Crafting a Customized Virtual Magic Experience for SGX

The year 2020 is truly a year of innovation and change for me as a performer and a creator. Because of the social distancing policies and the restrictions on live events, most of my customized magic performances had to be adopted onto a virtual platform. This was truly not an easy task as I had to think outside the box to recreate the same experience as if the event was live.

I had the wonderful opportunity to work with SGX in creating a customized virtual magic show which involved their key messages of community, trust and partnerships at the most recent FIA's Asia Derivatives Conference.

We worked hand in hand to curate a script that embodies these key messages. In this show, we had magic illusions which involves partners of SGX.

We structured interactive pieces with highly visual magic to capture the audiences and cogently shared the main key message through these illusions.

Picture from SGX Twitter

I am very grateful for the learning opportunity while working with SGX as well as the opportunity to be able to showcase my work.

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If you have a virtual event and would like to find out how you can add that special touch of magic, be free to contact me:

alexander@metaillusions.com

Hope to see you, through the screen!

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Alexander Y. is Asia’s Top iPad Magician, who has been invited performing in several countries such as Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, India. Check out his virtual magic shows that has been booked internationally in places like Australia, Hong Kong, India and more. You will enjoy his touch of magic in your virtual events!

"Terrific Colours, Stylishly Compact!" - A Customized iPad Product Launch (VIP Launch)

Designing a product launch is never an easy task, it takes a lot of creative energy, trial and error and rehearsals. 

Imagine this, I was sent a brief for a launch of a printer with the tagline "Terrific Colours, Stylishly Compact". And a specific request that a VIP must be involved in the act.

How do you work from here? What type of imagery does this elicit in your mind?

While it is vague, I did my research on the Canon printer and found other neat features it has. With these features in mind, I knew objectively what I wanted to showcase. The terrific colors it has, its stylishness and its mobile-friendly capacity. 

With this said, the magic also has to reflect this. The visual assets I use must also reflect this. 

The total time I took to design this 3 minute sequence:

• Conceptualization: 10 hours
• Programming: 30 Hours
• Designing Visual Assets: 5 Hours
• Designing the Prop: 3 Hours
• Fabrication of Props: 10 Hours
• Rehearsals: 10 Hours

You can see that I make sure every detail is taken care of. I had to program the iPads such that the VIP can use it intuitively. 

You can hear how much the crowd enjoyed this sequence, as well as learning about its features. See the video below!

Hope you enjoyed that!

If you have a product or a campaign to launch, talk to a professional. I will be most happy to design a sequence specially for you!

Signing Off,

Alexander Y (Asia's Top iPad Magician)

Contact me here: 

alexander@ipadmagician.org

Magic Moments During a Wedding

"Anyone who is looking for a close up magician should look no further than Alexander Yuen. Alexander was hired for our wedding held at W Singapore Sentosa Cove. His unbelievable magic under our noses at dinner left everyone in awe by the seemingly impossible things which he was doing. He was professional and non-intrusive in his manner. I would have no hesitation in recommending Alexander to anyone wishing to hire his services. 

Thank you once again for your contribution in making the evening so enjoyable and memorable. I hope to find another occasion when we can experience your magic again!"

Best Regards

Wenchuan

Wedding dinner at W Hotel (Sentosa Cove)

 

There is a secret tune that would play in my mind every time I walk into a wedding dinner, getting ready to perform my magic.

It goes "Magic moments, when two hearts are caring....".

The classic song by Perry Como. Fell in love with it when I first heard it.

But this tune also serves as reminder, that I am at extremely privileged to be a part of the union of two loving hearts, and it is my job to create a magical experiences, not just for the couple, but also for those who are there to witness this joyous occasion.

Weddings typically consist of both, the eldest members of the families and the youngest members of the families. While I can speak fluent English and Mandarin, language might be a barrier when they speak only dialects. For these guests fortunately, I am able to convey my magic through the effective use of facial expressions, body language and eye gaze. These additional tools I've picked up from my theatre training have served me very well and allows me to engage all guests of different languages and cultures. 
 

At the end of the night, I play that tune again in my head, and I feel satisfied knowing that it is always, always a blessing to be a part of a union of love.

Congrats to Wenchuan and wife! Thank you for having me at your wedding at W Hotel, Sentosa Cove.
 

Signing off,

Alexander Y (Your Wedding Magic of Choice!)

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Keen to have me creating magic moments at your wedding? Drop me an email here:

info@metaillusions.com

I offer a 20 minute consultation at my office studio so that you can be sure that I am your magician of choice!

See you soon!sing

Singapore Magician at HP's DaaS Launch Activation

When it comes to customized magic, my motto is simple:

Don't Tell Them, Show Them.

Instead of adopting a one-way dialogue, I engage my audiences through magic. Using magical effects, I exemplify product features and showcase them to the audiences. Take a look at the diagram below, it might look very technical at first, but with sufficient thought, it can be simplified by magic.

For this HP DaaS activation, the objective of the performance was to:

1. Excite the staff about this new service that HP is offering
2. Educate them on the key features of the service
3. Quiz them on the services with prizes

The way I got around designing the magic was to first understand the brief and develop a script that is cogent. After that, I would think further about how I can show these concepts to the audiences. For example, the DaaS service allows quick and efficient disposal of HP's technological products at the end of the cycle, to showcase this, I make a deck of cards disappear in the hands of an audience member while reiterating the disposal component of DaaS. The training I have as a psychologist have helped me in such divergent thinking. This is something that needs to be improved in most Singapore magicians. 

Being a skilled professional who dresses well certainly made it easier for me to perform in this corporate environment. Since impressions are formed within the first few seconds of interaction, I made sure that I was well dressed and introduced myself with a pleasant demeanor. Of course, being able to perform amazing magic is a must.

With the help of an amazing team from PMG, we were able to quiz the staff and gave them prizes that were thematic to the activation.

In sum, it is not just enough to be able to perform strong magic in such environment. One must be able to understand reports and briefs, communicate effectively and engage audiences visually and intellectually.

The DaaS-ling team from HP!

Signing Off,

Alexander Y (Corporate Singapore Magician)

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Got a product or service to launch and be activated? Want someone to "Show your products instead of telling" them?

Let me help you with it!

Drop me an email at info@metaillusions.com

Hear from you!

Innovation, Technology, Edison and iPad Magic

I am truly humbled that, as a Singapore iPad Magician, I am able to perform my original iPad magic for a diverse international crowd. 

Enjoy iLight 2.0 LIVE!

Invitations to technological conferences are always amazing. There is nothing more exciting than performing my own creation to a group of coders, programmers and technological innovators.

Key Note Speaker from Cisco 

One of the many reasons why technological companies are intrigued by my iPad magic is that I pay homage to innovation, creativity and out of the box thinking through my magic. Through the use of the iPad, I create illusions that breaks the mould of conventional illusions and magic. Hence no square boxes and awkward looking props.

Day 2 of Cisco Connect in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was amazing. I performed my own inventions and illusions with the iPad. Here I am, standing on the Cisco stage, presenting one of my original iPad Magic as a tribute to the greatest innovator of our time, Thomas Edison. You can tell from the reaction of the audiences that they really enjoyed the iPad magic that I presented on stage. 

For booking and information:

info@metaillusions.com

Signing off, 

Alexander Y (Singapore iPad Magician)

iLight Festival 2016: How to fully immerse in this festival

TLDR:

1. Dinner at Pasarbella (Go after the sunset)
2. Walk to floating platform for the Segway (now called: Ninebot)
3. Get Segway guided tour, enjoy the sculptures
4. Pit stop at Hagen Daz
5. Continue rest of the tour
6. Be immersed in iLight 2016
7. Repeat with more friends

iLight 2016 is here! And this is "Asia's Leading Sustainable Light Art Festival", this festival used to be a bi-annual affair, but from this year on, it will be a yearly one. Also, this year's festival is touted to be the largest so far. Pretty exciting stuff!

So yesterday I was given a full access media pass to check out the festival. Special thanks to Ning for hosting the Instagram contest which allowed to win this pass (See my iLight Entry here!)!

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Food.

Okay, so back to the festival. We met up about 6.30pm and went out the Pasarbella for dinner.

 * Pro tip: It gets quite hot before 6.30pm, head over after that time when the sun sets.

Ice cold beer, like-minded peers, great music, iLight: Perfect!

Really good man-tou with pork!

This is amazing! Look out for the stall with a grill station!

Pasarbella's pop up stalls opened just yesterday, so come by for great music, food, and skyline. It overlooks the city skyline, and it will make you appreciate the beauty of Singapore. 

* Pro tip: It gets packed really quickly! Also, if you're gonna do the Segway, go easy on the alcohol!

Fun.

We walked over to the floating platform to get our hands (or rather, feet) on the Segway. 

The staff at Ninebot Asia were really nice, they guided us and taught us how to use the Segway. There were 2 versions, I had the smaller one without the handle, and then there was a larger one with the handle.

* Pro tip: The larger one is easier to use. And it is more convenient because there are cable casing along the festivals, the larger Segway allows you to go over it, while the smaller one requires you to dismount and wheel it manually over these cable cases. 

I think the Segway made the festival a lot more enjoyable. We were able to cover almost all of the exhibits with little sweat. The full distance of the festival is about 3.8km. So that would take a while on foot.

At the Segway booth, you can choose either a full guided tour or partial tour which covers either the exhibits along the Marina Bay Sands side or the Esplanade side. Personally, it is a lot more fun at the Marina Bay Sands side.

We Segway through the festival ground, towards the mid point, we found the perfect pit stop. Haagen Dazs Ice Cream!

We were treated to this really yummy Royal Milk Tea ice cream. It tasted very unique, with a blend of thai ice tea, but it was a little too sweet for me. Then I also had one of their whiskey cocktail ice cream. Love it!

Incidentally, I met my friend who was with a friend from Cambodia! And naturally she requested for magic, check out the video:

Did magic for my good friend at Hagen Daz in ILight Festival!#ningxilight #ilightmarinabay #magic

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Friday, March 11, 2016

We resumed the festival, and the next thing we saw was the "Angels of Freedom". Fantastic photo opp!

There were queues to take pictures with these sculptures. There are 4 of these angels, so don't worry!

* Pro tip: If you, like me, are tall, you can line up at one with a higher halo. You might not be able to see this, but I was in the shorter halo sculpture and I had to bend my knees. 

We then finished the last leg of the festival. Here are some pictures i took!

This festival is really quite fun, it is good fun for kids and adults as well. Also, it is important to incorporate the message of being eco friendly and sustainability to our children. This festival does it in an engaging and interactive way.

So I hope you all have fun! I know i-Light it, a lot. 

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Interactive Roving iPad Magic

iPad Roving Magic Promo by Alexander

If you have read our previous article on iPad Magic and Digital Illusions, titled "Evolution of an Artist", you would know that the genre of iPad Magic within Meta Illusions started first with Jonathan designing iPad apps for our Interactive Roving Magic. 

As we progressed we had more need for palour and stage effects in the iPad and they were mostly custom designed to our client's specification.

But that aside, today I want to share with you more information about our Interactive iPad Roving Magic. This is our 2nd most popular engagement next to the Standard Interactive Roving Magic. 

Why iPad Magic?

The unique feature about the iPad Roving Magic is that you can book me to interact and mingle with your guests. You are offering a unique form of entertainment that is hardly seen in the industry; your guests and clients will be impressed by the novelty and the strength of the inherent magic. The best part: How about adding your client's or company's logo into the iPad and using them as part of the magic, at no additional cost?

Complimentary Logo Customization

Up to a limited time, I am offering complimentary basic customization for all my iPad Roving Magic where I would add your company's logo into the iPad and use it do magic. This increases marketing visibility and identity!

Check out the promo above to get a feel of what it is like for your clients to be at the cutting edge of magic! I would love to discuss with you further on thoughts, ideas and proposals for your event and your client!


Signing off,

Alexander Y.

Magic Moments: Gorgeous Wedding at 1 Altitude

Weddings = Love + Venue + Food ?
 

Is it all that simple? Yes and no. It really depends on how a couple conceptualizes the wedding. If weddings thought to be simply ceremonial and perfunctory, then the above equation would suffice. A simple affair where two lovers unite their hearts and lives as one from this day on.

But if you conceptualize weddings as an experience, as part of a milestone in your lives as lovers and from this day on as man and wife, then this milestone needs to be memorable and more than just ceremonial. 

The little details add up to the grand experience. For couple, AJ and Jeraldine, they chose a gorgeous venue at 1-Altitude and the decorations were just magical. They also got me to enhance the atmosphere of their wedding. You can see in the pictures below how magic created a magical mood of awe and anticipation.

Picture Credits: One Eye Click and Jeraldine

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AJ flew his friends and family to witness the wonder union of him and his wife. The audience were flew in from different parts of the world to be a part of this magical experience. 

With such a diverse demographics, my experience as an international performer enabled me to effectively entertain and interact with the guests. 

The best part about having an illusionist/magician in your wedding is that you can elicit and capture emotions and expressions of awe, amazement, wonder and positive surprise. Such emotions are hard to evoke and rare in daily occurrences. With magic, these raw emotions are captured in time. 

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So consider having a magician for your wedding, a professional and classy magician. With that, magical moments awaits you. 

Signing off,
Alexander Yuen (humming the tune of Magic.... Moments...)

Evolution of an Artist: iPad Digital Magic

One of the most unique services my team and I offer is our iPad Magic, in both roving format and theatrical format. Below is a teaser of our most recent customized commissioned project for DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center:

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

It all began in 2012 when Jonathan (co-founder of Meta Illusions) came back from his stint in a tech start up at Silicon Valley and was invited to be featured in a Singapore Magic production called "M for Magic". Wanting to be different and to push the edge of magic, Jonathan designed routines and wrote specific codes for the iPad to make coins appear and disappear. Combined with strong magic and visual elements, we were proud to proclaim that we were doing magic that no one else in Singapore does. 

Watch the video below:

The magic was so sensational it got picked up by various media including Yahoo! News, Straits' Times RazorTV and NUS Post.

Because of the video, we found ourselves booked and commissioned by a Fortune 500 company to create a special iPad sequence to describe their production processes to the international dealers. Unfortunately, due to the sensitive content, we were unable to share our act publicly.

In December of 2012, we had a call from RazorTv wanting to do an exclusive interview with Jonathan and myself and our thoughts on iPad Magic. Once again, Jonathan and myself went back to the drawing board in a bid to create magic that is different and impactful.

You can see how we grew in terms of our magic as well as programming sophistication. The effects we did were more emotionally captivating and the apps we created were more complex than before.

From 2013 - 2014, we learned newer coding techniques and created apps for our professional usage, especially in the area of roving magic. Jonathan then took a hiatus on iOS magic programming as he took on a new role as the co-founder of another successful technological start up. The last video we created was a Christmas video in December 2014.

It was also during the same time I contemplated releasing some of the existing routines that we do professionally. But I took the leap of faith and released these videos.

The reception was overwhelming, both on YouTube and Facebook. Because of this video, I was chosen as a finalist for HP's YouTube Academy contest, in which I created other digital magic with a HP Laptop. I created a sequence in tribute to Singapore's Golden Jubilee Year in which we celebrated our 50th year of independence.

Also at the same time in June 2015, I was working closely with Esplanade to produce a show for Flipside Festival 2015 which involved digital elements to it. Because of its novel impact, the show was commissioned as the first digital magic illusion show in Esplanade. Read more about this show here!

A snippet of #VirtualXReality last night at #Esplanade for #Flipside. 2 more shows to go on the 2nd June, 7.15pm and 8.15pm. Come say hi! #magic #magictricks #magician #magictrick

A video posted by A Finer Side Of Magic (@alexander_yuen) on May 29, 2015 at 9:24pm PDT

Subsequently, the novelty and wow factor of these digital illusions caught on and I was commissioned to create more content for my clientele.

In December of 2015, I was consulted to design a digital illusion sequence for DHL's Innovation Center in Singapore. This is the first innovation center in Asia. They specifically wanted an illusion sequence that showcased innovation and technological progress.

And I was specifically told that the big illusion boxes, cutting and squeezing a girl in a box is out of the question.

I had to innovate.

Picture from: http://business.asiaone.com/news/dhl-launches-multi-million-dollar-innovation-centre-singapore

With a short timeline, I not only created an illusion sequence that hit their key messages with a punch but also presented it in a visually alluring manner. See teaser below:

Digital Illusion Show

Since the conception of Virtual x Reality in June 2015, the very first Virtual Reality Show in Singapore, I've been working and updating some of the illusions for my Digital Illusion Show.Some time ago, I was commissioned by DHL to do a fully customized sequence about for DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center Launch, and here is a short teaser!Enjoy!

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

It is very well received and I am in the midst of collaborating with other artist and agencies on this platform.

You can see how an artist grows in his/her art form. Innovation does not happen overnight, it is all built on and upon previous innovations. No different from magic.

It is coming to the close of 2015 as I am writing this, and when I reflect upon how our Digital Illusions have evolved, I am extremely thankful for the various opportunities and the (paid-off) leaps of faith agencies have with us. I dare say, thanks to our expertise, experience and amazing track record, we've earn their trust. That much, I am very thankful.

2016 is an exciting year ahead with more cutting edge innovations to come. 
 

Have a great Christmas, and see you in 2016!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Customized Digital Illusions: DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center Launch

DHL launches S$10m innovation centre in Singapore

A couple of weeks ago, DHL launched their first innovation center in Asia, right in Singapore. In order to display their cutting edge innovation, they engaged me to design a series of illusions to showcase some of their capabilities and to tell a story about innovation. 

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

There were a few objectives I wanted to achieve for this illusion sequence:

1. The magic has to be presented in a modern and relevant platform; appropriate for the Innovation Center.
2. The illusions have to be well strung to tell a coherent story.

I spent close to 10 hours wrecking my brains in conceptualizing and designing appropriate illusions for this event. 

After that, a substantial amount of time was spent on practicing and coding.

Painting Sequence: Paint is "splashed" onto the screen.

An effect about Thomas Edison's Lightbulb Invention.

Innovation Idea on reducing carbon prints by making logistics more eco-friendly.

Taking out physical transportation in logistics.

It was an amazing experience for me (and the audiences) to be at the forefront of innovation.

Read more about their innovation center here:

DHL launches S$10m innovation centre in Singapore

Signing off,
Alexander Yuen

Ricolaaaaa!

I had such a great night at the 75th Anniversary of Ricola today. I've learnt so much about Ricola that I didn't know. Did you know that the candy contains 13 herbs to create its famous blend of taste and medicinal benefits! 13 herbs! 

So before I went to the event, I thought I should do something special for Ricola, hence I created this app on my phone to soothe my throat. 

Like it? I actually went around to show the guests this illusion on my phone, they were so thrilled. : D

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When I got to No. 5 Emerald Hill Cocktail Bar, I was served a refreshing cocktail that was to my surprised, created with the original herb from Ricola. It is one of the three bespoke cocktails for that evening and the one pictured is called the "Ricola Maple Surprise". (These cocktails are available at No. 5 Emerald Hill Cocktail Bar, 2 for $19)

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The event was hosted by the gorgeous Yasminne Cheng, from Class 95fm, who was also the host for the event I did at Tempur. Then there was a performance by Ling Kai. For those who don't know about her, she was in the top 8 for "The Voice" (China CCTV). I tell you, she is really good, I really enjoyed her cover of "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer. 

I had the pleasure of performing some magic for her too. She is really sweet.

Great event organized by Word of Mouth Communications! Awesome job!

Signing Off,

Alexander Yuen

Tempur Mattress #Weightless Campaign

Some weeks ago, I had great pleasure conceptualizing a routine for the launch of Tempur's flagship store at Nassim Road. It was amazing working with professionals from Tempur and Word of Mouth Communication. 

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The idea was to create a sequence to showcase what weightlessness would visually look like. I received the brief for the campaign and two things came to my mind almost immediately. I wanted to create the illusion of weightlessness with a person, and I wanted it to mirror Tempur's logo. 

With that in mind, I created a sequence with other weightless illusions to give a general feel of weightlessness. Also, the music I chose are relaxing and soothing. Nothing too rock or metal to break the illusion of lightness.

The result? Pretty awesome! Check out what others had to say about it:

Mattress-testing with #zerog bed base at @tempursg flagship store #tempursg #sleepingbeauty @superadrianme #lightnessofbeing #weightlessness @alexander_yuen demonstrates the #lightness of sleeping on #tempur

A video posted by @lionnel_lim on Nov 5, 2015 at 6:36am PST

What a delightful way of illustrating the weightlessness of the Zero-G beds. Congratulations on the grand opening of your flagship sleep sanctuary, Tempur! @tempursg #tempursg #weightless #zerog #beds #interiordesign #tempurbed #interiordesigning

A video posted by #RenoTalk (@renotalk) on Nov 5, 2015 at 2:51am PST

What is the 'weightless' feeling when you sleep on a Tempur bed? It's like magic and floating on air... 🔮🔮 #tempursg #tempur #tempursleepsanctuary #storeopening #nassimroad #weightless #sleepwell #soshiok #igsg #igers #instapic #instagram #instadaily #instaphoto #picoftheday #photooftheday #pr #pragency #womsg #wom_sg #womcomm #wom_sgpr #wordofmouthpr @tempursg

A video posted by WOMpr (@wom_sgpr) on Nov 5, 2015 at 7:29am PST

The full sequence is here, for your viewing pleasure!

Oh and one last thing before I end this post, I met ex-National Swimmer Joscelin Yeo! Happy!

Hope you enjoyed the magic! Have a concept you want to showcase, write to me! My team and I will find the best way to showcase your concept in a visual and compelling manner!
 

Signing off
Alexander Yuen

Product Launch by Magic: SOAR Book Launch

A couple of months ago, I was engaged as a consultant to design and perform an illusion sequence to launch a book. One of the criterias of this sequence was that it had to be thematically related to the book. The book was titled SOAR, which collated success stories of entrepreneurs. They specifically wanted a sequence that would symbolize the taking flight and soaring above and higher than the rest.

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After spending about 2 day in thinking and conceptualizing the possible magical effects pertaining to the idea of soaring, I finally decided to do a sequence where an origami bird would mysteriously take flight on its own symbolizing the rising above the rest.

This was the easiest part of the content development. The hardest part was to design an illusion that would launch the book in a flashy and yet magical manner. The illusion also had to be simple enough so that a VIP can activate it if required. Another challenge that I faced was that the book was printed in soft bound, it was not easy to manipulate the book via sleight of hand. The dimensions of the book made it extremely difficult to conceal it in a convincing fashion. Hence, I needed to build an illusion that would hold the book in place. 

I first referenced my library of magic illusion books. I compiled several ideas that seems workable and does not require intensive building. This was crucial given that the booking was only confirmed 2 months in advance (compared to my SOP of 3 months for customized projects), I did not have the luxury of time to build something overly complicated. While most of these ideas seem to work (in a magic sense), some were stronger than the others. For example, I deliberated between making the book appear by covering a lid over a box versus this current method. I chose the latter because there was an economy of movement in my choreography and the design of the illusion allowed me to activate it easily without looking fumbling. 

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I sent my design to be fabricated and I was very pleased with its outcome. The frame looks elegant and posh. It looks like a frame that would house an exquisite centerpiece in a prestigious venue. I was pleasantly surprised that the Chief Operations Officer wanted me to leave the book inside the frame to use it as picture taking centerpiece.

You can check out more pictures of the event here!

So finally, after researching, designing and fabricating the apparatus, the rest was simple: Rehearsals. I spent at least 10 hours on rehearsals alone for this performance. The surprising thing about the performance was that, it only took 1 minute and 30 seconds. All that work for that 1 minute? Yes, that was the amount of work I had to put in for this. Simply because for launches, there is ZERO room for error. I only get one shot at the launch. 

Here is the end result, in video (Spoiler alert, the book appears at the end):

In this video, I perform a routine according to the theme of the book (titled: SOAR). I first make an origami bird levitate to symbolize flight and finally make the book appear inside a picture frame.

At least 150 hours of work put into this in one video :)

Have a book to launch? Or a product to be launched in a creative fashion? Let me design something unique and visually appealing for you! Drop me a text below and I would love to discuss with you further!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Amazing Reactions to Magic in Philippines!

A couple of weeks ago, I travelled to Philippines to film a segment of the Bend The Rules video by HP. After 3 hours of travel by air, 2 hours on the bus and then 20 minutes on a ferry (gosh, I travelled by sea, air and land in one trip!), my crew and I got to Boracay.

Boracay boasts one of most beautiful beaches in the world, there were so many things to do there. Sea sports, water activities and night life, fun touristy things to do. But I was there on a mission, to share my magic with the locals. 

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There were a lot of opportunities to perform and share my magic with the locals. Given that they have not seen sleight of hand magic ever in their life, they thoroughly enjoyed the magic. You can literally see the sparkle in their eyes when something magical happened. It was a beautiful moment for me as well as a performer.

While corporate parties and functions form the bulk of my engagement, I too enjoy performing to audiences that did not expect to be pleasantly surprised by magic. That is the true joy of magic for me, to be able to spread that moment of glee from me to my audiences, whether in a corporate function or along the streets of a night market. 

After a week of filming, I got really good footage and reactions of my magic, tell me what you think!
 

Pardon the floppy hair and the tee shirt and berms, we were in a beach after all. ;)

Enjoy the magic!

Signing off,
Alexander Yuen

Singapore Wedding Entertainment (Wedding Magician at Flower Dome)

Songs, dances, skits and magic can be great for weddings. But what is the secret element that makes them great? In order to understand what makes for good wedding entertainment, consider this unique characteristic of weddings that is not typically present in other events. Look at the series of pictures from the same wedding (in the Flower Dome), do you know what it is?

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Weddings tend to have a wide range of audiences with huge differences in age.

This is because for weddings, the guests consist of grandparents, parents, friends and also/even their/their children. You can/will literally have/see/encounter guests ranging from 3 months of age to 100. 

As such, the form of entertainment provided should cater to the different groups of guests. For instance, young children love magic that is visually stimulating, bright and interactive. Teenagers prefer magic that has an element of challenge. Young adults tend towards magic that is sophisticated and of a psychological nature while the older generation likes magic that is visually impactful and cognitively simpler.

Sure, you can have music or even live music to entertain the guests while they wait, but does it cater to individual groups of guests as adequately as magic? There is nothing more exciting and fun than to have magic happening inside your own hands'. And this is what I do for wedding receptions, I perform magic that is interactive, engaging and I make sure the guests have a good time while they wait.

Think of your perfect wedding as a journey for you and your guests where every moment of it adds up to an experiential treat. It is your special day, why not make sure your guests leave with fond memories of a great time? ?

Wish to find out? Contact me through the button below! My wedding services includes a non-obligatory 20 minute consultation meeting where I will demonstrate to you my style of magic and do a rundown of how my magic can be incorporated into the wedding.

In the meantime, I wish you love and the happiest ever after.

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen.

Magic for the Indonesian Ambassador's Wife.

Last week, I was invited to a farewell party for a friend of mine who will be moving to Switzerland with her husband (you lucky gal!). And when I got to the venue, lo-and behold, it exudes regalness and royalty. 

Have you seen a place more magical than this?

Credits: Photography by Simplifai Studios. @simplifai

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I was stoked to be able to bid my friend farewell as well as perform in this gorgeous setting. 

After the show performance, it was lunch. Lunch was served on a huge platter. Trust me, it was delicious!

Shortly, the Indonesian Ambassador's wife, Mrs Ferial Hadi, who is also a personal friend of the host came by. I was very lucky to be able to perform for her. She was really thrilled and enjoyed the magic immensely.

The food, the staff, the ambience and the decorations are definitely befitting for royalty. Check out this place if you wish to hold a classy private event.

Gonna miss you guys, Joao and Mona! Enjoy Switzerland!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Magic Entertainment at Presidential Suite during F1 Racing Weekend

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If you have ever wondered how a presidential suite looks like, it looks something like this!

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Very snazzy ha! The picture doesn't do the room justice because the room itself is actually a lot larger than it looks. It is large enough to hold about 80 guests in one setting, and it features a cocktail bar, finger food station as well as this beautiful chandelier.

Gorgeous isn't it!

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The view from 66th floor.

I was invited by Telstra to perform my magic to entertain their high stake clients and valued guests while they waited for the race to begin. It was really a blessing to be able to perform at this wonderful location, enjoying the skyline and a bit of the race.

Check out some of the pictures below!

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Cocktail Bar, drinks anyone?

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Looks cozy. Didn't have time to try though.

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Because everyone is a winner at Telstra!

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Comfy Sofa with Vintage Furnishing, Classy!

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Interactive Magic for Telstra's guests.

Purest form of magic, in your hands.

An amazing experience altogether. If you would like to find out more about how I can add that fine touch of magic for your guests, contact me here!

Signing off

Alexander Yuen

Corporate Illusion Show Inside Attica

Last week, I presented my corporate illusion show called "3 Sides of Magic" as a finale inside Attica. This was for a company called Facility Link who held their appreciation dinner at the club. 

As with most dinners, there was a cocktail reception where guests mingled among themselves and with their respective sales agent from the company. This allows them to catch up and re-establish relationships between the company and the client. 

Of course, in such events, there will be instances where guests are not attended to by the company's sales person as he or she may be attending to someone else. So how does a corporation make a guest feel personally attended to?

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Entertainment! Specifically intimate entertainment. Music is usually good, but it does not offer thepersonal touch that Interactive Roving Magic offers. 

Well, not all forms of entertainment are created equal. Depending on the branding of a company, the choice of the performer for their event is a reflection of the company's image as well as their commitment to customer satisfaction. As a close up performer, I dress myself in a fashion that is sleek and befitting of the companies I represent. A shabby outfit would not reflect well on the company, whihch is why my suits are bespoke. Bad dressing is accentuated unprofessionalism especially when the performer interacts closely with the audiences. Keen eyed guests will notice these finer details. This is why I always make sure I look (and smell) best when I perform my magic. If a company wants to showcase a professional, sleek and sophisticated image, they will spare no expenses for a top tier magician. 

As the above was what the client specifically wanted, I was naturally the best choice for the event. I interacted with the guests, engaging them in fluent and eloquent presentations coupled with strong magic. At the end of the cocktail reception, the guests could not wait for my show on stage!

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3 Sides of Magic

This corporate illusion show couples storytelling, artistic endeavors and magic all into one exciting show. The magic features illusions, mind reading and artfully crafted magic.

It was certainly a great night for Facility Link and their valued clients. 

Want to find out how I can add value to your corporate event? Contact me here!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Debut Performance at Esplanade: Virtual X Reality

The Esplanade is a renowned arts performance venue in Singapore that showcases art performances and galleries.

Magic hardly gets recognize as an art in Singapore. But this year, I was booked at the Esplanade. I was there to debut my latest show Virtual X Reality. This is a show that crosses the boundaries between what is real and what is unreal. For most magic shows, magic tend to be linear in that there is no real transference of emotions from the artist to the audiences. It is mainly visual surprises laden along the show.

The organizers wanted a show that is light hearted but yet had an artistic element to it. I worked hard to craft out a story for my show, with the subtext of questioning whats real and whats unreal. With the help of director, Jeremiah Choy and circus artist, Jay Che, I refined the story and the magic.

I was pleased with the end result, a show that creates wonder through magic and illusion through technology.

A snippet of #VirtualXReality last night at #Esplanade for #Flipside. 2 more shows to go on the 2nd June, 7.15pm and 8.15pm. Come say hi! #magic #magictricks #magician #magictrick

A video posted by A Finer Side Of Magic (@alexander_yuen) on May 29, 2015 at 9:24pm PDT

I am also very grateful that Esplanade took the leap of faith for my show and gave magic a shot at being recognized as an art form.

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Many other exciting projects for me ahead! Stay tuned!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen