Thanks to YouTube and Google video, we have an old style of magician come to the forefront and get more attention than before. These are the Crafters, masters of their art, hours and days devoted to practicing to an insane amount of skill but unwilling to walk into the spotlight. The introverted perfectionists:

http://keirsey.com/personality/spit.html

Magic by nature is a performer's art. Look on modern TV competition shows or even older ones and see that magicians with personality, charisma and an outgoing persona get more accolades than those with superior skill but less charm.

Why? Because we like to be entertained and won over, not witness a dry demonstration of superior skill. Thus the Crafter having all the great qualities of a true entertainer, sans the extroverted side, find themselves in a quandary. They don't enjoy being out in huge shows where all attention is one themselves but they certainly love the art of magic.

Enter The Technician.

He will practice, practice, and practice more until his skills are honed to utter perfection then seek out those who would appreciate that talent - other magicians.

And thanks to YouTube, Google Video, and others - he can now post movies of his superior skill all over the Internet and join bulletin boards to show it off. Or stand at his local magic chapter's meeting and awe the crowd, getting the social feedback he desires.

Other magicians will eventually see The Technician as "not a real magician" since he doesn't perform shows. But of course he's better skilled than them, and can't quite comprehend why he's not considered legitimate. So he'll either find a show to be in, or create his own show for a smaller crowd.

Like all introverts, they can stand a bunch of people for only a brief amount of time. Long interactions, extended parties lasting hours, or wandering small talk conversations are horrendously boring.

Just my theory, ISTP's in magic. IMHO of course.

interesting

Isn’t technical proficiency and knowing the secret only the smallest fraction of delivering an Entertaining Performance? Most Magicians’ will agree that the Art of Magic is Presentation.

I am dumb-struck by some of these technically skilled people. I will admit I could never achieve that level of skill simply because I focus my abilities on presentation. Like you mentioned in the essay, Charisma and Personality are what I rely on most. That goes without saying I truly admire the technical performers.




“If this be Magic - Let it be an Artâ€

I completely agree with you both. Presentation is the whole key to magic. Devant said it best when he said (paraphrasing) that he only knew 8 sleights. He was able to take the minimal of skills and turn them into spectacular feats of magic.

The most simple effects can kill. I offer sponge balls, cups and balls, a simple card force or DL as evidence. When presented correctly and with charm and wit backing them, your audience will be more apt to remember you and your name, rather than "that guy that did those really cool things with the cards."

Magic is 98% presentation and 2% effect.

A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician...

Robert-Houdin

I'm reading/doing a really good book at the moment called Acting for Magicians by Richard Tenace and it's (obviously) really big on character and presentation. I'll review it when I'm finished with it, but so far it's proving to be a most excellent work book.

32

Ying and yang people.