talkmagic.co.uk

Craig Browning wrote:Though I agree, to a point, with what PC and others have been suggesting I have to take my stand as a designer of magic that depends on his secrets remaining as such in order to generate income... something this "other school of thought" does not seem to lend consideration toward. But then, that is why things have been happening within Magic and the world of the innovators that will be escalated in the not so distant future.

I think these are two very different issues, though.

I fully agree that inventors and creators of new magic should have their work respected, and their secrets should only go to those who have secured the right to have them - such as through a purchase.

There's no argument from me on that score - and as far as I'm aware, the books being discussed in this thread are all covering fairly old mthods that are now in the 'public domain' so far as royalties and 'ownership' are concerned.

My point was that if members of a lay-audience are aware of specific gaffs, gimmicks and methods, it's still very unlikely that they'll recognise them when they see them being used by an experienced performer.

On that we can agree. In fact, that is one of the reasons "new" methods are created, so as to get rid of what the public may already be aware of. Levitations (the big ones, not this tippy-toe crapola) have progressed light years from what they were (and that forklift method Val dug up... that never was part of any legit show, that I know of).

Purchase however, is just one very small "control" in that magic is now filled with tons of poor-little-rich-kids that think that just because they can pay for something it's their right to own it. I've seen many a dozen of such fail miserable because they felt that way over big illusions (and I got some amazing deals buying up their collections at pennies on the dollar). So pricing the really cool stuff high don't always work, which is why you are going to be seeing more and more stuff coming with a purchase agreement based on the one that goes with the Kohler Hold-Out (and those that break that agreement WILL be sued according to the terms of that agreement, which can become very costly, very fast).

As I've pointed out before, there is no "one" answer, especially not in an era in which so many spoiled brats promote the idea that all information should be free to everyone no matter what and all the other anti-capitalism rhetoric we find defending the file sharing networks and blatant piracy. I believe it has to start with US but the irony to the idea is that you will never find a single forum or club member that "borrows" materials/secrets in this way and yet such sites thrive... as to the purchase & return cycle we find growing in popularity one more time, within the trade.

Magic has always been filled with thieves but then, you have to look at the nature of what we do...

You know, there is a story that I have heard told many times by many magicians. The magician is at a dinner party or the like, and has just preformed a vanishing cigarette or the salt and pepper trick. Someone at the table pipes up with "Wow, I was interested in magic for a while a few years back, but it was mostly stuff with a plastic thumb, nothing like that! That was amazing!"

Magic is about you entertaining the spectators, the effect is only a vehicle to get you there. When wrapped up in a good performance, the simplest, most obvious trick is totally mind boggling, weather the spec thinks he knows the method or not.

I heard that one attributed to Fay Presto. She was doing restaurant work and she produced a silk for one effect. A know-it-all shouted that he knew how it was going to be done because she was using a TT, he'd seen it on YouTube or wikki. She just replied that she didn't use that method, it was out of date and everybody knew about it now. Then she proceded to use a TT anyway and nobody twigged!

if your dedicated enough, it will not matter if they know what you are doing, unless they do not desire to enjoy your magic.

I watched someone reveal The Invisible Palm on YOUTUBE, it was horrible to watch, the way he presented the trick and then told how it was done was horrible and boring, i was so annoyed, it is one of my favorite pieces of card magic.

But then, I watch other people perform it(my favorite being Wayne Houchin) and it did not matter at all that I knew the secret, it was so beautifully done, I understand the dedication that it takes to make it look so beautiful.

It really is about communicating to your audience, if you have really really put all your effort and heart into your performance, then it won't matter if they know there are wires, its so beautiful, there minds lovingly give way, they want to believe, so they let go.

If on the other hand, you have not put any time into it, they may just walk away.

Its our job to give people there dreams so they can feel alive and feel full of love and wonder.

There's a well known story within the "underground" of magic about Penn & Teller doing a show in New York. During the show they exposed a slight or two and the audience chuckled as to how people could be fooled by something so blatant and obvious.

During the intermission Jamie Swiss started doing close-up for guests... lots of card tricks, which everyone loved and were mesmerized by...

... ALL OF THEM using the methods exposed by P&T ten minutes previous.


If you fear exposure then you will never become a top rate performer in that such a role requires balls of steel and never-ending nerves (inner-strength). You must be a bit brazen and confront the expose with routines that use that same technology (or something that looks the same... such as bogus handling of the Center Tear) in order to throw off the know-it-alls and leave them mesmerized... while you chuckle within, knowing that you just screwed with their heads using the very same technology they thought they knew or else, an alternative that created a similar effect.

Rick Maue has an essay in The Book of Haunted Magick about "Turning the Tables". It is a beautiful lesson in misdirection and how to use a secret stooge effectively while you serve as the misdirection around the fact. This basic premise is applicable to all sorts of magic IF you simply take your time to actually "create" a routine that removes the seemingly obvious.