In-Demand Magic Hands
We spoke to Sonia Benito, one of the most popular magicians for hand modeling work. She shared her secrets with us.
Sonia Benito hand-modeled in the new Alexa Chung campaign for Madewell. Her unique skillset has landed her work with brands like Samsung and Nespresso.
In the hit Hollywood movie franchise Now You See Me, the actors were not the ones performing the occasional skillful displays of playing cards. Their hands were "doubled" by performers like Dan and Dave Buck, two magicians who are widely credited for inspiring the popularity of cardisty.
Many prominent magicians have lent their hands to major productions for their unique skills, but that's not the full extent of this type of contribution.
Producers in need of a skillful pair of hands, even with no magic tricks required, may often turn to magicians.
One notable example is The Thing, portrayed as a disembodied hand in the 90's Addams Family films by magician Christopher Hart and, in the event Netflix series, by magician Victor Dorobantu.
Among professional hand models, London-based magician Sonia Benito has become a go-to name for commercials that require beautiful, consistent movements and a strong awareness of body use.
Because of her background as a magician and a dancer, brands would reach out to her not only for her magic skills but also for her ability to choreograph elegant movements and maintain consistency throughout a day of shooting.
After gaining some experience in the field, she decided to email a hand modeling agency with the bold message, you need me. As it turned out, she was right – her unique skillset as a magician and dancer was precisely what they were looking for.
Sometimes, auditions are required, and consistency and creativity are key. "For my latest job with Madewell," Benito explains. "They needed Alexa Chung to shuffle the cards and perform some pleasing movements for the camera, not necessarily magic. This is where some magicians go wrong because magic is often not what's needed. They were looking for someone who can choreograph and create visually appealing movements."
A booking for this type of shoot typically lasts five to ten hours. The model might need to repeat the same movement for thirty minutes or even two hours straight. This challenging task requires precision and the ability to stay within the frame as the camera remains stationary.
"You always film a lot of content, and sometimes they only use one or two scenes lasting just a couple of seconds. For this latest job, they chose the color of my nails to match the cards. The cards they give you aren't 'magicians' cards;' they're not great to manipulate. You need to listen to the director and think quickly about what you can offer."
"They give you samples of what they want, but sometimes they don't because they don't know what's possible. Even just flicking a card can look special to them, even if it's simple for magicians. You also need excellent muscle memory: you might spend two hours on the first movement, then wait while they change the lighting and camera setup before moving on, and spend more hours on different movements."
In Benito's previous work for Samsung, they needed "Hands that look like they're doing magic tricks"—not necessarily magic, but movements that look like magic.
For her first-ever hand modeling job, she performed a meticulously choreographed twelve-second sequence. She says there's a big difference between doing tricks and creating beautiful movements.
When producers need something "magical," they often turn to magicians. But when they need something skillful in general, they might turn to dancers or other movement specialists: they know that performing a card trick doesn't necessarily mean you're good at making cards look beautiful.
This highlights an essential point for magicians: attention to movement, aesthetics, and a general awareness of the body can be powerful tools. While these elements are crucial to Benito's work, she acknowledges they aren't necessarily vital for every magician.
"I'm obsessed with hands. I define myself as a magician, but there's more to it. I love choreography and using my skills as a dancer and magician in ways that are cool and subtle. However, not everyone needs to do the same things; not everyone has this type of body awareness. I don't think you're a bad magician if you're not aware of your body. There are different styles and different skills."
There's something clever and inspiring about combining different skill sets to create something unique, keeping magic relevant in forms not traditionally associated with it. This requires dedication. Benito, for example, is meticulous about her hand care, applying cuticle oil three times a day to ensure her hands remain camera-ready.
One thing we noted when we previously wrote about hand doubling was the pattern of producers turning to local young male magicians to hand model/double for female characters. Sonia Benito's success and visibility can hopefully inspire a change here to bring fresh perspectives and talents to the world of magic.
Due to their extensive campaigns across media platforms, big brand commercials are often among the most viewed types of online content. Presenting magic in fresh and innovative ways can inspire and reach an audience that might not be drawn to the classic magician archetype. This approach helps reshape magic into forms that are relevant to and demanded by today's major productions.
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