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Month: October 2015

A CON MAN REINVENTS HIMSELF…AS A REALITY TV MAGICIAN..

A CON MAN REINVENTS HIMSELF…AS A REALITY TV MAGICIAN..

On a July episode of the primetime competition show America’s Got Talent, a compact, graying man in ripped jeans and a vest and tie took the stage.

Holding up a pack of cards, he announced: “I’m not real proud of this, but about ten years ago I found this pack of cards in a federal prison.”

He was a con man, he explained to the hosts, “all about fast cars and fancy clothes”—but the love of a good woman transformed him. “I met an amazing girl and I had some amazing friends and I walked into the U.S. Marshals’ office and said ‘I retire.’ I turned myself in,” he said. “You can’t look a woman in the eye, say ‘I love you,’ and lie about who you are.” His five-year incarceration, he told the audience, allowed him to reinvent himself as a legal kind of con man: a stage magician. “The day I got there,” he said, “I picked up a deck of cards, and I picked up a book about how to do card tricks, and I taught myself how to perform, and I’ve been doing magic ever since.”

That’s Aiden Sinclair’s shtick, the con man magician. “Aiden Sinclair is America’s preeminent grifter turned professional magician,” boasts his website. “Rather than face a future as a recidivism statistic, Aiden chose to spend his time adapting the skills that served him so well as a confidence artist to a new calling.” TheAmerica’s Got Talent crowd ate it right up. “You turned your life around, and now you’re here to entertain and put smiles on people’s faces rather than taking things away from people,” competition judge Howie Mandel enthused to Sinclair on the show. Read more….

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-con-man-reinvents-himself-as-a-reality-tv-magician

The Complete Guide to Playing Cards – A Free Course..

The Complete Guide to Playing Cards – A Free Course..

Playing cards are an essential tool for magicians, and there are so many different types to choose from. I get questions all the time from students asking all sorts of card related questions, so I created this course to address all of them and hopefully clear up any confusion. I will cover the various card materials, stock, finishes, cuts, brands, manufacturers and more.

http://courses.52kards.com/courses/complete-guide-to-playing-cards/?src=email

Soon, hunt for the world’s greatest magician to begin..

Soon, hunt for the world’s greatest magician to begin..

HYDERABAD, OCTOBER 6:  

M SOMASEKHAR

The search for the world’s greatest magician/illusionist will begin soon. It will involve going to over 100 countries where the art is practised, says Tony Hassini, Chairman and CEO of the International Magicians Society, US.

The winner will not only get the recognition, but also a $1-million award. A popular Las Vegas Casino is to sponsor the hunt and formally announce it in early 2016, 76-year old Cyprus-born Hassini told BusinessLine here.

At present, the greatest, acclaimed magician is David Copperfield, who is a consummate artiste, said Hassini, who was in India, presenting the Merlin Award, the Oscars of the magicians’ world. The IMS, with over 37,000 members worldwide, is the largest magic organisation recorded by the Guinness Records.

Interestingly, in the repertoire of tricks of David Copperfield, the best known are making the Statue of Liberty disappear and walking through the Great Wall of China.

“My visit to India, the country where magic and mystery took birth, is to look for talented magicians who could quality for this recognition,” said Hassini, with a toss of his curly, black flowing mane. The man with a sharp sense of humour proudly recalled his early learning with P C Sorcar Sr., one of India’s greatest magicians.

Hassini presented the Merlin Award of IMS to Samala Venu, well-known magician from Hyderabad, who won it for the second year in a row in the city on September 30. A week earlier, in Mumbai, Hassini gave the award to Zenia Bhumgara, a college student as the ‘Best female, teenage magician in India’.

Hassini, who started his own ‘magic’ journey at the age of 16, has battled dyslexia and hearing problems to etch his name among the best in business. He is best known for making the skull float and popularising Burger King.

Magic Olympics

“I plan to organise a Magic Olympics in India in the next 1-2 years. It will be a gathering of the best of magicians and illusionists and I am talking to people here,” he said.

To the budding magicians out to perform on stage, he had a quick demo and advice: “When you produce the white pigeon from nowhere, do not quickly toss it into the audience in your enthusiasm, flip it straight up in front of you so that the act is captured well by all the cameras in front and appreciated by the people in the front rows.”

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/soon-hunt-for-the-worlds-greatest-magician-to-begin/article7731135.ece

Putting the magic into team building, literally..

Putting the magic into team building, literally..

Magicians are often used in corporate entertainment, but does magic have a role in team building? Neuroscientists even claim magic tricks throw light on sales techniques or business negotiations. Dr Nicola Davies looks at how magic can enhance teamwork, patience, focus, risk-taking, and problem-solving.

Magician Scott Cuthbertson is often invited to corporate events. Some of his clients include BP, BAA, British Airways, De La Rue Currency, GlaxoSmithKline, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Lloyds Pharmacies, Novartis, Shell, Shering, UGC Cinemas and UEFA, amongst many others.

Within Cuthbertson’s repertoire are team building games, workshops, and conference and awards night performances. He not only presents his own magic, but he also teaches employees how to do tricks.

When a magician comes in to a workplace and gets people involved in solving or performing magic tricks, they can teach skills including team work and good communication. It can also facilitate the development of creative approaches to problem-solving, and how to work within a limited time-frame. These skills are important in creating adaptable teams. Read more..

http://www.personneltoday.com/hr/putting-the-magic-into-team-building-literally/

Magic can enhance team building and problem solving. Photo: Shutterstock/Syda Productions ..