Levitation Video
Originally
, these plans sold in magic shops for $100.
When I entered magic in the early 90's there
were no self levitations on the market. It's
not that no one wanted to levitate, it's just
that no one had invented a practical way to
do it. The illusion of levitation is the most
difficult illusion to produce convincingly.
That is why levitations are so seldom seen.
We are all familiar with the stage magician
who levitates a woman. Most of us realize that
the magician probably could not pull off the
levitation in either of our living rooms, due
to the mechanics involved in the typical levitation
system or device. So, the challenge of creating
a self levitation that you could use in the
real world became an obsession for me.
One
day I was sitting with another magician and
I was complaining that my self levitation illusion
plan was going nowhere. I started rambling,
tossing around various self levitation principles
which I had experimented with. Then as often
happens with these things, my friend said something
about a stage levitation that triggered something
in my mind.
I
didn't know what I was thinking yet, but his
statement had stirred something deep in my memory
banks. Something from long ago about a self
levitation? That's what it felt like but how
could that be possible since I had just began
practicing and inventing magic recently. I thought
maybe it was just a memory of a dream. A dream
in which I levitated, or flew. I had those often
as a child.
Not
knowing what to make of my strange levitation
memory, I decided that it itself was just an
illusion and levitated my butt home.
Later
that evening I was sitting alone when I felt
my grey matter begin to stir like it was having
contractions and was about to give birth to
the self levitation illusion i had planned to
create but couldn't seem to.
I
had visions of levitations dancing in my head
and I jumped to my feet and began gathering
pieces of cardboard and rolls of tape like a
bird scurrying to slap together a nest before
winter arrives.
During
the next 45 minutes, I pieced together the first
prototype of a self levitation illusion that
later came to be known as Fearson's Fantastic
Floatation. The hardest part of the illusion
to make practical was what to use for cover.
It was days of experimenting before I realized
that I could provide just enough cover for my
dirty work during the levitation trick if I
held my jacket, a suit coat sideways in front
of my legs. I don't think people realize when
they see all the "jacket levitations"
on the market that I was the one who came up
with that. That part of the trick seems incidental
but it was really a breakthrough at the time.
Using the jacket is what really makes all these
self levitations on the market practical. Carrying
a blanket around to provide cover while you
levitate at your restaurant gig wouldn't catch
on.
I
felt so excited as my self levitation marketing
plan began to finally unfold. I would take out
full page ads in all the magic magazines announcing
my new levitation trick I thought. That is,
right after I win every contest in the world
with it! "Hmmm..", I supposed.. "I
wonder if they'll create a special award specifically
for having the best levitation illusion in the
world?"
Then
it hit me.
I
had that feeling again that I had at my friend's
house, when I felt I remembered levitating long
ago. There was no doubt the feeling had something
to do with my creating the new illusion. Was
my friend really the one responsible for my
invention? Was it what HE said that solved the
levitation problem for me? No that wasn't it.
What I was realizing was actually much worse.
I
was watching myself in the mirror as I experimented
with the new levitation illusion. The crude
gimmick was creaking, ripping and basically
falling apart. As I reached my arms out to straighten
it I got the urge to try levitating on my back
rather than my front. In other words, to levitate
as if I were doing a back stroke in the water.
Reality
suddenly struck.
As
I strained my head back and my "feet"
began to "levitate" slowly up in front
I realized what my memory was. Yes, I really
WAS remembering a self levitation from long
long ago. I was doing almost the exact same
thing again.
I
was doing the broomstick comedy levitation that
we all learn as kids. I learned it from a cub
scout handbook.
So..
Here I am thinking I have a brand new self illusion
that is so ingenious it is going to revolutionize
magic.. Everyone in the world will learn to
levitate using my new system..
The
broomstick levitation gag.
So
what is an inventor to do in that situation?
My hopes were so high. I had to do something.
The
first thing I did was flipped back on to my
belly.
And
I continued on with the project. Hoping that
when my levitation trick hit the market nobody
would flip onto their back while practicing
and realize the same terrible truth about my
inventive genius that I had been so unfortunate
to learn. My best trick was in the cub scout
bear book.
It
turned out not to be as bad as I thought. I
did win the contests. The levitation did make
it to market and took off like a rocket. Many,
many magicians young and old learned to levitate
and continue to learn to levitate with my Fantastic
Floatation.
And
so far, nobody has noticed that it's the same
as the broomstick trick.
So
what does this have to do with the Box levitation
trick?
Well,
like I said I continued to work on the Fantastic
Floatation and brought it to market after levitating
around the country with it.
Something
happened right as the illusion was about to
hit the market.
Another
self levitation illusion came to me. This one
was totally different, and much better than
the first. Where the Fantastic Floatation required
the jacket for cover between you and the floor
while you levitated, this one did not. Where
the Fantastic Floatation required you to wear
a somewhat awkward gimmick on your person in
order to perform it, this levitation trick did
not.
In
short.. I had discovered a new levitation illusion.
But at the worst possible time. I had already
sent my ad copy to various magazines and my
first shipment of supplies to manufacture the
tricks was already paid for and on it's way
to me.
Now
a NEW.. SUPERIOR self levitation system was
trying to get my attention. One that wouldn't
be so hard to manufacture at all. I knew this
was the better trick. The levitation I was about
to market was INFERIOR.
I
knew what I had to do..
I
decided I could never tell anyone about the
second idea. I had to continue with my plan,
marketing the Fantastic Floatation. I had to
make people believe in the illusion. To make
them believe I had to believe it myself. And
to do that I had to literally erase the new
levitation illusion from my mind. That is what
I did. And I did it so well that it wasn't until
over 10 years later that I remembered the illusion
again.
I
was actually severely broke when it popped back
into my head. I hadn't been having very good
luck inventing for some months previous so it
was a bit of a Godsend.
I
remember that I couldn't pay my $400 rent and
I had 48 hours to pay or get out. So I made
one model of the new levitation with items I
had around the house and hurried out to Gary
Darwin's Las Vegas weekly magic meeting to see
if I could impress anyone enough with the thing
to get them to buy it.
The
levitation ended up wowing the entire place.
The reaction honestly far exceeded my expectations.
I can remember Paul Harris standing about 6
feet away from me with the entire club behind
him. As I began to levitate his jaw dropped.
Seconds later, he dropped.. literally dropped
to the floor and began worshiping me and my
little blue milk crate in the traditional, "I'm
not worthy" Wayne and Garth SNL style.
Kevin
James was there that night as well, watching
and smiling. When the excitement died down Kevin
approached me and asked me the question I wanted
(needed) to hear more than anything.
K:
"How much are you going to sell it for?"
S:
"$100 each with basically just a manuscript.
Anyone can build it"
K:
"Can you have 10 ready for me by tomorrow?
I'm leaving for a lecture, I'll pay you cash
for them now."
Well
now! I'll wholesale them for $50 to Kevin..
times 10 pieces is... RENT MONEY!
Ah,
the wonders of magic.
So
that is the story of the self levitation illusion
that haunted me for 10 years. And came back
to me when I needed it most.
Fearson's Box.
