I've created an effect... so what?

[darosa.justin]

Before I ask my question, let me give some people advise.

Lets say you've created and effect, a move whatever. You will be VERY excited to show it the next day, even more excited than learning a new move since the trick is YOUR OWN!.

But control yourself. Don't perform it. Ask just 1 or 2 people that you can really trust to help you with it. Hopefully they're magician buddies. Ask them what's good, what's bad. Ask them how to improve it.

Then, try and find a professional, or an experienced magician who's seen the best & the worst. Ask for their opinion.

Anyway. It seems I may ahve already answered my question above, but just for discussion I'll ask anyway.

What do you do after you've created a trick? Submit it? Publish it? Refine it and test it for the next 10 years? Keep it to yourself and give the secret to your grandson before you die? ....Discuss....

 

[LBarnes]

well, with me, i tend to keep it to refine it for months untill you know you can peform it and not screw up and that the spec will never have a clue how it's done. also before you can call it your own, you gotta check it hasnt been done before, i see alot of creators out there now, going out saying its their trick when its been published ten years b4 in a book. i know what its like to have something which you think you created turn out to be an old method.

Once you know its yours, and your not gonna expose it when u perform it, you can either sell it, keep it to yourself or whatever.

Lloyd

 

[darosa.justin]

Interesting, just what I expected for most people....

So how do you go about checking to see if has been done before? I mean, magic is a huge art, and there is not one place where you can find all tricks and sleights ever invented.

How would you go about checking to see originality.

If you were to only perform your trick/sleight, then new means nothing. It was YOUR creativity that lead to the creation/discovery of this.

But if you're trying to sell it/teach it, it's a whole new ball game. Then again, you could say I came up with this, and something similar was done by...

The main rule that cannot be changed is that selling something you claim to be your own, when it has been created before is truly against the magicians code.

 

[Deechristopher]

When it comes to checking if a method has been published before, the best bet is to get in contact with a magic librarian. In the UK, the magic circle has librarians - I'm guessing the castle does in the states also along with a lot of magic organizations.

Alternatively speak to as many very experienced magicians as possible and run things by them, magic companies can be good for this too - if someone's interested in publishing one of your effects they'll often help do the hard work in this area!

A lot of magic today is creating new and interesting ways to make 2 cards switch or make a coin go inside a bottle. This is where people can get caught out.

When you create something brand new, like the idea of making an empty can of coke refill and re seal for instance (Ref. the very few versions of this effect we've seen - best known being healed and sealed), is when you know you've hit on something - it can be really, really exciting to come up with something totally out there.

D.

 

[RaymondJokerAlva]

well i honestly doubt ill create a trick that i could publish

 

[Hazerman15]

well i honestly doubt ill create a trick that i could publish

Thats the spirit!
Lol just messing mate.

I just wanna share something a god friend once told me, you cant be an artist, and create new effects and routines, and you will be proud that they are your own. But the second you sell it, its no longer your own. So in the end it really depends on what you want with your magic.
if you want to keep it to yourself and use it in your show and distinguish yourself above other magicians, do that. If you want to share the effect with few magic buddies, thats cool too. If you want to mass market the effect, it will no longer be yours, but you will get money and a small bit of fame even. So I guess there is no wrong thing, just depends what you want.

 

[darosa.justin]

Who could I ask (preferably an experienced and 'qualified') to help me refine and improve a trick I have?

 

[Hazerman15]

Who could I ask (preferably an experienced and 'qualified') to help me refine and improve a trick I have?

Check out your local IBM, SAM, or magic shop.