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ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
After producing several large silks in a show, do you display them on-stage somehow, lay them across your arm, give them to someone to take away, or something else?
I think an on-stage display would be beautiful, but I can't think of a way to do this without a significant break in the routine. Any suggestions?
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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magicians Inner circle Teacher and Legend 2898 Posts |
The silks set the tone, but large silks can be used to do major productions of birds and other props. A strategic layer over aq chair or on your assistants arms can lead to a startling surprise.
If you choose to use the silks as an on-stage display, then there will be no misdirection for the effects as your focal point. If, on the other hand, the silks are not integral to the next effects then definitely take them away so as not to distract from your next move.
Illusionist, Illusionist consulting, product development, stage consultant, seasoned performer for over 35 years. Specializing in original effects. Highly opinionated, usually correct, and not afraid of jealous critics. I've been a puppet, a pirate, a pawn and a King. Free lance gynecologist.
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Father Photius Grammar Host El Paso, TX (Formerly Amarillo) 17161 Posts |
Ian pretty well says it all. If you want to display you can have easels or chairs or some sort of prop to drap them over, or have an assistant drape them over as you produce them.
For the most part if I don't have an use for them immediately for another trick, they are draped over my arm then taken off stage .
"Now here's the man with the 25 cent hands, that two bit magician..."
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ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-24 14:14, Father Photius wrote: That's Southern for "drop"...
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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chmara Inner circle Tucson, AZ 1911 Posts |
My thinking is a little different on the subject. But you need to be careful with the concept I am suggesting to avoid clutter and distraction.
Too many magicians -- myself included -- have produced silks, used them for cover or flash and quickly ditched them. But consider the intrinsic value and color of silk -- and how a child becomes disappointed when you snatch a bright toy away from them. Displaying produced silks -- and carefully keeping them in views adds to the color and proof of the magic of materialization for alonger period. If the silks are "static" and still they fade quickly as "background." I have always wondered why a magician would spend $500 or so in good 6' silks and then banish them from view. So when doing my Asian silks turn - I used Abbott's Jet Sets to stretch and display -- and allowed the material in front of them to demand focus on me rather than the background. Flowers, silks and "flash act" color props need time to allow the audience to appreciate the color and flow. That takes a lot more work than just a trick or cover production sequence. It should make sense to the audience, not just as a tool for the magician. So -- do not be to quick to dump big silks out of view. Spend some effort in figuring how to impress the audience rather than snatching away the colorful toy from a toddler.
Gregg (C. H. Mara) Chmara
Commercial Operations, LLC Tucson, AZ C. H. Mara Illusion & Psychic Entertainments |
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magicians Inner circle Teacher and Legend 2898 Posts |
I watched on older magician in Tampa "display" every silk he produced, AND even named them as he produced them, as if he was showing off his museum pieces (which they were. Of course, talk about displaying silks, there is always Dave Cresey (messy Cressey) who produced the most beautiful Silk King studio silks in every conceivable size and color and chucked them on the ground or over his shoulder as he produced them.
Illusionist, Illusionist consulting, product development, stage consultant, seasoned performer for over 35 years. Specializing in original effects. Highly opinionated, usually correct, and not afraid of jealous critics. I've been a puppet, a pirate, a pawn and a King. Free lance gynecologist.
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Levity Elite user 447 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-24 16:26, chmara wrote: Well said, sir. I think an audience also responds to the elegance of silks, and you can't hasten elegance imho. Geoffrey
"I suggest you watch very carefully..."
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Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
Here is a link of Fantasio doing a silk act on the1965 Ed Sullivan show. Here you see him use some of Rice’s inventory of silk. Interesting he magically produces the parasols that will later be used to hold his silks. Yet he still drops his streamer on the floor.
His final production is a Rice six footer turned into a huge back drop using four other, same pattern 36-inch silks all sewn into maybe an 18 to 20 foot back drop. This was a put together act for a repeat performance on the show. It is most interesting in that it is not as smooth as we are used to seeing Fantasio perform! He telegraphed all of his steals and even messes up the Blendo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wl5VQ6hYDo
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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revmike Special user Annville, PA 646 Posts |
If any of the silks are flag silks, they absolutely should be displayed somehow. You should never just crumple them up and put them away. I recently purchased the Barry Mitchell American Thread effect and construct a display rod for each flag that will be produced.
The magic is not in our sleights and illusions, but instead in our ability to bring love and joy.
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Producing a 36" silk is a beautiful production.
THEN, use it in a Crystal Silk Cylinder to become the next props you need for your act. (Rope and Shears work for me.) Bob Sanders Magic By Sander PS --- Don't forget that you can get pro models of Knots-Off Silk in 36" and use them to lead into other routines. |
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Qua-Fiki is using his new Sneaky Production Box (The Wizards' Journal #18 on my site) to perform his "Bigger" Silk Production act. After showing the small box unmistakably empty, he produces a 12 inch silk. Then he encourages his audience (mostly kids, but adults play along, too) to wiggle their fingers and say "Bigger" to see if he can get a larger handkerchief to appear. One by one, the silks increase in size- 10", 24", 36". By now the kids are fairly shouting "bigger!" but their shouting stops when the six foot silk makes its appearance. Then Qua-Fiki has the audience just whisper "Bigger" to see what happens. The final silk makes its appearance, a 36 inch THE END silk, and with it comes a lot of applause.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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markofmagic Elite user 480 Posts |
After producing my large silks I pause and give the audience a good look at them and sort of use it for an applause cue. Then my assistant takes them away so that they do not distract from the next effect. After all we don't have the stage cluttered with all of our stage props or all of our illusions for the show. They all come on and off one at a time and so does my silk acts.
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
I also use large silks for body load productions.
Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
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Anatole Inner circle 1912 Posts |
My mentor--Earl Edwards--taught his proteges that one of the golden rules of producing picture silks of any size is to sew different colored beads in the adjacent top corners of the silk--say, a red bead on the left and a white bead on the right. Then you would know when producing the silk which bead should be held in which hand when the silk is produced in order for the message or picture to be displayed correctly--or if (in the case of a six-foot square silk) which bead should be held by the magician and which held by the assistant.
----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez
----- Sonny Narvaez
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Wiz Kid Qua-Fiki uses plastic curtain rings at the corners, coloring one of them red with magic marker. Interestingly, his newest version of his Sneaky Production Box, called the "Flippy Floppy Sneaky Production Box" is decorated on all sides with his magic words, but the words are written backwards so when the audience is first shown the box inside and out, they see gibberish. He then shows them how to read the words backwards and shout them out for the silks to appear. But this time, when he produces the last THE END silk, he produces it backwards, thanks to the colored ring system, and because the kids have gotten used to figuring out the backwards words, they all know it says THE END even before he turns it around to show them. It's a clever bit I would never have thought of, but that's why he's a Wiz Kid and I'm just an Old Wiz.
You can see a video of his routine on The Wizards' Journal #18 on the INFO page for his effect. It's also on YouTube - just search for Qua-Fiki... the one and only!
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Rather than depend on seeing colors, I use a small bead on one corner and a larger one on the other to help me keep silks right side up and reading correctly. (Stage lights can make seeing difficult. Besides, I try to look at the audience.)
Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
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hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
I use two buttons. One is larger than the other. About 1" and 1 1/2". I take no chances on stage.
Richard
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
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RJE Inner circle 1848 Posts |
On the corners of our 6' silks, we use bulldog clips. They are easy to find and then the looped pinchers on the clips are hooked onto the backdrop (rigged for such a purpose)so they are displayed for the rest of the show. Dual purpose!
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
The loops on bulldog clips are the best.
However, old photography drying clips have rubber feet that won't hurt your silks and the metal doesn't rust. Since drying film and photo paper is a thing of the past, when you find these in a yard sale, you can really get a deal. If you find them, squirrel them away because you'll find many uses for them. Simply displaying large silks is one of them. Bob Sanders Magic By Sander PS --- I try to avoid using real silk and Velcro together. |
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eb02 Special user 680 Posts |
Hi
Look at the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xFI3htn3c You can see at the end of the movie, I have a bag at my table where I put all the silks.
Eran Blizovsky
www.magic4business.net |
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