Stage Magic

Stage magic is a different craft to close-up, not a bigger version of it. Everything must read at forty feet, resolve in silhouette, and survive being watched by two hundred people at once rather than six.

That changes what makes a good effect. Detail disappears; shape and colour carry. Timing matters more than texture. Props that would be devastating in the hands become invisible past the third row, and simple, bold effects that a close-up worker might dismiss can stop a theatre cold.