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cirrus Inner circle his minions made 1751 Posts |
I have an interest in how movies are made, I always watch the making off. Now I want to know how you people create your effects. What are the processes?
I will start it off: I have created recently my own diary effect. I have put a lot of thought into this (2 years). But I work in my way though. I first have to have a prop that meets what I want to do, in this case it was aging an empty book, completely. After destroying 2 books, I finally had a third one to which, the aging way worked. It only cost me 5 euro (a little over 5 dollar) for the 3 books, so no harm done, but it was usefull, because now I know the process of aging a complete book, written or empty. Now the effect itself. I have made several versions (I believe this is the fifth), but I wasn't happy with what I did. So I played around with several versions. I did research (buy) several versions. Until I saw a pattern in Diary tricks. They all have the same principles. It took me a few diary effects to see the pattern, but now when I read a diary effect write-up I can usually tell how it is done. I have to have the method and the props first (in perfection) until I will create a presentation that goes with it. I have bought several tricks over the years, that I thought I had a perfect presentation for, until I saw the trick and I didn't like the method and didn't do the trick after all. Sometimes read a type of effect (let's say out of this world) and then I start making a presentation and then look for the perfect method that suits me. I have a perfect method for Out of this world. It's on Eugene Burger's exploring magical presentations (Every magician should watch that one). But I liked the premise of his effect also. I like effect where the spectator is the magician. I'm working on a sorcerer's apprentice kind of show. My diary effect fits in perfectly. I don't have written my diary yet, because now to make the prop, I have to have the perfect story. In my creation process when I start from scratch it's in this order: First method, then story, then prop. Actually it's the same with effects I buy. I must like the method or I simply don't perform it. I actually like Tommy Wonder's way of thinking he said: "When I see a trick. It can be the most beautiful trick in the world, when I don't have a story to with it, I won't perform it." That's how I think too. When I started in magic, I was one of the "Look-at-me"-magicians. After some performing for friends. I didn't like it anymore because they always tried to puzzle how I did the trick. I didn't know how it all came to be, but I saw Tim Converse's book on Bizarre magick, and I bought it. And that was my step into bizarre (it's becoming a lenghty post). And now I can't look back. I love thinking in bizarre ways now. |
Damon Reinbold Regular user 147 Posts |
With me the story comes first, then the prop and method. Most of the time. I remember walking into a magic shop (a very large one in Little Rock) and seeing a Genii vase on the shelf. It looked to me as though it was a flower vase and in just a moment or so, the story just evolved in my head. Used it that night in the Magic Theatre in Hot Springs and afterwards the audience leaving were talking among themselves about the routine and one lady said to me "I know that lady you were talking about" on the stage. Marvelous.
the best, Damon
Damon Reinbold
<BR>2011 President, S.A.M. Assembly 71 <BR>2011 President, IBM Ring 90 |
Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Sometimes the story comes first. Sometimes the prop idea is first. Sometimes I think of a problem, and how to solve it. My wife used to hate taking me shopping, because I'd get stuck in an aisle, holding some thing, and daydreaming.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
Harlequin Special user Melbourne, Australia 686 Posts |
I used to think more of tricks and methods first, but after reading and being inspired by Christian Chelman's writings I realised that it makes more sense (to me anyway) to place/write the story first. The reason being, that it's too easy to get caught up with how good one or other effect/trick is and then compromises can easily sneak into the story. Or the trick simply ends up overpowering the story. I find that when reading or viewing any other 'bizarre' performances it's easy to tell what was the beginning point, the story or the trick.
I certainly don't mean to criticize one method of creativity over another though. Also apologies to Christian Chelman if I'm misstating or misreading his theory on this. |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The spooky, the mysterious...the bizarre! » » How do you create an effect? (0 Likes) |
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