The Magic Cafe Forums - Lance Burton's Floating Birdcage

The Magic Cafe Forum Index :: Grand illusion :: Lance Burton's Floating Birdcage (5 Likes)

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ed rhodes Inner circle Rhode Island 2889 Posts	Posted: Jul 21, 2004 12:04 pm 0 Quote: On 2004-07-20 16:07, davemen wrote: Why is everyone so afraid of doing the same effect as Lance? Everybody does the Sub trunk even though it was associated with Houdini. We all do each other's effects all the time. This seems lame - I'll bet Lance wouldn't consider this his "signature effect" and be upset if someone else did it - imitation really is the most sincere form of flattery. I'm sure audiences don't know or care who invented what trick. People need to get over this idea that somehow an effect is owned by someone. Now you can argue that your method may be proprietary but if I come up with the same effect, that's my right - we all borrow from each other and we all do each other's effects. That's just the way Magic is. Now who has the guts to build me a floating bird cage? That may be the "way magic is," but maybe it's also what's kept magic down in the eyes of the audience. Too many magicians going; "Ooooh, that looks good. I have to put it in MY act!" Maybe if we stopped trying to lift everybody else's best stuff and tried to find our own best stuff, we'd all be taken a little more seriously! Quote: On 2004-07-20 17:01, davemen wrote: Two comments: 1) If you're silly enough to spend years perfecting an effect that (you should know) will get ripped-off, then you get what's coming to you. Enough people with that sort of attitude and nobody would ever innovate anything. Quote: 2) Innovation comes from borrowing other ideas - the mismade lady came from someone borrowing from the zig zag which came from someone borrowing from the old cut a lady in half (but let's stand the box up). It's the evolution of ideas that comes from borrowing/stealing. Notice the difference between developing something new based on old principals and just performing someone else's pet effect. "...and if you're too afraid of goin' astray, you won't go anywhere." - Granny Weatherwax
magikphun New user Las Vegas, NV 5 Posts	Posted: Jul 26, 2004 09:14 pm 1 Why didn't anyone just ask if this has been published? If you guys actually studied up on some magic history and paid attention to some of the older generation (as opposed to "E-llusionist or whatever that junk is) instead of riding your BS "new wave" of magic you would know that Lances bird cage IS published (for the most part). Check "The Magic of Lee Grable" Get the texts, and the rest you should be able to fill in your own blanks. Grable's effect is AMAZING. I think Denny and Lee Magic Studio carries it. The party was going fine til' the plunger got involved...
hugmagic Inner circle 7669 Posts	Posted: Jul 27, 2004 02:52 am 1 I already posted where it was published. I believe that book was from the late 1950's or early 1960's. Reading takes work and alas most magicians do not like work or research. Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023 www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's.
Brother Kotah New user wWsconsin 45 Posts	Posted: Jul 27, 2004 05:14 pm 0 Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery; but those who purloin, use it as a crutch. An excuse to justify the fact that they are actually ripping off someone's creation. And there is already far too much of that going on in our community. He who sees strangely
Michael Taggert Special user Fredericksburg Virginia 656 Posts	Posted: Jul 30, 2004 04:26 am 0 Think not "darn I've got to do that routine" but "darn I've got to now come up with something else". Daveman you've stepped on a hot button here, one that us who are creative and work hard to perfect or work believe in. If for some reason you think this kind of ethical behaviour is not for you its time to rethink your commitment to this art form. Build the cage yourself I wouldn't touch it if you paid me.
Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts	Posted: Aug 1, 2004 04:13 pm 1 I guess my question is pretty simple: Why a BIRDCAGE? There must be SOMETHING else more interesting to float about the stage...A BALL? Done too many times...Lance did a nice floating candle routine, based, I do believe, on the Don Wayne method. How about a wine bottle that floats and pours itself a glass? Both bottle and glass then float off stage. How about a telephone ringing, and coming down out of the flies, the magician answers, and the phone floats away? Birdcage? Doug
Brent McLeod Inner circle 1793 Posts	Posted: Aug 1, 2004 08:32 pm 0 Delicate subject again guys. I see this in 2 formats, linking rings being an example. One being I would be very upset if a local magi copied my linking ring routine that has taken a few years to perfect. To see someone performing this move for move would be very frustrating! Two- we have to take an original effect and add our own touches to it even if they are similar in some degree to a previous effect, e.g., Richard Ross moves, Jeff McBride spins, etc. add your own routine and fun! Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck to whoever may use a version of this in the future. Professional Corporate Magician http://brentmcleodmagic.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pt3US6wKpY&list=LL&index=3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vToeLymxmTA
MarkTripp Special user Michigan 618 Posts	Posted: Aug 1, 2004 09:01 pm 1 Well, The set-up is EXACTLY the same as the Burling Hull floating light bulb. Which BTW, is better and not a trademark with Lance or David. Why not master the orginal THEN set off in a new direction?
constantine Regular user Memphi, on the Mighty Muddy 189 Posts	Posted: Aug 2, 2004 12:42 am 0 Frances Ireland Marshall described the floating birdcage in "Parakeet Magic" sixty years ago. Constatine 49%er “The way of the transgressor is hard—to quit.” —Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith
Philzimt New user 38 Posts	Posted: Oct 30, 2023 08:58 am 0 Quote: On Aug 1, 2004, Brent McLeod wrote: Delicate subject again guys. I see this in 2 formats, linking rings being an example. One being I would be very upset if a local magi copied my linking ring routine that has taken a few years to perfect. To see someone performing this move for move would be very frustrating! Two- we have to take an original effect and add our own touches to it even if they are similar in some degree to a previous effect, e.g., Richard Ross moves, Jeff McBride spins, etc. add your own routine and fun! Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck to whoever may use a version of this in the future. Agreed. There is a concept called "steal like an artist". Which basically means; do not plagiarize, take inspiration and make it your own. Picasso did it, the Beatles did it, Dalí did it and always with such originality, that the original creator would not even recognize where the inspiration came from. That is, what we as magicians should also thrive for.
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3045 Posts	Posted: Oct 30, 2023 07:12 pm 0 Understand that this is an ancient thread, but here goes anyway. For me, the worst part of taking someone else's work is that, from I've read in the Cafe (over the past fifteen-odd years) about YouTube videos and other sources, most people who use someone else's material do not bother to put as much work into the presentation as the original performer. They think they can buy or make the prop and then demonstrate it as a prop or as "lookit what I can do." And then they wonder why it fell flat. As davemen said above, yes, magic is changing. Nowadays most people who do tricks out there are demonstrating gadgets instead of performing magic. That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here"