talkmagic.co.uk

Is ninja the trick where the guy takes a card, turns it over quickly from front to back to front (held diagonally) and the card instantly changes to the selected (or any other) card? If so I think I invented it. Is there any suggestions on how to find out that I did, or did not? I would like to credit the creator and name the effect for my audience when I perform it, if someone besides me deserves credit.

I made the necessary items from scratch, and did so using an effect I first saw when I was four years old, but had forgotten, then remembered.

I don't want to post my way b/c of the TM policy not to reveal, but I'd like give credit where credit is due. Or, since I came up with it independently, can I just claim the effect as my own (<-- doesn't seem right).

Any tips on how to find out, from an experienced member or moderator? Thanks,

joe.

No idea about your specific move but if you're planning to publish or sell your effect then you need to check around and see if the move already exists - most of them do. At least a credit/menton would be needed and you'd need to be sure that the person who previously invented whatever it is will let you use it. Things like the EC are OK because they're well used but an acknowledgement is usually required.

If you're just going to perform your effect then I'd say don't bother with credits at all. Reeling off a list of 'those without whom all this would not be possible' is not a good idea because a) the specs won't know or care who did the EC, b) it slows down the whole pace of any routine and c) you'll sound like a very boring actor reading his Oscar acceptance speech! Let your performance be enough for the specs to take home with them.

well, because it was arts and crafts for me, I was thinking of using the entire process as an attention-building class for patients. You know, get their attention by performing the illusion, focus their attention by having the construct their own "prop", and have them practice the method. Then requiring them to perform it, at least for me, once they get it right. Magic is a great esteem builder, but I think you need to demonstrate a whole lot of trust to do so, and revealing is up there, in everyone's mind. But I only want to do so with a trick that is enough of my own, that giving it away wouldn't be so bad, you know?

why not post a video of you doing the effect and maybe someone will recognise it? to me it sounds like a tenkai change which has been around for a long time but its done using ordinary cards.. no props etc..

cmon.. post a video and let us see exactly what you mean

Another possibility for what is being reffered to here is the ShapeShifter Change, marketed by ellusionist and apparently credited to Marc DeSouza but like mog says, it is more likely to be the Tenkai Change, a move which involves spinning the card between two hands, pivoted at the index fingers. As the card's face disappears and then reappears it is seen to have changed. This move is, funnily enough, also marketed by ellusionist, both as a singular item and also as part of the Ninja DVD package. I beleive this is where the reference to Ninja comes from.

Yeh, there is the Spin Change, which is sold as a download through Ellusionist or given away as a Download when you buy Ninja 1.

There is also, the Shapeshifter which has just been released on the Shapeshifter DVD, which i have ordered, but it's not arrived yet, (What, you want me to do a review? Oh, Ok, but i might not be bothered, i haven't done a review in ages...maybe i'll actually, get round to writing one for this, eh?)
Anyway, Shapeshifter was originally invented by Oscar Munoz not Marc DeSouza, but DeSouza has refined the handling and added his own touches, and his is the general way, in which it is performed now, however, Munoz came up with the first ever and basic idea.

Ok, I posted a link to the video over in filesharing, found here:

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/sutra33689.php#33689

or access the video here

http://www.blamejoe.com/bestnoshirt.avi