Hamburg
Millennium Newspaper Date: 31.12.1999 / 1.1.2000
Page: 33 / Jobs
Author: RENATE REITH
The Job of a magician
and the fascination of magic
Harry Houdini, David Copperfield, Kim & Sedat. What do these four people have in common? The love of magic. Houdini was probably the most famous illusionist at the beginning of the century and Copperfield is the world'' s most famous sorcerer of our time. And Kim & Sedat ?They are possibly heading in the same direction. One thing you can say about these two professional magicians from Hamburg is that they are not lacking in ability and charisma. At weddings, birthdays, company events or parties the two magicians make cards float, they appear to pull coins through a table or they can free themselves when they are tied up. In the "Holiday Inn", the "Rotary Club" or the "Hamburger Küche" they have already captured the imaginations of the audience and on today''s New Years Eve event their magical skills will be on show at the "Hotel Elysee". Three years ago Sedat Ersakmak (27) and Frank Kim (29) first met in a Magic shop in Hamburg Wandsbek. For the past four years Sedat has been selling conjuring tricks in this very shop. A while later both of them decided that they should appear on stage together, they gave themselves the stage names Kim & Sedat and formed the company A-Magic. The A stands for the English word "another" and relates to a special, new kind of magic - the close-up-magic. In contrast to magic that takes place on a stage, the magician performs his skills in full view of the audience, for example at the audiences` table. "This idea originates from America and we want to make it popular in Germany" says Kim. What they show is a good clean magic. They trained for month on the magic until mastered it down to the last detail. Without marked cards. "For a ten minute program we will have rehearsed it for up to a half a year" says Sedat. For the last ten years the trained businessman has been enchanting people all over with his magic.
"I saw David Copperfield" on TV and I was fascinated." Through videos, books, the magicians trade and seminars the two magicians acquire their new skills and they pass these acquired skills on to other people through a series of classes ( further information can be obtained over the phone +49-40-544 888 , or internet: www.A-Magic.net). Their repertory also includes stage magic, for example freeing themselves from chains and cages or the magic for children. "It is not enough just to master the technical skills. If you want to enchant the audience you have to give the trick the personal touch, this is similar to putting the trick into a special story" says Kim. "It is the style of the presentation, which achieves the desired effect." What makes the magic so fascinating? "We turn logic on its heads" says Kim. "The spectators watch carefully but they have no idea how the trick works, which simply amazes them. The illusion only takes place in the mind of the spectators." Kim and Sedat believe that in order to achieve success in the magician trade, there are some basic conditions which need to be fulfilled: The magician must have technical skills, patience, a business mind, charisma and they should enjoy entertaining people. "Good management is very important. That includes having the ability to market yourself " says Sedat. There are a lot of good magicians, but not all of them are able to sell themselves. Those who want to pursue the art of magic seriously, will become a member of the Magic Circle. In this elite society - founded 1912 in Hamburg - only advanced magicians are Accepted. Generally speaking Germany seems to be the place for magicians to be: About 85 so called regional groups are associated to the. And David Copperfield himself buys a lot of his tricks in Germany.
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