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The Donster Inner circle 4817 Posts |
I just got in a Old Abbotts Canvas Covered Box. But the main thing I'm looking to do, is being able to do it what is the best way to present Metamorphosis with a Cover on it. And is there any place that I can get patter/ideas for it. Don,
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Don,
For me, the best instructions are usually very visual. That really means Video Tapes and CDs, unless I can get real time lessons. Metamorphosis is one frequently available. I do it at the end of the second half of my two-hour show but it is not the canvas-covered model. There are some general tips about the trick and prop that I would like to pass along to you. First: the most common improvement most performers need to work on is the fact that the female assistant that must step up onto the box in the beginning needs a graceful and safe way to do that. Height and balance are real problems most performers choose to ignore. (Or at least until someone gets hurt.) Perhaps the reason is because the magician is in the box when this problem presents itself. Everyone else is watching! If some sort of step is provided, your assistant can usually do the rest herself. Lucy and I have a removable angle iron step built into our Chalet subtrunk. Otherwise, a third person is really needed to steady the assistant as she climbs into the top of the trunk. Remember her hands are full! If you just put the drape on the top edge of the trunk, at your most important show you will get the experience of learning that it will fall off and that she will have to recover from the error. Then you are behind the music for the rest of the routine. Fate seems to look for those opportunities to teach us things like that. The other thing I certainly encourage is to put good lockable wheels on the prop. It will be moved more times than it will ever be used. Making life easier for stagehands for an entertainer is as smart as smiling at the "lunch room ladies" is for a hungry schoolboy. Make it safe and easy to do for everyone. Wheels do bring two extra problems that are easily fixed. The added height is covered by my first suggestion. Locking wheels will make it stay put. However, we go an extra step of putting two small boxes under the trunk at the wheels to keep the wheels turned. It not only keeps the trunk stable, but also, it allows the audience to see under the trunk. (The part I never tell the rest of the world, is that it also protects the trunk from brooms, vacuum cleaners, wet mops, spills, and dirty wet loading docks. If something else is pushed against it backstage, it moves instead of being damaged.) Good Luck! Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
pcamel New user 51 Posts |
In high school, while working for an illusionist I noticed that one big problem with this illusion was one of lighting. The curtain that you raise up over the trunk needs to be thick and you need to try out the spotlight in rehearsal to make sure that it doesn't show any shadows or else the trick will not look right. We had that problem for several venues.
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g0thike Special user 722 Posts |
Speaking about curtains, I have noticed that the Spotlights make them transparent. Currently I use thick velvet so they are opaque but the material makes them heavy. Does anyone have the name of a lightweight material that you can shine a spotlight on and it will be opaque?
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
There is a backdrop material that does just that, it is sold at threatrical companies. I becomes opaque when light is shined on it. I cannot remember the name of the material, I just read about it in one of my books.
Usually, it is backlight that make material transparent, not front light. I refer to doing such tricks as the Zombie with a cloth. Backlight will create shadows and front light will not. |
KerryJK Special user Northampton UK 621 Posts |
Why not use two layers of material for the curtain (ie give it a lining)? That would be an easy way to cut out transparencies and givaway shadows and could easily use two sheets of lightweight material whose total weight would be less than one piece of thick heavy blackout velvet. Also you can make the outer layer whatever colour or pattern you choose.
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Most of the cloth type decisions I leave to Lucy because, in addition to being an artist, she has years of experience staging for ballet and modeling. Apparently there are materials made for women's formal dresses that are very sheer yet not transparent even under back lighting. The colors we have available for our shows are metalic gold, silver, red and blue. I prefer the silver. She likes the red. They also will not wrinkle!
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Ty Argo Special user Columbus, Ohio 525 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-03-03 15:42, makable wrote: The cloth is called a Scrim, but I don't know that it would be usable in this case, as you can still typically see a lttle bit of what's behind the scrim. It may end up making the illusion more transparent (pun intended). I remember seeing an illusion show where one guy had a giant scrim at the start of the show (as a mock-curtain). Right before the show started, you could see a girl running behind it and load herself into an illusion. Oops! Be Careful with Scrim cloth when doing magic.
Dyslexics UNTIE!!
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CCPCris Loyal user Alabama 280 Posts |
Well for the curtains on my subtrunk I used this. Front and sides made of a black bed sheet, TWIN or FULL will work but depends on the height of the box if you will need to sew more on the bottom, and then back the black bed sheets with those silver space blankets, there is one on the market that is extremely light and as pliable as cloth, and prevents you from seeing through the front of the curtain, when it is whipped away you have the spectacular silver from the space blanket to add pazzaz to your finale.
making the unreal, real...really!
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videokideo Special user 895 Posts |
If you want to see a good example of scrim, watch the Copperfield flying special opening before the elevator. You see the art on the front then when lit from the back it becomes see through as though it disappeared. Lit from front, you see what is printed on it.
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Frank Simpson Special user SW Montana 883 Posts |
Scrim would absolutely not work for a Sub Trunk curtain. The open weave, while perhaps not showing detail would definitely show movement behind it.
When using a full stage scrim they are nearly always used in conjunction with a "blackout curtain" immediately upstage. Lights from downstage, while showing the drop as "opaque" still allow light to pass through and reflect back through. The blackout is used to maintain "opacity" until just before the upstage lights will be used for "transparency" at which time it is flown out. For my sub trunk I use a single thickness of a simple red bridal satin. It would not work for a surrounded presentation but I do it in proscenium settings, so I just make sure that the audience volunteer is placed downstage during the "business" and that there is no backlighting. I've never had a problem in 25 years. |
pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
Any questions regarding the canvas covered box should be directed to Denny Haney. He's the master.
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The Donster Inner circle 4817 Posts |
How do we get a hold of Dennis Haney is he Willing to Help out someone trying to do the Canvas Covered Box.
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CARNEGIE Loyal user 267 Posts |
He's referring to Denny Haney, of Denny and Lee's Magic Studio in Baltimore. Denny presents the Canvas Covered Trunk in his show.
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Darth Ewok Loyal user Greeneville TN 228 Posts |
Denny is always helpful when it comes to magic. he is one of the nicest guys in our art. and Pepka is right he is the expert at this.
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adam christopher Veteran user 316 Posts |
Denny Haney can be reached at dennymagic.com or dennymagic@aol.com Let him know what you're working on and I'm sure he'll reach out a helping hand...AC
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