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Meet Penn & Teller
Lesson time 05:01 min
Meet your new instructors: Emmy-winning magicians Penn & Teller, who have dazzled audiences for more than 40 years. Penn & Teller share the tricks they’ll teach you and how the thinking behind magic can resonate beyond the stage.
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Topics include: Meet Penn & Teller
Teach the Art of Magic
In their first-ever MasterClass, Teller breaks his silence as he and Penn teach their approach to creating moments of wonder and astonishment.
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MAN: Ready, and-- Oh. Hold on. Ready? Here we go. Ready and action. [MOTOR WHIRRING] - My name is Penn Jillette. This is my partner Teller. We're Penn and Teller, and this is our MasterClass. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] - We've been doing magic a really long time, and we've thought about it an awful lot. And most of what we've thought about in magic comes across in our shows. It's also really fun to talk about the theory behind it, the idea behind it I just think that a lot of the thinking behind magic is, in itself, very, very interesting. - When you first learn how a magic trick is done, there's often a moment of disappointment where you say, aw, it's-- he just held it in the other hand, she just held it in the other hand. When you actually do it and you start to understand all of the things that go into that, from the history of particular moves or plots to the technology that might be involved to the physical skill to the acting and to the psychology-- when you've experienced all of that, then the next time that you go and see a great magical performer perform, your sense of the experience is going to be much deeper, just in the same way that, you know, if you play an instrument and then you go hear a wonderful performer, you appreciate at a much deeper and richer level how great the achievement is. - The wonder of what you see in magic, it's the principles that we're teaching you are no different than, put your fingers here, here, and here and you can play a bar chord, and move your little finger. It'll make it rock a little bit. That basis, you know, all the wonder of all of magic is right there in one French drop. From then on, you're just expanding. If you've never done any magic before ever in your life, we got stuff here for you. If you are someone who's done magic for your relatives, for your friends a little bit, we've got a lot more magic for you. We're also assuming you can get your hands on some simple props. We have those listed. You know, tin foil, balls, cups, coins, rope, stuff coming up, but all simple stuff. If you really don't intend to do magic, if that's really not your vibe, I think we've got some thinking that we've done over, well, about 100 years together of magic that we can tell you about magic that might be applicable to other stuff you're doing. And no matter what level you are at magic, we can tell you a little something. We have some people joining us who have no experience in magic whatsoever. None. These people are you. So please, please watch us teach them. Have the stuff in your hands while you're doing it. Listen to what we say. You have an advantage they don't have. You can back up, watch it again, watch it again, watch it again. And learn this stuff right along with us. You'll find these are really, really strong tricks. We are not teaching you garbage. This is stuff you can really use. This is stuff that if you learn just the stuff...
About the Instructor
With more than 40 years performing together, Penn & Teller have sold out shows around the world, earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, and created the longest-running headline act in Las Vegas. Now the legendary magicians are taking you behind the curtain. Learn fundamental magic tricks and the psychological tools that create amazement, at home or on stage. Expand your perception of the possible.
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Penn & Teller
In their first-ever MasterClass, Teller breaks his silence as he and Penn teach their approach to creating moments of wonder and astonishment.
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