Viewing entries tagged
stage magic show

HP - A Virtual Event for Culture Day

April 26, 2021

The amazing thing about being able to customize my magic to the client’s theme is that I am able to perform magic to reinforce key messages and alignment without it being too preachy.

And that was exactly what I did for HPE’s Culture Day.

My routine consists of magic that incorporates key words and ideas within the moments of amazement. This will lead to a higher memory retention.

The event went very smoothly and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone at the comfort of their own home.

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!

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Product Launch by Magic: SOAR Book Launch

November 5, 2015

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.

Alexander Yuen Book Launch Magic Illusion

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.

SOAR Book Launch by Illusionist Alexander Yuen

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!

Contact Alexander

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

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Corporate Illusion Show Inside Attica

August 10, 2015

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?

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!

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!

Say Hello!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

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Debut Performance at Esplanade: Virtual X Reality

June 13, 2015

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.