Magician on social media: short formats, authenticity and image rights

A magic video can get millions of views in four hours, then disappear the next day at the request of a spectator. Between these two extremes, social media offers magicians unprecedented visibility, and a slipperier field than it appears.

For a magician, using social media means publishing a lot of short formats (TikTok, Instagram) that highlight the spectators' reactions rather than the magician's ego, respecting the image rights of the people filmed, turning visibility into performances, partnerships, or products, and not confusing a flash effect with an artistic proposition.

This article is based on an interview conducted on the Détours de Magie channel with Thanh, the photo-mentalist, who has filmed more than a thousand people in the street, and on Boris Wild's view of the evolution of magic over the past ten years.

Short formats, high volume: the logic of 90-second videos

Thanh explains why he prefers TikTok and Instagram to YouTube: videos there last a maximum of one minute and thirty seconds. Having worked on projects lasting several minutes, sometimes four months for fifteen minutes that few people see, he finds short formats less frustrating: if a video doesn't work, it's not a big deal. The trade-off is volume. He published one video a day for several months before the account took off, which represents, he says, almost as much work as a real one-hour video, but diluted.

The risk, he admits, is sacrificing a little quality. In hindsight, he notes that a longer video might have required more work, but you can always do better and you shouldn't put pressure on yourself with a short format.

A few figures give an idea of the production behind a successful account: between 300 and 400 videos filmed, about one-third published, more than a thousand people filmed since the beginning of his project, not counting his performances where he works in front of twenty to a hundred people per evening.

Show the reaction rather than the magician

What distinguishes his approach is the refusal of mentalism focused on the mentalist's ego. He criticizes videos where the magician recites the alphabet, reads micro-movements, and puts themselves forward, and prefers to film the person's reaction at the moment of revelation. For him, real magic is there, in people's reactions, almost indescribable.

He takes inspiration from David Blaine, whose videos focus on those who watch: he waits for the spectator to react, speaks slowly, and often performs very simple tricks that work everywhere. This approach has shown him that an introverted magician does not need to be a high-energy showman to be effective. He calls himself a minimalist: he always does the same things, because the impact comes from the person in front of him and the little words, not the quantity of tricks.

He also deplores the artificial side of certain videos: impossible angles, acted reactions, overly polished teasers. This "fake" side annoys him, and he prefers to show authentic reactions. A point of view close to that developed in our article on the first ten seconds with an unknown table, where the relationship takes precedence over the effect.

Filming in the street: consent, image rights, and removals

Filming strangers imposes rules, and Thanh built them through trial and error. He works with a visible camera, introduces himself as a photographer and mentalist and that the experience is being filmed, then asks if that is okay. If the person refuses, he stops. If they hesitate, he shows them his other videos to prove that it is a benevolent project, because some fear a trap or a humiliating video.

He does not have them sign a waiver, but removes the video if the person asks. Three cases come up:

• Very young participants: in middle school or high school, social pressure is strong.
• Breakups: thinking about "the love of their life" can be problematic a few days later.
• Situations the person wants to hide from their relatives, such as a behavior they do not want to be seen doing.

Under French law, the image of an identifiable person is protected: broadcasting a video generally requires their consent, and that of the parents for a minor. The removals Thanh describes are a good practice, not a substitute for written consent. In case of doubt, it is better to consult a lawyer.

What social media changes for magic: flash effects and audience expectations

Boris Wild, who has observed the evolution of magic for over thirty years, notes that the rise of social media has made magic a communication and self-promotion tool. This can be useful, provided it is seen as a showcase for one's show. He cites Xavier Mortimer as an example of a creator who understood how to make it inventive content, and regrets that others accumulate flash effects based on gimmicks, forgotten three seconds later.

Thanh makes a similar observation about the market: what sells the most, he says, is a trick that works visually on video. This model has its limits: the audience, accustomed to screens and special effects, expects deeper propositions in person. We find this question in our portrait of Boris Wild.

Turning visibility into activity

A large audience can feed several activities. Thanh cites performances, partnerships with brands (a camera manufacturer lends him equipment) and the idea of a consumer product, a simple and powerful trick, that he wants to develop without presenting himself as a businessman. He plans to publish his future products intended for magicians under a different name than that of his channel, out of respect for his colleagues.

If you are looking to link this visibility to rates, our article on how to set your rates when you are a professional magician offers guidelines.

Sharing or protecting ideas: the example of a collective

Thanh is part of a small collective of magicians, Smart Bastards, eight or nine people who stimulate each other with ideas, sometimes several messages a day, and have published a magazine of shared tricks and ideas. He draws a nuanced conclusion from it: magic is a field where ideas are easily copied, so he only shares his secrets with a small circle. He observes that the Spanish culture of sharing has brought about many creators, and finds that in France, it would be beneficial to share more among enthusiasts, without exposing ideas to everyone. The collective's books are available in our shop, such as Smart Bastards 1.

What a magician can apply starting this week

• Film short and often: a failed video costs little, an account that takes off requires dozens of videos.
• Film the spectator's reaction rather than the magician's gesture.
• Ask the consent of each person filmed, keep a record, remove a video upon request.
• Distinguish what is made for video (flash effect) from what is made for the stage (artistic proposition).
• Choose a small number of effects and perform them often rather than accumulating them.

Frequently asked questions about magic and social media

Which social network to choose when you are a magician?

Short formats (TikTok, Instagram) require less work per video and are less frustrating if one of them doesn't work; YouTube is suitable for longer and more polished formats. The right choice depends on the time you can devote to it.

How to film spectators without legal problems?

By asking their consent before filming, not using a hidden camera, removing the video upon request and, for a minor, obtaining their parents' consent. For delicate cases, a legal opinion is preferable.

Should you show your secrets on social media?

It is not necessary: the strength of Thanh's videos comes from the reactions, not the methods. Many magicians also prefer to share their ideas only with a small circle of colleagues.

How many videos should you publish?

There is no rule. Thanh says he published one video a day for several months before his account took off, but not all cases are alike.

Visibility is not the goal, it is a tool

The two magicians interviewed agree on one point: social media is used to bring people in, not to do magic. What remains is what the spectator feels in the presence of the magician, whether they are filmed in the street or sitting in a room.