 |
 |
|
|
|
COMMENTARY
(Editorial by Steve Beam)
Crediting magical ideas and concepts is an important part of our art. For this reason, I have reprinted the
article below from issue #31 of The Trapdoor.
Occasionally in the past, I have found it necessary to turn my back on the commercial ways of our capitalistic
system and turn over this section of the magazine to more important issues. This is one of those times. I am
now leading you where many magazines fear to tread. I am moving toward the controversial topic known as
crediting magic. You won't see reckless abandon such as this in any of the slick sheets. Only The Trapdoor
demonstrates the courage, not to mention the lack of other worthwhile items, necessary to attack the crediting
of ideas.
I have often found that the best way to learn is by example. The examples I will use are of the form of the
"word problems" you became acquainted with in algebra. I will present a scenario. I will then ask a question
regarding the situation. You should decide upon your answer prior to consulting the correct answer which
immediately follows.
______________________________________________________________________
Test Question #1: Don Morris and Steve Beam are having a card session. Don has an idea but left his deck
in the other room. He borrows Steve's deck and demonstrates a dramatically new principle which will
revolutionize card magic. For future magic historians, whose principle is it?
Answer: While Don did have an idea, he wasn't able to demonstrate it without Steve's deck which he had to
borrow. This illustrates how Steve's input was critical. Without it, nobody would ever have had the opportunity
to see the principle. Therefore, the principle belongs to Steve.
______________________________________________________________________
Test Question #2: Several weeks later Don and Steve are at it again. After the events described above,
Don brings a full gross of decks of cards along with him. Don has an idea. He checks the ownership of the
deck he is holding before demonstrating the idea. Steve was previously unfamiliar with the principle.
Whose idea is it?
Answer: If you answered Don, you were clearly confused. While the ownership of the cards had been
established prior to the demonstration of the idea, card ownership is not everything. Steve owned the
close-up mat, the card table, and the folding chairs which were necessary for the demonstration of the trick.
Without these mood items, Don wouldn't even have been thinking along the lines of card magic.
______________________________________________________________________
Test Question #3: A few weeks later, Don and Steve are sessioning again. They are over at Steve's house.
Don has brought two gross of cards, a card table, two folding chairs, and a close-up mat. Don originates
and demonstrates an idea. Who gets the credit?
Answer: While this resembles the first two questions to the untrained mind, it is totally different. If you
chose Don, it is easy to see where you went wrong. However, these technicalities and details are all
important when it comes to establishing credit for future historians and ignorance is no excuse.
Sure, Don technically had title to the cards, mats, tables, and chairs. But, so does everyone else who
throws a sit down party. And, you don't see them asking for credit for Steve's card tricks, do you?
Steve owns the house. Without the house, there would be nowhere to put the tables, chairs, mats,
and 288 decks of cards. Besides, Don wouldn't have been thinking about card tricks if he were outside.
It was 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
______________________________________________________________________
Test Question #4: Don invites Steve over to his new house for a session. Don provides everything.
He demonstrates an original idea. Who gets the credit?
Answer: Surely by now you have caught on and chosen the obvious answer, Steve. Steve found out
that Don was buying a house, no doubt just to establish ownership of the card tricks developed within.
Steve bought stock in the mortgage company through which Don bought the house. Since the mortgage
company owns more of the house than Don does, and since Steve owns more of the Mortgage company
than Don does, Steve owns the rights to the tricks developed within said house. Our law firm,
Shyster & Shyster assured us that this concept of law has stood the test of time and numerous court challenges.
______________________________________________________________________
Test Question #5: Would the answer to question #5 have been any different had Steve not owned
0.000001% interest in the Mortgage company?
Answer: No. Steve holds an option on the land which creates the throughway to Don's house which
predates Don's title to Don's house. Without Steve allowing Don to cross Steve's property, Don would
not have access to his own property. Then, he would have been forced to live elsewhere and session
over at Steve's house. Consult questions 1 through 3 to see who gets the credit when the sessioning is
done at Steve's house.
______________________________________________________________________
Test Question #6: This scenario occurs in a neutral third-world country, with props, tables, chairs, mats,
and 800 decks of playing cards (all of which were shipped over by Don). Don provides all property, props,
land, and throughways. He has purchased options on all ways in and out of the neighborhood. Most importantly,
he has witnesses. He demonstrates an original idea. Who gets the credit?
Answer: Credit for the trick belongs to Steve. This is a foreign country and Don forgot to get witnesses that
understood English.
______________________________________________________________________
Test Question #7: This next scenario occurs just weeks before Steve's mortgage company forecloses on
Don's house. The foreclosure was made necessary because Don was trying to pay off all land he had bought
in a third world country which just last week underwent a coup and financial restructuring.
Steve was back at Don's house. Everything was Don's, including the right of way which he purchased from
Steve at an enormous price. Don demonstrates an original trick which is later published in The Trapdoor.
Who gets the credit?
Answer: Of course, this was a "gimme". Since Steve owns the magazine, he decides who gets the credit
for anything published within. And, since Don's copy of this particular issue will be lost in the mail, he won't
know about it anyway. There's no point in mentioning Don, even under one of the staples as Steve usually does.
Conclusion: I hope this test has helped to clear up any confusion you may have had regarding the crediting
of magic ideas. All too often novices try venture into this legal arena where one must be a lawyer
(or at least a shyster) to compete. I sincerely hope that you will recognize high moral standards when you
see them and will find The Trapdoor a worthy outlet for your material. Feel free to contribute all new principles
and tricks to me. It is not even necessary that you include your name on the envelope or the contents. I like to
make contributing painless and trouble free.
Copyright 1990, 1995 by Steven L. Beam
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Comparing Yourself to Copperfield A Morale-Raising Analysis
I think most magicians at one time or another fantasize about being a world-famous magician,
traveling all over the world being paid to push boxes filled with beautiful, scantily-clad women around
the stage. That's right - you probably spend way too much of your free time comparing yourself to
David Copperfield.
Well, the good news is that you probably have far more in common with DC than you imagine.
For your own self esteem, it is probably a good idea to focus on what you have in common - while
at the same time being aware of what you don't have in common. The following list focuses on the
similarities while subtly reminding you of the minor differences.
In Common - You both like Claudia Schiffer.
Not in Common - You like her from a distance due to the restraining order.
In Common - You both have a full head of hair.
Not in Common - Yours is on your back.
In Common ,- You both use big cats in your act.
Not in Common - Yours is the guy you pay to watch your car while you do the show.
In Common - You both perform for large audiences.
Not in Common - DC has never been to a Weight-Watchers meeting.In Common - You both have a lot of digits in your paycheck.
Not in Common - Yours are to the right of the decimal point.In Common - You've both been getting a lot of press lately.
Not in Common - Yours is delivered every morning.
In Common - You both have beautiful babes hanging on you.
Not in Common - Your babe has a pimp.
In Common - Each of you makes a large deposit at the bank every month.
Not in Common - His room has large safety deposit boxes. Yours has small cups.
In Common - You both like to strike a pose as wind passes through your hair.
Not in Common - Your hare likes to pass wind.
In Common - You've both had the benefit of television specials.
Not in Common - Yours was marked down because it was last year's model.
In Common - You've both performed at the White House.
Not in Common - Yours had a moon on the door.
In Common - You own a home and a warehouse
Not in Common - Your home is a warehouse.
In Common - You both have beautiful women chasing after you
Not in Common - Yours just want their purse back
In Common - You both feature a zombie in your show
Not in Common - You're the zombie
In Common - You've both love illusions involving snow.
Not in Common - You made it turn yellow.
There you have it. So, as you go about your everyday life, you realize that you are just one line away
from being a multi-million dollar, cranium-covered, professional magician. Just keep that in mind
as you today as you shovel the bottom of the elephant exhibit. In fact, proximity to large livestock
is yet another thing you have in common. Are the similarities amazing, or what?Copyright 1990, 1995 by Steven L. Beam
________________________________________________________________________________
A Few Reasons Why Magicians Prefer Cards over Women...
You can trade a well-worn deck for a new one and never hear a complaint. You can keep one pack at home and have another for when you're on the road.
If you admire a friend's pack and tell him so, he will probably let you play around with it for a while.
Your deck will stay with you, even after you have no more 'outs'.
When you throwaway an old deck, it won't go around and tell other decks that you have small hands.
A pack of cards doesn't require much closet space.
You can get cards to cooperate no matter what day of the month it is.
A pack of cards doesn't mind if you fall asleep in the middle of handling it. There's no jail time if you perform a Card Stab.
Any time you wish, you can spread cards across a tabletop and turn them over.
Licking a woman won't make her stick to your forehead.
A color change will run you the better part of a hundred bucks at a hair salon. You won't rupture yourself picking up a jumbo card.
If the trick only takes two minutes, nobody complains.
A well-stacked deck is fairly low-maintenance.
If you want to try something a little different, the deck won't call your mother and tell her you are a depraved sicko.
It doesn't bother you when your audience tells you that their last magician had a jumbo deck.
No such thing as "Pre-Ink Syndrome"
Copyright 1990, 1995 by Steven L. Beam