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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The Good News! » » Staff to snake (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

MagicBrent
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What would you think if you took a garter snake or even a rubber one and used it in conjunction with Fantasio's disappearing and appearing wand and going from a staff to snake and vice versa. If you're familiar with the appearing cane, I think you could hold the snake by the tail where you pinch the release...sound plausible? Smile
Payne
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I'd only do this with a rubber snake, as I don't think a real one would survive the ordeal and it is always a bad idea to produce dead animal in ones act. They make a wooden snake that is fashioned in such a way as to look quite life like and one probably would fit in a Fantasio cane.

However, I don't quite envision Pharoh' smystical advisors walking about Egypt with parade canes.

I read once somewhere that this was originally done with a certain breed of snake that would become ridgid if pressure was applied to a certain spot behind its head, but, I have my doubts. I also have heard that if you give a snake a cold bath it will become staff like as well, but that it is really bad for the snake as well.

I'd seriously consider a faux snake for this
effect.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
BroDavid
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Live snakes don't seem like a good idea to me - risk of injury to you and the snake, plus I don't think they are very trainable amd might be uncooperative. Smile

However I don't think a rubber snake large enough to be highly visible would be small enough to work well with the Fantasio cane.

But if you want something that might be less realistic, but equally symbolic, I have an idea that would probably work, I have a Snake silk streamer that is about 3 feet long and 4-5 inches wide, is silk screened with a great Face, green scales on body etc. It is small enough to be vanished into a vernet, (Which I would not have believed because it looks so much bigger) and could be used in the same way as silk-to-cane, or produced by your favorite method in conjunction with a disappering cane.

The silk plays big and is very visible. A Pastor friend of mine who ocassionally posts here, DanMagi has a couple of them and uses them in his Kid shows to great effect.

I think Duane Laflin manufactures and/or carries them, I bought mine from a local shop and they are closed for a couple of weeks so I can't see who makes it for sure. As I recall I paid about $10.00-$12.00 for it, which seems a bit pricey for the size, but the screening is great.

BroDavid
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.
Jeb Sherrill
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Brent,
It just might work with a metal cane, but Bro is right, it would be tough to get it into a Fantasio.

Payne,
Yet, that's the way it worked. I've considered tracking one of those snakes down, just to do it at a magic convention.

Bro,
Good idea. I have one of those snake streamers as well, but never thought of that use. Combine it with water turned to blood and an appearing frog and you could do the whole Exodus act. Smile

Sable
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I don't believe in reincarnation, but I may have in another life.
KingStardog
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It's doubtful that anyone would think this was real, or even a good illusion.

I had kicked the idea around before, of using silk tubes, weighted on the ends for the staffs (rubber snakes inside) and a pull with a very long reach to pull them up and make them disappear. For the final phase a giant tube (like a Chinese dragon costume only about 8" thick) Moses bends down on one knee (robe cover) while putting his staff down to the ground. From behind the knee and in front of the staff the giant snake grows
outward via offstage string pulling. From the other end of the snake a string connected to each of the small snakes pulls them into the large snake as they near the head of the large snake. The large snake's head could tip up a bit to look like it is gulping the others down as they go inside.

This would give the visual illusion that:
1. The small staffs changed to snakes.
2. Moses's staff changed into a much larger snake and ate the smaller ones.

This isn't realy a bit of illusion as much as making theater props to get the point across.

It would be an excellent illistration though. I had wanted to put the whole thing together as a package, but lack of money to develop the Idea stopped me.

Feel free to use any or all in any way you see fit, in getting your message across.

SDG
...think not that all wisdom is in your school. You may have studied other paths,but, it is important to remember that no matter who you are or where you come from, there is always more to learn.
x-treem
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This idea first appeared in Hero's of the Faith by Pastor Herb Brail.

He used both the disappearing cane to green streamer/green streamer to appearing cane via a switch.

It is tied into a routine in which he talks about God using everyone for his work even the handicaped (at that point Moses was stricken by the Devil and stuttered profusely). I've used the idea with some degree of success.

The only thing I did not agree with in Pastor Brail's routine is that he made Moses into a Porky Pig like comedy character.
A direct from text adaptation : The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Starring Mickey Rooney in his final role.
Margarette
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Actually, I did this once. The church's drama team was wanting to use an effect like this, so, they bought the fantasio disappearing cane, and a rubber snake. I showed the person who would be using the effect how to do it. It didn't matter that they were aware that the snake wasn't real...the fact that the cane changed to a snake was all that mattered. The key was to get a snake that was long enough, but not too big in diameter so it would fit inside the cane as it was fully extended.

Just my two cents...take it as you want.

Margarette
The only stupid question is the one not asked.
MagicBrent
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Thank you all for all your thoughts. I appreciate them. Smile
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