What is magic?

Mar 2, 2009
37
0
Hello all.
I've come to the point in my "magical" (haha) career when I am mostly perfectly sleights and my handling. Here and there I may learn a new trick but I work at it and hone it. Looking at a lot of teenage performers here on the fourms, like myself, I have noticed a lack in originality. Copying performers patter and sleights to the tee. Which is good and at a time what I strived to do. What I see most commonly is the convouluted reveal "Your...card..is.. The ace... Of spades". Essentially what I'm saying is that most kids on the forum are giving us younger magicians a bad name. So basically I'm asking for originality. I'd love to hear others thoughts on the subject.
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,182
119
31
Houston, TX
I think that being original is very important. Although, sometimes, I think it can be hard to do. For instance, I do not own Daniel Garcia's Greed however I REALLY like the idea of starting with $1, changing it into $5 then $10 and pumping them up, asking if they want the next denomination and then changing it into a 50 cent piece at the end and saying "Don't get greedy."

I think that for something like that it would be kind of difficult to come up with a better patter (I'm not saying it isn't possible, just a little harder).

With things like ACR, Cups and Balls, Sponge Balls, and many many many other effects originality is HIGHLY important
 
Aug 17, 2010
411
4
I think that being original is very important. Although, sometimes, I think it can be hard to do.

I think it's best to learn through imitation until one masters their craft. It's only in magic that rank beginners are told to "be original" when they barely have any experience whatsoever. Musicians perform other people's material until they've learned their craft, dancers are choreographed before they make up their own material, and actors are directed often for their entire careers - even after long years of study. Every painter has done a at least a few still life pieces to gain mastery over form and composition.

Why should magic be any different?

Most of the bad magic I've seen is people trying to "be original" before they have a solid grip on craft. Trying to run before they can walk...
 
Apr 1, 2009
1,067
1
33
California
originality does not always involve creating your own magic. sometimes or often times its even creating your own presentation of the effect. David Blaine does not perform too many original pieces of magic, if any... but I'd still call him one of the most creative magicians alive. The man is brilliant
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
Most of the bad magic I've seen is people trying to "be original" before they have a solid grip on craft. Trying to run before they can walk...

Agreed. Most people who try to be original end up doing something that is unoriginal in that every other beginning magician has come up with the same thing.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, get a book and perform something from the book. One of my favorite quotes is "if you want to keep an effect secret, publish it in a book."
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
Reading through old manuscripts, lecture notes, books, etc. is EXACTLY what most of the pros do. The best two magicians in my IBM ring who are full time pro do this all of the time. I've been to dinner with each of them on separate occasions and they have came right out and told me to begin doing it if I want to stand out in the crowd and continue to move forward.
 
Dec 21, 2010
5
0
In my opinion the most important thing is being original.. and you don't have to do new things to be original.. you just have to do things your way and of course learn and master all the basics before.. thats very important too.. you can't fly before you even can walk..
 
Dec 3, 2009
69
0
27
In my own world
Originality is what makes YOU a magician. Like Alexn just said, "Do things your way." In my opinion, the most original thing you can have as a magician is your character. Your mannerisms. Thats what makes the magic happen to me. The last thing you want to do is copy a different magicians character. For example, those Youtube magicians that all try to be like Criss Angel.
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results