I learnt to do a few hand shadows when I initially started learning magic. But I have not concentrated on it for a long time. The light source I had used at that time was a flimsy home-made light projector with a lens, bulb and aluminium casing. It did not have a stand and used to get hot pretty quickly. I had picked it up from a magician friend of mine. A review, in Feb 08 MUM, of Raymond Crowe's A Wonderful World of Hand Shadows sparked my interest in hand shadows again. Later I came across videos of Raymond Crowe, Hans Davis and others on youtube. These acts use what appears to be a professionally made light projector. Can anyone tell me where I can purchase a light projector like that to use for a hand shadow act, please? Or do I need to buy some projector and modify it? Suggestions / Advice are welcome?

I don't know whether I have posted this in the right area. I couldn't find any category for hand shadows per se.

Sanjay

Staples or Home Depot have Overhead Projectors that are good for this purpose. They can be useful to the resourceful magician in many other ways as well, such as adding colors to your shadows and doing chalk talk type drawings (using transparencies and special erasable pens also sold in the same stores).

Also see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k43xQ7VfmTQ for inspiration.

Use a quartz light source for movie (8mm old timers) lights. Or use a slide projector.

Set the distance of the light from the screeen using a piece of string. An old photographer's trick that allows you to set the light the same distance every time.

Richard

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?t=pa......&site=us

This might be worth a try. It's cheap and battery operated / Portable.
It's a kids Viewmaster Projector.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Sanjay