an accident, especially considering how (rightfully) terrified Ryan looked when he got hit. But I think a case could be made that this is all just a well-crafted publicity stunt.
Even though I like their act, I think the smart bet is that they would never win the whole show. I think it's too shocking, gross, scary, whatever word you want to pick for mainstream America to vote for. I think it's amazing that they made it as far as they did, because in my limited memory of the show, acts like that usually get eliminated pretty early on. I think they might have realized that too and then made a decision.
Realizing that, in all likelihood, you're going home after this performance you can do one of two things. You can do your best, ramp it up, and hope that somehow you get the votes. Or you can accept the fact that you're going home and give the people something to talk about to keep your name in the news and really get a push in the press.
So maybe you swallow a couple swords and then get shot in the neck with a blunt arrow from a low-powered bow. Personally, I am more surprised that the legitimate stunt went wrong and just happened to not kill him than I would be to find out the guy who sticks drills and chainsaws in his face took one for the team.
So, again, it's much more likely that this is all just a legitimate accident that fortunately didn't leave anyone seriously hurt. But if somewhere down the line it turns out that they did it all on purpose, I would not be surprised in the least.
- Andster
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