Meet Dominik Krzanowski | Magician, creator & inventor.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dominik Krzanowski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dominik, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued an artistic creative career because I am artistic and creative. I grew up around my dad’s work in the film industry, He was working with Jim Henson and George Lucas creating amazing creatures and characters. Henson and Lucas created worlds and I was attracted to that. I wanted to be a magician and have my own world that my character would inhabit. It’s been incredibly rewarding, but also frustrating. I have to work, I don’t make enough money performing, yet, so I just took to the creative stuff like directing, lighting and magic prop building because I could get work doing that. I really enjoy lighting, it’s really like painting with light and color. Also the lights can be a big part of the show so it’s like I’m performing. I can create mood, and emotion just with my choice of colors and lights used. I find it much more rewarding than any office job could be. When I am at home I work in my studio workshop which is a theatre with lots of lighting and theater tech that I have built or invented.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Most magicians cater to what their clientele want, or what the market wants. I naively decided I would create what I wanted. A world where I could experience real magic and share the wonder with my audience. I needed a story and a character. I had plenty of ideas. Too many in fact, but once I found my voice, I found my character and a story emerged which dictated what magic would work. I perform as Sebastian Kraine, a silent movie set to music. I have trained in Mime, movement, and Butoh with the exceptional Don Mcleod, who was the American Tourista Gorilla. He is world renowned for his gorilla movement abilities. Also he was Peter Pans shadow in Hook. I use my experience with lighting, directing, producing, & stage managing to support my performance. I can affect and enhance what I’m trying to communicate with music, lights, movement, I’m not relying in spoken words like most everyone else. My show is a silent movie set to music. My character becomes a wizard moving through his life which has taken an unexpected turn, he has fallen into a surreal fantasy world with people vanishing, appearing, floating, transforming. He learns to take control and becomes affected by it and tries to return to his regular dull life of before but he’s moved beyond it. I’ve created all the magic and have original music to go with it. Magicians have always told stories but mostly individual stories in single tricks or routines. I wanted a full story from start to finish.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite places in LA are varied. I love the museums, the beach, Joshua Tree, which has a vibrant art scene that I am fortunate to have some involvement with. Of course the Magic Castle. Vazeques Rocks in near where I live and is a cool spot for any movie or sci fi buffs. I enjoy good food as well. Rosalinds Ethiopian Restaurant for those looking for a real amazing meal that’s very different. The Lucky Elephant Thai restaurant in San Dimas or Upland. It’s the most authentic Thai and their “trout in house sauce” is my favorite and have to have it every time I stop in. Houstons in Pasadena is not only a classy restaurant, but a beautiful building and really professional people who contribute to the delicious experience. The dim sum experience is a must. Chinatown has lost a few restaurants but there is ABC seafood, and CBS seafood both are amazing even with a slightly smaller menu. Griffith park offers some amazing views of LA and Hollywood. You can hike up to behind the Hollywood sign. There’s plenty of hiking trails to get lost on. Most people don’t think about visiting cemeteries but you can. and there’s a lot of Hollywood’s history buried there. You can find graves for all the major stars who have passed and go visit them. It’s very serene and special. Kind of a strange treasure hunt. The Warner Bros studio tour sounds amazing. I haven’t done it but I have done my own tour, I snuck off during a film shoot and snooped around the back lot by myself, which I don’t recommend.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Magic Castle is instrumental in me being where I am. It offered a place for like minded individuals to gather and share their crazy ideas. I was fortunate to become part of the Magic Castle Junior program when I was 17 after a successful audition. I spent a lot of time in the magic library which is off limits to any one not a member. I spent hours reading every book I could. I was able to attend weekend brunch and see the shows and meet the magicians. Soon I was helping out when out of town magicians needed assistants, I was also performing as a junior during Future Stars of Magic Week. I got to meet a lot of my heroes in magic through the Magic Castle. I then eventually was asked to be a stage manager at the Palace of Mystery. I did that for 12 years, over 6,000 shows. The Magic Castle provided me with the opportunities to be exposed to a lot of magic and magicians. I learned everything I could from all of it.

Website: www.sebastiankraine.com

Instagram: sebastiankraine