So I've been thinking lately about the creative forces that exist on this board as well as the other and thought that it might be fun to put up a friendly contest.

The rules are quite simple: I'll start by throwing out a list of themes/theme elements/items needed to be included in an effect. All participants will then have one week to come up with a routine/effect using ALL items/themes/theme elements mentioned (that's half the challenge!) however you can add anything on that you would like. You do not have to list methods, only effects/routines. If you wish to add the method, please do so on the yellow board in the lounge.
At weeks end, all effects/routines will be voted on by fellow participants (You cannot vote for your own, of course!) The winner will then be the next to select themes/items needed for the next challenge!

Effects/Routines can be written and posted or if you are so inclined, you can submit a video!

SO! If you are interested, then lets get creative!

Okay here's the first challenge:

For this routine/effect you must use the following:

Theme:
Autumn Horror

Theme Elements:
Cornfield, Scarecrow, Full Moon, Meteorite, Fire

Items:
Staw or Hay, piece of wood, piece of meteorite, fire (any form)

So there we have it! I wanted to start with something on the simpler side, but these can get as complex and in depth as you guys want!

Anybody who wants in, lemme know! I think this would be really fun and I'll be interested to see what everyone comes up with! I'm also going to post this on the yellow board in case anyone wants to get in depth in method.

I'll be posting my routine for this in just a bit.

Good luck and Have Fun!

Okay so here goes my routine. I would like to point out that I did not have a routine or effect in mind when I put out the theme/elements/items needed....I was just completely shooting off the hip. So after thinking about it for a while, here's what I came up with:

Performer:
There used to be an old farm in the town I grew up in. Old Farmer Jenkins was a strange old man, who in his late years only sold his corn, had amassed a large cornfield. Local college fraternities would take thier pledges up to his field and force the wannabe frat brothers to spend the night tied to the old scarecrow that sat in the middle of the field.
Now it was said that old Farmer Jenkins dabbled in black magic and that the scarecrow would sometimes come to life, stealing the soul of the unfortunate person who stayed with it in the field.
One night Old Farmer Jenkins caught some of the students red handed and chased them off with his shotgun. Being fool hardy as young people will be, the fraternity brothers returned later that night, planning to teach the old man a lesson for breaking up thier initiation. They snuck in his house and found him sleeping in his chair. They quickly bound the old man's hands and feet and carried him out into his field, tying him to the scarecrow and leaving him there for the night.
That night, a meteor crashed to earth, in the very field that the farmer was trapped. The meteor impact caused a fire that consumed the entire farm....house, field and all.
It is said that once a month, on the night of the full moon, the house and field appear at the stroke of midnight. Several disappearances and one strange death have been attributed to this phenominon.
Having heard the story of Farmer Jenkins, a group of fraternity brothers took thier pledges to the old farm on the night of the full moon. Supposedly, the house did appear and the pledges, including my brother, were told to go in. Not wanting to ruin thier chances of becoming one of the frat, they complied. Upon all of them entering, the house immediately vanished.
The frat brothers ran in fear and reported to the police what had happened. When the police came back, they found no trace of the missing pledges. A massive three day search ensued covering every foot of the farmland. Nothing could be found.
A day after the search was called off, my brother's body was found on the side of the road. In one hand was a strange piece of rock, which after examination was found to contain unknown metals....it was concluded that it may have been a piece of the meteor that burned down the farm. In the other hand was a piece of wood with a stange inscription on it.
An autopsy was performed on him to discover the cause of death. When they opened him up, they found that all of his internal organs, brain included were gone and his entire body was stuffed with straw and hay.
We may never know what happened to him that night. But tonight, I'm going to try.
I have the two objects that they found clutched in his hands as well as some of the straw they found in him.

The performer displays each object. He places the straw in an old metal pot, and then places the rock and wood in with it.

Performer: Tonight, we are going to try and contact my brother and find out once and for all what happened that night.

The Performer takes out what appears to be an old spell book and begins to read out of it.
The pot begins to smolder and fire suddenly bursts violently out. The strange rock levitates out of the pot, seemingly glowing of it's own accord. It hovers and spins high above the performers head and then vanishes in a bright flash.
The performer suddenly drops to the ground and the lights go out. When they come back on, the performer is gone. The bowl is on the floor and can be seen to be comepletely empty.







Okay....so again, I was completely shooting off the hip here and just trying to be spontaniously creative! Hope you guys liked it!

I looked the story. You very gracefully weaved in the theme, elements and items quite nicely. The story moved well also....overall, I enjoyed it. Now I would love to see the methods -- will you be posting anything?

Thanks again, it was a lot of fun -- you have set the standard

David

Thanks David!

I'll be posting methods in the Lounge area of Bizzaremagick.net

I hope you decide to put up a routine as well!

-Matt

Man, I thought you guys would be all over this! Oh well, it was worth a shot!

As I said over there, I am just too dang busy.

Bill

It is indeed a great idea, but the beginning of the school year is crazy. Hopefully you won't end this for about two weeks when I think my head will be a little above water.

Mark

Matthew,

I have to concur with Bill - between work, getting kids back to school ,etc just no time for the weary. Hopefully, I'll be able to get something together

David

No sweat guys....perhaps a week's deadline is a bit on the fast side.....let's make it shall we say a month? Entries due in by October 1st?