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Andy Wonder Special user Auckland, New Zealand 747 Posts |
I perform my birthday party act with a Harry Potter theme. One of the big selling points for the parents is how I incorporate my digital camera in the party. I bring along some dress up for the birthday child, hat & round spectacles etc... I take some photos of the birthday child dressed as Harry Potter, do a little PC wizardry to the photos by replacing the background.
Parents & kids love this. Click here to view attached image.
Andy Wonder, Auckland, New Zealand
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Just4Fun New user Dallas 49 Posts |
Just as an aside, the place for the wizard hat changing bags is:
http://www.seamslikemagic.net Looks pretty good. |
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Just4Fun mentions the wizard had change bags from Seam Like Magic.
I can unreservedly recommend this. I got one a year or so back and now I never do a kids' show without it. The manufacturing is great but the switch method is the best I've ever seen. And, BTW, I have no connection of any kind with Seam Like Magic! |
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Daniel Faith Inner circle Neenah, Wisconsin 1526 Posts |
I use a socercerers stone as a source of magic. It's a somewhat large crystal.
Correct link for the "sorting hat" is: http://www.seamslikemagic.net
Daniel Faith
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Scott Ocheltree Veteran user 364 Posts |
Dragging this topic back out ....
Book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is set for release on Saturday June 21. I am friends with the owner of the local bookstore and he has asked me if I would perform magic at their big midnight release party. I did this for them last time too, but that was before the movies, and Rowling still had not been convinced by the publisher and movie studio to license her characters to everything under the sun. I mention this because the whole "Harry Potter Theme" show idea seams like a stretch to me. In the books, much of the humor stems from the way wizards and witches use magic to accomplish all the mundane tasks we use technology for— they don't link big chrome rings or cut and restore pieces of rope. I know this is being kind of nit-picky, but to me putting Harry Potter gift wrap around a prop does not make it follow the idea of magic in the book. Since magic is a hobby for me and not my livlihood, it's easy for me to turn up my nose at the over-commercialized nature of this subject, because I don't have to follow the market demand. However, I realize that with guys like Payne, and Peter M doing these shows, there has to be some good material going on. So I have two questions: What kind of motivation do you give your character for the tricks you perform? And ... Any good suggestions for production devices which will accomodate a load the size of book 5? I used my big Square Circle last time to make the book magically appear at midnight (the minute it went on sale) and book 4 was so big, it barely fit in the load chamber. |
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Jerry Hornak Regular user Northwest Connecticut 129 Posts |
Scott,
Are you at all handy with a scroll saw, thin plywood and paint, or do you know someone who is? The square circle idea to produce the new book is a great one, so just make one that's a bit larger to hold the tome that's due out. This offers the advantage of making it in whatever guise you want. A secret outbuilding at Hogwarts? Harry's magic cabinet? Hermione's book bag? What else?
Making Happy Memories for Children since 1980!
https://JerrysMagic.com |
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Scott Ocheltree asks: "What kind of motivation do you give your character for the tricks you perform?"
Since I mainly do this at kids' shows (birthday parties, etc.), the thrust is a demonstration of some of the props from Hogwarts—the coloring book (redone, with a new cover), the Sorting Hat (works like a change bag), Potter cards with the chosen one revealed on a big poster of Potter, etc. The thinking is that I am as amazed by the magic happening as the audience is. |
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Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts |
You don't have to produce the actual book. Just wrap the dust jacket around a book that will fit into the load chamber (your own personal chamber of secrets) of what ever production device you are going to use.
If you're anywhere near Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park on the 21st stop by and see my show. Otherwise try and catch one of my many library programs this year (I'm even doing a few up your way) which are listed on my webpage http://members.aol.com/payne
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Bilwonder Veteran user Oroville CA 327 Posts |
About making the book appear ... a few suggestions...
Without spilling secrets, I'll cryptically say you could produce it from several silks (stealing in the misdirection). The square flat suface could be used to diffuse a mirror gimmick. Or, a facsimile of the book could be created (ala the old "Time Flys" Grant clock vanish ... only reverse) to make a book appear.
billswondershow.com
"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." Mark Twain |
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what Special user Lehi, UT, USA 643 Posts |
The Harry Potter books are quite complete but I have been perplexed by just one thing— how does Harry Potter make a deposit into gringots from elsewhere in the magical world? They have no ATM's.
Answer: It looks like a coin matrix routine with Harry Potter playing cards and foreign replica coins that look like Wizzarding sickles.
Magic is fun!!!
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Scott Ocheltree Veteran user 364 Posts |
Thanks for all the great suggestions.
Payne - I wish I could see you on the 21st but I think I will probably have an afternoon show at Village Books up here that day too. I will try to catch you in the Mt. Vernon area July 12. Your dust jacket switch had occured to me after my first post and is probably what I will go with, as my Square Circle is a hand carved one-of-a-kind piece that would fit right in at Hogwarts. Jerry Hornak's idea of "Hermione's Book Bag" made me think of possibly rigging up something like Rich Moratta's fish bowl production. And I love "What's" idea for the Gringots ATM Coin Matrix too. These are both the kind of "Potteresque" presentation I'm trying to come up with . Anybody else doing "Order of the Phoenix" release parties? |
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