talkmagic.co.uk

I have re-made several gimmicks in the past of tricks that I have bought because I have thought they where poor quality or they have broken.
Example Jay Sankeys Nailed ( the photo had a distict indent on it, cannot say any more exposure ) As I had paid for a trick I couldn't use I made my own. I think that's fair. Yes I could have asked for another but I wanted to perform it as soon as poss.

Now onto the question Is it right to see a trick and then without knowing any of the details of the gimmick to make some thing to perform the same result.

Case in point I saw a demo of someone shooting a fireball from his finger then showed both hands empty the trick was expensive £80 - £120
As an person with a strong engineering / design background I thought about this and came up with a small electonic device that was silent, safe to use and small enough to use on a pull. All for under well under a tenner.
No I don't wish to market this in anyway either built units or plans.
As this is for more own amusement more than anything I have no problems with this but what about sharing this with others ?
I also have idea's to build other things that do similar results to known items available ( all without seeing the originals ) so maybe I've come up with a totally original idea. I'm in a bit of a dilema is copying someones end result as wrong as taking the whole product ?

PLEASE NO PM'S OR EMAILS FOR PLANS

Mods your comments are especially welcome - Feel free to delete this if I
have just opened a huge can of worms for you but please PM me with your reasons thanks in advance

Andy

As for remaking gimmicks that have broken, I think there is nothing wrong with you building a new one, as you've already paid for the effect and secret. If you want to put in the time and effort into it yourself, it shouldn't even be an ethical question. You've already paid the author for the secret and gimmick, so if you want to create your own version, by all means.

Also, seeing an effect and then creating a gimmick or whatever to do the said effect without knowing how it's really done is also very ethical. For copyright's sake, though, if you are planning on marketing the gimmick/effect or performing the effect as your own ("I invented this next trick..."), I would buy the other person's trick just to make sure the methods are not the same, or contact the author to make sure it's different.

I was told many years ago by an illusionist I worked for, that it doesn't matter who made the prop, they are all just foundations or starter kits; something from which "we" can evolve, craft and make our own. In other words, modifying or even complete remakes of devices is not at all unusual and is often the step required in order for us to be able to effectively use something. So to sum it all up DON'T SWEAT IT!

A vast amount of tricks out there now are just version of effects some magician saw some other magician do and decided to do his own version via his own thinking. I have many DVDs where the magician makes such a comment.

I think it is OK to a degree. But watching demos on penguinmagic.com and then figuring them out is a completely different story. That kind of thing, is different.

Of course its ethical, spend your time in the workshop devising your props rather than worrying about this.