I'm starting early this year but what I'm needing some help with is getting a 5-8 minute Halloween act, I haven't done a whole lot of it before because I didn't really know where to start, I've done a couple things that could be somewhat considered Haunted/Halloween Magic, like The Thing by Bill Abbott, and Static by David Jade, and Haunting by Tony Chris, and Hampton Falls by Tony Chris, but I'm looking for something that could be considered a full blown haunted routine, I want to have at least 2 routines, I've already got one which is Voodoo by Richard Osterlind from his No Camera Tricks DVD Set, but I'd like to have something else just in case somebody has something similar to that one. Hope to hear from somebody soon.

Sincerely,

Matthew

Wow, your all over the place. So what is your venue? How many people?

I find the trick to Spooky magic is small groups, in an private setting. Realism is king in the bizarre world, if you want your participants to have a truley frighting experiance. Otherwise you end up with something campy that boarders on bad "B" comedy.

So that means 90% talk and 10% magic, and of that 10% you don't even want them to know your doing "magic" at all. Just make sure when you market it to say it is a "paranormal experiance for entertainment purposes only" or something to that affect.

I like floating table by Losander instead of the Thing, Do a Haunted deck with Tarot cards instead - Outlaw Effects has 2 nice looking decks. But you could go on for hours on this trick that trick.

Just make sure to have a good story.

Where are you planning on performing? The venue often dictates the type of effect you can do. Also is it bizarre magic you're looking at doing or magic with a scary angle? It's taken a bit of reading and a lot of listening for me to realise that Halloween magic isn't always the same as bizarre magic.

Although the two often cross paths.

I don't really know much about Voodoo except that it can be used during a seance (according to the ad blurb anyway). Is this how you plan to use it?

Have you looked at From Hell by Lebanon Circle? Or possibly one of the effects from the Season of the Witch collection, also from Lebanon Circle.

These can be given a more traditional "magic trick" feel or a bizarre magick twist depending on the crowd you're looking at performing for.

Full blown in 5-8 minutes? With a bunch of "effects"? That's just time for one, perhaps.

Better to have one really good story.

I think Harley has the solution to your situation: "have one really good story."

Come up with the story first. If you want to make it more effective, include references to your specific location: "You may not realize it, but XX years ago, right in this very room, there was a gruesome death--a murder, some believe--that was never solved. The story is this....... Why do I know so much? Because a few months ago I came upon a strange object that is related to this room and that death. For those of you who might be squeamish, turn away. For those of you who are not afraid of horrible sights or strange sounds in the dark, I want to show you this object. Here is...

Okay. There's a start. If you don't like it, change it.

What is the object?
How does it relate to the room?
What comes next?
How do you involve your audience mentally, emotionally, and even physically?

You have 8 minutes. Think in terms of a short, 3-act play. You have an introduction, rising action, climax, and falling action. Bizarre magic, IMO, is NOT just one bizarre trick after another. Rather, it transports the audience to a universe of alternate possibilities, leaving them with a feeling that everything they know may not be exactly real, and that we are just a breath, a razor slice, a shudder away from some other terrifying reality.

Perhaps there is humor to cut the tension. Perhaps not.

Begin with your story. Add effects that fit the story.

Example: in 2 weeks I'm doing a spook show. When we contact the spooks one message will be "darkness." I'll try to get the "spirits" to do something, but they won't until it's dark. I ask them to send their ectoplasm into a small box. Then I cover it to give darkness, and they appear. Those familiar with "The Thing" (Platinum edition for those who might be interested) will see how I use this.

Let the story line determine your choice of effects.

Indeed, having a good story here is the key. I do a little 10-15 minute table show that guests come and visit during an event. The mini show has three affects but they all link to tell one story.

Thanks for all the replies,

I'm planning on doing this for my IBM Ring at the end of October, it's for the Halloween Competition, the winner usually has something that's more of a story of a box being haunted than anything else, and it's going to be in a small hall.

I think you may need to check Colney Hatch. It's easy to learn, very impressive,and can be short or expanded.

If you do that then get a copy of "So Dark" The preformance manual to go with it. It's worth it.

Thanks again for the help, where can I get either of those things? I don't know too much about this kind of magic.

OUTLAW...LUNA!

Matthew, PM sent.

A good place to start are treasuries of haunted stories, not necessarily effects that are already on the market. Find a REALLY INTERESTING haunted story, and then think about effects that would fit into this story. Harley is, as frickin' usual, correct- one... MAYBE two effects during the course of 8 minutes will be great if the story works.

Barnes & Noble usually carries different haunted story treasuries, you can find them on Amazon also, and if you want a little more connection for you- find ghost stories from either where you live or where your lineage is from. I have several collections of Haunted Ireland tales for this reason. Just something to think about.

Ok thanks Daniel, I'll check out Shadowlands sometime, they have an up to date account of all the haunts around the world and I'm thinking of making a story that centers around an old place and there's this key, the one I'm thinking of buying is this one http://www.paulprater.com/paulpraternew_019.11 and then adapting it to a place around my area to make it more meaningful, I bought Tony Chris' Hampton Falls and tried it out at the yearly IBM Halloween Competition, I made the mistake of wearing the V For Vendetta costume while I was performing the routine, could barely see out of that mask and screwed it up royally, luckily I redeemed myself, but I pretty much lost all my chances of winning the competition so this year I want to redeem myself and do something that will definitely help me win it this time.

I might've found one, it's promising because it's a house that was built in 1896, the only problem is that I've got no idea how to make it into a meaningful story, here's a description of this place:

Built in 1896 and named after the Langham Hotel, Portland Place, London (also haunted). It went through a number of incarnations and during the 1940's it housed quite a number of Japanese Canadian internees. There is a story that one of the little Japanese Canadian children, a 10-year-old girl died while living in the Langham. People have heard footsteps, lights go on and off at odd times, and the sound of a ball bouncing down the stairs has also been heard. This is one of the versions of how she died-chasing her ball down the main staircase. She seems to be a benevolent ghost and not one to be scared of-just a little trickster at times. The Langham now houses various business, artist studios, 2 galleries and a theatre as well as a photographic display and one room reconstructed as living quarters from that time to commemorate the Japanese Canadians who came Kaslo during the Second World War.

Any ideas on what I could do with that key and this place? It wouldn't necessarily be that scary but it'd be a great story to tell of this girl and that part of her soul is trapped inside the key or something like that.

One occasion an elderly lady, who was familiar with this benign entity, became trapped after suffering a stroke. Somehow she got help, ringing the old servants bell, which came to the attention of the postman.
Strangely the room with the bell pull was normally locked, and no one could figure out how she got in.
Later she swore the key turned itself in the lock, and the lady smiled knowing the ghost was protecting her. Everyone thought she was just a little crazy after the stroke. I think sometimes if we care enough to help, then we can move mountains. Or I this case, perhaps, an old iron key? Please everyone think of someone you love; imagine it as a white- gold band surrounding us all in the room. Imagine the colour pulsing as well breath together, slowly, in...out...
(etc)
Keys turns.
Spirit bell rings?
Finish with "Seems help is still at hand from beyond our mundane plane of existence for those that can feel love".


Not particularly my style though; my HK routine involves a child killer, locking in the victims in an abandoned house a la the climax the Blair Witch. I offer the above to prove I can still do "uplifting" :-0

Thanks for the help Doc, course that would mean I'll have to buy Christopher Taylor's Death Toll as well, not exactly a cheap thing to buy but it's probably the best one for this case because it's old enough to be used as a hotel bell from the late 19th Century.

There are low budget Spirit Bells avaialble. Perhaps not as awesome, but think "One Pound Spirit Bell".