theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

Have you ever . . .

Have you ever . . .

  • Downloaded a magic video, or file, "illegaly?"

    Votes: 65 59.6%

  • Accepted, or made, a copy of a magic video?

    Votes: 36 33.0%

  • Exchanged one secret for another?

    Votes: 43 39.4%

  • Told a fellow magician how an effect was done?

    Votes: 84 77.1%

  • Learnt a marketed (on video, or in print) effect from a fellow magician?

    Votes: 65 59.6%

  • Discussed an effect, method, or move, with a fellow magician?

    Votes: 87 79.8%

  • Downloaded a movie?

    Votes: 61 56.0%

  • Accepted, or made, a copy of a movie?

    Votes: 39 35.8%

  • Downloaded a song?

    Votes: 89 81.7%

  • Made a copy of a song, or cd, for someone else?

    Votes: 69 63.3%
  • Total voters
    109
Glenn West

Glenn West

Aug 31, 2007
467
1
Canada
I was wondering the other day, with all the talk about downloading magic "illegally," I was wondering about a few questions I have for my fellow magicians.

For example, how many of you have ever downloaded a movie?

Any who, I wanted to make a poll, with a varying array of answers, with people able to chose more than one, anonymously, to see what magicians have done along these lines.

So, "Have you ever . . ."
 
2ndDeal said:
That exchanging of secrets is something I've never heard of.. What does it mean in practise?
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Basically, you trade effects. It's common amongst a lot of the Youtube magicians.. or at least, that's where I usually see it.

For example, one person watches a performance of Prophet and likes the effect. That person will ask the person who made the performance if they want to trade the secret and will then list stuff that they are willing to trade over the secret for.
 
:( ....

honestly for a website that is working towards improving the art of magic I find the results quite depressing...

I've done all of them, who honestly cares?
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of course in general teenagers and young amateur magicians who do this as hobby will usually not care, but think of the creators of the effects, or the proffesional peformers who use these effects.

I find that ever since criss angel a magic craze started which is resulting in disrespect towards the art of magic :mad:
 
guiguimanu said:
:( ....

honestly for a website that is working towards improving the art of magic I find the results quite depressing...



of course in general teenagers and young amateur magicians who do this as hobby will usually not care, but think of the creators of the effects, or the proffesional peformers who use these effects.

I find that ever since criss angel a magic craze started which is resulting in disrespect towards the art of magic :mad:
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And what makes you think I'm a young amateur magician? I could be "Jesus" for all you know.
 
What matters and why.

Have I done all the things the poll asks at one time or another? Yes.

Does it matter? Yes.

Here is what matters and why. It is not the exchanging of information for free that is the problem - it is what is being exchanged and the effects of this.

I would not know who Lee Asher is if it weren't for poor quality VHS copy of 5 card stud and well done - HOWEVER, once I saw the video and was interested in Lee's work, I supported the "artist" by purchasing his products. Often, right from his site - I bought his notes and eventually upgrade to DVD's.

Why did I do this? If I don't, Lee won't be able to invest in making more products, high end videos, and the medium dies. Think of the impact downloading has had on stores like HMV? Now imagine that...but to a market less than 1% the size....we are talking MASSIVE loses in comparison.

Also, it is a way to thank the magician for tipping his creative work - many are taking this tricks and using them to make a buck. When other companies do this - they are called ROYALTIES - and in return they just get to USE the product. They DON'T get notes or videos in return.

Lastly, with the new age "download" and watch crap tutorials from Youtube - we are starting to lose magic history. EXAMPLES:

Jumping Gemini IS NOT CREATED by Rapheal Ralphini or whatever...it was created by Darwin Ortiz.

The "Voodoo card" is called CARDWARP, and if I am not mistaken, was originally thought of by Roy Walton....hell, EVEN Wikipedia will tell you that! So, by buying from the source...you know it's legit most times. BUY from the creator. Sure, sample a trick here and there...but if you like the guys stuff, pay it forward. Thank him by investing in his material.

Share ideas, but make sure you share them in a way that respects those whose ideas you share so freely.

Thanks

PS - STOP Exposure - no more Youtube tutorials! Keep the secrets, it is all we have.
 
I have downloaded a few videos including fraud, torn, and silver dream... I loved them and learned them and it took a lot of hard work (primarily silver dream)... after realizing how hard it was to learn and master i thought how hard it must be to create them in the first place... so i have now purchased all of those dvd's to pay tribute to these fantastic tricks that i use all the time

I also found that Its much easier to learn from the dvd's than the downloads because its much clearer and you find things that you never really noticed
 
i have done most of them and i'm sure that even proffesionals have done it once in their lives, just as long as you don't get addicted to it.
 
As we've seen some think its ok and some don't. Some do and some did this. Personally, to me it doesn't matter if we did this, its almost a 100% that we would have done this.

How did magic interest you? Most people saw a trick and they wanted to know how. That leads to a dirty unwelcoming path of not finding the secret or a gold brick road to the secret in our minds when that happened. Most likely took the golden road back then but (hopefully) we aren't now. We learn from our mistakes and do not repeat them.

The past is in the past...now is the present.

~PaCo
 
Farrell said:
And what makes you think I'm a young amateur magician? I could be "Jesus" for all you know.
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Ok, I have seen some of your posts before and frankly, I can say that a good number of them are leaning towards the negative side. Sometimes, maybe it'd help to lessen unnecessary comments; think before you type, you know? Peace.

Anyway, it's good that someone finally brought this up. I've been wanting to ask the same things to other magicians. Depressing as it may be as one said, I guess it's kind of inevitable at times. I'm not saying it's good, but we all make our mistakes. Hopefully we all learn from it. I guess you know what I'm saying here...
 
Morgician said:
Keep the secrets, it is all we have.
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That made me sad. Is it really so, that magic is nothing but secret ways to do tricks?



To topic..
I don't see anything bad in telling a fellow magician how effect was done, or in discussing a method with another magician. It's natural to discuss about methods, if I like a method someone mentions I track down that book where it is released and buy it.
 
I have done all of these.

Downloading magic videos is what started me in magic. I saw David Blaine on TV, I went hunting for secrets and found them. I downloaded them and then when I wanted more I couldn't download, I had to go out a buy them. After buying them I now support the artists. Now that I am further into magic and understand the world, I do not do this. Doing this was essential to my interest in magic and it is a good thing to an extent. It provides sources to hook kids and then eventually, the industry makes money off of it.

Who cares? Everyone.

Is Lee Asher or Aaron Fisher gonna come a beat you up over it? Nope. They are benefiting from it.
 
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