With social media platforms reshaping entertainment, French magician Xavier Mortimer, aka the “Real Life Wizard,” has generated billions of views by bringing his illusions to smartphones and screens worldwide. 

When his Las Vegas show paused during the pandemic, Xavier transformed this challenge into an opportunity to develop new approaches to performing magic online.

“I saw the social media growth between 2010 and 2020, and I was already seeing that there was some potential in it, but I was very busy with all my shows,” Xavier recalls. The temporary shutdown created space to explore digital possibilities. “It was an opportunity to take the time off from the show to study how I can create videos in depth.”

The shift required more than mastering technology—it demanded completely new thinking. “I had to learn so many new skills, a new wave of thinking,” Xavier explains. “And also, I failed. That comes with many failures because I post a video that doesn’t go anywhere, and I’m like, ‘But on stage, it works. I’m a good magician. Why doesn’t it work?’” This recognition of the learning process proved essential to his later achievements.

“Little by little, I understood how to produce and share my magic on a video, which is very different than the live show,” he adds. “I know why it didn’t [get views earlier] and why it works now.”

Creating New Magic Methods

Producing digital content presented challenges for Xavier because, as he says, traditional magic techniques don’t translate directly to video formats. 

“We use techniques on stage that cannot be used on video because you don’t have what we call misdirection,” he explains. “In a video, you can’t because the whole screen is in front of your eyes. Plus, people can rewind the video.”

These limitations sparked the need for innovation. “I developed techniques that work for the camera and work for filming on social media. They are new for magic, and that’s going to, in my opinion and hope, inspire the next generation and create today’s culture.”

The transformation required reimagining every performance aspect. “The way to do magic [on stage vs. on camera] is different due to people’s attention and how we create those moments of magic,” he explains. “You can’t go straight into a camera trick because then people will say, ‘He just erased the whole thing.’ So you have to have a live audience that watches the video. At the same time, it has to be organic and use new techniques.”

Building Digital Success

Xavier’s path to social media success required consistent effort and analysis. “Many influencers believe their content is good but doesn’t work. It doesn’t work because you have not yet understood or found the way to give who you are and express yourself with this new media,” he shares.

His breakthrough emerged on TikTok. “I had Instagram and Facebook. I was publishing little videos here and there, but the real platform I started and got my first million followers was TikTok,” Xavier reveals. 

His videos now consistently reach millions of viewers. This success stems from developed expertise: “Today, even if I started from zero, I would still have these millions of views because I have learned how to do it. It’s not luck; it’s skills.”

Xavier studies each video’s performance carefully. “I watched all of the analytics on every video: watch time, click-through rates, etc.,” he explains. “Of course, there are always videos that have a low click-through rate and still get millions of views, or have great quality video and watch time but few views.”

Success required setting aside pride and embracing continuous improvement. “You have to get your ego aside because you think you’re good, but you’re not,” Xavier admits candidly. “If your video doesn’t work, it’s because of you, not because of the audience, algorithm, shadow banning, etc. You are the one who puts the video out there, and people decide to watch it or not.”

His analytical approach includes understanding audience reach. “Maybe the theme is not wide enough. So people loved your video, but it’s just a narrow percentage of the population, a small niche for your video,” he explains. “I learned how to study all these things and to keep a blank sheet when I upload my video.”

His view on social media algorithms remains practical. “There is no science to beat the algorithm,” he states. “You just have to publish good videos that appeal to an audience, which you must find first. In that way, I could say that I have beat the algorithm in that whenever I publish a video, there will always be at least 2-4 million views. And if I don’t have that, I will get very worried.”

Mastering Short-Form Content

Xavier’s approach to brief videos demonstrates a deep understanding of digital engagement. “On YouTube and live shows, the set is pretty simple. On the short form, you don’t have that opportunity. It will not work,” he explains. Instead, he creates situations viewers instantly recognize.

He describes a successful video: “These two girls are sitting on a table at a cafe and having marshmallows in front of them. And suddenly, a magician enters, takes a marshmallow, and turns it into a mouse.”

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Each video follows precise planning. “When we script the whole thing, I say, ‘I’m going to do that move first because people love questions. They want to know, people are curious,'” he reveals. “You do something unusual in a usual scene. And people will be like, ‘Oh, where does this go? We relate to that scene because we’ve been there, but he’s doing something crazy, so what was going to happen?’”

Videos require multiple takes to capture authentic reactions. “We always have real audience members that we say, ‘Hey, just sit down here. We’re going to do something incredible and just let it go,'” he shares. “When we film, for example, we have ten people, shoot ideas, and the best reaction wins.”

The editing process receives equal attention. “You build your whole thing until your climax, and then you cut like super short,” he says, adding that this creates content that feels natural yet precise. “I have an amazing team with me. We brainstorm, and we’re having fun. We build, try, fail, succeed, and then organize and put it together.”

Every production element matters. “We go home and put some music on it to see how it looks with this music or this voiceover,” Xavier notes. “It’s such a lengthy process, but I enjoy it. It’s like building a little jewel.”

Enhanced Live Performances

Social media success has elevated Xavier’s stage shows. “It has been life-changing for me,” he says. “We made surveys after the show that ask, ‘Where did you hear about Xavier?’ And almost 50% said we heard about him on social media and decided to come see him.”

This cross-platform recognition leads to expanded opportunities. “I’m doing bigger stages, I’m having more opportunities, and I want to keep doing that because it’s very enjoyable to create that audience online, meet them, and do tours in their cities,” he shares. 

Digital platforms connect him with unexpected fans: “I got people like Joe Rogan and [Justin] Baldwin following me. It is incredible that they watched my video and decided to subscribe to my channel.”

For aspiring content creators, Xavier emphasizes treating the work professionally. “We shouldn’t take being an influencer or a content creator lightly. It’s a real job,” he insists. “You wake up every morning, go to work, and try to make the best of it. You will find your way if you treat it as a job.”