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euroillusion Regular user 152 Posts |
Different books have different degrees of difficulty in building. Darwin's Inexpensive Illusions, many of Andrew Mayne's from his various books, and some of Paul Osborne's (Easy to build and a number in Blackbook)are manageable for an inexperienced illusion builder but experienced carpenter. Books from Rand Woodbury, JC Sum or Mark Parker are more technical and need magic knowledge on the builder's part, otherwise, it might not come out right or there will be loads of trial and error. In illusioneering, 1 inch means the world while iit may not seem critical to an average carpenter.
A carpenter's greatest difficulty is not so much his lack of technical skill on building but whether he can rationally process the build process of an illusion. Illusion building does not follow traditional construction methods, especially in the case of a b***, which would seem structurally unsupported by tradtional view. They will also have an initial difficult time for the need of multiple steps or bevels to make an illusion deceptive. Also make sure you account for material thickness. Illusion builders look for the thinnest possible material (in general) that can take the weight and use, but carpenters do not. So a 9 inch prop can eventually look 10.5inches after all the material is factored in. So, I guess the advice is: Make sure you know and are aware of all this so that you can guide the carpenter. |
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GERRIT New user Fulda, Germany 50 Posts |
Hey Kenny,
I own both illusion books. I prefer the Big Black Book. Both books can help in different ideas. To get an basic information I recommend Rand Woodburys Illionworks. Gerrit |
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EsnRedshirt Special user Newark, CA 895 Posts |
Euroillusion- don't discount carpentry skills; carpenters are very concerned about material thickness and precision- especially cabinet-makers, who must be precise so their products are square and level. Some of the earliest illusion-makers received much of their background experience working with cabinetry.
You may be correct about a tendancy for carpenters to overbuild, though- they know that people often tend to overload their bookshelves, etc. It's not necessarily a bad thing in illusions, either (unless carried to the extreme.) The rigors of touring demand durable props, so it's good to plan for extra stress on critical areas (table legs usually being the most critical of these areas.) That being said, you should always work closely with your builder, whether they've built illusions before, or not, and don't necessarily discount their suggestions. You'll both need to be very familiar with the how's and why's of the illusion being worked on for it to be successful. -Erik
Self-proclaimed Jack-of-all-trades and google expert*.
* = Take any advice from this person with a grain of salt. |
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euroillusion Regular user 152 Posts |
Hi Erik,
I'm not discounting carpenters' skills at all. I just wanted to highlight that calculating material thickness in relation to internal depth for deceptiveness is not something that comes natural to them or anyone for that matter. My point was to let Kenny know that the carpenter has to made to understand the principle of the illusion before building. You are absolutely right that carpenters do overbuild, which then affects the thickness or depth of the illusion. Of course, the releavance of this is more significant when talking specifically about hiding spaces, as opposed, to actual structural construction of the illusion. Sorry, maybe I should have been more specific. |
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pradell Special user Alaska 560 Posts |
Here's a list of illusion books:
http://www.magicauction.com/IllusionHotl......ooks.htm And an interesting web page about illusions: http://www.zigmont.com/backstage.html :magicrabbit: |
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Silvio Solaris Inner circle Xtreme Magic 1110 Posts |
Once you got the knack you just start building.
Master John Gaughan just scribbles the idea on a piece of scrap paper and starts building away. He's got the whole concept in his mind from start to finish. If it doesn't fit (him or her) he just modifies it a little. Genius! 7 basic secrets is definatively a must read and highly recommended by Mr. Osborne
Magical Wishes
Silvio Solaris 'Is all that we see and seem but a dream within a dream?' E.A.Poe |
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EsnRedshirt Special user Newark, CA 895 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-16 15:13, Silvio Solaris wrote: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why John Gaughan is considered a Master. He's got the skills, experience, and genius to pull it off. Most of the rest of us need more than a few scribbles on paper to build from. I, myself, scribble the basics, then usually go back on a second sheet of paper and sketch details and refine any mechanisms, drawing on a larger scale. By the time I'm ready to start up the power tools, I've got a half-dozen sketch sheets to work from, and I usually know exactly what's going to go where and how I'm going to do it- and I'll have a cutting plan ready (down to accounting for blade kerf) before I start buying lumber and other materials. I may make changes during the build process, but they're usually cosmetic changes. Of course, mentally figuring out the mechanics and details is one of my favorite parts of designing stuff. And paper is an excellent place to make sweeping changes. -Erik
Self-proclaimed Jack-of-all-trades and google expert*.
* = Take any advice from this person with a grain of salt. |
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