Street magic is an exciting area of performance, and one that almost anyone can engage in. All that’s really required is you, a magic trick, and someone walking by.

Street magic is an old art form, dating back to at least ancient Rome. Traditionally a magician would stand in one spot, gather a crowd, perform several tricks, and then pass a hat to collect bills and coins.

Getting people to place money into a hat is a skill in itself. I once saw a street act in Paris where the performer looked homeless and smelled like wine, but, boy, could he entertain. He would stand next to a line of people waiting to get into a movie theatre and “work” the line by telling the crowd he was going to jump over his hat. That’s it, just jump over his hat. But he kept the crowd engaged by telling stories, teasing that he was about to jump but then continue talking with the crowd. Everyone was captivated. When the doors to the theatre opened, he would jump over his hat, then pick it up and collect tips as the crowd filed in.

I frequented the theater and watched him perform several times. I was intrigued by this man and wondered about his story. Was he really a homeless person looking for a hand-out? Then one day I saw him arrive near the theatre in a taxi and prepare to go to work. This was his job, which I always refer to him as one of the best street performers I have ever seen.

Speaking of good street performers, , did you see David Blaine’s latest special? He certainly re-established himself as a great street magician. Many of his tricks were new while others were nice adaptations of new marketed tricks. One trick that was especially interesting was the “Dart Trick”. David Blaine had a card selected and signed by a spectator. This card was placed back in the deck. He tossed the deck in the air and threw a dart, pinning the signed card to the wall.

This is a great variation of the “Card Sword”. The premise is the same; card selected and is pierced by the sword. But, how did David Blain do it?  I noticed that at the crucial moment, the time between the deck being tossed up and the viewer saw the card pinned to the wall,  the camera pulled away. Was that how the trick was done? I do not know.

I do know that at Answers TV Magic we have gone to great lengths never to cut away from a trick, especially at an important moment. Our magicians are very skilled and cannot be “caught” by the camera doing false moves. If you notice any, let us know, post a comment.

Still, David Blaine’s special was full of very entertaining magic. But it raises an interesting question: are the results in magic are more important than method?  Well, that’s a topic for another blog.

One last bit of advice: If you want to head to the street to perform magic, check out the local laws.

“Street Magic” is one of the fastest growing areas of magic. That’s why AnswersTV Magic has a brand new series devoted to the trend.

The art of performing on the street in front of a crowd is hardly new. Take a look at the painting on the left of a street magician performing “Cups and Balls.” It’s called “The Conjurer”, and it was painted in the late 1400s, by Hieronymus Bosch.

The current interest in street magic is largely credited to David Blaine’s 1997 TV special, and its innovative camera work. Prior to Blaine’s show,, when shooting a magic performance the camera focused entirely on the magician. However, after Blaine performed, he was removed from the frame so the camera could focus almost exclusively on the reaction of the spectator. It was an exciting new way to show the amazement and  joy of the audience.

AnswersTV Magic has taken a simular approach to filming street magic, and added our own visual flourish. Since a street performer may do the same trick for a different crowd dozens of times a day, we filmed several performances and edited them all together. You can really see the impact the trick has on several groups of spectators.

What also comes through is the personality of the performer. For our  Street Magic series, AnswersTV used the talents of Ben Whiting, an entertainer we literally discovered in the streets. Ben was one of the best street performers we had seen in quite some time. Turns out, Ben studied with one of the best street performers of magic ever: Jim Cellini.

But Ben is also a great teacher. And, If you like any of the trick you  see on Street Magic, Ben will provide you with some expert advice on how to perform them.

Everyone at Answers TV Magic is extremely excited about this new series. We hope that you enjoy watching Street Magic as much as enjoyed producing it.

Think of any number between 1 and 10. Okay, focus on that number. Good.… The number you’re thinking of is…

Mindreading is one of the fastest growing areas of magic. In fact, AnswersTV Magic has an entire series devoted to mind-blowing mental magic, which includes amazing tricks like the Missing Think and Brainwave Deck.

Some of the biggest names in magic today are mentalists. Not long ago, Darren Brown was a complete unknown. But his psychic show is now one of England’s most popular performances. Same story with Banachek , an American mentalist: his shows sell out night after night.

But mindreading is all a trick, right? Or is it?

The magician James Randi started his career as an escape artist and then became a debunker of fraudulent mind readers, much like Houdini. Randi is probably best known for exposing Uri Geller when he claimed to have a variety of psychic abilities. Years ago, as part of his research into psychic phenomena, Randi issued The Million Dollar Challenge. Randi promised to pay one million dollars to anyone who could certifiably read minds. There were very strict test conditions and the “mind reader” had to pass the test without Randi being able to duplicate or explain how the stunt was done. No one was ever able to claim the prize, …until now.

In April, 2008, in front of a crowd at MIT, Seth Raphael took on The Million Dollar Challenge, along with his trusty Apple MacBook computer, and won. It’s actually more the laptop that does the mind reading. (I knew Macs were intuitive, I just didn’t know how much!) The entire challenge was recorded and has finally been released. Here it is (you might want to skip ahead to the 4 minute mark, that’s when the challenge begins):

While you may not be able to do what Seth and his Apple computer did, you can still read people’s minds. Check out the Invisible Deck and Z Fold Wallet (featured in the August AnswersTV Magic newsletter). But the best prop is probably the Thought Transmitter Wallet. While these tricks may not pass Randi’s test, you’re sure to leave an audience believing you’re psychic.

Oh, yeah… The number you were thinking of?

It was…7.

No? Then I bet it was 3?

OK. Give me a second…

(By the way…Seth Raphael’s feat of mentalism? That was Seth and Randi’s 2008 April Fool’s Day joke on the world.)

Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques, also known as FISM, happens only once every three years and is one of magic’s most important conventions. FISM attracts magicians from across the world, which is why it’s known as the Olympics of Magic. It’s a time for the cream of the magic community to gather and exchange ideas. But it’s also a time for these same people to go up against one another and see who’s best. The competition is fierce and the judging is even tougher. So tough, in fact, that occasionally a first prize isn’t awarded because no one measures up to FISM’s high standards.

I have never been to a complete FISM Convention. My performance and tour schedule always got in the way. However, one year, while I was on a two month tour of Europe, there was a “rest day” and FISM was a short train ride away. I got up early in the morning and was able to spend a day at FISM. There was no time to see any of the magic competition, but I enjoyed plenty of conversations with friends and colleges.  I was also able to take a walk through the Dealer’s Room, a collection of magical wares rivaled only by Diagon Alley.

I am mentioning this because the July issue of Harper’s has an article about FISM by Alex Stone, a contestant at the 2006 convention in Stockholm, Sweden. It’s a great look inside this high octane world of top magicians. For someone new to magic, or who has never been to FISM, this is a good introduction. While there is discussion in the magic community about the validity of the article, (specifically by magic bloggers Ellis and Webster, both FISM representatives for Australia and previous winners) I found the article extremely interesting and perfect for someone who has never attended a FISM convention.

If you want to see the caliber of a FISM contest winner, take a look at Answers TV Master Magician, Arthur Trace . He won 3^rd Place in the Manipulation category in 2006. Just watch him perform any of his magic (my favorites are the Vanishing Candle and the Dancing Cane) and check out his interview in our “Behind the Magic” series.

And if you’re interested in competing in the next FISM, atart practicing. It’s August 2009, in Beijing, China .

Hello, this is T. Daniel, AnswersTV’s Magic Aficionado. I will be posting on-going blog entries to keep you up to date with the magical happenings here at AnswersTV. My goal is to provide you with interesting news, fun tidbits, and practical know-how about magic. I will conduct interviews with magicians and other people involved in the magic community, and take you behind the scenes at our studios. I hope that you will participate in this journey by logging in and posting your own comments.

If you’ve spent some time on AnswersTV’s Magic Channel, you’re sure to have noticed our “Magic Store” series. Now, you may be interested to know that much of this series is filmed right in our own “virtual set” studio. There are only two sets like this in North America, and only a few people who know how to operate them. That’s where our set operator, Bruce, comes in. While the talent stands in front of a massive blue screen, Bruce sits at his console and controls the background electronically. The truly amazing thing is that multiple cameras can follow the talent through this virtual environment, creating the illusion of a tangible reality.

Now, the virtual set for magic is only used for background, and isn’t a huge feature of the programs on our Magic Channel. The reason for this is simple. When filming magic performances and reveals, we had one hard rule – well, we had more than one, but this was at the top of the list: there would be no camera tricks. You, the viewer, would see the very same trick as the spectator. We cut to close-ups, yes, but only to give you a closer look at the trick, not to hide the secret move. What you see is what you will be able to do when you the purchase the trick and practice along with our video reveal.

A Child Battles Rheumatoid Arthritis

People usually think of Rheumatoid Arthritis as affecting adults, but children can get the disease, too. “Sometimes it feels like I’m sticking needles through myself,” says 6-year old Adele McKenna. Adele was 18 months old when she was diagnosed with RA.

Today, thanks to both her medical treatment and her tough spirit, Adele plays with friends and enjoys hip-hop dancing.

Click here to learn more about Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Lowering Blood Pressure Helps Elderly

Reducing hypertension is a smart move at any age. A recent study of 3,845 elderly patients showed that lowering blood pressure can help reduce the risk of fatal strokes and heart problems. “We have growing numbers of people living well into their 80s and beyond,” said lead investigator Christopher Bulpitt, “so this is good news.”

To learn more about hypertension, click here and watch our HD video.

Watch One Woman’s Struggle with Anxiety

There was a period in Susan Richman’s life when she was completely incapacitated by her obsessive compulsive disorder. “For about three years I couldn’t work, couldn’t live on my own, couldn’t do any normal activities.” Now, thanks to her tireless work in exposure therapy, Susan is back in control. “I am still so grateful just to be able to get up and walk out on the street.”

“Brain Pacemaker” Could Treat Depression

New research points to a device that could potentially treat severe depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. The so-called “brain pacemaker” is implanted in the chest with wire leads that send electrical impulses deep into the brain. A full clinical trial of the device is scheduled for later this year.

DASH Diet Reduces Health Risks

According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the DASH diet (which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and stroke in middle-aged women. The diet was developed to combat hypertension, and makes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains a central part of your diet.

Measles Stages a Comeback

Federal health officials have warned that the U.S. could be on the verge of a major measles outbreak. As of April, 64 cases have so far been reported this year — the most in six years. Israel and parts of Europe are already experiencing an outbreak of measles.

Sword Thru NeckThis trick is a great way to involve your audience. Simply select someone from the crowd (the more squeamish the better) and using this special stockade, ram a sword through their neck. When you remove the sword and show that your victim, err, assistant, is completely unharmed, the crowd is sure to be impressed. And maybe a little spooked!