Technology, Innovation, iPad Magic!

30 years ago, magicians were doing magic with frames, boxes and confetti. 30 years later, some magicians have not progressed from there. Magicians might add a modern touch by adding a technological device like an iPad or LED lights. But ultimately, the content, the style of magic, the music and the movement all screams out old school.

Perhaps for sentimental nostalgic reasons, some audiences actually do prefer an illusionist who performs in a style of the 60s, where objects fly around from with no rhyme or reason. 

But for the modern and intelligent audience, is this satisfying?

If you are looking for a modern and intelligent act, look no further. The iPad magic that I create is meaningful, visual and engaging. I design all my own apps, so you can be sure you are getting high quality iPad Magic. The animations in the iPad will look natural because it was designed from scratch. 

There are alternative methods of doing iPad magic via an app bought from iTunes, but... I don't think you want to go there. The perks of designing your own app:

1. Fully Customizable
2. Editable
3. Tailored for perfection

Don't take my word for it, check out this video here!

For booking and enquiries, drop me a message at:

info@metaillusions.com

Signing off,
Alexander Yuen (iPad Magician)

Customized iPad Magic

What does customization mean? Is it enough to slap a logo and say that you've customized your magic?

In the world of advertising, branding and visibility are integral marketing concepts. Logo and brand exposure is great, but you can stretch that further by incorporating meaningful visuals and powerful emotions (like amazement) into the campaign. 

Here is a simple but very effective customized iPad magic sequence I did for a Japan company that has a franchise in Singapore:

You will notice that the magic has meaning. The magic is not done for magic sake. (For example, making confetti appearing for now reason).

You can also see that there is strong branding and visibility because of the visuals I designed to be incorporated into the iPad app that I eventually programmed. 

Added with a nice touch of magic (and charisma!), you have a simple yet amazing and effective iPad magic illusion for a marketing campaign.

To find out more about my work, drop me an email!

I customize not just for brands and products, I customize for events and parties too!

Booking and Enquiries:

info@metaillusions.com

Integrity within Deception

INTEGRITY

The nature of a magician's job heavily involves deception. To the uninformed, our job entails lies and deceit, it is a malicious occupation. Indeed, while our job involves deceit, it is crafted in a sophisticated manner that it will induce a desire in our audiences to want to be fooled by our skilled trickery further.

However, we must also bear in mind that the public will judge us quickly and harshly when our deception is discovered, in a magic routine context and/ or personal context.

With this in mind, I strongly advocated magicians to uphold their business transactions and personal dealings in an above board fashion so that there is no room for suspicion and there is no tendency to assume that "because he is a magician, he is prone to cheating".

We have to conduct ourselves in an open manner, like a corporation, so that the thought of foul play will not cross the minds of our business partners and clients.

It is unfortunate that not all practitioners of the art uphold the value of integrity. They believe they can cut corners and skirt their way around their mishandlings in hopes that it will not be noticed. 
For these people, I appeal to your remaining sense of integrity. Your occupation in deception already has a negative reputation by default, do what you can and must to make sure that you, as a person, do not fall into that heuristic trap that the public holds. This means, you have to stop using magic to harm the vulnerable by selling "magic stones" or 4D predictions. This means, you need to start living your life as an upright individual and be accountable to the public, your colleagues and your business partners.

Our passion and occupation may require deception, but your personal lives do not.

"Professional" versus "Difficult to Work With"

I will be brutally honest here, I have been called "difficult to work with" on 2 occasions that I know of. We will get to these 2 occasions later. 

When a person is difficult to work with, you might imagine the person to be a diva, making unreasonable requests for his or her own personal enjoyment. For example, wanting the holding room to be of a certain colour, asking for a specific brand of snack to be served, not wanting to perform because the audience is of a demographic that the performer is biased against or even coming late to an engagement as if it is his/her right to do so.

In other words, this performer puts himself/herself above the engagement. 

But on the other hand, what does being professional entail? In my opinion, being professional means putting the event/performance first before self. Here are some of the things that I do (and do not) that I consider professional:

1. Technical Rider: 

"A tech rider is a one-page document that gives the venue an understanding of what your technical requirements are and how to set up the stage before you arrive. It also gives them an opportunity to let you know if they can't accommodate any of your needs."

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My technical rider for my Stand Up Show

Ear hook microphone in Virtual X Reality in Esplanade 2015.

The technical rider for my Interactive Illusion Show is a very straightforward one. In fact, most of the venues have no issues providing it. Occasionally, the venue will ask if it is okay for them to provide a lapel mike instead of a headset mike. And most of the time, it is not a problem but my preference is for the headset mike or ear held mike. 

On rare occasions, the venue might have forgotten to cater for a headset/lapel mike and ask if I could use a wireless microphone. Being a professional, I always bring a microphone brace so that when such emergencies occur, I am ready.

Being a professional, I am always prepared.

Worn around the neck

2. Turning Up Early

I always come 20 minutes-6 hours before my event begins, depending on the scale of the shows. Some of my peers cannot grasp this concept of being early and assume that they just need to be on time. Maybe it is the "Scorpio" in me that makes me want to be at the venue early and survey my surroundings so that I can detect anomalies and make adjustments in my performance. 

When I arrive at the venue, I would immediately do my sound and equipment checks before making "friendlies" with the event producer. I have been told, prior to my show, that my seriousness is not appreciated and that they want a more fun performer. After watching my show, their opinions changed because they know that my seriousness is attributed to making sure the show goes right. My seriousness stems from wanting to make sure everything is in place and good to go. While I have time before the show to make small talk about your children's first spelling test or how your new hair colour is amazing, I am in the zone where I visualize the show, and then execute it as perfectly as I can. 

Being all in the zone, I apologize for my resting bitch face before the performance, but hey, better to have a performer who takes the show seriously than one that mucks around yea?

Coming early comes in very handy, I will give you two examples.

1) Once I went to the event that was projected to have 500 guests. To my surprise, when I went to the venue, there were barely 50 guests present. I quickly spoke to the client and explained the situation, citing that it would be a lot better to do a stand up show, in a nearer proximity to the guests than on stage. The client hesitated but took my idea. The show was great and the crowd enjoyed a more interactive show.

Had I arrive just on time and pressured to start, I would stick to the plan and do a lackluster stage performance with a sparse crowd. 

2) The second example: The event I was to perform for under-ran. They were ahead of time. I was ready to begin with and the whole event when on smoothly without any dead time in between.

3. Attire

I always make sure I look my best when I come to an event. I make sure my shirts are well-pressed, my hair is well combed, and my shoes are well shined. I also make sure my nails are clean and I would rinse my mouth with a mouth wash before show time.

My suits are tailored to my body, it is important that I look good, so you look good. Because my background is in corporate entertainment, I often perform as a representative of the client's brand. Being part of the brand, I make sure that my attire and demeanor is in line with their corporate identity. This is so much more important for the mingling performer where your guests can see and feel the magic. Unfortunately, a lot of events producers do not understand this. They see a roving performer as one who is there to just "show tricks". As long as the guests are "wow-ed", it doesn't matter what he or she wears. 

No. It matters because I am an extension of your client's identity.

I say that again, I look good, so you look good. 

Imagine booking a performer who turns up in a sloppy oversize jacket (probably borrowed from his Dad).

Would you actually be proud to showcase him as part of your brand identity?

Three real life examples of where I draw the line when it concerns my attire.

1) Three years back, I had a request for an event that asked me to dress up as Peter Pan. They were very specific about the attire and I had to wear tights. 

I said no. And naturally (and thankfully) they did not book me. 

No tights for me, thank you.

2) 2 Years back, I had a client who wanted me to come in their corporate colors: White and Red. The event was for their lower management.

After explaining that I did not have a white suit, the client happily agreed to pay for the white suit. I performed in a fitting suit, I looked good, they looked good. I returned the suit to the client after the event is over. I am always grateful to clients who can see things on both points of view. 

3) One year ago, I had a request to perform for a White Party. Get this: This party was a birthday celebration of the CEO of one of the top banks in Singapore. The guest list consisted of high net worth individuals from banks in Singapore and abroad. 

Naturally, I asked to make a suit so that I can perform for this event. This request was met with huge resistance. I was ordered to just get a jacket off the shelf and "as long as it is white", it works. 

No. It does not. I have had the privilege to mingle with top CEOs and directors in my course of work. These people know value when they see it. An oversized jacket would make me look silly, and make the event producer look sillier.

I stood my grounds and managed to convince the coordinator for the suit. I did the event and it was very well received from the client and the guests. I returned the jacket thereafter. 

However, I was labelled as "difficult to work with" after the event simply because I wanted to look good and presentable for your event. While I assumed the line between professionalism and being a diva was a clear one, it was unfortunate that the coordinator did not. She had to do more work on her part by getting permission for this tailored jacket. As a result, my due diligence was labelled as "difficult to work with". 

Thus far, majority of my dealings had been pleasant because both the Events Producer/Client and I want to make the event the best that we can. As long as we fall back on this principle, professionalism will meet professionalism and everyone wins. (win-win-win situation). 

Despite being labelled "difficult to work with" on two occasions, I am very grateful for the other clients I have that appreciates my professionalism. I will rush my proposal for you so that you can pitch it to your client because I know you will do your best as I will do mine. This common understanding flourishes the industry and we all win.

Here are some testimonies:

"Hi Alex,

it was definitely a great working experience with you and thank you for being patient and understanding with our requests. We do not have any feedback as we felt it was a good performance delivered overall. You were also very prompt with replying which made working with you a breeze.

Thank you for showing us your art and hope to be able to work together again! :)"

Tracie (Ms) | Accounts Executive | 3-sixty Brand Communications

31st March 2016

-----

“You're an awesome magician and treasured friend. I can never forget that moment you stopped me and my wife during our wedding and said that if you didn't perform that magic card trick for us, you will never have a chance to. Perhaps it was a small gesture - but it told us that you really cared about making magic meaningful for people. And you did -- on our memorable wedding day.

Kai Qin

17th November 2015

-----

"To whom it may concern,

Alexander Yuen was engaged for Eurex Asia's Housewarming Event on the 14th July to entertain our guests during dinner. He did a wonderful job in engaging and interacting with our top clients and partners. His style of magic was intellectual, sleek and sophisticated which was highly appealing to an educated audience.

Alexander was highly professional in his dealings, accommodating and addressing all my concerns. He came early and was prepared to begin before the show time.

Even though we had some doubts about magic initially, my bosses and I were very impressed with Alexander's performance. Alexander's brand of magic appealed very much to our corporate guests and everyone had something great to say about his magic at the end of the event.

I would highly recommend his services to anyone who is looking for a classy and eloquent magician for a corporate event."

Signing off,
Liz Yeo, Marketing Manager of Eurex Asia Singapore

16th July 2015

-----

"Dear Alex,

Thank you for your amazing performance on our Dec. 11 – Sofgen Christmas event.

Appreciate so much on the extra stage show that you provided us everyone enjoyed your show.

Our COO from Geneva was very impress with your finale show according to him it was a brilliant :)

I already pass your card to one of our contractor. I will definitely introduce your services to relatives and friends.

All the best for the coming year 2015.

Kind Regards,

Mabel Koh

Administrative Executive

22nd December 2014

-----

You get the idea. I rest my case. 

The other occasion that I was labelled difficult to work with? Thought you wouldn't ask :p

4 years ago, I worked with an events company that was known for delaying payments. I made sure they signed a contract which states that full payment has to be made on the day of the venue itself, prior to performance. 

Guess what? They did not want to pay me before I commenced. I did the show still but with the request that they SMS me a declaration that they will pay me after the event immediately. The events person disappeared after the engagement, I followed up for a few weeks and over one phone conversation, I was reprimanded for being difficult to work with.

Meh.

I did get paid in the end. Professionalism always pays off in the end.

Signing Off,

Alexander Yuen

PS: HEY, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO, FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM! its not so difficult!

"Magician of the Month" for iPad Magic

I was given the title of "Magician of the Month" by the International Brotherhood of Magicians (Singapore Ring 115) for the month of March. It was a privilege to be given this title and be recognized for uniqueness I bring into the magic landscape in Singapore.

I performed and lectured on Digital Magic (or iPad Magic). You can imagine how anxious I was presenting this to fellow peers of the industry. But thanks to the years of training in the university, for my BA and MA, I rehearsed and was able to give a very well received lecture. 

Being Magician of the Month in a domain of magic means that your peers recognize you to be the leading figure in that area. This recognition is not something lightly given. If you had followed my work, you would know that it was not an easy journey pioneering iPad Magic.

But as with all aspects of technology, there is a constant pressure to innovate and think outside the box. I am very excited to share that I am working on something really quite exciting, and I will share more in due time!
 

In the mean time, innovate!

Here is the lecture I presented which shows my thinking process behind designing the illusions.

(*Disclaimer, it is going to be quite boring because I've edited the teaching part out)

Logging Out,

Alexander Yuen

Customized iPad Magic: The Great Egg-Venture

Did Humpty Dumpty had a great fall?

We are all on the topic of Eggs because some time ago, I was consulted and then commissioned to design a sequence for Sentosa-Harbourfront Business Association to launch a first of its kind, egg themed cookbook titled, "Everybody Loves Eggs".

Though the timeline was tight, I managed to craft an iPad Magic Sequence that is thematic to this book. There were a few key messages that were integral to this sequence:

1. First ever egg-themed recipe book in Singapore

2. Encompasses creations from top chefs in the precinct, from brunches to main courses, desserts and cocktail.

3. Enjoy the Easter treats at Sentosa-HarbourFront, and take the recipe book home and replicate the memories.

4. VIP has to launch the book

I spent about half a day working out a creative way to introduce the first 3 messages. This was followed by the designing of visual assets and then programming. You can see how I creatively use visual illusions, animation and magic to showcase the top 3 messages.

VIP Launch Mechanism

There were a few consideration for the launch mechanism. The first main constraint was that the mechanism needs to be as straightforward as possible. The VIP should not have to do a lot of rehearsals for the launch. The reason being, the VIP usually has a packed schedule without sufficient free time for a proper rehearsal. Hence the magic needs to be as direct as possible.

The second constraint was that the book needs to be pulled out and displayed in the VIP's hand. I hadto use an apparatus that would allow me to do that. 

With the two conditions in mind, I programmed a sequence where the VIP would swipe an image into a picture frame, and the image of the book would appear. Thereafter, the illusionist would show that this is not just a picture, but it is the book itself. 

The crowd size was fairly small, there was about 80 guests present at the event. The full sequence was well received by the crowd and the VIP. In fact, one of the guest present, Meiling from Universal Scribbles came up to me and asked if she could film a sequence for her son, who loves magic. 

My son is going to be so psyched that I met digital illusionist Alexander Yuen in person at the launch of The Great Egg-Venture on Sentosa. He was nice enough to perform a trick for him. Thanks Alexander! #digitalmagic #awesome #universalscribbles #digital #illusionist #magic #performer @rwsentosa @sentosa_island#follow4follow #instamagic

A video posted by Meiling Wong-Chainani (@universalscribbles) on Mar 10, 2016 at 11:37pm PST

So back to Humpty Dumpty, did he have a great fall? I am not sure, but I think he would have a great time at the Great Egg-Venture!

PS: HEY, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO, FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM!

Signing Off,

Alexander Y.

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Keen to have me at your event?
 

Drop me an email here: info@metaillusions.com

 

iLight Festival 2016: How to fully immerse in this festival

TLDR:

1. Dinner at Pasarbella (Go after the sunset)
2. Walk to floating platform for the Segway (now called: Ninebot)
3. Get Segway guided tour, enjoy the sculptures
4. Pit stop at Hagen Daz
5. Continue rest of the tour
6. Be immersed in iLight 2016
7. Repeat with more friends

iLight 2016 is here! And this is "Asia's Leading Sustainable Light Art Festival", this festival used to be a bi-annual affair, but from this year on, it will be a yearly one. Also, this year's festival is touted to be the largest so far. Pretty exciting stuff!

So yesterday I was given a full access media pass to check out the festival. Special thanks to Ning for hosting the Instagram contest which allowed to win this pass (See my iLight Entry here!)!

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Food.

Okay, so back to the festival. We met up about 6.30pm and went out the Pasarbella for dinner.

 * Pro tip: It gets quite hot before 6.30pm, head over after that time when the sun sets.

Ice cold beer, like-minded peers, great music, iLight: Perfect!

Really good man-tou with pork!

This is amazing! Look out for the stall with a grill station!

Pasarbella's pop up stalls opened just yesterday, so come by for great music, food, and skyline. It overlooks the city skyline, and it will make you appreciate the beauty of Singapore. 

* Pro tip: It gets packed really quickly! Also, if you're gonna do the Segway, go easy on the alcohol!

Fun.

We walked over to the floating platform to get our hands (or rather, feet) on the Segway. 

The staff at Ninebot Asia were really nice, they guided us and taught us how to use the Segway. There were 2 versions, I had the smaller one without the handle, and then there was a larger one with the handle.

* Pro tip: The larger one is easier to use. And it is more convenient because there are cable casing along the festivals, the larger Segway allows you to go over it, while the smaller one requires you to dismount and wheel it manually over these cable cases. 

I think the Segway made the festival a lot more enjoyable. We were able to cover almost all of the exhibits with little sweat. The full distance of the festival is about 3.8km. So that would take a while on foot.

At the Segway booth, you can choose either a full guided tour or partial tour which covers either the exhibits along the Marina Bay Sands side or the Esplanade side. Personally, it is a lot more fun at the Marina Bay Sands side.

We Segway through the festival ground, towards the mid point, we found the perfect pit stop. Haagen Dazs Ice Cream!

We were treated to this really yummy Royal Milk Tea ice cream. It tasted very unique, with a blend of thai ice tea, but it was a little too sweet for me. Then I also had one of their whiskey cocktail ice cream. Love it!

Incidentally, I met my friend who was with a friend from Cambodia! And naturally she requested for magic, check out the video:

Did magic for my good friend at Hagen Daz in ILight Festival!#ningxilight #ilightmarinabay #magic

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Friday, March 11, 2016

We resumed the festival, and the next thing we saw was the "Angels of Freedom". Fantastic photo opp!

There were queues to take pictures with these sculptures. There are 4 of these angels, so don't worry!

* Pro tip: If you, like me, are tall, you can line up at one with a higher halo. You might not be able to see this, but I was in the shorter halo sculpture and I had to bend my knees. 

We then finished the last leg of the festival. Here are some pictures i took!

This festival is really quite fun, it is good fun for kids and adults as well. Also, it is important to incorporate the message of being eco friendly and sustainability to our children. This festival does it in an engaging and interactive way.

So I hope you all have fun! I know i-Light it, a lot. 

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Interactive Roving iPad Magic

iPad Roving Magic Promo by Alexander

If you have read our previous article on iPad Magic and Digital Illusions, titled "Evolution of an Artist", you would know that the genre of iPad Magic within Meta Illusions started first with Jonathan designing iPad apps for our Interactive Roving Magic. 

As we progressed we had more need for palour and stage effects in the iPad and they were mostly custom designed to our client's specification.

But that aside, today I want to share with you more information about our Interactive iPad Roving Magic. This is our 2nd most popular engagement next to the Standard Interactive Roving Magic. 

Why iPad Magic?

The unique feature about the iPad Roving Magic is that you can book me to interact and mingle with your guests. You are offering a unique form of entertainment that is hardly seen in the industry; your guests and clients will be impressed by the novelty and the strength of the inherent magic. The best part: How about adding your client's or company's logo into the iPad and using them as part of the magic, at no additional cost?

Complimentary Logo Customization

Up to a limited time, I am offering complimentary basic customization for all my iPad Roving Magic where I would add your company's logo into the iPad and use it do magic. This increases marketing visibility and identity!

Check out the promo above to get a feel of what it is like for your clients to be at the cutting edge of magic! I would love to discuss with you further on thoughts, ideas and proposals for your event and your client!


Signing off,

Alexander Y.

Adult Parties

No no, not that kind of adult parties.

Most of the time when we think about parties, we are probably thinking about a children's birthday party or a drinking session in a club which you pass off as "party".

The truth be told, there are a lot of other parties adults throw for themselves, or for their partners. 

1. Birthday Parties
2. Anniversary Parties
3. Themed Gathering
4. Bachelorette's Night
5. Bachelor's Night
6. Company Appreciation
7. Guests Appreciation
8. Wine Tasting Parties
9. I-Have-Too-Much-Money-And-I-Don't-Know-How-To-Spend-It Party

And these are just a small handful of them. In fact, I will be very unbashful about this and say that I have in fact done all these parties in the above list, though number 5 was ... kind of weird.

My point is, the way we celebrate our moments has changed. Its not just about the food and drinks. It is about the ambiance (choosing the best venue), the entertainment and even the music.

Recently, I was engaged by a couple from India who flew all the way to host their 40th Wedding Anniversary in the lavish W Hotel. They also flew their friends and families, it was amazing.

A testament to my belief that magic isn't just for children, I did an picture prediction as part of my iPad Magic, and... who says adult can't have fun with magic. :P

It was really fun performing for the guests and VIPs from India. One thing I can be sure, magic does transcend culture.

Peace out!
Alexander Yuen

P.S, if you haven't done so, like my page on Facebook and follow me on instagram will ya!

Chinese Speaking iPad Magician in Singapore

The great thing about growing in Singapore is that almost everyone has to learn 2 languages in school. For me, it is Mandarin and English. English being my first language and Mandarin is my mother tongue. 

This is great because I am often booked for shows and events where I have to perform my iPad magic in a Chinese (or Mandarin). The ability to supplement my magic with language is adds a different dimension to the experience of watching the iPad magic. 

I can lead my audiences with stories through text and animations through the iPad and magic through sleight of hand. Compared to illusionists who performs old school illusions boxes after boxes, this modern and engaging form of magic is highly sought after.

If you are looking for a mandarin or chinese speaking iPad magician, drop me a text! 

Watch my iPad Magic in Chinese below!

Booking and Enquiries:

email me at info@metaillusions.com

Magic Moments: Gorgeous Wedding at 1 Altitude

Weddings = Love + Venue + Food ?
 

Is it all that simple? Yes and no. It really depends on how a couple conceptualizes the wedding. If weddings thought to be simply ceremonial and perfunctory, then the above equation would suffice. A simple affair where two lovers unite their hearts and lives as one from this day on.

But if you conceptualize weddings as an experience, as part of a milestone in your lives as lovers and from this day on as man and wife, then this milestone needs to be memorable and more than just ceremonial. 

The little details add up to the grand experience. For couple, AJ and Jeraldine, they chose a gorgeous venue at 1-Altitude and the decorations were just magical. They also got me to enhance the atmosphere of their wedding. You can see in the pictures below how magic created a magical mood of awe and anticipation.

Picture Credits: One Eye Click and Jeraldine

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AJ flew his friends and family to witness the wonder union of him and his wife. The audience were flew in from different parts of the world to be a part of this magical experience. 

With such a diverse demographics, my experience as an international performer enabled me to effectively entertain and interact with the guests. 

The best part about having an illusionist/magician in your wedding is that you can elicit and capture emotions and expressions of awe, amazement, wonder and positive surprise. Such emotions are hard to evoke and rare in daily occurrences. With magic, these raw emotions are captured in time. 

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So consider having a magician for your wedding, a professional and classy magician. With that, magical moments awaits you. 

Signing off,
Alexander Yuen (humming the tune of Magic.... Moments...)

Evolution of an Artist: iPad Digital Magic

One of the most unique services my team and I offer is our iPad Magic, in both roving format and theatrical format. Below is a teaser of our most recent customized commissioned project for DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center:

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

It all began in 2012 when Jonathan (co-founder of Meta Illusions) came back from his stint in a tech start up at Silicon Valley and was invited to be featured in a Singapore Magic production called "M for Magic". Wanting to be different and to push the edge of magic, Jonathan designed routines and wrote specific codes for the iPad to make coins appear and disappear. Combined with strong magic and visual elements, we were proud to proclaim that we were doing magic that no one else in Singapore does. 

Watch the video below:

The magic was so sensational it got picked up by various media including Yahoo! News, Straits' Times RazorTV and NUS Post.

Because of the video, we found ourselves booked and commissioned by a Fortune 500 company to create a special iPad sequence to describe their production processes to the international dealers. Unfortunately, due to the sensitive content, we were unable to share our act publicly.

In December of 2012, we had a call from RazorTv wanting to do an exclusive interview with Jonathan and myself and our thoughts on iPad Magic. Once again, Jonathan and myself went back to the drawing board in a bid to create magic that is different and impactful.

You can see how we grew in terms of our magic as well as programming sophistication. The effects we did were more emotionally captivating and the apps we created were more complex than before.

From 2013 - 2014, we learned newer coding techniques and created apps for our professional usage, especially in the area of roving magic. Jonathan then took a hiatus on iOS magic programming as he took on a new role as the co-founder of another successful technological start up. The last video we created was a Christmas video in December 2014.

It was also during the same time I contemplated releasing some of the existing routines that we do professionally. But I took the leap of faith and released these videos.

The reception was overwhelming, both on YouTube and Facebook. Because of this video, I was chosen as a finalist for HP's YouTube Academy contest, in which I created other digital magic with a HP Laptop. I created a sequence in tribute to Singapore's Golden Jubilee Year in which we celebrated our 50th year of independence.

Also at the same time in June 2015, I was working closely with Esplanade to produce a show for Flipside Festival 2015 which involved digital elements to it. Because of its novel impact, the show was commissioned as the first digital magic illusion show in Esplanade. Read more about this show here!

A snippet of #VirtualXReality last night at #Esplanade for #Flipside. 2 more shows to go on the 2nd June, 7.15pm and 8.15pm. Come say hi! #magic #magictricks #magician #magictrick

A video posted by A Finer Side Of Magic (@alexander_yuen) on May 29, 2015 at 9:24pm PDT

Subsequently, the novelty and wow factor of these digital illusions caught on and I was commissioned to create more content for my clientele.

In December of 2015, I was consulted to design a digital illusion sequence for DHL's Innovation Center in Singapore. This is the first innovation center in Asia. They specifically wanted an illusion sequence that showcased innovation and technological progress.

And I was specifically told that the big illusion boxes, cutting and squeezing a girl in a box is out of the question.

I had to innovate.

Picture from: http://business.asiaone.com/news/dhl-launches-multi-million-dollar-innovation-centre-singapore

With a short timeline, I not only created an illusion sequence that hit their key messages with a punch but also presented it in a visually alluring manner. See teaser below:

Digital Illusion Show

Since the conception of Virtual x Reality in June 2015, the very first Virtual Reality Show in Singapore, I've been working and updating some of the illusions for my Digital Illusion Show.Some time ago, I was commissioned by DHL to do a fully customized sequence about for DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center Launch, and here is a short teaser!Enjoy!

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

It is very well received and I am in the midst of collaborating with other artist and agencies on this platform.

You can see how an artist grows in his/her art form. Innovation does not happen overnight, it is all built on and upon previous innovations. No different from magic.

It is coming to the close of 2015 as I am writing this, and when I reflect upon how our Digital Illusions have evolved, I am extremely thankful for the various opportunities and the (paid-off) leaps of faith agencies have with us. I dare say, thanks to our expertise, experience and amazing track record, we've earn their trust. That much, I am very thankful.

2016 is an exciting year ahead with more cutting edge innovations to come. 
 

Have a great Christmas, and see you in 2016!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Customized Digital Illusions: DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center Launch

DHL launches S$10m innovation centre in Singapore

A couple of weeks ago, DHL launched their first innovation center in Asia, right in Singapore. In order to display their cutting edge innovation, they engaged me to design a series of illusions to showcase some of their capabilities and to tell a story about innovation. 

Posted by Alexander Yuen: A Finer Side of Magic on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

There were a few objectives I wanted to achieve for this illusion sequence:

1. The magic has to be presented in a modern and relevant platform; appropriate for the Innovation Center.
2. The illusions have to be well strung to tell a coherent story.

I spent close to 10 hours wrecking my brains in conceptualizing and designing appropriate illusions for this event. 

After that, a substantial amount of time was spent on practicing and coding.

Painting Sequence: Paint is "splashed" onto the screen.

An effect about Thomas Edison's Lightbulb Invention.

Innovation Idea on reducing carbon prints by making logistics more eco-friendly.

Taking out physical transportation in logistics.

It was an amazing experience for me (and the audiences) to be at the forefront of innovation.

Read more about their innovation center here:

DHL launches S$10m innovation centre in Singapore

Signing off,
Alexander Yuen

Ricolaaaaa!

I had such a great night at the 75th Anniversary of Ricola today. I've learnt so much about Ricola that I didn't know. Did you know that the candy contains 13 herbs to create its famous blend of taste and medicinal benefits! 13 herbs! 

So before I went to the event, I thought I should do something special for Ricola, hence I created this app on my phone to soothe my throat. 

Like it? I actually went around to show the guests this illusion on my phone, they were so thrilled. : D

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When I got to No. 5 Emerald Hill Cocktail Bar, I was served a refreshing cocktail that was to my surprised, created with the original herb from Ricola. It is one of the three bespoke cocktails for that evening and the one pictured is called the "Ricola Maple Surprise". (These cocktails are available at No. 5 Emerald Hill Cocktail Bar, 2 for $19)

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The event was hosted by the gorgeous Yasminne Cheng, from Class 95fm, who was also the host for the event I did at Tempur. Then there was a performance by Ling Kai. For those who don't know about her, she was in the top 8 for "The Voice" (China CCTV). I tell you, she is really good, I really enjoyed her cover of "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer. 

I had the pleasure of performing some magic for her too. She is really sweet.

Great event organized by Word of Mouth Communications! Awesome job!

Signing Off,

Alexander Yuen

Tempur Mattress #Weightless Campaign

Some weeks ago, I had great pleasure conceptualizing a routine for the launch of Tempur's flagship store at Nassim Road. It was amazing working with professionals from Tempur and Word of Mouth Communication. 

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The idea was to create a sequence to showcase what weightlessness would visually look like. I received the brief for the campaign and two things came to my mind almost immediately. I wanted to create the illusion of weightlessness with a person, and I wanted it to mirror Tempur's logo. 

With that in mind, I created a sequence with other weightless illusions to give a general feel of weightlessness. Also, the music I chose are relaxing and soothing. Nothing too rock or metal to break the illusion of lightness.

The result? Pretty awesome! Check out what others had to say about it:

Mattress-testing with #zerog bed base at @tempursg flagship store #tempursg #sleepingbeauty @superadrianme #lightnessofbeing #weightlessness @alexander_yuen demonstrates the #lightness of sleeping on #tempur

A video posted by @lionnel_lim on Nov 5, 2015 at 6:36am PST

What a delightful way of illustrating the weightlessness of the Zero-G beds. Congratulations on the grand opening of your flagship sleep sanctuary, Tempur! @tempursg #tempursg #weightless #zerog #beds #interiordesign #tempurbed #interiordesigning

A video posted by #RenoTalk (@renotalk) on Nov 5, 2015 at 2:51am PST

What is the 'weightless' feeling when you sleep on a Tempur bed? It's like magic and floating on air... 🔮🔮 #tempursg #tempur #tempursleepsanctuary #storeopening #nassimroad #weightless #sleepwell #soshiok #igsg #igers #instapic #instagram #instadaily #instaphoto #picoftheday #photooftheday #pr #pragency #womsg #wom_sg #womcomm #wom_sgpr #wordofmouthpr @tempursg

A video posted by WOMpr (@wom_sgpr) on Nov 5, 2015 at 7:29am PST

The full sequence is here, for your viewing pleasure!

Oh and one last thing before I end this post, I met ex-National Swimmer Joscelin Yeo! Happy!

Hope you enjoyed the magic! Have a concept you want to showcase, write to me! My team and I will find the best way to showcase your concept in a visual and compelling manner!
 

Signing off
Alexander Yuen

Product Launch by Magic: SOAR Book Launch

A couple of months ago, I was engaged as a consultant to design and perform an illusion sequence to launch a book. One of the criterias of this sequence was that it had to be thematically related to the book. The book was titled SOAR, which collated success stories of entrepreneurs. They specifically wanted a sequence that would symbolize the taking flight and soaring above and higher than the rest.

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After spending about 2 day in thinking and conceptualizing the possible magical effects pertaining to the idea of soaring, I finally decided to do a sequence where an origami bird would mysteriously take flight on its own symbolizing the rising above the rest.

This was the easiest part of the content development. The hardest part was to design an illusion that would launch the book in a flashy and yet magical manner. The illusion also had to be simple enough so that a VIP can activate it if required. Another challenge that I faced was that the book was printed in soft bound, it was not easy to manipulate the book via sleight of hand. The dimensions of the book made it extremely difficult to conceal it in a convincing fashion. Hence, I needed to build an illusion that would hold the book in place. 

I first referenced my library of magic illusion books. I compiled several ideas that seems workable and does not require intensive building. This was crucial given that the booking was only confirmed 2 months in advance (compared to my SOP of 3 months for customized projects), I did not have the luxury of time to build something overly complicated. While most of these ideas seem to work (in a magic sense), some were stronger than the others. For example, I deliberated between making the book appear by covering a lid over a box versus this current method. I chose the latter because there was an economy of movement in my choreography and the design of the illusion allowed me to activate it easily without looking fumbling. 

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I sent my design to be fabricated and I was very pleased with its outcome. The frame looks elegant and posh. It looks like a frame that would house an exquisite centerpiece in a prestigious venue. I was pleasantly surprised that the Chief Operations Officer wanted me to leave the book inside the frame to use it as picture taking centerpiece.

You can check out more pictures of the event here!

So finally, after researching, designing and fabricating the apparatus, the rest was simple: Rehearsals. I spent at least 10 hours on rehearsals alone for this performance. The surprising thing about the performance was that, it only took 1 minute and 30 seconds. All that work for that 1 minute? Yes, that was the amount of work I had to put in for this. Simply because for launches, there is ZERO room for error. I only get one shot at the launch. 

Here is the end result, in video (Spoiler alert, the book appears at the end):

In this video, I perform a routine according to the theme of the book (titled: SOAR). I first make an origami bird levitate to symbolize flight and finally make the book appear inside a picture frame.

At least 150 hours of work put into this in one video :)

Have a book to launch? Or a product to be launched in a creative fashion? Let me design something unique and visually appealing for you! Drop me a text below and I would love to discuss with you further!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Amazing Reactions to Magic in Philippines!

A couple of weeks ago, I travelled to Philippines to film a segment of the Bend The Rules video by HP. After 3 hours of travel by air, 2 hours on the bus and then 20 minutes on a ferry (gosh, I travelled by sea, air and land in one trip!), my crew and I got to Boracay.

Boracay boasts one of most beautiful beaches in the world, there were so many things to do there. Sea sports, water activities and night life, fun touristy things to do. But I was there on a mission, to share my magic with the locals. 

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There were a lot of opportunities to perform and share my magic with the locals. Given that they have not seen sleight of hand magic ever in their life, they thoroughly enjoyed the magic. You can literally see the sparkle in their eyes when something magical happened. It was a beautiful moment for me as well as a performer.

While corporate parties and functions form the bulk of my engagement, I too enjoy performing to audiences that did not expect to be pleasantly surprised by magic. That is the true joy of magic for me, to be able to spread that moment of glee from me to my audiences, whether in a corporate function or along the streets of a night market. 

After a week of filming, I got really good footage and reactions of my magic, tell me what you think!
 

Pardon the floppy hair and the tee shirt and berms, we were in a beach after all. ;)

Enjoy the magic!

Signing off,
Alexander Yuen

Singapore Wedding Entertainment (Wedding Magician at Flower Dome)

Songs, dances, skits and magic can be great for weddings. But what is the secret element that makes them great? In order to understand what makes for good wedding entertainment, consider this unique characteristic of weddings that is not typically present in other events. Look at the series of pictures from the same wedding (in the Flower Dome), do you know what it is?

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Weddings tend to have a wide range of audiences with huge differences in age.

This is because for weddings, the guests consist of grandparents, parents, friends and also/even their/their children. You can/will literally have/see/encounter guests ranging from 3 months of age to 100. 

As such, the form of entertainment provided should cater to the different groups of guests. For instance, young children love magic that is visually stimulating, bright and interactive. Teenagers prefer magic that has an element of challenge. Young adults tend towards magic that is sophisticated and of a psychological nature while the older generation likes magic that is visually impactful and cognitively simpler.

Sure, you can have music or even live music to entertain the guests while they wait, but does it cater to individual groups of guests as adequately as magic? There is nothing more exciting and fun than to have magic happening inside your own hands'. And this is what I do for wedding receptions, I perform magic that is interactive, engaging and I make sure the guests have a good time while they wait.

Think of your perfect wedding as a journey for you and your guests where every moment of it adds up to an experiential treat. It is your special day, why not make sure your guests leave with fond memories of a great time? ?

Wish to find out? Contact me through the button below! My wedding services includes a non-obligatory 20 minute consultation meeting where I will demonstrate to you my style of magic and do a rundown of how my magic can be incorporated into the wedding.

In the meantime, I wish you love and the happiest ever after.

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen.

Magic for the Indonesian Ambassador's Wife.

Last week, I was invited to a farewell party for a friend of mine who will be moving to Switzerland with her husband (you lucky gal!). And when I got to the venue, lo-and behold, it exudes regalness and royalty. 

Have you seen a place more magical than this?

Credits: Photography by Simplifai Studios. @simplifai

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I was stoked to be able to bid my friend farewell as well as perform in this gorgeous setting. 

After the show performance, it was lunch. Lunch was served on a huge platter. Trust me, it was delicious!

Shortly, the Indonesian Ambassador's wife, Mrs Ferial Hadi, who is also a personal friend of the host came by. I was very lucky to be able to perform for her. She was really thrilled and enjoyed the magic immensely.

The food, the staff, the ambience and the decorations are definitely befitting for royalty. Check out this place if you wish to hold a classy private event.

Gonna miss you guys, Joao and Mona! Enjoy Switzerland!

Signing off,

Alexander Yuen

Magic Entertainment at Presidential Suite during F1 Racing Weekend

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If you have ever wondered how a presidential suite looks like, it looks something like this!

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Very snazzy ha! The picture doesn't do the room justice because the room itself is actually a lot larger than it looks. It is large enough to hold about 80 guests in one setting, and it features a cocktail bar, finger food station as well as this beautiful chandelier.

Gorgeous isn't it!

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The view from 66th floor.

I was invited by Telstra to perform my magic to entertain their high stake clients and valued guests while they waited for the race to begin. It was really a blessing to be able to perform at this wonderful location, enjoying the skyline and a bit of the race.

Check out some of the pictures below!

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Cocktail Bar, drinks anyone?

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Looks cozy. Didn't have time to try though.

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Because everyone is a winner at Telstra!

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Comfy Sofa with Vintage Furnishing, Classy!

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Interactive Magic for Telstra's guests.

Purest form of magic, in your hands.

An amazing experience altogether. If you would like to find out more about how I can add that fine touch of magic for your guests, contact me here!

Signing off

Alexander Yuen