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Jay Are Inner circle 4186 Posts |
This is a bare bones presentation for an effect from a project I have been working on for the last few years.
The project in my opinion is the ultimate experience for spectators... I won't get into the details, but -- If you have met me, or talked with my privately -- chances are I have mentionsed tis to you... PM me if you want to discuss this further, it stems from my love for seance work, and immersive theater... This is a small bit -- and the plot is not finalized. The effect as detailed has been performed. I try not to embelish! ;-) ( the effect is performed at the beggining of a seance...) The sitters take their seats, and a few objects are placed on the table... A small wooden box, old and worn. A pair of leather gloves... A photo showing an older woman with a sweet look on her face... A photo of a burned down farm house... Another small wooden box containing a device which Edison said would facilitate communication between the living and the dead... (Please note that all items are able to be freely handled by the sitters at any point durring the seance...) "This is the story of Mia wood... (Bare bones verson for the forum...) Mia was an elderly woman, who had grown local acclaim for her ability to read people's cards with eerie accuracy. One evening in december a man from the local town comes to mia with questions about his wife... she reads his cards... the outlook is not good... His wife has ben ill for some time, and will soon pass... He returns home, and days later -- his wife dies... He visits mia again -- this time with rage, and bad intentions... "WITCH" The man is convinced that Mia hexxed his wife -- causing her death... Tragically -- he strangles Mia -- and Burns her house to the ground... "Tonight, using these items -- we will attempt to contact the spirit of Mia Wood..." A diary she kept is introduced... As well as a deck of tarot she used for readings... The sitter is asked to shuffle the deck, and place the cards infront on them... "Please open the book -- and find your birthday, reading the passage aloud..." "November 23rd, A child born on this day will be determined and venturesome, even to the verge of recklessness. They are so positive in opinion that when they know a thing to be right, it is impossible to move them. People will accuse them of being stubborn. They will be just, honest, and exacting. They are governed by Principle..." A candle is lit... Mia -- if you are here with us tonight -- show us... The cards on the tabel in front of the sitter begin to move -- slowly, one card moved from the deck and onto the table... The card is turned over... It is the card depicting "Principle"... "Let us begin our journey..." Thoughts? I C Y
xxx
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Jay Are Inner circle 4186 Posts |
Feedback anyone?
xxx
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fishwasher Inner circle B'ham uk 1231 Posts |
Nice! the effect sounds spooky,the outline of the story sounds good.
I like it! |
Jay Are Inner circle 4186 Posts |
Thank you!
I was hoping for some of the old Café members to jump on and give me some feedback! Come on guys!
xxx
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Harlequin Special user Melbourne, Australia 686 Posts |
Part of the story reminds me of a movie from a few years back. It's good that you make it personal for the spectator by using their birthday to reveal the info about the card that then appears.
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Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
Yes, I agree about the birthday making the thing personal -- something I think brings the routine home to the spectator. After all, we are all more interested in ourselves than in anything else. This alone makes the routine a memorable one for the spectator.
I find I can't decide whether the thing would be more effective by simply having the card chosen or if the moving cards contributes to the overall effect. My mind isn't functioning at peak condition at the moment (the reason known only to Icy Rabbit and myself), but I think the moving cards are appropriate and are sufficiently mysterious to overcome the possible suggestion that the selection is contrived. You might try it both ways and see which is more effective. I like it, and I would love to know where it goes from here.
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
sinnead zenun Elite user Mt. Makiling 408 Posts |
I agree with bill ligon, about the revelation of the card...
maybe the card can be chosen before the volunteer open the diary and reveal that it matches the prediction. the principle of less is more... but then it is more visual to see the card moved at the initial of the seance or it is anti climax because you have already contacted mia wood before using the machine? another suggestion... maybe the card turnover to reveal itself rather than moving. |
ptbeast Special user Oregon 831 Posts |
I don't know that the card moving is too much, but I wonder if it is too early? It is hard to tell, since you only gave us a very rough sketch of what you plan to do. My concern is that having a manifestation that is that strong so near the beginning can, as Sinnead suggested, can make effects to follow anti-climactic. If this is a relatively short seance, and you plan to move directly from there into spirit communication via Ghost in the Machine, I think it is fine, but if there is much more to be done in the early stages of the seance I would recommend building up more slowly to this effect and using it as proof of the spirits presence directly before moving into the spirit communication portion.
It will also depend on what kind of seance that you want to provide. You will hear many say that "less is more" in seance entertainment. I don't think that is always true (consider Manifestations or The Houdini Seance at the Magic Castle have/had very dramatic manifestations) but you need to decide if you are tyring to produce a subtle, believable seance or a more Hollywood type experience with more over the top effects. I enjoy performing both types of seances, and my favorites are probably somewhere in between. Okay, enough rambling from me, but I think you are off to a good start with what could be a very strong piece of entertainment. Dave |
Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
Yes, I agree, Dave. Maybe that is what I was trying to formulate in my (then, not permanently) alcohol-soaked brain.
Bill
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
kaytracy Inner circle Central California 1793 Posts |
What happened to that post from Blackhart? it was a good one and I thought had some excellent advice.
k
Kay and Tory
www.Bizarremagick.com |
Jay Are Inner circle 4186 Posts |
This routine would occur at the beggining of the seance, before we have a "conversation with mia" via the gost in the machine. This conversation will help to not only uncover information about mia and tell her story, but it will also include information being revealed about one of the specs in a very spooky manner...
My seance will fall into that "in between" segmanet that dave talked about. This effect takes place... contact is made... A small coin placed on the table under a glass moves from within the circle that was drawn around it... At one point I take a picture with a specs camera phone, and mia reveals herself... we end up -- in a very interesting turn also contact David Allen... The man who murdered Mia... A little more info on the project... Next year I will be taking a home in my city -- and converting it into the ultimate piece of immersive theater. I am not talking about a theatrical haunt in the typical sense... have been working on the project for the last few years studying what it is that makes people afraid. Speaking with people who have experienced actual hauntings, gathering their input. What I will be creating is an evening where people are set to experience a "real haunting". The sitters come into the house -- there is a tour of the home, all along the way different experiences take place for the guests -- some of which only one or two of them might experience... The evening closes with the seance...
xxx
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Gede Nibo Inner circle 2447 Posts |
WONDERFUL, of course....
now I may have missed something, BUT imagine what we could do if we obtain the b-day ahead o' time.... |
Jerome Finley V.I.P. SLC 3419 Posts |
Personally, I feel the movement is a bit much, and just the card with b-date are more than enough in this case.
The most effective seances I have seen are ones in which NOTHING happened most of the time! Every 3rd or 4th Seance, something dramatic would take place, and people would line up for weeks to come, all hoping that they would be present at one such manifestation. Just when they were about to lose interest, WHAM!, something takes places to fuel their curiosity and searching. Just food for thought, I love the story by the way. Regards, J. I'm with Baba, get that B-Date beforehand if possible!
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