The greatest book on magic I ever read was 'Secrets of my Magic' by David Devant. It was written 70 years ago. David Bamberg's 'Illusion Show' is a relatively old book as well. The information in these books is valuable, or rather, invaluable. Magic isn't created in a vacuum. My videos aren't anything like the Masked Magician. Do you really think someone could actually perform an illusion from the light weight, cynical and often wrong information presented on those ridiculous shows. Remember he also did a show aimed at David Blaine and close-up magic in general, If someone watches that show could they throw away their copy of 'Stars of Magic'???? Newton said, 'If I saw farther it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants.' He was talking about foundation, without foundation there can be no growth.
Illusion plans don't give you much information on 'How to give a unique presentation.' Our DVD's try to give the viewer a base on which to build a performance and there are very few Books or DVDs that do that. Yes, we discuss the method, but most of the DVD is about the 'why'? Harry Anderson taught me that the reason for performing an effect is critical to the presentation. In lecture after lecture I would ask a magician why they did a particular trick. Normally, the magician would tell that they saw someone else do the effect, thought it was cool and learned it. That's not enough if you want to be a pro or even just a good magician. Not every magician can do every trick. This will sound like I am going off on a tangent, something I do all the time. Robert Downey Jr. in the satire/parody 'Tropic Thunder' is making that point. Actors can't or rather shouldn't do every role regardless of superficial facades. Some roles were written for somebody else. The magic your friend or favorite pro does may not be right for you.
We go through our work on classic illusions (By the way I am off to Maui for a show and I am taking Metamorphosis and the Sword (broom) Suspension with me). We also go through the process of how I came up with Clearly Impossible, my variation on the thin model sawing which we first presented in 1991. Ambitious Card is much older, how many magicians still present that card effect? We talk about Interlude and how JIm Steinmeyer's concept became real and then one of the most popular illusions in the world.
'Color of Emotion' is a really visual mental effect and there are not very many of those. 'Sands of Egypt' describes the version of that effect I presented on the 'World Magic Awards' that even fools those who know about prepared sand. 'The Greatest Feat (feet) of magic' is the card effect I invented (originally published in Rudy Coby's Genii issue). This was the piece of magic seen on Johnny Carson, a man who loved good card magic. I don't hold back and I don't fill the DVD with junk I never perform.
Finally, yes, I agree with Magic Jack, I have presented Metamorphosis ad nauseum. It's because people keep asking for it. Charlotte broke her foot several years ago which forced us to cancel our appearance on It's Magic. As Charlotte healed we were able to do a show with more of my 'in one' magic and one of our chief assistants working with me in a few of the illusions. We performed at a theater and after the show we did a meet and greet. An audience member told me that he had traveled 200 MILES to see us do Metamorphosis live. I felt terrible. Judy Garland talking about her performance of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' admitted there was a time when she hated the song because she couldn't escape it. Eventually she came to appreciate the 'Signature' piece for what it was, a song she sang really well and that people still wanted to hear. That is the trap of a signature piece, should you ever have one.
With Respect
Jonathan Pendragon