#sparkchamber 110623 — Graemazing
Astonishing moment in the #sparkchamber this morning when Graeme “Graemazing” Reed appeared in a puff of smoke. Shazam! A Level 7 Wizard with a black belt in card tricks and a starfish badge in mind-reading — totally real — Graemazing is an award-winning magician and multimedia specialist with a strong passion for storytelling through production and branding. His magic is influenced by “the David’s — Copperfield and Blaine,” and the rest of his mojo by “pro wrestling and 90s kids television,” so it’s no wonder you can’t take your eyes off him! He first learned magic from the public library, perfecting his performance doing table-side restaurant magic — “During College I would perform at 3 restaurants a week.”
A graduate of the Television Broadcasting Program at Mohawk College, he learned the ropes of TV production working at the local independent television station CHCH News, and currently works for Nova Mutual Insurance — a member-owned, community-first insurance company — “producing community based videos, uncovering stories that make a big local impact.”
With a drive to “keep magic fun,” Graeme pushes the creative question, “How can I further enhance this character?”
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Ideas come from the last place you would expect, so you have to stay curious.
Everything about “Graemazing Level 7 Wizard” is a collaboration of random ideas from various interactions.2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
When I’m performing magic, I only want everyone to have fun, the kind of fun you had as a kid. Remember when you and your friends saw something incredible for the first time? Remember being 7?....[Level 7]
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
Most of my creative energy happens in the early morning hours — that's when I am writing this. The house and neighbourhood are tranquil, and there’s no distractions. With freshly brewed coffee, I’ll be bouncing between Google Docs and Grammarly, generating ideas for my next stage show to editing a video.
When you perform, you need a place to try stuff and sometimes let it fail. You’re either winning or learning. For ten years, I’ve been part of Smooth Comedy, a monthly comedy variety show based in Hamilton. You can catch comedians who have written or been seen on Letterkenny, Kim’s Convenience, The Boys and more. Here, I get to try new pieces of magic and how other performers work their comedic magic.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
Nothing is ever done, but you have to share it at some point.