Why do we call it magic?

Have you ever felt a sense of wonder as you watch a magician perform? No matter how hard you have tried to understand the trick, if it was done correctly, you are spellbound through the illusion. Simple, right? It is an exchange of reality; we allow ourselves this belief, for one moment - someone has performed a visual miracle for us.

You hear this word over and over again after a great rehearsal, or take, watching dailies... you say, wow that was magic. What do we mean by that? Do we mean that it is non repeatable? Is it that somehow we arrived at this place of truth in a scene, a character, directing idea, plot change in our writing as a miraculous "appear and disappear" act? I have felt this, I know you have also.

What if we were to humbly view ourselves as magicians, creators of illusions. Our job is to entertain, regardless of our genre and or content. You the artist, your job is to make me catch my breath as I see a character speak through you, a story told through you, a vision shared through you.


Your job is to entertain me. I the audience, am not interested in what a great artist you think you might be, I can care less of your personal life or ambitions - tell me a story and make me believe it. How different is that from the classic magician?