The Magicanada Project

BrianMillerMagic · Joined: 14 Aug 2007 Posts: 543 Location: New York State

Alright, so this post is a bit of a stretch and somewhat crazy, but bear with me. We spent a lot of time focusing on justifications for our effects, or at least I know that I do. I'm always searching for an answer to the question, "What problem does my effect solve?" The way I see it, if a piece of magic doesn't solve a problem that people can relate to, it's exceedingly more difficult to create a valid justification for it. But maybe we should be looking at what constitutes a "problem that needs to be solved" in a different light. Perhaps we are being too narrow minded. This is a conversation that recently took place between a friend and myself:

Friend: I have a craving for ice cream.
Me: I have a deck of cards.
Friend: And?
Me: Oh, I thought we were playing a game like "I see" but with "I have" instead. Nevermind.
Friend: Can your deck of cards turn into ice cream?
Me: That would be a neat trick. But it would be pointless.
Friend: No it wouldn't. It would give me ice cream!

If someone published "deck of cards to ice cream" as an effect, I would immediately dismiss it as a pointless effect with no justification. But alas, there was a problem (friend wants ice cream) and a solution (I have a deck of cards that can turn into ice cream).

Something to think about.

Brian

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Michael Kras · Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 11:37 am Post subject:

An effect having to "solve" something is a great way of putting it Brian.

I hate doing magic that has no presentational justification. If I just go into Alex Elmsley's Royal Flush Twist with the ace kicker ending, it sure as heck would make any sense if I didn't use the presentation about all of the cards in a deck being at the magician's command so the magician may cheat at cards.
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Liam · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 424

maybe we need to find problems instead of effects that answer some question.
Maybe you're working a restaurant, but you lost you deck of cards
Luckily, you can take a hankercheive to cover your hand with and voila, you found your deck, it was in their hankerchief!
making a deck appear out of no where is rather pointless, unless you need a deck of cards.
Maybe you were waiting for a bus and you realised you had no change, so you made three coins appear, but then you realized that you had a bus pass, so you made the coins vanish.
Maybe you had to reach something on a tall shelve, so you levitated to it.
Maybe you had to get past security at the aeroport, so you hid you bottle of bear in a folded up paper bag.

Maybe we shouldnt be looking for answers, but for problems that need answers

just some thoughts, i'm not experienced enough to know if they are right or not.
But i think it would be easier to relate to not have money for the bus than for them to relate to making coins appear.

BrianMillerMagic · Joined: 14 Aug 2007 Posts: 543 Location: New York State

Beautiful post! Even though you don't have much experience, you're certainly thinking along the right lines. That sort of thing is precisely what I was talking about.
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Liam · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 424

glad i'm catching on!

Reuben The Great · Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Posts: 245

Interesting idea, I've always had trouble with justification. Should EVERY effect need justification, or can it just be pure bewilderment sometimes? Which is correct, or can we mend both?

For me, story telling is a good, simple way to do an effect, but the story shouldn't be you TELLING them, rather then you interacting and relating it to them.

Justification, interesting.
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Liam · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 424

I justify every single trick i do.
before i did the standard of simply saying what was happening and the idea of telling a story instead just seemed odd and seemed like it wouldnt feel right. Then i tried reset with a story and it went great! People seem alot more pulled in, basically because a story is generally about life. Mine was about a game i played as a kid. And everyone has played a game as a kid so you get an instant connection.
Now the idea of just saying what is happening seems odd and i cant see it working