Hi dudes.
Wazzup.
I thought I'd share this with you.
When it comes to creating new things in magic, there are fundamental steps that one has to consider. These steps become more complicated of course as one climbs up the levels of complexity in magic.
LEVEL 1 (MAKING TRICKS FOR TRICKS)
As I see it, is where we make "creative magic", which is to say that the magic being made has a very interesting plot and effect. Typically these tricks are quick, lasting no more than 2 minutes, and are usually reserved for occasions when one has to perform outside of one's formal show environment (e.g. street magic, at a party, at a bar, etc). This is where the large majority of tricks in card magic can be found.
Step1: Learn and understand the basic effects of magic what they pertain: Transposition, Vanish, Appearance, Animation, Penetration, Levitation, Coincidence, and Transformation. A few other "effects" exist, which cross into the world of Mentalism such as Mind Reading, Prediction, Second Sight, Spiritualism, Time Manipulation, Pyrokinesis, and I'm sure that I might be missing more here.
To understand these is to be able to have the basic foundation for all things that magic is about.
Step2: Study as much as you can about these effects. Read as many of the classic books. Your knowledge should expand to hundreds of books, lecture notes, videos, pamphlets, etc. The reasons for this is obvious as you will find it much easier to create with the more knowledge that you have. You will also learn to avoid making junk!
To learn about other things that have been created will develop your taste in magic, and you won't be satisfied with making quick visual things. Instead, you will want more mature and developed tricks that have a more elaboration. Not manual elaboration, but in the actual design of the trick and how it all comes together.
Through out your studies you will also learn techniques. These are your tools for constructing things. They were made over hundreds of years, refined, and perfected by magicians. Be wise and use them. Creating new techniques comes from necessity, such as my Distribution Technique. That was made because I wanted to accomplish a certain thing for my show in various pieces, and that general solution for it became the technique.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and it sure does apply in magic all the time!
Many times you will also find that during your studies ideas will come to you. You might be reading a book on a certain trick or technique, and you go on tangent thoughts experimenting on your own things based on what you are studying. I have created many ideas this way, which is a fantastic way of making tricks!
Step3: Ben Harris explained this step beautifully in his article at The Magic Session: http://themagicsession.com/articles/can-anyone-create-new-magical-ideas-by-ben-harris
Simply find ways to persue all three of those steps, and with the knowledge of tricks and techniques that you attained in step 2 you should be able to make tricks. Sit down, play with your props, and you will see that things happen by themselves once you start letting the imagination run.
LEVEL 2 (MAKING TRCKS FOR A SHOW)
In this level you are now focusing on making things for a specific purpose. Whether that be street magic, restaurant magic, or a formal show on stage. The key in this level is to focus on what you wish to accomplish at the venue. For example, if restaurant magic is your thing, then your focus should be in creating things that fit the type of work you will do. For example, the routines should be easy to reset ir not self-reseting, they should pack small and be easy to carry, they should be of good taste and not something guests will not find appropriate (e.g. pulling a card out of your shoe), or something that is quick and is entertaining.
Your routines will start to be tailored to you at this level, and to the venue that you are working. A lot of the focus will be split between technical issues (table vs no table, portability,etc) and also the caliber of the trick (is it a hard-hitting trick?) and desired results. Can you do this in your act? Is it long enough to be part in the show? (typically 5 minutes at least or else it really is "a quick trick" and belongs somewhere else if presented independently).
I personally think that many professional magicians are here. It is the point where you are tailoring your routines to the audience you work, which is the start of going into the professional world. Level 1 of course has to be accomplished first (at least in theory. Many professionals opt to just buy the tricks that "creators" put out in the market).
LEVEL 3: THE MEANING BEHIND THE MADNESS
So you know how to make tricks. You know how to tailor them to an audience. Now ask yourself what is the meaning behind the things you are presenting. Is there a point to your performance other than the inherited "to entertain" part?
Eric Mead wrote in his book The Tangled Web about "The Desired Effect". I highly recommend you read that essay.
This, again, goes into figuring out why you are performing your show to begin with. Is there a reason for the things you do?
In this area, you are able to present your thoughts. Your real thoughts about the world, society, art, and anything you wish to express. Magic is an art, but only when the performer is able to express him or herself through it. Otherwise it is a craft.
An entire book can and has been written about this level of magic. I will say that very few actually are able to do this. Don't ask me why, but many times magicians simply don't wish to open themselves to the audience and hide behind their tricks. This will be the subject however of a futur essay I will write.
I hope that this has helped in guiding you through "the creative process" of magic. From the first trick you learned, to making your own trick, to presenting something to an audience, all the way to making true art with your magic, the journey you go through to attain each level is what magic is really all about. Enjoy your travel through it!
Wazzup.
I thought I'd share this with you.
When it comes to creating new things in magic, there are fundamental steps that one has to consider. These steps become more complicated of course as one climbs up the levels of complexity in magic.
LEVEL 1 (MAKING TRICKS FOR TRICKS)
As I see it, is where we make "creative magic", which is to say that the magic being made has a very interesting plot and effect. Typically these tricks are quick, lasting no more than 2 minutes, and are usually reserved for occasions when one has to perform outside of one's formal show environment (e.g. street magic, at a party, at a bar, etc). This is where the large majority of tricks in card magic can be found.
Step1: Learn and understand the basic effects of magic what they pertain: Transposition, Vanish, Appearance, Animation, Penetration, Levitation, Coincidence, and Transformation. A few other "effects" exist, which cross into the world of Mentalism such as Mind Reading, Prediction, Second Sight, Spiritualism, Time Manipulation, Pyrokinesis, and I'm sure that I might be missing more here.
To understand these is to be able to have the basic foundation for all things that magic is about.
Step2: Study as much as you can about these effects. Read as many of the classic books. Your knowledge should expand to hundreds of books, lecture notes, videos, pamphlets, etc. The reasons for this is obvious as you will find it much easier to create with the more knowledge that you have. You will also learn to avoid making junk!
To learn about other things that have been created will develop your taste in magic, and you won't be satisfied with making quick visual things. Instead, you will want more mature and developed tricks that have a more elaboration. Not manual elaboration, but in the actual design of the trick and how it all comes together.
Through out your studies you will also learn techniques. These are your tools for constructing things. They were made over hundreds of years, refined, and perfected by magicians. Be wise and use them. Creating new techniques comes from necessity, such as my Distribution Technique. That was made because I wanted to accomplish a certain thing for my show in various pieces, and that general solution for it became the technique.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and it sure does apply in magic all the time!
Many times you will also find that during your studies ideas will come to you. You might be reading a book on a certain trick or technique, and you go on tangent thoughts experimenting on your own things based on what you are studying. I have created many ideas this way, which is a fantastic way of making tricks!
Step3: Ben Harris explained this step beautifully in his article at The Magic Session: http://themagicsession.com/articles/can-anyone-create-new-magical-ideas-by-ben-harris
Simply find ways to persue all three of those steps, and with the knowledge of tricks and techniques that you attained in step 2 you should be able to make tricks. Sit down, play with your props, and you will see that things happen by themselves once you start letting the imagination run.
LEVEL 2 (MAKING TRCKS FOR A SHOW)
In this level you are now focusing on making things for a specific purpose. Whether that be street magic, restaurant magic, or a formal show on stage. The key in this level is to focus on what you wish to accomplish at the venue. For example, if restaurant magic is your thing, then your focus should be in creating things that fit the type of work you will do. For example, the routines should be easy to reset ir not self-reseting, they should pack small and be easy to carry, they should be of good taste and not something guests will not find appropriate (e.g. pulling a card out of your shoe), or something that is quick and is entertaining.
Your routines will start to be tailored to you at this level, and to the venue that you are working. A lot of the focus will be split between technical issues (table vs no table, portability,etc) and also the caliber of the trick (is it a hard-hitting trick?) and desired results. Can you do this in your act? Is it long enough to be part in the show? (typically 5 minutes at least or else it really is "a quick trick" and belongs somewhere else if presented independently).
I personally think that many professional magicians are here. It is the point where you are tailoring your routines to the audience you work, which is the start of going into the professional world. Level 1 of course has to be accomplished first (at least in theory. Many professionals opt to just buy the tricks that "creators" put out in the market).
LEVEL 3: THE MEANING BEHIND THE MADNESS
So you know how to make tricks. You know how to tailor them to an audience. Now ask yourself what is the meaning behind the things you are presenting. Is there a point to your performance other than the inherited "to entertain" part?
Eric Mead wrote in his book The Tangled Web about "The Desired Effect". I highly recommend you read that essay.
This, again, goes into figuring out why you are performing your show to begin with. Is there a reason for the things you do?
In this area, you are able to present your thoughts. Your real thoughts about the world, society, art, and anything you wish to express. Magic is an art, but only when the performer is able to express him or herself through it. Otherwise it is a craft.
An entire book can and has been written about this level of magic. I will say that very few actually are able to do this. Don't ask me why, but many times magicians simply don't wish to open themselves to the audience and hide behind their tricks. This will be the subject however of a futur essay I will write.
I hope that this has helped in guiding you through "the creative process" of magic. From the first trick you learned, to making your own trick, to presenting something to an audience, all the way to making true art with your magic, the journey you go through to attain each level is what magic is really all about. Enjoy your travel through it!
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