It was great fun to work on this film as a magic consultant, along with David Kwong and Keith Barry. I spent time with the actors, helping them understand how to become magicians. We discussed technical skill, physicality, movement, confidence and psychology.
Check out the trailer below!
Last year, I had the pleasure of working on “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” as the magic consultant during production (December 2011 – March 2012). I was on set during the filming, working with the actors and incorporating magic into the film. I specifically worked with Steve Carell, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin and Steve Buscemi. The film also stars Jim Carrey and James Gandolfini. In many cases, I also acted as the hand double for Steve Carell when certain magic sleights had to be performed. Have a look at the trailer below:
Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to work as a magic consultant on the film, “Now You See Me.” I was brought in to work with the lead actors (Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher) and teach them magic for their characters in the movie. I taught them physicality, timing and dexterity to help them to be convincing as master magicians. The film also stars Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo, and Woody Harrelson.
Taken from “The Borderlands”website:
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Originally posted December 9, 2012
We got tired of waiting for someone to say yes.
That’s the great frustration of the film business, all the gatekeepers. All the people who have to say “yes” for a project to go forward. All the waiting for someone else to give you permission to create something. Projects gestate for a long time, they come together, they fall apart at the last minute, they come back together. It all takes time. And it’s not even just hearing “no” (we’ve got some “yes’s” and “close to yes’s” in the pipeline and hope to be able to share those projects soon too). But it’s the getting to “yes” that can be brutal.
So we decided we were just going to go out and make something.
That something is a short film, titled “The Borderlands.”
We’re already heavily into pre-production, with an accelerated schedule under which we want to shoot in early January. Yeah, like 4 weeks away. Because we’re idiots.
We’ve been wildly fortunate in that we’ve already been able to attach some tremendously talented individuals, in front of and behind the camera, and we’re hoping to wrap up all of the cast and crew positions in the coming week.
Locations, too – again, we have benefited enormously from “the kindness of strangers” (or at least friends, and friends of friends), and that “we’d like to thank” list at the end of the credits is going to be long and heartfelt. We still have at least one major location to nail down (a small mom-and-pop grocery store, which we need for a whole day), and one of the joys of this level of filmmaking is you don’t have a lot of money to pay for locations (we’re self financing this baby).
But so far, so good. We’re mostly on track, only vaguely frantic, and having a hell of a lot of fun. Which is also part of the point of the project.
And what is The Borderlands about? Oh, look. I’m out of room. Better come back for the next entry.
“Never stop creating.” This is what drives me each day. In working to create in a variety of disciplines, I find ways to converge my creative paths that is personally exciting and inspiring.
I work in front of the camera as an actor and television host. Behind the camera, I develop and produce projects for unscripted television, scripted television, and film.
I have been a performing magician for over 30 years and I’ve been fortunate to be able to incorporate magic into my other disciplines on screen and in projects I have developed.
I pursue photography as a means to capture moments in time, freeze memories, and inspire ideas.
There is a synergy from all of these areas of interest and passion. They each satisfy a different part of my being and when I can, I merge them to create something that produces another spark.