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Mike Walton Special user Chicago 984 Posts |
Just picked up the Dragon Thread DVD and see it to be a nice non-card addition to my sets if I can get an interesting and engaging presentation. See it as being a middle piece for those I've met on previous occasions. Kudos to Mike Wong and all of the orignal thread magic originators before him. But I'm struggling with the framing and presentation of the effect, what the thread can be, or why anyone would care. I'm struggling to also find a intro hook to grab attention. I think this effect needs very engaging, fresh and interesting framing otherwise it may fall flat.
THE GENERAL EFFECT You remove a piece of thread (embroidery thread) from a small tin, wind it on your fingers and break it several times. You place the ripped thread in the spectator's hands, then show your hands to be empty. You pick up the thread and with a little movement between your fingers, you grab one end and it restores. You can then repeat immediately. I was thinking of storing the thread in a metal mint can (you see them at most grocery stores/Targets in the aisles but the name escapes me) that I'll custom paint it to match the presentation, framing and/or story. And the thread can be any color thanks to Joanne's fabrics or anything sewing shop. I'll work on this over the next couple of weeks or months of it takes that long. BRAINSTORMING FRAMEWORK I would love to get others feedback, thoughts, etc. even if you don't currently do this effect. Reis O'Brien is a master brainstormer but is no longer in Chicago. Would love your ideas. Here are the questions for brainstorming direction: 1. What is the thread? What does it represent or what is it? 2. What stories make the thread interesting, magicial, significant, and/or engaging to a spectator? 3. Why is it broken and then why is it healed as related to the questions above? You don't have to answer all of the questions if you have ideas and at this point, no ideas are bad ideas as I've worked with others when two ideas when added together provide the solution. I'm struggling at Question 1, so any thoughts would be appreciated. If you've added your thoughts or interested in this effect and would like to know some of the final ideas I came up with, then PM me after a couple months. Would love to share. Thanks as always, Mike |
Reis O'Brien Inner circle Seattle, WA 2467 Posts |
Well, well, well... I seem to have been sucked back into the Magic Café! LOL! Apparently I have a radar system for compliments and my sensors just went off.
The initial idea that comes to mind would be a story involving a magician from ancient China (you could call him a wizard, sorcerer, whatever), who kept blowing up his clothes (not to mention his eyebrows) during his magical experients. He couldn't get anything done! One minute he's almost finished with the greatest illusion of his life and then BOOM! Char-broiled robes. Until one day his assistant came to him and said, "Honorable Magic Master (tee-hee), I have made this for you so that you may make your wizard's robes from it." And the assistant holds out a simple thread... but (as you will demontrate) it is an indestructable thread that can be destroyed, but always made whole again. This is a rough idea for a story, strictly for context. This story could be made to be funny or serious, depending on the mood of the situation. I've always liked blowing on the thread as if that is what makes it reconnect and would be cool if the spec gets to blow on it. Just a thought. I once toyed around (in my head) with a story about how the thread represents our soul's connection to the realm of the living. A single gossamer line, like a spider's web, that connects us to the worlds beyond death. And when it is severed (rip!), we are severed from this life. And then go into the routine of putting the thread back together with some sort of bizarre story of being brought back to life. This borders on creepy but could also be played as a Halloween frankensteinish type thing. Now that I think about it, perhaps not the best story for a kid in a hospital. I say go with the clumsy wizard. By the way, he doesn't have to be Chinese. He could be from Jersey... but China is exotic and I think I steered towards that from the thread sometimes being called "dragon thread". Oh! Here's another idea! What if the thread was tied around a forgetful magician's finger to help him remember something, but then it broke, so he always forgot anyway. Until his wife got sick of him missing dinner or whatever and she gave him "memory thread" that will heal itself if broken! Ugh... I'm sleepy. I'll think more on it later. Man... it feels good to be back in the Café... |
Mike Walton Special user Chicago 984 Posts |
AWESOME BRAINSTORMIN'
Diggin' it. I've come up with two premises, the first being perfect for a Halloween party and the second, twisted, yet ideal if you want to start your own religious sect. Knowing Café members, I'll have to keep the second one to myself. I'm conditioning an altoids gum tin, knocking the letters out of the top and using some paint to antique the tin. From this tin, you remove a golden thread and explain that there once was an orphanage in Chicago that was set aflame by the great Chicago fire. It was a terribly sad event. No one survived the fire, except the doll of one girl they never found. The firemen found this plastic doll sitting by itself, with its eyes opened, not singed by the terrible fire nor darkened by smoke. It was the only object that survived the fire and was completely untouched by the flames, which ran throughout the building. One of the firemen passed it onto a friend who passed it onto another friend who was a magician and found out the doll to have amazing properties. It couldn't be harmed. This piece of golden string is one of the hairs from the doll (which after being removed, quickly grew back) and if you take it and tear it into pieces... Again, more halloween party but with some polished language, it could be a solid piece. Not good for the hospital though. Nice pic Firedice. |
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