Hello,
I decide to perform the strait jacket escape for streets animations. Escape in full view, front of the audience. What is your opinion about the time maximum for this escape. For maximum impact, do you think I must escape the quickest I can, or do more suspense, seems to have problems etc...and for an escape during 1 or 2 minutes?

I had the honor of watching a young fellow from Italy perform a straight jacket escape in just over 4 seconds. It was amazing to watch his speed... Yet the gentleman before him who did it in just over 7 seconds seemed to sell it better. Both were going for speed in a contest. If you escape for a lay audience that fast, all they get is the feeling that it must not have been all that difficult.

My all time favorite S.J. escape takes about 90 seconds and it is Penn & Teller's "Casey at the bat" Penn is good enough so you don't really get to see any dirty work (I don't know if Teller's jacket is gaffed, I always assumed it was), but what you get to see with them... The silly recitation of a very unsubtle poem, an escape with a real element of danger attached to failure, and a brilliant peice of misdirection.

Hope that helps

Hey Cliff! How are you?

The problem I had with that particular contest was that there were no crotch straps on the jackets. That makes a huge difference in escape time.

Hi Richard,

Good to see you (or at leat your avitar). Yes the lack of crotch straps makes a major difference, but I think the reson for that in the contest we saw, was that Bill Shirk had challenged anyone to break his record (under 2 seconds I think) and that was the way he had set the record.

Say Hi to Dayle for me.

Cliff

Other than at the above contest that I participated in, and barring any technical
problems with my audio equiptment, I almost always perform the jacket escape to music and choreograph my movements to the highs and lows of the piece I'm using. I use several pieces depending on the mood I'm trying to set so my performance time will vary somewhat, but averages between 2 and 3 minutes. For my performace style I feel that I need this much time to build the proper suspense in my audience. I don't feel that faster is always better, although I am a great admirer of Bill Shirk and all of his escape records. Hope This helps.
Tony Parisi

For public performance as a set piece or part of a show the SJ classed as another effect or escape will have to fill the time segment allotted to it.

With this in mind after the strapping in three minets has seemed about right for my audiences.
In sections after the strap up, this breaks down to a stationary period (Where nothing is done other than a set pose with facial expressions aimed at the crowd,,,,inner! Mind control! body control! Zen!eyc etc) This lasts a good minet, then slight movement from inside the jacket (Elbows,upper body,strained facial expression)This lasts around another minet. Music biulds, then into a fast getting faster crescendo of escape (Hands over head,top back buckel free, crotch strap free,,,faster now while upper body is bent forward and SJ slipped off as body raises the jacket can now be flung upwards into the air giveing at the same time a perfect applause position.
The last section can be timed to the second with very little practice and forms a good central visual look.

Ken

Straitjacket excape for me is about ten minutes total, street or stage, this include all phases together.

johnny

I've been performing a 50-minute full view escape show for the past 12 years as a street performer. My show consists of just 2 'tricks': passing my body through a small tennis raquet, and the chain/SJ full view escape -- exactly what you see in my avatar.

Chance