This video from TED talks shows a performance by magician or "techno-illusionist" Marco Tempest. What sets Tempest apart from other magicians is his use of technology to create illusions. Here in this performance he uses three iPhones to tell a story about his "favourite topic" deception.
His performance uses an app that he has created which synchronises video over three iPhones to create art and magic through the use of multimedia. His performance connects art and magic with quotations from great magicians and writers to create a narrative connecting the illusions and deceit we experience with magic with the that which occurs in our lives each day. Altogether this makes for a beautiful and inspiring display of skill and technological accomplishment. Tempest claims that what he does is “to blur the lines between technology and traditional magic, mixing the incredibly real and the incredibly unreal” His work also incorporates poetic elements. I especially love the phrase he concludes with: "Art is a deception that creates real emotions - a lie that creates a truth. And when you give yourself over to that deception, it becomes magic."
The app used in this performance is called "MultiVid" (available from the AppStore: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/multivid/id329179990?mt=8) It is available for use with iPhones, iPods and iPads. It is designed so that users can synchronise videos across a number of mobile devices. It can also be connected to device to a larger screen in order to utilise LCD or projection screens. The screens can be controlled either by one of the devices or a computer.
Marco Tempest has developed other software and multimedia which he uses to create performance pieces which fuse art with magic. Although he has had a long career blending magic with technology, in the past few years he has begun to utilise and create new “augmented reality” technology which uses tracking and mapping systems to create illusions and art installations.
In this clip Tempest explains in brief how some of his devices work to create illusions:
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