Jim Steinmeyer is one of the most influential and sought-after magic consultants in the world, helping to craft David Copperfield’s famous Vanishing Statue of Liberty illusion and designing period-appropriate tricks for the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. But everyone has to get their start somewhere. In the first video of a six-part interview with GeniiOnline at GeniiCon 2017, Steinmeyer discusses his beginnings as an illusion designer for Doug Henning and working as an Imagineer for Walt Disney Theme Parks.

Be sure to watch the rest of our interview with Jim Steinmeyer, which can be found at the links below:  

Part two: The different types of Disney magic

Part three: On digital media: “I don’t know if it’s changed everything about magic”

Part four: How new media can expand a magician’s bubble of influence “if they want it”

Part five: How Bozo the Clown made Jim Steinmeyer a better magician

Part six: Jim Steinmeyer’s advice to budding performers: “hang around magicians”