On 2007-11-06 11:43, axtell wrote:
We are so excited about this.... I have been working with a robotics specialist and creating these new animatronic characters for your stage show!

These are great for the Magician who does not Vent. (We also are making a line for the Vents), but the characters for you Magicians have the voices (custom routines for your show, or AxTrax)...built in! We program them to synch up their body and mouth movements to the audio... you just hit a button to activate the action.

This is controlled by a tiny remote. In between the desired "active" programmed bits, the puppet returns to an automatic animated state (looking around naturally, watching you & your audience....never looking dead). When you are ready for his next "active" programmed sequence....just secretly activate the remote and the character starts in!

There will be no limit to what these can do, but we are carefully crafting them for a very solid addition to your magic shows!

Imagine that the character is on stage (before you come on) and it announces you! The first character we are making available will be the Toucan in my avitar (which will soon be on the cover of the Funny Paper magazine. He sits on a perch without any wires....it's just amazing.

The full range of ideas is so big, but you can even record your own voices and email them to us (or we can provide any of my AxTrax character voices) and we will encode the character robot with the animation!

I'll have video soon.... email me if you are interested! steve@axtell.com

On 2007-11-06 13:51, axtell wrote:
We're trying to keep them under $5000 but some are wanting us to put a much higher price tag on them so only the top pros can afford them. Most animatronics are WAY up there as you know but we have some amazing proprietary technology here that will help us keep it down. Ax

On 2007-11-06 18:07, axtell wrote:
Step #1 - Get Ken Scotts CD "How to make a 6 figure income doing Kid Shows".

Step #2 - Buy an Axtell Remote Control character and put it in your Magic show as an assistant.

Step #3 - Enjoy a 7 figure income. : )

Ax

On 2007-11-06 13:06, axtell wrote:
Ha Skip! This could provide your retirement! The increased income could be amazing from promoting these in your show. Wait until you see these in AXtion! You won't want to retire anyway once you start using these.

On 2007-11-08 06:49, Dennis Michael wrote:
My initial thoughts on Axtell's Remote Control Animatronic Characters I couldn't help myself reading each word carefully and thinking about these remotes.

• REMOTE CONTROL VENT PUPPET
  Ax says this one will be the first one produced. "The first character to be offered will be the Toucan on a perch!" and controlled with a button remote. This really appeals to me because you now can have an assistant to interact with on the stage, whether it is an educational program or a comedy program. The ideas are limitless.
  
  This Toucan can really stir up an audience, get them to side with him/her. Imagine a turn around product. He looks at you and see you turned it Around, and Says "Hey, You turned it around!" You want to kids to say something, the Toucan can start the ball rolling.

Think Abbott and Costello, the Straight man and the Comic relief, you of course would be the fall guy in an interaction with the puppet. Anything a vent (puppet) can do now, he can do better.

Also The freedom of movement allows for a complete interactive show with the Animatronic, the audience and yourself. It could very well put a new dimension to the performing artist.

Consider a Safety program, or a Bully Program, or a holiday program, this Animatronic adds a new depth to the possibilities.

PROGRAMMED STAGE CHARACTER
When this becomes available, it would suit a guy like me who doesn't do vent because I can't Change Character voice properly. Its almost like a complete show in MP3 format. It is like the Vanishing Bandana CD routine, but at a much greater potential for a wide variety of acts.

Can this unit be programed for varies themed shows? "The programming of the animation is done at Axtell Expressions." If one had multiple uses for the Animatronic, must each program be entered once or must the remote be sent back to Axtell for re-programing?

Is it a "one shot" One-Routine or a Multiple Routine remote. I can visualize a whole show written around the Animatronic.

What does one do if they have multiple shows, like a Halloween Show, A Christmas Show, A General Magic Show, A Daycare Show, etc.?

REAL TIME LIVE ROBOT CHARACTER
This one, is a robot! Under your control. Not sure how it works. If I have the unit voiced activated, then when it comes to my turn to speak, how will the unit determine my voice over the character's lines. With me controlling the "joystick" remote, and me voicing the character, I appear to be off stage for this to happen or another person is doing this like your assistant. Since it isn't animated, then someone must control and move the robot all the time. (Preventing "the dead look" of a none-moving puppet.)

This is the problem I face with my Multi-Purpose Levitation. Most acts don’t have an assistant to use such a device. This may be the case and limit it’s selling potential.


I have three concerns with these Animatronics, that Axtell may be able to shed some answers:

1. Who becomes the Star of the Show? The Toucan or the Magician? (This is something vents could possibly answer)

2. For a Magician, the "live" movement when not using it becomes a distracter or misdirection (if so desired). If the focus should be on me and the puppet is moving, then could the puppet indirectly steal the show lime light. A solution is to bring it out and put it away, or covering/shielding it before and after use.

3. To get the most out of the unit, then the whole act needs to be centered around the Toucan, making the show more of a vent act not a magic act with a vent routine in it.

My gut feeling in maintaining the Magician image is to bring the Toucan out and then put him away. (Both actions break the continuity of the magic show. Not a real big thing with kids.)

As for a themed show for assemblies, the Toucan can be used very nicely. For a Daycare/Preschool act it sure would grab and hold the attention of the little one who would absolutely believe it is real.

The ideas and possibilities are really limitless.

Is there a "ballpark" availablity date?

Are you focused to "Break it Out/Show and Tell" at the Annual July 16-18, 2008 Vent Haven convention?