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SINGAPORE: You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Or can you?
That's the hook in last year's Hollywood blockbuster, The Prestige, about a pair of rival magicians risking life and reputation to rip trade secrets off each other.
Well, these days, they could've just approached J C Sum, your friendly neighbourhood illusion designer.
The 30-year-old Singaporean, dubbed "The Thinking Man's Magician", is one of the finest illusionists in the Asia Pacific region. He's staged more than 2,000 shows and performed at over 1,000 corporate events for clients such as Samsung, Hewlett-Packard and the Singapore Tourism Board.
In a recent corporate launch, for instance, he made a full-sized forklift appear seemingly out of nowhere.
With two International Brotherhood of Magicians (USA) "Linking Ring" magic awards up his sleeves, Sum boasts four full-evening theatre productions under his belt.
You can catch him on giant LED screens in the Central Business District in a series called Magic in Motion, featuring his street magic tricks.
In addition, Sum stars in Street Illusions, a 15-episode TV segment created specifically for him by MediaCorp Studios.
And he doesn't just stop there. This arts and social science graduate from the National University of Singapore has written four books, three of which detail his original magic methods and techniques.
Wait a minute: An illusionist divulging his secrets? Isn't that pulling an oxymoron out of the hat?
"I started designing illusions out of a desire to differentiate myself from illusionists around the world," explained Sum in an hour-long chat with TODAY.
"For corporate events, designing an illusion specifically for a client raises my value from magical entertainer to illusion consultant/producer."
Looking relaxed in his studio, set up in 2003 where he bases his magic production company, Concept Magic, Sum was all mesmerising charm and fluid fingers, even entertaining this reporter with a couple of sleight-of-hand tricks. Like bending a stainless steel fork with the ease of snapping a length of chalk.
"Also, purchasing illusions from specialised builders is very expensive," he continued, tapping his feet occasionally to a secret backbeat in his head. "Designing and having them built myself is more cost-effective."
Since his first publication, Illusionary Departures, in July 2004, he's sold almost 500 copies of his books to fellow professionals in 32 countries - including the UK, US and Japan.
The books, costing between US$85 ($130) and US$125, read like an engineer's notebook, complete with technical drawings and instructions.
Sum's designs are by no means the saw-girl-in-half garden variety. For instance, in an act titled Full Throttle, taken from his latest tome, Equilateral (2005), the illusionist makes a noisy appearance on a motorcycle. The design took him about a fortnight to conceptualise and a few days working out the devil in the details.
But if you're not up to fabricating the props yourself - which can easily take up to a month - the entrepreneurial Sum will hit the workshop for you. His fees range from US$1,200 to US$2,500, depending on the complexity of the props.
"My most popular prop," Sum disclosed, "is the Worker's Illusion Appearance System. It's a self-contained illusion to make a person appear on stage. It's been sold to magicians in the US and Europe."
In the same breath, Sum elaborated: "To conceptualise an illusion takes a vast knowledge of past and current illusion techniques.
"You need creativity and a keen understanding of illusion performances and presentation so that you can visualise how it will look on stage."
But take note though; Sum's illusion design books are not for sale locally, for the obvious reason that he'll be breaking his own rice bowl. Typically, Concept Magic, which has three full-time staff and two freelancers on its payroll, gets about 15 projects a month.
Sum proudly noted that one of his books was bought by Jim Steinmeyer, magic consultant to David Copperfield.
Of course, whether the master illusionist actually uses any of his creations - even in a modified form - is a different matter altogether. Sum was under no illusion of holding fast onto his ideas once the books have flown off the shelves.
Revealing an insight into the etiquette of the trade, Sum added: "Sharing knowledge between serious magicians and professionals is actually part of the practice of the magic community to grow the art.
"Publishing your own original methods ensures that you're given credit and recognised. It's similar to why doctors publish their new medical procedures in journals."
So, there is method - and money to be made - in magic after all. - TODAY
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