Have you ever wondered how to performers create new effects? Then read on for a step-by-step guide to creating your own new tricks.
I believe there are only really 6 essential steps to creating new tricks, BUT, it does take a lot of time and effort, if you want to have a quality trick.
Listed below are the steps that I follow. Below this is an explanation of each step;
1. Brainstorm until you come up with an effect
2. Research the effect
3. Determine the sleights required to perform the effect
4. Analyze the tricks ability to be performed
5. Research the trick
6. Repeat steps 1-5 as required
Brainstorming
This is the first and probably the easiest step of the entire process. What you are going to do in this step is simply let your mind run wild, think along the lines of Lewis Carrol's "Alice in Wonderland". Remember at this stage in the process you are not going to eliminate any ideas, no matter how outrageous they may seem. Here are some ideas just to help get the creative juices flowing.
Example 1: I want to be able to visually remove my head and set it on a table and have my head continue talking to the audience while my body carries on with the trick. (This one is actually possible)
Example 2: I want to make a member of the audience rise out of their seat and float up onto the stage. (No research done on this effect)
Example 3: I want to have a spectator randomly select and sign a card, place it back into the deck, shuffle the deck, place the deck on the floor in front of them, then have the signed card fall from the ceiling to land right in front of the spectator. (No idea how this could be done)
The above examples are just an indication of the type of thinking you want to do at this stage. The more ideas you can come up with and write down, the better off you will be in the late stages of the process.
Research
At this point in time it is essential that you do your homework. Don't forget to utilize the resources available to you here by posting the effect in the New Tricks Get Feedback Forum. You don't want to spend a lot of time, money and energy on an effect, only to find out, that what you thought was a new trick has been created by someone else. Keep in mind, though, that almost anything you think of will, in some way, have been used at some point in time. Don't let this discourage you, since when you realize this then you can set out to make the trick different and in this way make it your own.
Method
Now the hard work will begin, since you must write down any/all sleights/methods/props etc. that may help you create the effect. After you have the list, you then have to narrow it down to the ones which will actually help you and consider all aspects of the sleight/method/prop etc, including (but not limited to) difficulty level, manufacturing issues, angles, and safety issues.
Analysis
All too often, someone will create a trick that would be an incredible trick, BUT, unfortunately, in the real world of performing, this trick is much to difficult/time consuming/dangerous to ever be able to be of any use to any performer, let alone the creator. When you have the effect created to your satisfaction, then do some "trial runs" with it to see how it measures up, then if it works at this stage, try it out on a few close friends and see what reaction you get.
Research
Now that you have the trick created, don't automatically assume you have come up with an original trick. Again do your homework and research the trick, this time using the methods you have decided to use for the trick. You will be surprised at how many times you will find other similar tricks using the same or similar methods. If so, then you can look at modifying your trick and/or changing something about the trick you find to make it more original.
Keep Going
Repeat steps 1-5 as required
Example
The following is an extremely good example of how to take and idea totally not related to magic in any way and create a method to utilize this in a magic performance. This information is from FirZen, and I would like everyone who reads this to consider the creativity Firzen has used to make this a reality. This aptly demonstrates how you can "think outside the box". Without further ado, here is Firzen's effect and info.
I've come up with a simple idea, that is to join two completely different worlds into a magic trick. After watching the intro of Prison Break, where the swan floats a random idea came into my head, a mentalism effect that needed no more than a sentence and would make the spectator possibly remember that weird day.
The first idea was to have a swan come to me as if it was alive. Unneeded, but I wanted something that would give an emotional emphasis to the whole presentation. This part at least wasn't hard.
Then, having a paper swan floating on a fountain there is in the city (empty now, unfortunately), someone would name someone that is highly important to them. A normal name is not enough. I couldn't care less about the person. But that name must have a strong emotional hook to it. I am not supposed to know. But I do. And it is written on the swan.
So, you sit near the fountain staring at the swan. And you ask a passerby if he could help you. You ask him the name, perform, hand him the swan and walk away.
This was the first idea. Then I started practicing. And was working on a different, easier way to perform something, as there was a sleight involved that I am not confident performing. I managed to replace the whole working for something easier. Then I noticed there are various ways to do something. Not quite a revelation. But also, that each one of us is willing to go to a certain point for an effect. Also, even a method might not fit our style. So, innovation is needed. Not taking a trick and learning as it is. Think. Can I keep the global effect in a different manner? Even if you don't need that, it is still a nice way to keep your magical part of the brain working.
So I thought. Swans. What else can I do? And from simple sleights to gimmicked swans, possibilities were shown to me. These are 4 of the ones I have, the ones I posted at the Underground Forum, and I still plan on building some more.
A
(From any number of swans in a lake)
1- You ask someone to go through an elimination process, leaving just one. When you open that one, it has 'You'll choose this one' written on it, and all others don't.
2- You ask someone to name a colour, then you go through the elimination process and the swan that is chosen has the colour written on it.
B
(With a single swan)
1- Someone approaches you, you're next to something with water, where there is a paper swan. You ask that person to give you a name of someone, you put your open hand on the edge of the fountain, aquarium, whatever, and the swan starts swimming towards you. You open it, and the chosen name is inside.
The same can method can be used with numbers, letters or shapes.
2-Same principle above, but a card is chosen from the deck. You open up and there is a torn corner of that card inside. Optionally you can have the remainder of the card with the spectators name in your pocket.
Simple stuff that with the right presentation can be turned into a great piece of magic, not to brag.
The workings of these are really simple, most of you might see through and find the method I came up with. OR, if this works, you can find your own way.
Notice how I looked at something unrelated to magic and saw in it a possibility. Then I saw multiple possibilities.
You can have a straightforward method or a more complicated one. It is up to you.
I encourage all of you to pick something that wouldn't be used in a magic trick. Not a pen or a pencil. There are sleights for those. No. Grab a wireless modem. Change a serial number. Grab a toaster. Make the selected card come up on the toast (might actually be possible, you never know). Anything is possible. If I can do it, you surely can.
FirZen
If you have taken the time to read this entire post, then you are certainly serious about creating quality tricks and I thank you for reading this. I hope this will in some way help in your efforts.
Author: rossco
