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Kameron Messmer Special user Billings, MT 742 Posts |
Thanks to everyone who commented on my last thread. I understand why you don't want me to do fake sideshow stunts. I'll try my darndest to get a teacher. But I think I've decided what I'm going to do. Instead of doing sideshow as the theme Im going to go with the theme of "Phobias" and do tricks and stunts in that vein. So I'll do maybe a straight jacket escape or something like that for claustrophobia, glass walking, blockhead and maybe a Russian Roulette with knife or nail etc for aichmophobia -Fear of knives and other sharp objects. Pyrophobia for fire eating and manipulation, maybe some animal traps for Agliophobia- Fear of pain. and posibly the pulse stop for Thanatophobia- fear of death. So I don't have to say much about the realness or fakeness of anything. I probably wont mention anything when I'm doing an out and out "Magic trick", But what is your opinion on telling people about the "realess" of the stunts? I often tell people that the fire eating is real or the glasswalking (I havent performed the others for an audience yet...kids shows don't seem to like the Blockhead)but I havent done this kind of show yet. Let me know what you think about telling them the blockhead or fire is real, and about the theme idea in general. Im sure you guys have great ideas on this topic! Thanks!
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rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
Telling them "this one isn't real" .... ? NEVER! Why would you?
Remember that scene in MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM with the rustics practicing to present "Pyramus and Thisbe" and spending far more lines telling the audience that if they're frightened of the lion character, remember it's only a show? Funny because it's a stupid idea. You wanna do "phobias," let 'em wonder and worry. On the other hand, I do think you've hit on a pretty good theming concept overall. |
Danny Borneo Special user 722 Posts |
Sounds like an excellent concept if executed properly, best of luck to you Kameron.
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Why not state you also have a phobia about phobias,, stand there say and do nothing,,walk off and pick up the cheque.
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
A lot of people, when frightened, say "This is not real. This is not happening." If put in that context, that could become a great piece of run-on foreshadowing. So every time you've set the routine up (and you don't tell the audience what's about to happen), you say "this is not real", as if to convince yourself.
Also, don't make it ALL fears. That would be like filling a canvas with just one color of paint. Perhaps fire is not a fear. You light a torch, hold it in front of you, running your fingers through the flame. "I loooove fire." Then, licking, eating, etc, make sense. You're reveling in the glory of a quiet passion.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
thegreatnippulini Inner circle of Hell because I've made 2582 Posts |
"This isn't happening"... right up there with "Oh no he didn't".... yeah, he did. You saw it, you heard it, you know he did it, why lie to yourself? An interesting concept is the idea of the word "shouldn't". By context and definition, "shouldn't" is a lie. I.E., I get hit by a drunk driver and suffer a crushed pelvis. Man that sucked. That was horrible... that SHOULDN'T have happened. Well, guess what? It DID happen, therefore if it SHOULDN'T happen, then it wouldn't have. But it did.
I love it when a customer asks me if our jewelry is real. I tell them it's virtual jewelry, what they are looking at is an illusion.
The Great Nippulini: body piercer, Guinness World Record holder, blacksmith and man with The World's Strongest Nipples! Does the WORLD care? We shall see...
http://www.greatnippulini.com |
Kameron Messmer Special user Billings, MT 742 Posts |
Rossmacrae:
I was NOT going to tell them "this one isn't real". If something wasnt real or a trick I wouldnt say anything about it's danger. I might say in the roulette one how they can see people mess it up on you tube...badly. but I wouldnt tell them I have NOTHING left to chance. But maybe when I do the glass, I would tell them, "for those of you thinking this isn't real, the glass is VERY real", "the Fire is real" etc" but when it comes to needles just tell them if I mess this up it would cause many internal problems etc... So I would give the "illusion" of danger on the tricks and tell the REAL danger of the stunts. With some cleverly phrased patter they wont know its not real... hope that makes sense... |
Kameron Messmer Special user Billings, MT 742 Posts |
Harley: Good ideas..gives me something to think about...About making everything fears, I wouldnt make them all things I seem to be afraid of. I probably wont show fear at all unless its a joke. FOr me the idea is that these are things many people are afraid of. Not necessarily me.
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Don't tell them, show them. There's always a pretext for showing. 90% of our perceptual input is visual. Play to it.
With the "Mess this up", do it as an aside. It's thinking out loud to yourself. "I wonder what would happen if...", the voice changes, "Probably one would get stuck, and...Cool, like that kid in Brazil, I'd be a walking voodoo doll." Walk like a zombie to someone in the audience. Give him/her a needle, "Wanna have some fun? Where would you like to shove this?" Then put the needle through their sleeve, and it demonstrates the reality of the needle. Or, if that person is the one you want, for validating all the other things, have thread on that needle. After it's through the sleeve, use the thread to pull the volunteer onstage. That way, you also foreshadow the later threading...the concept is introduced, and you don't have to mention it again.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Never over proove. If its real you would have no reason to proove its so. Ken Brooke used to refer to this as guilding the lilly.
Often to say less will validate what they see (A picture beats a thousand words)As soon as you start to elaborate they will smell a rat. |
thegreatnippulini Inner circle of Hell because I've made 2582 Posts |
Never guilded a lilly... I've forged lillies from wrought iron, but never gilded one.
The Great Nippulini: body piercer, Guinness World Record holder, blacksmith and man with The World's Strongest Nipples! Does the WORLD care? We shall see...
http://www.greatnippulini.com |
Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Ken, would you check this deck, and see if it's real?
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
I can see from here its a stripper,,, large boobs, shaven ***** etc etc. You can also tell when you feel them !
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thegreatnippulini Inner circle of Hell because I've made 2582 Posts |
Ahh, so YOU'RE the perv who pretends to be blind and "accidentally" walks into the girls locker rooom!
The Great Nippulini: body piercer, Guinness World Record holder, blacksmith and man with The World's Strongest Nipples! Does the WORLD care? We shall see...
http://www.greatnippulini.com |
Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Well as the Directory Enquiries Advert states,,,Let your fingers do the walking !!
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critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
I've never seen any reason to define something as real or not.
Magic takes skill. 'Sideshow' type stunts also take skill. So what's wrong with just stating at the beginning that everything you are about to do takes great skill and no one should ever try it? I don't know. That would be my brain droppings on the matter.
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
Kameron Messmer Special user Billings, MT 742 Posts |
Good idea critter! I'm thinking of wording things in kind of a deceptive way. Honest lying and such. Like needle swallowing. Im not REALLY swallowing needles but saying "attempting this can be dangerous and fatal! is true. If you screw up is CAN be dangerous!
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