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Nick Wait Inner circle Lichfield, UK 1042 Posts |
Hey
I've been designing a manipulation act recently and an idea that really appeaeled to me was a rags to riches, but I find htis has been done befiore, and seems a little bit weird i.e. tramp that can produce food, do magic but still iving on the street. I would love to do a manipulation act based around some sort of message, something that is obvioulsy relatively important, and I had the idea, of demonstrating that the homeless all started of as normal people who had a run of bad luck resulting in him becoming homeless. The problems I am facing are firtsly how to deliver the message without been heavily patronising Wheter I should leave the act, with a sad ending, as opposed "everything will work itself out in the end" that isq rather cliched. Actual effects I can perform. My basic ideas so far have been the entering of a richman, production of money, food, drinks etc, before he starts to fail to produce money, he produces food wrappers and empty glasses, and an eventual costume change into a tramp. Any other ideas or do people spot anyother problems. Nick |
Nick Wait Inner circle Lichfield, UK 1042 Posts |
I posted the below in the manipulation section of the Café, in respones to a post by Jaz , in which he gave some suggestions as to effects. And well I thought I'd post it here as well.
Nice ideas Jaz, but not quite I'm looking for. that's really a rags to riches routine. The act I am looking into, is a riches to rags routine, I'm doing this for a couple of reasons: a) Originality, I hate saying this as I don't thing you should do original ideas for the sake of being original, but it has helped draw me to it. b)It makes more sense in my mind, if someone could actually produce food, money etc why the help they on the street in the first place. My routine, is using a normal, person as the charachter and the magic is used as a representation of his life, i.e. the food hes eating, his money, drinking etc. c)The message, something that I think people often forget is that the homeless weren't always homeless, they were once like you and I. d)It doesn't have a happy ending, or the cliched idea that everything will work out in the end. Sad stories seem to of been translated in almost everyother art form, froms songs, to literature, to plays and artwork. Yet these ideas have never penetrated there way into magic. Maybe this is oner of the reasons, magic is so often not recognised as art,(i'm not going to be drawn into the magic as art debate, as I'm a bit of both, have fun but mix in some artistic, emotional pieces). My routine idea so far goes a bit like this, I have not really looked into methods, but hope a lot of this will be possible. I will talk about me, as Joe Bloggs as opposed to magician, as the charchter is not a magician. Ok Joe Bloggs enters, in smart suit, expensive shoes, watch etc. The stage isd eccentrily decorated with extravagent expensive looking props i.e. expensive sofa, mirrors, a chandelier hangs from the ceiling, Joe Bloggs, starts to produce money, coins and notes, he is fling his money around as if there is not tomorrow, as he puts into a bag/ briefcase/box. However unknown to Joe, the box has a hole in it, and the audience can see the money slowly trickling away. We then see some of his expenditure, as he produces excessive quantities of food, and drinks. But then he reaches into his money container, and finds it empty, wee see him producing more things, but his lifestyle soon diminshes, toward the end he is producing food wrappers and empty glasses. (Now here the hard part, at some point I would love to change some of the big props into things on the street i.e. couch into a park bench, a champagne bin into a trash can, and at somepoint the chandelier to fall from the ceiling and crah down, Leaving just a single light. During all of the above, I would love for a gradual costume change to occur, a slow deteriation to occur, until he is left in tattered jeans, a cut up t shirt, and his original jacket. And for the finale, I would love to have the single light to begin flickering(running out of electricity) and as this is happening the jacket is removed, changed into a tattered blanket, which he lies down under before the light finally gives out completely. So what do you think? Please don't steal, I would love to hear ideas for methods but apprecite those should go in a different forum so if your willing to discuss methods, please PM me. Anyone got anyother suggestions. For those of you interested, I have been saving up for a long time to design this act and have been getting a lot of work, so should be able to spend about £1500-2000 on it that equates to about $2800-3700. I am only 17, hence that budget. Yours Faithfully Nick If anyone actually made it to the bottom of this post, thank you very much, for the time you spared reading what is, a bit of a beast of a post. Thanks once again Nick |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Your response to his post doesn't mean much without his post. Could you copy it and paste it over here or post a link to it?
The basic premise sounds very depressing to me, unless at the end, you have him restored to his original state.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
Nick Wait Inner circle Lichfield, UK 1042 Posts |
I appreciate it is a bit depressing, believe none of my other magc is like this, I am not heavyily into the whole magic is art debate, although I fell it certainly is artistic, the art of magic should not itself detracct from the overall myseterfying nature of magic. Anyways, back to my post, in every other art form, we are allowed to experience many emotions, happy, laughter, sadness, fear. However so far in magic we have never ever been allowed to feel sad, weird considering some of the vicous acts we are performing. There are sad songs, plays, and films, so why is it that this should not translate to magic? Just some thought form people to ponder. It maybe that do so, would mean we would have to eradicate peoples perception sof magic, so they appreciate that this they may fell certain emotions.
This routine in my opinion, very much like a song, is written as a descriptive piece of events, real life event, and is as such sad. SDuccseful people have ended up on the street. This is just my representaion of that story. (The routine was actually inspired by the Willy Mason Song "Hard hand to hold" Nick p.s. will paste previous reply in a while. |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
It's not a matter of whether or not magic is art. It's a matter of how you want your audience to feel. Should you leave them on such a low note?
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
Nick Wait Inner circle Lichfield, UK 1042 Posts |
Quick idea.
Begin with the tramp pushing a shopping cart. He makes his way to a park bench. He sorts thru the cart finding only trash. Somehow have him recall a better past. Perhaps reading a known financial newspaper he has. This is what Jaz wrote: The lights dim and he's tired. Have him pray or make a wish. Have him use the newspaper as a blanket. When he wakes up he's now a well dressed fellow. The trash is now transformed into things of value. Nice hat, a cane or whatever. Maybe the card can change simply by turning it around and showing the other side has the words "Rolls Royce" and the emblem on it. He leaves the stage a changed man. |
Nick Wait Inner circle Lichfield, UK 1042 Posts |
Bill, your comments are welocomed, and duly noted, I imagine this is something that would be performed in my one man show, and would occus, just into the second half. And although there may be temporary sadness, this could be overcome, with in the remainder of the show.
Nick |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
If you can get out of it with something bright, it would be very effective.
Sometime watch the movie Life Stinks! A young friend of mine who was captivated with the movies that came out during the 1930's and all of the nostalgia that was connected with that time period worked out an act he called "Depression Magic," not realizing that people would be more likely to associate the term "depression" with the disease than the time period.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-07-09 12:26, walsall wrote: I like that. I'm not qualified to speak on feasibility, but you've got some interesting effects described here. I like the concept. Good luck. |
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