French Drop

The first trick I ever learned was the French Drop. I was seven years old. I found the trick in the library. For a while, it was the only trick I knew, so I became pretty good at it. As I got older and started earning money, I bought illusion after illusion. I never ment to become a magician. In my mind I was doing research. I just wanted to know how things worked.

It is strange, but I don't really remember the transition from ordinary person to magician. It is sort of a blur. At first, I wasn't doing any shows, I would just do a trick or two just to see the look on someones face. That was very satistfying.

After a while people started saying ..."We are having a bla bla function at the yada yada place...do you think you could do some kinda show?" "OK, why not?" I didn't mind. Then people started to ask me to do kids shows. Then I nstarted to mind a little bit.

I wanted to be like David Copperfield...not Coco the Clown. I wanted to walk thru the Great Wall of China, not make balloon animals. I wanted to saw people in half, not pull a rabbit out of a hat. I wanted to make the Statue of Liberty dissappear, not make milk come out of my nose. The problem is you tear up a dollar and turn it into a hundred dollar bill ...and the kid can't read yet, Huston we have a problem.

I was young, give me a break. Yes I LOVE FIRE, EXPLOSIONS, SMOKE and shoving a big needle into my forearm...but you want to know who my favorite audiences have been over the years? The very young, and the very old. Kids are great they really get into it. The elderly are awesome as well. They show so much appreciation for you coming to visit with them.

I have been in New York City since...shortly after 9/11. Since that time I have spent most of that time just surviving. It is so expensive here. For the longest time I was in a rut. Now I seemto have gotten my bearings And now I am ready to do more than just survive. I have heard it said "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere" After nearly 10 years, I am inclined to aggree.

The thing that I have learned about myself while living here is "Whatever you are, YOU ARE" There are two things that I am for sure. One is a magician. Even though I haven't been doing shows for a while, I have never really stopped creating new magic. Another thing I am is an artist. I have never stoped creating art work.

The passage of time has not deminished my magic, or my art. Perhaps they have even gotten better with time.

The Disappearing Reappearing Candy Bar

As a magician, I feel it is my responsibility to preserve magic by keeping the secret. However, once in a while, I discover a sweet little gem I don't mind sharing with the general public. My friend "The Amazing Richie" has business cards with this great little optical illusion printed on the front. It is awesome...at the same time, it is incredibly simple. I took the same illusion, blew it up...photo copied it...and by now, you have probably seen me performing it on you tube.

Here, I am revealing the secret of the illusion. The secret is...THERE IS NO SECRET! Just copy the drawing in the photo with your favorite drawing program. Once the drawing is complete, print out a copy. Now slide your fingers along the drawing. That's it.

When you hide one end of the drawing, one of the candy bars will disappear. If you hide the opposite end of the drawing, the candy bar will reappear. All you have to do is copy the drawing on this post, and you should be able to do this little miracle with no problem. Have fun.

Magic, a Nobel Profession

It is nice to see traditions that are passed down from father to son. There is just something special about a family skill that is passed on from one generation to the next. It is wonderful when you see people sharing their talent because they love what they do. There is a sense of pride and professionalism. In any case, the real winner is the customer.





If you love magic, it may not necessarily be part of your family tradition. In that case, you will probably need to find mentor outside your family. Chose well, there are a lot of great magicians in this world. If you are lucky, perhaps there is a magic shop near you where you can get personal instruction and tutoring on a regular basis.





We are very fortunate to live in a world full of gadgets, multimedia, Internet...DVDs and the like. It is easier than ever before to get information on any subject you are interested in.





There are so many great teachers and performers out there. However, my suggestion for anyone who is starting out, is to do lots of research. Buy lots of illusions. Learn as much as you can to figure out what kind of magician you want to be. By that I mean...there are many kinds of magic. Take two examples, stage magic compared to street magic.





Stage magic is a nice venue...street magic is also beautiful in the right hands. However, if you are born to be a street performer, you shouldn't invest most of your time trying to work on stage. On the other hand, if you were made for the stage... it wouldn't necessarily kill you to do street magic, but you should really place your focus on on the stage where you belong.





One of the best places to learn magic is on the Internet. There are many places where you can learn magic for absolutely free. I have mixed feelings about that. You tube has an innumerable amount of surprisingly and impressive tutorials on magic and illusions.





Some of the "best stuff " is still the stuff you have to pay for the traditional way. To me, when you have to pay for something, you have more respect for it. You are not in a hurry to give away the secret because you spent your hard earned money on that illusion. You will realize what I am talking about when you are performing an illusion you really love in front of a group of people...they are awestruck..then out of nowhere some wiseguy blurts out, "Oh yeah, you used a thumb tip, I saw it on you tube."





There are so many great, professional magicians who teach on DVD, or sell illusion products that will make you a better performer. Sure everybody knows the names Criss Angel, David Copperfield, and David Blaine. However, if you yourself are becoming a magician, you need to do some research and learn some of the other names behind magic...and there are MANY...too many to mention.





I will name just a few. This is by no means a complete list...not even close. This list is just to wet your appetite and point you in the right direction. You will discover your own list of favorite people to learn from as time goes by. Michale Ammar, John Cornelius, Jay Sankey, Daryl, Michael Skinner





There is also a wonderful training course for free on you tube. If you want to get out there and be a real magician, if you want to learn how to do paid performances, If you want some great research material to start you off in the right direction. This course is for you.

However, it's not just for beginners. Even if you have been performing for a while, and just want some ideas to help polish up your act , you will find this information helpful. Perhaps you need help figuring out how much to charge your clients or how to negotiate for more money...or even how to get gigs lined up ... you will also find this course useful.

The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNVc_CLtJyc There are at least 26 lessons in this course. Each one is only a few minuets long. You can watch them all in one sitting, or you can watch a couple at a time it's up to you. When you download the link, the title should read "Lesson 1: Magic is a 24 Hour Job - Brian Campbell. Enjoy.

Last of all, I will tell you the same thing I always tell every magician that I coach...after you've been in magic for a while...you really have to invent your own stuff. That's just my personal opinion, but I think it's a legitimate point.

The Creepy Dream Guy

It is often said that sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction. Such is the case with the person I call "The Creepy Dream Guy". His story is a strange one indeed. He is known as "This Man". Basically, This Man...if he exists, has found a way to inter a sleeping persons dreams.



As I understand it, someone can be asleep and This Man just shows up unannounced. Once he shows up, a number of things can happen. He may just sit there like a bump on a log and stare at you unnervingly. He may give you a sense of comfort by smiling at you. You may be trapped inside a strange place and he will lead you out.



Other times, he will do something that frightens people. The same smile used to comfort some people, can scare other people. Sometimes, he will do incredibly weird things...like turn his head into a balloon. Yes, I know, it sounds crazy, but I am not making this stuff up. Some people say This Man has been showing up regularly in their dreams since they were a child.



What does he look like? Well I will draw him for you and upload a video of the drawing to this post. If I had to describe him, I would have to say he looks like a middle aged guy. Maybe medium build, perhaps a little chubby. Thinning hair on the top. Unusually big eyes that seem to say he knows something you don't.





There is even a web site dedicated to This Man: http://www.thisman.org/ Lots of people have dreamed of This Man. As the story goes... In January 2006 a well known psychiatrist in New York was treating a patient with sleep disorders. Someone she called"This Man" frequently showed up in her dreams. However, she had never seen This Man in her waking life. She drew a picture of this strange person who kept showing up in her dreams.

The psychiatrist left the drawing on his desk. A completely different patient saw the drawing and said he had seen This Man frequently in his dreams as well. This new patient also said he had never seen This Man in his waking life.



So it began, and as it turns out, person after person has testified to seeing This Man in their dreams. The strange thing is, this is a world wide phenomenon. It is happening all over the place. That is, if the stories are true.



If this is true, who or what exactly is This Man? Is he good or bad, friend or foe? Is he something encoded into our DNA that is naturally occurring and only happens when we are asleep? Is it all some unknown social phenomenon, or just one great big hoax?



Perhaps, this is an actual person...some kind of mad scientist nerd with too much time on his hands. Maybe he is one smart cookie with all kinds of "PHD ABC-Degrees" pasted all over his wall. He has invented a machine that sends out special alpha radio waves which allow him to manipulate peoples minds while they are asleep. (Yes he is one sick puppy)


I'll tell you the problem I have with this situation. When you and I are asleep, we are in our most vulnerable state. We are helpless. People can hurt you or do things to you that they couldn't if you were awake. Now I don't know if This man is real or not real, but if he is in fact real, I can only think of one other person he reminds me of...FREDDY KRUGER.

Freddy goes around invading people's minds like it's his own personal playground. He acts like he's a God and he can do anything he wants, and no one can stop him. If Freddy were real, I wouldn't like him. So Mr. This Man, I don't like you for the same reason. You trespass on the most sacred of private properties...a persons mind. You have no right to do that. You have no business doing that.

So go get a life. Get a Job, whatever, but knock it off. You have no right to do whatever you want...to whoever you want...whenever you want to do it.

If you are a real person, I think you have the perfect "Clown Face", so why not invest in some clown makeup? Really, you'd make a great clown and I think you'd make a lot of money with your big clown shoes and a few animal balloons.

Hang up the mad scientist routine, because no good can come of it. Another thing, you'd better stay out of my dreams, you looser. If you have something to say to people, you should say it to their face, instead of sneaking through the back door of a person's mind to play games with their head.

Last...don't let me catch you out in the street. Out in the real world were you can't turn into a balloon and fly away. If I see you, I will probably shove a hot dog up your nose or something.

Real Magicians

• Someone once told me a person who only wants to be known as a writer will publish a thing or two and be satisfied with that. However, a person who is truly writer at heart will actually write something every day. They write because that is their passion. They write ...not to earn some title, but because it fulfills their purpose on this earth.
  
  Being a magician is sort of like that. Not all people really want to be a magician. Some people just want to be known as a magician. They go out of their way to find out how to do ONE trick...then Bam! They post the secret online for the world to see.
  
  They want fame, but they don't want to become a real magician. When you become a real magician you will know it. You were probably born that way. Just as some people were born to be artists, doctors or fire fighters, you are born to be a magician.
  
  How do you know if you are a born a magician? Well look into your minds eye. See yourself as a kid watching a great magician perform. When you're a born magician...if you see someone perform an awesome illusion, you HAVE to know how it's done. You will stop at nothing to find out the secret. You will break open your piggy bank and gladly give away all your money for that secret. after a while it becomes a thirst. Then learning one secret leads to learning another and another...as you slip further and further down the rabbit hole.
  
  Later you emerge all grown up. Serious about the craft and feeling a sense of empowerment.
  
  You practice all the time. Not because somebody makes you, but because you enjoy it. The more you practice, the better you become. You add more and more illusions to your arsenal. you begin to blow people away. You learn so much stuff and soon, before you even know it's hit you, someone asks you to perform for some function.
  
  One day you notice a lot of time has gone by, and suddenly it becomes a blur... when was that actual moment when you became a seasoned real live magician? Seems like you've been one all your life. Now you are a magician from the heart. You keep the secrets because you love the wonder that you see in a someones eyes when you perform for them.
  
  You can walk into any setting and change peoples moods from sad to glad to astonishment instantly. You can lift someone up who is feeling down. You can make people feel a wide range of emotions, like passion, joy, wonder, and amazement. If you feel a sense of responsibility that comes with this power, You are a magician.
  
  Non magicians don't feel that sense of responsibility.
  Magicians all over the world are constantly inventing new illusions to astound people. The secret is what gives the illusion its power. Hidden within the secret is the sense of awe. The secret is the magic.
  
  In the old days magicians were careful to guard their secrets. Now-a-days a guy will put on a mask then go on on national television and reveal the worlds greatest secrets of magic for money and tv ratings. Don't get me wrong, people REALLY interested in learning the art of magic should be able to learn.
  
  However, when a magician invents a trick to support his livelihood, then someone thoughtlessly gives the secret away...the inventor looses. If you own an illusion, it is your own business what you do with that illusion. If you don't own it, you don't have the right to give it away. It's the same thing as taking money out of someones pocket or stabbing them in the back.
  
  IF you want to learn magic learn it well. Learn all you can from as many sources that are available to you. Perform whenever you get the chance. Another thing, find out what kind of magician you are. Develop your own style. There are many different kinds of magician, There is everything from comedic, to grand illusionist, to street magician, to close up magician, to mentalist, to anything else you can think of. Another thing you want to do is learn to invent your own stuff.
  
  Once in a while I will personally teach magic to someone. All they have to do is abide by a few simple rules:

1.It is ok to teach someone if they are worthy.

2.When you exchange illusions with others make sure you receive something of equal or greater value in that exchange.

3. Never let a heckler get away with disturbing your show.

4. Always leave your audience wanting more.

5.No matter how many times they ask you how it's done...they really don't want to know. Deep down inside they are aware that once they know the secret... the magic will be gone. So DON'T tell them. Keep the wonder alive.

6. Be responsible and tell kids it's not real...it's only an illusion. If they try to imitate you they will get hurt.

Here is my you tube video. This is my own creation. I don't mind teaching people this simple trick if it will get them to read this blog. This is by far not my best illusion. I don't give away the good stuff for free. There is a method to my madness. My main purpose is to get people to read this blog. The world deserves a better class of magician, so if you're reading this, I hope you will rise to the occasion.

UFO Photos

I recently uploaded a video describing how to fake UFO photos and videos. (you tube) I could understand how someone might get the impression I don't believe in such things. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have had several UFO related encounters.

Sometimes these encounters are beautiful and awe inspiring...sometimes they are incredibly frightening. I speak from first hand knowledge when I say UFOs are 100% real. I believe in GOD...MORE than I believe in UFOs, but I have seen what I have seen.

You know, It used to drive me crazy...trying to figure out what these things were. No more. Conspiracy UFO theorist have said that the government is evil and is hiding the truth from us. Maybe so...who knows? Some people also think "The truth is out there" Oh brother. "OUT THERE" covers a lot of territory. I get a headache just thinking about it.

Speaking of the truth being out there, I once had the opportunity to ask David Duchovny if he had ever thought about whether or not UFOs were real. It happened here in New York at the movie premier of "The Television Set". In front of three or four hundred people he said...........no. NO? How can a guy who has been on the X Files for Five years not think about something like that? Trust me Agent Mulder, they ARE real.

I no longer rack my brains trying to figure all this stuff out. Now a days I just live my life and do the best I can. Let someone else figure it out. Personally, I think that if someone has gone to all this trouble to keep this thing hidden...maybe its best to leave it alone. My theory is that every single person who covers this stuff up is NOT a bad person. Surely there is someone in this group who cares about people and is not out to destroy the world. What if this information is JUST TOO DANGEROUS? That might explain a few things.

So if you're looking to unlock the mystery of the UFO...be careful what you wish for...you just might get it. Think about it. What if that TV show "V" is real...and a bunch of Hi Tech lizard people from outer space want to have us for lunch so they can suck out our brains? Now, that's not a pretty picture, is it? For the record...UFOs are very real, and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. That's the bottom line.

Wow Mister Xman, you are such a KILLJOY, GLOOM AND DOOM NAY SAYER. No I'm not. It's just that I've noticed that the vast majority of people who go around looking for UFOs are on a long and winding road to nowhere. They keep looking and looking with no end in sight. Instead of wasting my time on something I can't do anything about, I'd rather focus on things I can touch, see, feel and understand.

Anyway, like I said...I posted a video on you tube. It's a tutorial on how to fake UFO photos and videos. Why did I do that? Well, number one, it was fun. Number two, so many people make fake videos and try to pass them of as real. After all I've been through I consider that an insult.

If there's one thing my tutorial proves....it's that an average guy with little or no budget can come up with some very convincing stuff. Another thing, I admit right off the bat my UFO footage is fake. A clever video is a clever video. It can still be cool even if it's not real. However, you will look pretty dumb if you say your footage is real and later on its proven to be a fake.

I just want to show people they can have fun without lying about it. I enjoyed putting this stuff together, and I did it all without the wonder of CGI. I'm sure people will employ some of my techniques to make own UFO videos. Some will even spend a little money and come up with stuff that is 10 times better than anything I presented.

I say GO FOR IT.

Kick What?

I saw a very interesting movie trailer the other day. Nicolas Cage was one of the main characters. The movie is about real life super heroes. (It was called "Kick #@&! ") I had mixed feelings about the movie after I saw the trailer. It looks like the kind movie that will be popular.



However, I am torn. Looks like there will be a lot of violence. By the way, I am not always against violence in the movies. The thing that bothers me after looking at the trailer is... there is a kid in the movie initiating a lot of the violence. This kid also has a serious "potty mouth". Nicolas Cage, her father, is apparently a single parent. Not your typical, responsible, protective type parent either. In one scene he puts his daughter in a bullet proof vest, then shoots her.



It is absurd how he lets her cuss like a sailor and constantly puts her in harms way. No SANE person would put their kid in that kind of danger. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. I cross my fingers and hope that I don't see some lunatic on JERRY SPRINGER, or MAURY POVICH because he put a child in that kind of situation.

I feel a little guilty after watching the trailer, Because I saw a little kid who was only 8 or 10 years old beating the stuffing out of bad guys. Thing is, she was VERY GOOD at beating them to a pulp, and I enjoyed watching her do it. It was wildly entertaining, I feel GUILTY for liking it, but I did like it.

Yes, it's rated R, but who are you kidding? You know all kinds of impressionable young minds are going to see this film. Problem is, kids tend to imitate what they see on the big screen when they like it. They are going to like this movie.

We have gotten so loose as a society lately. In the old days, if a kid used certain words, he could count on getting his mouth washed out with soap. Sorry, I'm old fashioned. I still think that kids should speak respectfully and not use certain words. YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WORDS I'M TALKING ABOUT.

Another thing...a certain segment of our population will see this movie, put on some homemade costumes, then try their hand at being super heroes. This might create a problem. I believe a few couch potatoes might actually walk out of their local movie theater and try to become an instant crime fighter. Give me a break.

Being a real life super hero is OK, as long as a person can separate real life from fantasy. People simply have to realize that they are not in a comic book. If someone shoots you, guess what? You are going to get hurt or killed. If you try to take on a gang of thugs, chances are you will get beat up and strangled with your own cape.

My suggestion to anyone who wants to be a real life super hero is to be responsible, be realistic, get some training. and know the law. It is very important that you find out WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN NOT DO. Whatever you do, DON'T BECOME A VIGILANTE.

Perhaps I am wrong, maybe kids won't emulate what they see and hear in this movie. Perhaps middle age guys won't get off the couch, put on spandex and start patrolling the streets. Maybe people will walk away from this movie saying, "OK, that was very entertaining, but it was only a movie . I better get on with my life now. After all, I've got to go to work in the morning".................................................................................... Well, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best.