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PCoreyB Regular user 139 Posts |
Let me pick you guys' brains a bit. At my church, my wife is directing a revamped version of Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol. We've done this three years previously and it's always a big hit.
This year I'd like to make the ghosts (Marley, Christmas past, present and future) appear magically in Scrooges bedroom. We're on a pretty tight stage as far as space is concerned but we do have complete control over lighting and other f/x. I thought of something like a Pepper Ghost illusion in Scrooge's fireplace but the ghost needs to be able to walk out after appearing plus the apparatus takes up a fair amount of room. Also remember the effect will be repeated perhaps as many as four times which of course breaks the usual magician's rule. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this. Thanks! Corey |
ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
Use a lightly-airbrushed scrim for a wall, have the ghost behind it, and light him when he needs to appear.
For a second, different effect, have a ghost's face appear "in" (behind) a two-way mirror "hanging" in the room, a la "mirror, mirror, on the wall..." A third ghost could be concealed behind the back wall of the fireplace. Fog could suddenly pour out and he could step into the fireplace and into the room, covered with ashes and soot. This could make for more of a comedic effect, to break the monotony.
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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Avrakdavra Loyal user The Pine Tree State, USA 224 Posts |
A variety of different methods would certainly be important, and might be particularly useful if they could be employed to produce the same effect more than once, specifically to frustrate possible understanding gleaned from repeated use of a single method.
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
I agree with the scrim effect, perhaps on the door to Scrooge's bedroom for the appearance of Marley, so the audience first hears his clanking chains, then slowly sees him approaching through the door, and then the door swings open and he is in the room. This is theatrical magic, which for theatre, is much better.
For the appearance of Christmas Past, I'd do it with the bed curtains. Scrooge hears the clock striking midnight, runs to the bed, closes the bed curtains which are lit from behind but from a high angle so no shadow can be seen. Suddenly, on the loud stroke of the bell, a low back light shows us the shadow of the spirit through the curtain and then he opens the curtains to make his appearance. The ghost of Christmas Present is the jolly one. He'd be good either for the fireplace entrance, or for an appearing Christmas tree that opens up to reveal him inside. The tree would also be good for the appearance of the two children near the end of that scene, to hide their entrance into his cape. The ghost of Christmas future would be a good candidate for the mirror appearance in Scrooge's bedroom, and always as a reflection or a shadow thereafter- first a reflection in the mirror, then a reflection in a window or a shadow on the wall of some of the places they visit, and finally as a shadow in the graveyard. Anyway, that's how I'd stage it. Good luck and break everyone's legs for me!
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
PCoreyB Regular user 139 Posts |
Great thoughts! Please keep em coming...I'm writing them down and we're looking at the feasibility of each idea in our situation.
We've also thought about the possibility of making Marley a projected figure. We could project him onto some fabric or even cloth (if the cloth had some reason for being there). Could project him onto smoke but we'd have to contain the smoke somehow so the whole stage didn't get too filled up. Corey |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
There's no way to get more specific without seeing a diagram of the set and stage. Does it all take place in Scrooge's room, or do you have revolving flats, etc.?
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
There's no way to get more specific without seeing a diagram of the set and stage. Does it all take place in Scrooge's room, or do you have revolving flats, etc.?
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
PCoreyB Regular user 139 Posts |
Spellbinder:
You're correct of course. The set hasn't been built yet for this year so I was hoping to decide what to do first, and that can influence the set. Our stage is roughly a semi circular shape and is about 45 ft wide and 30 ft deep. There is a balcony so some people will have a "top" view of the production. In the past we have built a multi-level set with a street scene on the bottom and Scrooges bedroom on top. It's worked pretty well but we are certainly flexible about changing it this year. There is no backstage area (one could be built if necessary) and we even have two 4 X 4 trap doors in the stage although the area under the stage is not accessible anywhere else and is about 4 ft high. Oh and all of the scene with Marley takes place in the bedroom. The other three ghosts appear in the the bedroom but then take Scrooge out and around...it's pretty close to the original book. |
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