Innovention 2010 (2)

I wanted to expand a little about the Innovention Held in Las Vegas last week. It was the inaugural event, and I do not know if it will ever be repeated. I hope it is. I heard a rumor that Paul Stone said he would not do it again?
I met a 92 year old performer named Mark Raffles. Mark did a beautiful and very comedic linking ring routine that was most enjoyable. I think in my last post I mention something about the U.K. invasion or flavor of the Innovention. Well Mark Raffles is one of those that comes from across the pond! It was refreshing seeing so many magicians from the U.k. Mark gives me hope! I doubt I will ever be as comfortable as him, nor as smooth... but at 92, I have 41 more years to catch up!
Mark Raffles performing his linking ring routine was definitely a high light for me!
Teller of Penn and Teller fame did a one hour lecture on his "The Red Ball" trick. It was a wonderful lecture about the need for perseverance, and sticktuitiveness...
Teller's Red Ball Lecture was excellent. I think many will take pieces from it depending on where they are individually at in their magical journey.
Many will miss a lot because they are newly on their walk, others will glean much because they are further along their journey, still others might miss it entirely.
For me, the lecture resonated with the will to continue. The idea that I need to not be so much in a hurry. Too look at some effects differently. To plow ahead in spite of what someone else might negatively think. If I "see" something of value in an effect, and while I may not know exactly what it is I want to accomplish with it, or know "how" I am going to get where I want to go... If I keep plugging away at it, day by day, hour after hour... opportunities, ideas will present themselves.
Teller spent hours daily, after their regular show, on stage working on this one effect. It consumed him, even while on vacations, he would daily work on it... for eighteen months he worked on it.
Finally he shared it with Penn. Penn didn't exactly uplift his partner Teller. More work, tweaking, finally Teller thought it ready, again he shared it with Penn, Johnny Thompson and Mac King.
Scared of what they might say, he was pleasantly rewarded with three thumbs up!
Ironically, the ball never floats.
The interesting thing... Penn announces before hand...
"A trick with a thread"... exposing the gimmick, but by doing this... it enhances, rather than detracts from the magic of it! What a novel thought, like the masked magician, exposing magic to enhance the art! Picture is of Teller, speaking of the masked magician. (which most magicians truly despise)
So, what did I get out of it?
Trusting your instincts.
Never giving up on an idea.
Diligence, hard work, persistence...
Also, I am lazy!
My gosh, would I have quit after a few weeks, months, a YEAR AND A HALF!!!!??
One last note I'd like to add...
as I alluded to in the last post, about Paul Stone being a class act, and stand up guy.
Thursday night was the end of Innovention, I took the picture here of Paul and myself at about 2 A.M. Friday morning as I was getting ready to head up to my room. I had to get up at 7 A.M.
As I waited fro my shuttle out front of the Goldcoast hotel, I was chatting with two of our "head liners" that were going to the airport as well. They were both heading back to New York and home.
Paul Stone drove up in his car, and began loading their luggage into the trunk. He noticed me, and without any prompting immediately said, "Tim, where you headed?" I responded, "waiting for the shuttle to the airport." Paul said, "Grab your stuff, I'll drive you."
To me, this is something I would do, but it was an unexpected delight for me to be treated so warmly and kindly by Paul Stone, the executive producer of the event. Not only that, but I asked Paul what time he went to bed, "he said sometime around 3 A.M."
OUCH!
Paul was like this though out the Innovention.
Truly a wonderful giving man!