Photo by Neeraj Murali
Dubai - Pierro's tricks are marked by his sleight of hand techniques on an Apple's tablet
Published: Wed 14 Dec 2016, 2:00 PM
Updated: Fri 20 Sep 2019, 12:27 PM
A decade ago, some magicians viewed the launch of YouTube, and digital technology, as a threat to their tricks.
But Simon Pierro, the international "iPad magician" and TV presenter whose videos received more than 80 million views on YouTube over the past few years, said technology is his ally in creating innovative magic tricks.
"As a magician nowadays, you never run out of ideas because there's no other field that changes faster than technology," the German magician told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of Arab Social Media Influencers Summit that concluded on Wednesday.
Performing live with a traditional magician box and iPad, Pierro said technology makes magic more relevant to the audience. He noted, "My magician box is just a tool I put my stuff in, I'm only performing with the iPad, a gadget that almost everyone owns so my audience know how it operates. My challenge now as a magician becomes: making the impossible on this device possible."
Pierro's tricks are marked by his sleight of hand techniques on an Apple's tablet to make objects appear to be pulled out of the iPad. Using Psychokinesis to connect the iPad into the real world, Pierro said most of his tricks are inspired by traditional magic tricks with a digital twist that makes him more relatable to his audience.
The use of technology, he said, allowed him to get into people's worlds and present them with something relevant instead of people attending magic shows.
One of his signature illusions is to attach a beer tap to the screen of an iPad and then serve glasses of beer pouring from it to thirsty audience members.
"HD cameras are now my platform that helps me perform from over 100 million people using only my iPad, to five people on the street sometimes. And it triggers discussion!"
He noted that another factor of social media is discussion. "The more people discuss your work, the more relevant it becomes. I don't care if people understand how my tricks work, but I want them to see that I'm making something innovative and creative using digital media," said Pierro.
But what started for him as a failure sparked his curiosity in magic. At the age of 14, he lost $20 in a street gambling game, which prompted his sister to get him a magic book that he used as a reference.
Starting with the traditional card tricks, Pierro then moved to using a TV screen where he threw tricks such as shaking screens to trigger an earthquake or tilting the screen to move actors into one corner, until the iPad was came out that allowed him to perform his magic on a lighter device.
"In this world, you have to be ready to change your style over and over again using different apps and new technology advancements to keep innovating," he said.
Pierro said aspiring magicians should work hard as the internet will not substitute hard work and practice. "The process of becoming a professional magician hasn't changed, but now you have the biggest opportunity in your life to get discovered on YouYube."
And for Pierro, good content will find its way to the top.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
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