Page 1 of 1

Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 6th, 2009, 9:09 pm
by Caleb
Does anyone have the plans for a sub-trunk or the Assistant's Revenge?

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 7th, 2009, 12:32 am
by Richard Kaufman
You can buy plans, you know. They're something that are generally paid for.

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 7th, 2009, 8:58 am
by mai-ling
and if you don't want to pay for them,
you can do what my father has always done.

by figuring them out yourself.

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 8th, 2009, 6:52 am
by Dan Wolfe
I like what Aldo Columbini told me recently:

"I see a magic trick in a catalog and figure out how it works. I order it, look at it and it doesn't work like mine. I think mine's better. BOOM! I invented a new magic trick!"

I do the same thing with illusions all the time.

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 8th, 2009, 8:10 am
by Jonathan Townsend
So if I see you do a trick and I don't look like you I can copy the items and say it's my trick? Kewl! YouTube now truly rulz.

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 8th, 2009, 8:52 am
by Dan Wolfe
Aldo was referring to presenting a similar effect but using a different method to accomplish it.

...and why on Earth would you want to look like me?

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 8th, 2009, 8:58 am
by Jonathan Townsend
Magicians have a great time fooling themselves.

But for the those who like to learn:

If I see a trick and decide I want to do that effect.
And I don't look like the performer I saw do the trick.
I (by dint of the logic others have presented) have every right to do the effect and call it my own trick.

Since method is outside the realm of discussions of effect:
If I happen to use the same method I can claim to be honoring the other performer.
If I happen to use some other method I can claim original creation of the work.

Or...

We might want to leave the "monkey see- monkey do" to monkeys and remember that even pigeons and mice learn by watching and instead focus on what makes us better than those creatures.

Up to you.

Got cheese?

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 9th, 2009, 1:40 am
by Jim Riser
I would suggest that you determine the effect that you desire to present. After determining exactly what you want to do, you might look over the many books on illusions which are available. This will give you an idea of what has been done in the past.

As an example, there are a number of sub trunk designs. Just buying a plan of one design might well not do the job for you. Your body type/size might make things unworkable. Your costuming and act theme might place some limits on the methods to be used. Or your act theme could certainly offer opportunities for completely original designs/workings. There are enough so called magicians using the same old trunk design. If you want to be different, be original in your thinking.

In addition, the substitution effect need not always be presented standing on the trunk prior to the switch.

I consider books a better investment than individual plans which need to be resized anyway. A key to being original is knowing what has been done before.

If you do not want to spend anything on such books, perhaps you should stick to doing card tricks from books checked out of the local library. There is nothing inexpensive about illusions. Plan costs are the least of the expenses.
Jim

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 9th, 2009, 2:03 am
by Tom Stone
mai-ling wrote:and if you don't want to pay for them,
you can do what my father has always done.

by figuring them out yourself.

That's quite nasty!

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: April 9th, 2009, 2:25 am
by Tom Stone
Richard Kaufman wrote:You can buy plans, you know. They're something that are generally paid for.

I don't know what the status is on those plans. Do they, generally, have permission from the creators to sell those plans?

Anyway, Robert Harbin submitted "Assistant's Revenge" to the book THE ART OF ILLUSION by Will Ayling.
There is also a similar effect, though more portable, in Harbincadabra.

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: May 5th, 2012, 3:42 pm
by rlmiller007
Half price books. Mark Wilsons Complete Course in Magic. It includes plans for several illusions.

Re: Plans for illusion...

Posted: May 5th, 2012, 4:39 pm
by A1exM
Hi Caleb
Check out the Paul Osborne Illusion Systems books; A great primer for those keen on building they're own illusions.
Enjoy your journey,
Alex