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An Inside Look at Criss Angel’s MF13 Studios

criss angel mf13 studio.png

Criss Angel and his site Magic Place, have continued their commitment to live programming with a massive warehouse studio fitting specifically for big, online events.

John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Weekly wrote about his impressions of the battle station as it was fully operational last month and will be again this Saturday.

That Angel is able to attract such an array of guests to his MF13 Studios complex (which is a warehouse tricked out with the latest in video recording gadgets and equipment) speaks to the popularity of Angel’s operation. The second all-star broadcast has drawn more than 320,000 views, making it the most-viewed Internet stream on Stickam.com (if you’re not familiar with that site, you’re not alone, but it is the equivalent of the YouTube online platform for live streaming).

Angel is also planning to launch more content including a exhibition for new tricks entitle “MP Master Sessions” and a gossip show called “The Buzz”.

Posted by Editor on Thursday, August 16th, 2012 at 1:43 pm.

  • http://www.andrewmayne.com Andrew Mayne

    I was very impressed by Angel’s facility. From the soundstage, to the workshop and editing suites, it’s like a full-on movie studio.

    I’ve seen a lot of Internet production, I never saw someone go as far as he has with camera jibs and live television production shooting set-ups.

  • HAL

    OK, just to be a wise guy, it should be an exhibition and entitled.

    BUT – What is this world coming to, Andrew praising Criss Angel? There should be 50 question marks here, but out of respect for Justin. Where was this great video equipment when he was doing ‘Mindfake’? That looked more like Radio Shack.

    Almost all live shows have jib cranes. If he’s not using Sony cameras with Canon lenses, he’s not up there with the big network shows.

    If Andrew has the time, I’d really be interested in what he actually has.

  • http://iTricks.com/news JustinRYoung

    Having worked with new media companies, I can say that the money and effort Criss has put into his set up is on par with many others who do very big download numbers.

    Angel is taking the production seriously, that really can’t be questioned.

  • http://www.andrewmayne.com Andrew Mayne

    I’ve never seen an Internet show using a jib or three camera ops. I’ve been behind the scenes on Rev3, TWiT and others.

  • HAL

    (Andrew & Justin) Thanks for replying. I guess I’m comparing this to major TV shows. They use more than 1 jib, and many more cameras. As much as I like P&T, Penn’s videos with the 2 cameras, switching back and forth every 5 seconds is almost unwatchable. Have to try and check out this Angel thing.

  • Snow

    Just because someone has a tonne of equipment doesn’t mean they know how to use it. I’ve watched a few shows when they first started the MP website. Some are good. Some are very bad. Three cameras? ..well, they aren’t being utilized properly half the time then. 1 camera should be close up, one is medium shot and one is wide. The director/camera switcher should be talking to the camera operators through the clearcom and getting shots lined up and then taking them. From what I saw, two cameras were basically on the same shot only off by a fraction, which is a jumpcut. Jarring and unprofessional. Television production is not rocket science, but there are proper techniques and it is evident that a couple of 20 year olds are running the shows. They also need to do a little studying on miking people, mixing stereo, proper levels and monitoring those levels. So, I don’t care what their equipment is if they don’t use it right, it doesn’t come off as professional. I watched the live thing most recently and audio was a disaster. Criss sounded like daffy duck and yet interviews you could hardly hear. It was evident the person on the mixer didn’t understand what levels he was controlling up and down and how that affected the broadcast. Just like a professional magician can take some cheap little thing and make a great trick out of it, so can someone trained in television take a crap camera and minimal equipment and make it look professional or make a film. So, it takes a little more than bucks in equipment to impress me. I’ve got pro equipment surrounding my desk as I write…it’s not that big a deal now-a-days.

  • HAL

    That wasn’t a technical problem, Criss always sounds like Daffy Duck. He also looks like Elmer Fudd, and about as tall. It’s a ‘Travesty”.

    You’re right on with this Snow. I think most people don’t realize the skill of putting on a live TV show..If you screw up, you can’t fix it. It’s not like the usual job where some work hard, and some goof off. Everybody has to be 100% every second. The video alone with all the effects, graphics, etc. Could you imagine a baseball game telecast with 3 cameras? If he has the same people who worked on Mindfake, that would explain what you’re saying. The biggest joke was the “Spectator POV camera”.

  • Justin

    compete.com is a site that tracks real internet #’s (views/viewers. Do the math and match whats being said about views/viewers to whats being reported. Let me know your thoughts.
    Justin

  • Snow

    Yes, overswitching is one of my pet peeves as well. Some daytime talk shows overswitch as well. Makes you dizzy. It’s like they just ‘have’ to use every single camera angle simply because it’s there or something. What I always say is – If you notice the camera work, then they aren’t doing their job right. Camera and audio should not have attention drawn to them and away from the content. I’d say I’ll watch that Penn video to see what you are talking about, but I can’t take his voice and opinions for more than a minute. He’s too much like Stern for me.

  • HAL

    It’s just that simple. Penn talks about a subject, and after a sentence or two they switch between the two cameras as he quickly looks at the on camera. A few minutes of this, and I forget what he’s talking about. If Teller ever quits, they could become ‘Penn & Stern’.

    Does anybody remember the show Penn hosted called “Identity”? It only lasted for a few shows. A contestant had to guess the identity of (i think) 9 people. Lance Burton was on, but the contestant didn’t know he was the magician.

  • HAL

    Well, watched about an hour of the Saturday show.
    Snow couldn’t be more right about the audio, it was horrific! Criss was breaking your eardrums, and others you couldn’t hear at all. If there was a jib used, I missed it. Someone should tell them that you don’t frame the shot with the people’s heads in the center, the upper half of the shot was the empty top of the stage.
    So much garbage: Guy doing ‘Strip Poker’ saying, “I beat them with a full house, something Copperfield hasn’t seen”. Angel hasn’t seen the Top 10 in a long time. “Criss Angel, most recognized magician in the World”. That makes sense, since DC toured the world how many times when nobody knew who CA was. I guess he assumes no children would watch.. A cursing magician is really what we need.

    And: Everybody saying how great beLIEve is – guess 90% of the reviews must be totally wrong. Maybe his elaborate studio has teleprompters too, with comments written by Criss’ biggest fan, “CRISS”.
    And finally: Andrew on a Criss Angel show, I suddenly ran out of words?

  • Snow

    I agree. Do they not expect kids to be watching? I find the content of the site distasteful. It’s evident he doesn’t have children. Just like a film…when you make it too much about sex or gore, it’s obvious that it’s lacking in good story, unless the story is about sex or gore, then it’s justified. But, to just use it as a crutch, like a desperate plea to hold on to peoples attention is how it comes across. I have said this many times. When magicians use erotica to sell their magic, they are coming off as kinda trashy. There are so many ways to create misdirection. But, it’s true what you are saying Hal, it’s garbage in that respect. I didn’t see the point of tuning in to that. It is just all ego boosting and butt kissing and showing off. As for your running out of words…I’m not sure who you are referring to… I’ve deliberately forgotten everyone by that name lol

  • HAL

    I didn’t see this as a magic show. They had ‘strip poker’, ‘A Jello wrestling match’ with a tall girl and short guy’, Johnny Thompson with 2 card tricks that you could learn by going on Magicplace (And why not buy a few crappy tricks while you’re there?) The ‘Signed quarter in the sugar packet’ selling for $4.95 Carrot Top, Flava, Lance Burton, and others kissin’ his royal butt. It’s typical Criss Angel cover up the fact that I’m a lousy magician.
    Almost forgot the guy with the fake penis, I’m sure the kids liked that too. This trash belongs on HBO with a warning at the beginning.

    For the running out of words, I honestly thought Andrew would be the last one to support this disaster to the art of magic. He has all this money to buy video equipment, but he’s still the same slimeball.

  • Snow

    I still have no idea who this A…Aaa…guy.. is that you are talking about, but I think his intention was to take the opportunity to promote iTricks. It really didn’t ‘shock’ me that he was there…he just didn’t belong there imo. Maybe I’m naive…not that I know who you mean.

  • HAL

    You’re so close to finding out. Just change one letter in the word “Maybe”.

    After watching this show, I think we should refer to Criss as “Your Royal Highness” or “Your Royall A$$ness”, which ever fits.

  • Snow

    Hal, why does it say that your name is Eric Dittelman when I click on your name in the post above?

  • HAL

    I submitted a comment that didn’t get posted. (Don’t know why). I wanted to post with his his name, saying his performance was great. (Which of course I didn’t think so). Earlier after his appearances, I called him Ditteldork (as a joke). I changed it back to HAL, don’t know why it remained Ditteldong.
    I’m sure you got the “Deal” trick, didn’t you?

  • Snow

    Re: Your maybe riddle. You know, that could be considered a really clever piece of influence if I didn’t know better that you have no knowledge of Mr. Maybe’s thoughts or feelings on the matter. I think I’ve learned the basic technique of influence or forcing thoughts by the use of word play such as you used “accidentally” above. I find the notion of forcing thought fascinating. However, your subject must be unaware of your attempt to ‘influence’ or it doesn’t work…or, it becomes a means of secret communication I suppose if they are aware ;-)

  • HAL

    I must have got lost in all this. I haven’t the foggiest idea of what we’re talking about. I was talking about Mr. Maybe’s association with a certain magician that we all love.

  • Snow

    Yes, I know that’s what you were talking about. It was just your use of the play on the word ‘maybe’ that, under certain circumstances, like say a girl likes a guy that she questions whether he would possibly have any interest in say getting to know her a bit, could be considered a clever choice for the purpose of ‘influence’, if say this clever person had some kind of inside knowledge, which you don’t, because it was an accident that you didn’t use the word ‘maine’ instead, which makes you unclever…sorry lol. Confused? lol

  • HAL

    I’ve always been unclever and confused, and no knowledge. I often wonder if I’m an accident?