From the Mind of Chris Harding…
Hi I’m Chris Harding and this is my first attempt at writing the Alakazam Blog! I shall endeavour not to rant on too extensively on too many occasions. Just as a bit of background info, I have worked at Alakazam coming up for around seven years now! I know…that’s a long time! It has been fascinating so far looking at the infamous magical “trends” that come and go and meeting some of the weird and wonderful characters in the world of Magic! It is always a joy and the great and interesting magicians that I have met through working for Peter have always been friendly and helpful. But enough about my little world of wonder and mystery…onwards with the blog!
It has been a very busy month so far here at Alakazam Magic. We’ve been filming new DVDs, working on new tricks, had a Channel 4 film crew in for a day as well as keeping the shop running from day to day! But more on that later!
I would like to start by wishing our Store Manager of two years, Andy Smith, the very best of luck as he leaves Alakazam to take up a new position elsewhere. I know you will all join me in wishing him well for the future! Also special congratulations should go to Andy for recently passing his Associate of the Inner Magic Circle examination! Well done!
Last Friday we went out on Andy’s leaving do into the hip and rocking town of Ashford for drinks and a curry, which all seemed to go down rather well! I don’t have the strongest recollections of it but hey – it was a party too as we combined it with local printer and Alakazams resident layman – Paul Johnson’s birthday! Paul is the guy behind the printing of the top notch Alakazam Magic packaging and instruction manuals! Great for publicity brochures and flyers too (plug, plug!!) It was a blast all round and a good laugh too – and despite the presence of four Magicians there was not a card trick in sight!
There is a great new DVD coming out from a young guy Peter met at the Blackpool Convention called Matthew J. Dowden. It is called Party Animal and it really is packed full of wicked close up magic that is really great and very commercial. Matthew is a great performer and you can check out a sneak peek demo video on our You Tube site here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2vBBeLQUxs
This really is a great DVD people and I am totally honest when I say that this is not just a shameless plugging mission! The DVD is fun to watch and shot in a bar in town as opposed to a studio setup audience. Since filming I am already doing a bunch of the tricks from Party Animal and they hit very, very well!! You lot can get your hands on this double disc set on the 4th May. Check out the post on the Magic Café for more info on the effects included here:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=206608&forum=218&17
Also coming out soon for all you Street Magic dudes is a great new coin in bottle effect by Alex Ward – but don’t scroll down as this is a coin in bottle with a difference – the bottle is still factory sealed at the climax of the effect! Making it an IMPOSSIBLE penetration!! This is a cool trick and you leave the victim with the sealed bottle with coin inside at the end! Only one bottle is used and best of all - the effect is easy to perform! The demo will be on You Tube very soon! If not already by the time you read this far down!!
Last week Channel 4 came down to do some filming in the shop, along with Friday Night Project’s Justin Lee Collins for an upcoming TV project! Justin was a great laugh and came with a whole entourage of fussy and nervous producers who just seemed to panic more and more as Justin endeavoured to master the art of fire Magic! How delightful!
Well should go get on with some work now as I feel I have gone on enough for one day! Do keep checking back here for updates and to keep really up to date – then subscribe to our weekly e-mailing list – you can do that by sending an e-mail to sales@alakazam.co.uk with the EXACT words “SUBSCRIBE TO ALAKAZAM MAILING LIST” in the subject line and we will add you in!
Thanks for reading this far and for those of you who have then here is the link to the SEALED IN video demo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuG9gA6aEEI
How cheeky is that! Hope you like it!
Chris.
