theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards
"Original Ideas"
- Thread starter Cliff|Bumgardner
- Start date
I'd agree. Though I think the last option should be "Totally new concepts that sounded cool under the influence of hallucinogens, that actually weren't that good once you sober up..."
Like that "Car key to impossible location" that, when you sober up, you realize that the "impossible location" is inside your locked car
C
thats a problem for sure, the BIG question is, how do we solve it and where is the source to that problem???Like that "Car key to impossible location" that, when you sober up, you realize that the "impossible location" is inside your locked car
C
Like that "Car key to impossible location" that, when you sober up, you realize that the "impossible location" is inside your locked car
C
well, I have a Nissan with an RFID smartkey which is practically impossible to lock in the car unless you lock the door and then the battery in the smartkey dies, so I never need to worry about that....
Loved this - and I think a lot of it is true. Some of the best innovation can be achieved by revolution of existing concepts and traditional ideals; things we take for granted. In magic, I always find it fascinating to see the creative process first hand of each artist.
Those that I know that are the most creatively prolific - the Chris Kenner's of the world, the Daniel Garcia's - have certain ideals that they apply to everything they approach. You could call it style, but it's really an approach. In the live event we hosted before the Symphony release earlier this month, someone asked CK specifically about his creative process, and his reply was that he approaches a plot in magic as a problem. Every problem needs a solution. Every effect needs a method. From there, you can work backwards to solve it - a challenge.
With CK in particular, he never turns down a challenge. I remember a few months ago he realized a solution to an effect he had been wrestling with for over a decade. A DECADE. Talk about dedication to an ideal. He had a vision, and that vision was going to be realized in one way or another. Concession wasn't an option.
Inspiration can strike at any moment. Influence can come from anywhere. Just this past week, I had just come from the set of Andrei Jikh's project and was heading out to dinner with Luke Dancy. I was playing with one of Andrei's moves that we had shot that day - I was not having an easy time with it (hell, ANDREI created it, it was not easy). I showed Luke, he laughed at my attempt.
Last night - a week later - I went out to dinner with Luke again. He showed me his version of the move. How cool is that? One week of time - two creators with two totally different mindsets - both approaching a concept (in this case, a flourish), from a different perspective. I think this industry could use a bit more collaboration like that; it's one of the things we push hard for. Creativity is flammable.
Those that I know that are the most creatively prolific - the Chris Kenner's of the world, the Daniel Garcia's - have certain ideals that they apply to everything they approach. You could call it style, but it's really an approach. In the live event we hosted before the Symphony release earlier this month, someone asked CK specifically about his creative process, and his reply was that he approaches a plot in magic as a problem. Every problem needs a solution. Every effect needs a method. From there, you can work backwards to solve it - a challenge.
With CK in particular, he never turns down a challenge. I remember a few months ago he realized a solution to an effect he had been wrestling with for over a decade. A DECADE. Talk about dedication to an ideal. He had a vision, and that vision was going to be realized in one way or another. Concession wasn't an option.
Inspiration can strike at any moment. Influence can come from anywhere. Just this past week, I had just come from the set of Andrei Jikh's project and was heading out to dinner with Luke Dancy. I was playing with one of Andrei's moves that we had shot that day - I was not having an easy time with it (hell, ANDREI created it, it was not easy). I showed Luke, he laughed at my attempt.
Last night - a week later - I went out to dinner with Luke again. He showed me his version of the move. How cool is that? One week of time - two creators with two totally different mindsets - both approaching a concept (in this case, a flourish), from a different perspective. I think this industry could use a bit more collaboration like that; it's one of the things we push hard for. Creativity is flammable.
Great post, J.B.
Also great post for the person who created this entire thread.
I think that VERY little magic now days, less than it shows in the picture is actually FULLY original. I feel that everything on earth is reletive and can be connected to something else in one way or another.
However, by the same logic, you could say that everything could be unrelated to some, because everything is relative. However some things are just SO close together, you can't tell the differences. For something like that, does it matter one has a change if no one knows the difference?
I think that everyone has their own opinions on the subject and I really think that nothing: And everything in magic is original in it's own way.
I was a bit worried after the line of hallucinogen jokes that people would get the serious point of this thread... thankfully I was wrong haha
When I saw this picture it reminded me first of all of the "magic creators" who release their "new concepts" only to be re-publishing an idea Vernon did 50 years ago. The truth is that very little new concepts are created today. We stand on the shoulders of giants, most everything we do is inspired or varied from someone else's work. This is not inherently a bad thing, creativity and originality are not mutually exclusive, but far too often people fail to realize this. They claim that they have created this terrific and "brand new" routine that, in reality, is just the slight refinement of an old idea. Again, I find nothing wrong with doing such refinements, but be self-aware as to what you have created and know that what you have done is a variation, revision, or version of another piece. Don't fool yourself by claiming it is something that it simply is not.
The second thing I thought of is how great of an insight into the creative process this can be. "New Concepts Developed By Combing Concepts Already Used" was, in a sense, Larry Jennings' creative process.
Taking several ideas, combining them in a way that hasn't been done before, and then ending with something totally new and unique. Take a look at Jennings' "Twisting The Plot" and "Plotting The Twist Aces" for an amazing example of this concept.
Anyway guys, glad you like the pic and I hope it can perhaps help a few of you.
Thanks,
C
When I saw this picture it reminded me first of all of the "magic creators" who release their "new concepts" only to be re-publishing an idea Vernon did 50 years ago. The truth is that very little new concepts are created today. We stand on the shoulders of giants, most everything we do is inspired or varied from someone else's work. This is not inherently a bad thing, creativity and originality are not mutually exclusive, but far too often people fail to realize this. They claim that they have created this terrific and "brand new" routine that, in reality, is just the slight refinement of an old idea. Again, I find nothing wrong with doing such refinements, but be self-aware as to what you have created and know that what you have done is a variation, revision, or version of another piece. Don't fool yourself by claiming it is something that it simply is not.
The second thing I thought of is how great of an insight into the creative process this can be. "New Concepts Developed By Combing Concepts Already Used" was, in a sense, Larry Jennings' creative process.
Taking several ideas, combining them in a way that hasn't been done before, and then ending with something totally new and unique. Take a look at Jennings' "Twisting The Plot" and "Plotting The Twist Aces" for an amazing example of this concept.
Anyway guys, glad you like the pic and I hope it can perhaps help a few of you.
Thanks,
C