I would like to know if anyone has experience with the production (magical) of medium sized live stock such as a small goat or similar sized animal. I need a recommendation for the kind of production box to use (or other production apparatus) that might be suitable and where I might find it. The apparatus will need to be fairly easy to transport (trunk of a car) and should not depend on the help of stage hands. Although not made for productions, I have a Sack X which might be useable with the right routining. One other possibility that I've seen is a cardboard box inside of a cardboard box routine such as used in Tony Hassini's Magical Illusions video. Thanks for any leads or ideas you can give me.

A tip over box would probably be one of your easist ways of producing a small goat or similar sized animal. The box could be constructed to break down and therefore fit into the trunk of your car. Just a question though, if you don't have the room to transport the illusion, how are you going to transport the goat?

All the best,

Rob

I hope the goat knows when to keep his bleeping mouth shut. Otherwise, you need a sound-proof illusion as well.

Goat magic...I could make millions cornering the market on that...hmmm.

Bry1513,

You might actually be missing out on a great market. Not all shows are for the urban or corporate market.

We are a service provider (performers/entertainment) for a society of agricultural fairs that has over 300 agricultural fairs and exihibitions in our area alone between the months of April and October.

We live in the country ourselves and have been seriously thinking about investing in either a goat or minature horse and an illusion to produce it. With that type of 'hook' (the magic act that produces farm animals at the farmer's fair) we could book many of these shows and make quite a bit of money. We are just trying to decide if we really want to look after any more live stock than the doves, rabbits and dogs we already use in the show.

All the best,

Rob

PVC Pipe cage built large enough to surround the animal. PVC pipe (cardboard or thin wood) tube fits over the cage. BA tube of PVC pipe fake bars fits inside cage to conceal animal. Perform as with Square Circle.

Good idea, Spellbinder. It's like my Square Square (PVC Book 2) with a cage for the inner square, and the whole thing made in a rectangular shape for a goat. But I would handle it differently. Instead of using the typical Square Circle handling, when producing the goat, I would lift up both the outer tube and the BA tube to reveal the goat inside the cage.

Invisible goat harness?

The harness is a good idea, but you're going to have trouble shoving the goat up your sleeve. Maybe it would fit better down your pants, if you have a size 60 waist.

Thanks guys for the input. I'm a magic dealer in Guam and have a customer that would like to do something a "little" different for the Japanese tourists. He's not computer literate, so I'm helping him out. I asked him the same question about handling the goat regarding noise etc. He said that if you raise the goat from infancy it can be trained to behave. He is from a circus background so I am taking his word for it. A goat the size we are thinking of would transport in a car like a medium sized (or somewhat bigger) dog. I don't expect the goat to hang it's head out the window though. A cage in the back of a pickup truck would also work well. Guam is a relatively small island so traveling time is not a big concern. If none of this works it could mean BarBQ time (just joking).

At this point in time I am looking for apparatus that is already constructed and a place that sells it. I will PM Spellbinder for particulars on where to get the plans for his suggestion.

I'm familiar with a Flip Over Box, but that is for rabbit sized livestock. Does a Tip Over Box (as suggested by RJE)work on the same prinicple, but without having to lift it off the ground? Once we get through this one, water buffalo is next.
Thanks again, you have been very helpful.

Sweiss,

The Tip Over Box can produce one or two people, so a goat shouldn't be a problem.

Here's a link to two of them currently available on the Magic Auction (I have no connection to these and do not know the persons selling them).

http://www.magicauction.com/Mag_auc/illusion.htm

All the best,

Rob

This is for tourists, right? Is it performed out on the street or in a club (surrounded) or on a stage (not surrounded)? These factors all make a difference in offering suggestions.

For example, for the street, the best production might be for him to remove his jacket hold it out in front of him at ground level and have the goat simply appear when he waves away the jacket and puts it on again. No fuss, no nonsense. Sleight of goat.

For a club, you might want a little child's wagon with a PVC pipe cage on it. Cover the cage with a cloth, whip it away and the goat is inside. Very easy and inexpensive to build.

For the stage, you might want to follow Spellbinder's suggestion or use a tip-over trunk. The Square Square can be done surrounded, but needs a bit more space. The tip-over trunk cannot be done surrounded unles you opt for the most expensive double trunk version.

If it is on stage, the Blackstone method works well.

Richard

The performance will be done in an area between the hotel pool and the poolside bar. I haven't seen the location yet myself so I can not give any more details. Your street magic goat production (sleight of goat) suggestion might be the way to go depending on what's involved. Where can I get the insturctions & props for this type of illusion? Is it a more or less standard method of production or will it need to be custom made?

Are you SURE you really want to produce a live goat in that setting? Sure it CAN be done; the question is, SHOULD it be done?

Maybe the customer is not always right!! He's already done a duck production with the Duck Bucket, perhaps a goat production is just his way of pushing the envelope. If the goat idea ever happens, we will see soon enough how good an idea it is for that location. Could even turn into a comedy routine... The Tip Over Box might be presented as a "time machine" which will go back in time to retrieve the vanished assistant, but alas the assistant is returned as a "kid". Oops, over did the time machine a little.

What can I say, I'm just a magic dealer.

I would use a special goat holding jacket (assuming it's a very small goat)with automatic release, but the method Chinese magicians used to use for producing stacks of goldfish bowls could also work for "getting your goat." That's probably the way Spellbinder would do it, since he wears Wizard robes to work.

Jim,
Thanks for the additional insight about a possible "goat" holding jacket. I will run it by my customer to see what he thinks. We may need to stick with production boxes though since he is not very tall and of slim build plus he normally performs in a close fitting tuxedo. Not much room to hide a large body load unless he starts wearing a cape. Know any production cape manufacturers?

I downloaded your information about the PVC illusions and he is now looking them over.

Have him try wearing a regular cape- even a Halloween Dracula cape will do for this test. Then he needs to be able to remove his tuxedo jacket, while leaving the cape in place, and bring the jacket around to the front of him, lowering it to the ground (inside lining facing the audience). If he can do that, then Jim's jacket load might work IF the goat is small enough. The cape will also help him do it close-up and surrounded.