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michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
Hello fellow magicians. Ive been in magic off and on for 13 years or so, and have presented stage shows I my past. I would like to get back into stage magic. A talent show is coming up and I wish to do a large scale illusion. My problem lies in the fact that I must do it in a school gymnasium. I hoped that the minds of the Café could help me out. I would like to do a... magician is locked in a box, box falls apart, magician is in audience... type trick. Something like Joseph Gabriel's "Mistake of Righteousness", only I will not become a helper, just end up in the audience.
Attached is a diagram of our school gymnasium. I realize that the trick is very angle sensitive. I could have the people running the show have the kids sit in only certain places. I would like to have a trick that seems to be an ordinary metamorphisis, I do have an assistant that is helping me. This is what I have so far. -Auduence locks me up -Assistant helps me into the box -box locked -box falls apart, maybe a fire poof shoots out when it does fall apart. -I'm blowing a whistle in the audience I would also like to make it a dangerous escape, mabe a set of knives that is hooked up to a clock and after 30 seconds the knives fall on me. Well, that's it. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike. Click here to view attached image. |
michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
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mvmagic Inner circle Has written 1322 Posts |
Well...there is many ways to achieve this...
But...and I don't want to sound harsh...your first posts here are basically "help me design an illusion". If you can't come up with all you need based on your experience, then the effect is not for you or you'd need to hire a consultant. A lot of us can offer pointers, but this is not a turn-key service here. Hope you understand my point.
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michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
I apologize for my post. It was directed more as a "I need a helping hand from experienced illusionists". I have done illusions before, but nothing to this extent. Ive mainly worked with strait stage magic and sleight of hand. It is such a short period that I have to do this, I was just hoping I could just get a little help to start me out. I am sorry if I offended anyone here with my question.
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mvmagic Inner circle Has written 1322 Posts |
I don't think anyone would be downright offended, but a lot of us who have been here for quite a few years are a bit wary on topics like this, especially from a brand new poster.
You might want to look into DeKolta sneak. Takes planning and coordination, but is a very good method in the right place and is very light on hardware.
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michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
Welll, I am not looking for hand outs, I assure you. Just tips on the best way to do the illusion. Thank you very much for the tip MV.
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mvmagic Inner circle Has written 1322 Posts |
You're most welcome. Looking at the floor plan, I think it'd be a viable option.
Just remember there is a lot of things that all must come together to make the illusion work well, most important being timing. Not just the timing of the get-away, which is important naturally, but the perceived timing. You need an x amount of time between the get-away and re-appearence and you should make that time appear impossibly short. So the illusion is not just you re-appearing, but you need to create an illusion you are still there when you are allready gone-you need to sell that to the audience and you need to sell it well.
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michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
Where would I go about looking into that technique?
I looked it up and saw that it was in a geni magazine, but is it illistrated elsewhere? |
mvmagic Inner circle Has written 1322 Posts |
Its in books...I am just nowhere near my bookcase so I could check. Maybe somebody will chime in...Chezaday you there..?
Whats your timeframe? How soon is the show?
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michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
It is sometime the end of next month. I am an extremely fast builder,the building is no problem, its just the actual secret that I need help with.
Ill post a picture of what I want the actual box to look like. |
michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
The box will be a breakaway box like Franz Harary has frequently used. Hopefully with a burst of sparks or fire(to add some comedy). The exit of the box will have to be like the metamorphosis box or something like that.
Click here to view attached image. |
mvmagic Inner circle Has written 1322 Posts |
Whereabouts in the world are you? Fire and sparks might be a problem as far as lisences and such go...
To pull it off well, I don't think you have the time. End of next month is very close. You don't have a method yet. You need to build the props. You need rehearsals ( a LOT of them!), sightline blocking and so on. There is so many variables here that you might end up shooting yourself in the leg.
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afun14u Loyal user Tennessee 249 Posts |
And to back up what mvmagic is putting in the Knives and Swords of somesort are considered weapons on school grounds and might not be looked upon very well by the teachers, staff, etc...just thinking out loud here.
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michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
I'm in North Dakota. I will have plenty of rehearsals. The gymnasium is open daily, and empty. As to the sparks, I think it would be too much. As for the knives, I will talk that over with the school administration. As for the props, I just need the clock, and the illusion will be done. All I am needing is a way to get out of my secret door of the box, secretly.
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ERIC Inner circle New Jersey 1188 Posts |
Look to Bev Bergeron in the Linking Ring. Awhile back he did a rather interesting article that would answer all your questions.
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michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
I really appreciate all of your help. Any other suggestions anyone?
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Grandillusionsmagic Loyal user 270 Posts |
Some things you need
you need it all planed out before building the props, so you need to know the exact getaway, the clock the spikes the general scripting.... when I was in my high school assembly I couldn't use knives swords spears... I ended up having to weld a frame that could hold a bunch of weight, I had to escape before the weight drop. I ended up welding a table frame and the hanging mechanism then "filling in" with wood. the end result was that I got chained to the table, neck, waist, hands and feet. then a box was put around me, my hands in view the whole time... then the clock was set, I would work on escaping I would get my hands free, work on the neck, waist... as I got the locks picked I threw them and the chain out... well I got to the waist locks, threw them out and ran out of time (AKA I faild when the time ran out, a large weight fell about 6 feet, it shattered the box and went through the center of the table. then after the audience reacted I made my appearance (3-5 seconds...) it got a great reaction, I am thinking of pulling the parts out and re-build it hmmmm,,, well I digress. I had to put the whole prop on casters so it could be rolled out, it had to include large resting pads, that could be set after it was in place, it had to disperse the force so it didn't hurt the floor, I had to have several safety features build in, and I had to go over it with the school assistant principal (not the secrets, just the design to protect the gym floor and the safety protocol... then I had a month of rehearsal with the entire crew, we then spent the week before we rehearsed on site, I even had to do a rehearsal with the assistant principal there to watch, if they were unsure they could nix it... well when it was all said and done it went really well, but I had spent over a year planning then a few months welding and building... my point to this I applaud your ideas, but I think you don't realize everything that you have to do, what you can/can't do to pull it off. remember if nothing is happening (movement in or around the box) why would they believe you are there. can I suggest you start planning for next year. Jason |
jcmagicman Loyal user 221 Posts |
I second that. Start planning for next year. You don't seem ready to pull this off correctly.
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ERIC Inner circle New Jersey 1188 Posts |
Bev Bergeron in the Linking Ring. Bev Bergeron in the Linking Ring. Bev Bergeron in the Linking Ring. Bev Bergeron in the Linking Ring. Bev Bergeron in the Linking Ring. Bev Bergeron in the Linking Ring.
Get the idea? One days research and you will see that YOU CAN do this IN TIME for very little amount of money. Yuo don't need knives or blades, weights or anything along those lines. Bev used to do this all over the place and in many seemingly different ways, nut the method was always the same. Bev is such a nice guy, you could probably reach out to him and he would help you. bev@bergeron.com |
michaelsamp New user 10 Posts |
Thank you guys for all of your help. You have really opened my eyes to how this should be done.
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