Is TV Magic really Magic?

What do you think of magicians? im having an issue recently with Magic on TV. I love to watch David Blane and recently, although cheesy Chris Angel. because especially with David Blaine, and unlike the tux wearing confetty guys, he appears to be doing his tricks on the street, impromptu and without the aid of props or assistants. I think illusion and slight of hand are really cool and my dad is really into learning how to do that shit, but after watching Chris Angel levitate up an escalator i got curious. I know all illusions and tricks are based in somethign really simple and its just the skill and creativity of the magician but how the hell do these guys do this shit? So i started looking on line and most of the sites say that most of Blain and Angel's "illusions" are staged for TV and/or fancy film editing.

Now, it IS amazing to watch, but only if you're under the impression that its done in front of a live untrained audience. I found out how he does the simple levitation and its pretty simple and basicly what i thought it was. And even in discovering how he did it, i was still impressed with his skill... but there's some stuff that seems impossible and appearently, it might be.

here he is floating from one building to another.. whaat?


That got me thinking, is TV magic really magic? I mean, does the tight-knit and very private Magicians Guild condone this type of trickery or consider this real magic?? because anyone could do that shit with a camcorder and editing software. A lot of the things I've read say that the audiences are canned and told to react a certain way etc. Smoke and mirrors and slight of hand are one thing, and you can respect the skill involved. I know either way if its TV magic or real skill, im being tricked, but Camera tricks and lies just piss me off... even planted audience members piss me off. I can handle being tricked and fooled but.. i dont like being ripped off or lied too, thats what TV magic is .. a fucking rip off. Hollywood does amazing things in shows and movies all the time, but you know its a movie. you know there was CGI or editing or models or something so you dont really wonder how they did it.

If anyone out there has been close to magicians or been involved in any of Blaine or Angel's shoots, I'd love to hear how it went down. If its true. If they script audiences and use editing to pull off these tricks... you got me guys, i was tricked. I was fooled but I'm NOT impressed.

that isnt magic. its Hollywood.