Articles - Stage & Platform Magic Illusions Creativity and the Sub Trunk IllusionThere has been a discussion going on in many online forums and a topic that comes up a lot from time to time at conventions etc. It seems that the discussion that comes up a lot derives from performers performing the sub trunk illusion and people wondering if it is too similar to the Pendragons or to some other illusionist's acts.
One of the reasons that I feel so many argue over this is because in essence most every magician (some exceptions of course) perform the sub trunk or metamorphosis in the same way. They perform it based upon how it has always been done in the past. Not much variation in regards to the effect and routine over the years.
In most cases, you have a trunk and 2 people who use a cloth curtain, stand on top and make a transformation of some sort (usually fast). The people are either shackled or use a bag when in the trunk and the trunk is locked in some fashion. Now how many magicians do you know that do the illusion and perform it in the same way as I described? In my book .. a LOT. The reason is because that is the way it has ALWAYS been done.
So some try and make it faster or some try and have more locks or a bag that is tied more or a trunk with more locks or chains. But, in essence this does not really change anything at all. To me it is still very much the same way as it has always been done.
If you really want to stand out and make a name for yourself with this illusion, you got to throw away everything you know about the illusion or have seen and start completely fresh again. Basically, throw away the DVDs, videos or any visual memories of seeing others do it.
Then you start looking AWAY from magic for other ideas. This is where creativity can really spark and begin. Too many of us look inward at magic for ideas instead of looking outwards away from magic for concepts to routining.
I mean let's think about this for a second. Let us say to ourselves what could happen if we really thought about the sub trunk illusion in a new fashion entirely? What could happen if we forgot about every performance we have seen of it and just go off on tangents?
- What if you did not even use a trunk at all? Why does it have to be a trunk in the first place? Can it be something else entirely? If so, what could it be that would be so different? What object could it be besides a trunk? Starts to change things up already now doesn't it.
- What is the person who should be in the bag is not there at all but instead is a stage crew wearing headphones, clip board and a mic wondering how he got there. The person who should be there is totally gone?
- What if it is not a double switch but a triple switch?
- What if no one emerged on the top of the trunk after the switch?
- What if you had a theme going for the illusion or storyline instead of just doing it straight forward. What if it was gangster themed and the bag was a giant money bag and the trunk was a safe instead with a door that locks into place. What if then the person (robber) locks a cop inside the safe, jumps on the top and holds up a cloth as an act to hide from the other cops. The cops notice the cloth moving and so shoot at the cloth. As they shoot holes form in the cloth so you see right through the cloth as the cloth drops and no one is standing on top at all. The person that was inside is now the cop who fired the gun and the person that was hiding (robber) is now locked inside the safe.
The idea to ask yourself here is simple.. "what if". What if we stopped thinking so hard on how the sub trunk has always been done and start to view it entirely in new ways. Forget what we know of the illusion and begin to look past it. Imagine the ideas and creativity that could be started if we open our eyes to looking past what we already know.
I think if we started doing this, we would spend less time worrying about someone's version looking like someone else's and really start to see a completely different and unique idea that is as unique as you are.
As always, I encourage you the readers to let me know your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts on my articles or suggestions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I would love to hear from you.
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