For many magicians, their first visit to the Magic Castle is almost a religious experience. It’s a place where illusionists and magic fans can watch some of the best performers in an intimate setting, and perhaps even learn a thing or two from them. For magician and Genii Magazine/GeniiOnline owner Randy Pitchford, his first visit to the Castle was also the same day he auditioned to perform there. In the last part of our seven-part interview with Randy at GeniiCon 2017, he talks about his time at the Magic Castle and what it’s meant to him through the years.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On his start in magic

Part two: On inheriting Genii and bridging the gap between the classical and digital worlds

Part three: On discovering magic in the 21st century: “We have something that’s both worse and better”

Part four: On the two kinds of magicians

Part five: On curating his social media experience

Part six: On the most important thing young magicians have: time

When you try to imagine how much time it takes for an illusionist to perfect the tricks they perform, Randy Pitchford wants you to know that that number you have in your head is nowhere near the actual amount of time they spent. In part six of our seven-part interview at GeniiCon 2017, magician and Genii Magazine/GeniiOnline owner Randy Pitchford gives his advice for young magicians looking to improve their abilities. For him, it comes down to one thing: you have to put in the time.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On his start in magic

Part two: On inheriting Genii and bridging the gap between the classical and digital worlds

Part three: On discovering magic in the 21st century: “We have something that’s both worse and better”

Part four: On the two kinds of magicians

Part five: On curating his social media experience

Part seven: Randy Pitchford’s first time at the Magic Castle

Magician and Genii Magazine/GeniiOnline owner Randy Pitchford is perhaps more widely known for his work in video games, and as such his Twitter experience is… unique. In part five of our seven-part interview with at GeniiCon 2017, Randy dives into how he’s transitioned from using Twitter as strictly a place to broadcast information into using it as a way to engage with video game fans and magicians alike.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On his start in magic

Part two: On inheriting Genii and bridging the gap between the classical and digital worlds

Part three: On discovering magic in the 21st century: “We have something that’s both worse and better”

Part four: On the two kinds of magicians

Part six: On the most important thing young magicians have: time

Part seven: Randy Pitchford’s first time at the Magic Castle

When Randy Pitchford was just getting his start in magic, he quickly learned that there were two kinds of magicians: those who acted as mentors and helped budding performers like himself, and those who prefer to keep their knowledge close to their chests. In part four of our seven-part interview at GeniiCon 2017, Randy talks about learning magic from the greats, hiding his lineage and learning who people really were as a result, and how we need their knowledge more than ever in the digital age.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On his start in magic

Part two: On inheriting Genii and bridging the gap between the classical and digital worlds

Part three: On discovering magic in the 21st century: “We have something that’s both worse and better”

Part five: On curating his social media experience

Part six: On the most important thing young magicians have: time

Part seven: Randy Pitchford’s first time at the Magic Castle

As time marches on, the landscape around us changes. The local magic shops in our towns may disappear, but the internet then acts as a way for people, no matter their age or background, to discover the joy of performing illusions. In part three of our seven-part interview series with magician and Genii Magazine/GeniiOnline owner Randy Pitchford, he talks about how what we have now is both “worse and better”; how the internet is able to provide anyone with the information they need to succeed, but how the sense of community and physicality a brick-and-mortar magic shop provides is difficult to replace in a virtual context.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On his start in magic

Part two: On inheriting Genii and bridging the gap between the classical and digital worlds

Part four: On the two kinds of magicians

Part five: On curating his social media experience

Part six: On the most important thing young magicians have: time

Part seven: Randy Pitchford’s first time at the Magic Castle

With roots in both magic and game development, Randy Pitchford find himself in a unique position—which of course makes him the best person to take over for Genii Magazine and continue its legacy. In part two of our seven-part interview with Randy at GeniiCon 2017, he talks about inheriting the Genii brand, how he hopes to bridge the gap between the classic magic world and the modern, digital age, and how he attempts to find his own way beyond his own family’s magical legacy.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On his start in magic

Part three: On discovering magic in the 21st century: “We have something that’s both worse and better”

Part four: On the two kinds of magicians

Part five: On curating his social media experience

Part six: On the most important thing young magicians have: time

Part seven: Randy Pitchford’s first time at the Magic Castle

Magician and Genii Magazine/GeniiOnline owner Randy Pitchford has been practicing his craft for years, but everyone has to get their start somewhere. In the first part of our seven part interview with Randy, he talks about the beginnings of a life in magic, from his relation to the Great Cardini, to his college days working in a magic shop in Los Angeles and joining the Academy of Magical Arts and performing at the Magic Castle.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:  

Part two: On inheriting Genii and bridging the gap between the classical and digital worlds

Part three: On discovering magic in the 21st century: “We have something that’s both worse and better”

Part four: On the two kinds of magicians

Part five: On curating his social media experience

Part six: On the most important thing young magicians have: time

Part seven: Randy Pitchford’s first time at the Magic Castle

The dealer’s room is a mainstay of any magic convention. Packed with vendors from all over the world with a plethora of rare or off-beat items, it’s here that you’ll find that custom wand you’ve been eyeing for your chop cup routine, or that out-of-print book you wish you’d picked up when you had the chance, or far, far too many playing cards.

At GeniiCon 2017, we wandered around the dealer’s room, chatted with several of the vendors, and captured some video of many of the delights they had on display. Check out the video above for a brief glimpse, and be sure to head over to our GeniiCon 2017 YouTube playlist for everything we saw from last year’s convention.

Magic can mean many things to many people. In the last part of our interview with renowned close-up magician Bernard Bilis, the illusionist describes what magic means to him with two simple words. He also talks about what he gets out of TV show performances, as well how different countries and cultures react to his magic.

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On making your brain work by learning magic from books

Part two: Bernard Bilis prefers close-up because you can “you can make it all around the world with only a pack of cards”

Part three: Bernard Bilis’ favorite trick? “The next one”

Part four: On posting magic online: “If they see everything on the web, they don’t come to see the lecture”

The internet has allowed magic to flourish in a way that it could only have dreamed of even a decade or two ago, but with the ability to disseminate information instantly comes responsibility. Does posting tutorials and videos online help your brand or does it make your live work less important?

In part four of our five-part interview with Bernard Bilis at GeniiCon 2017, the illusionist talks about why he shies away from posting his material on the internet. It’s to say that he’s completely against it, but he’s far pickier about what he posts because “if they see everything on the web, they don’t come to see you for the lecture.”

For more clips from the interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On making your brain work by learning magic from books

Part two: Bernard Bilis prefers close-up because you can “you can make it all around the world with only a pack of cards”

Part three: Bernard Bilis’ favorite trick? “The next one”

Part five: The two words that describe what magic means to Bernard Bilis