How to Become an Illusionist

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm magician Paul Weatherbee, and I'm going to tell you how to become an illusionist. The first step to becoming an illusionist is to study as much as you can about the subject. There are many good books on the history of magic and illusion. One great book is The Illustrated History of Magic, by Milbourne Christopher. Another book is Hiding the Elephant, by Jim Steinmeyer. They should be available through libraries or your local bookstores. Ah, the next thing is to watch as many illusionists as possible. That way, it gives you a feel for their presentations. You see, illusions aren't just about technique, but they're also about presentation and psychology. Here we go. You can see many illusionists on the Internet. If you do a web search you can see their promo videos, and you can get a sense for their different styles of presentation. Here we go; just like that, okay. Can you hold onto this dear, there you go. Another way that you can learn about illusions is by associating with other illusionists, and you can learn this by joining The Society of American Magicians or The International Brotherhood of Magicians, and they have meetings, and journals, and magazines, and that's how you become an illusionist. I hope these tips have been helpful for you. Remember, until next time; keep the magic in your life."