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MagicJared Regular user 120 Posts |
I recently had an audition for a great venue and, although they liked my escape, they said they wouldn't want to take me on unless there were a good reason for me to be getting out (my reputation isn't enough apparently) so they suggested adding an element of danger or beating the clock.
Some magicians have done this in the past, like Penn and Teller's Casey at the Bat scenario...or Copperfield's burning rope. Preferably, I would be doing my escape while not being hung upside down. I also thought of the routine where one escape artist in the SJ is racing against another that is in a chair tie. Does anyone know the origin of this effect? I've seen it on a Rudy Coby special ages ago, but I've also seen it performed elsewhere. (SNL maybe?) If this is a classic vaudeville presentation, it might be reasonable to copy it; but I wouldn't want to plagiarize the idea of another modern performer without permission. I'm stuck here, can anyone offer any suggestions? |
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Richard Sherry Veteran user Calgary, AB, Canada 313 Posts |
Put a heavy duty plastic bag over your head. Wrap the opening around your neck with duct tape. Maybe even have all the air sucked out with a vacuum so it clings tight to your face. That would look very creepy.
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Strap explosives on a timer to yourself...this always works for me, is simple, foolproof and safe!!!
If you want the details, PM me, OK? Ken |
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randirain Inner circle Fort Worth, TX 1650 Posts |
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gsidhe Inner circle Michigan 1725 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-01-17 14:19, Richard Sherry wrote: I just did that one for the WEAR event. (With an added danger element, too!) It played well! Gwyd |
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MagicJared Regular user 120 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-01-17 14:19, Richard Sherry wrote: Richard, I like the idea. PM me if you have any tips/tricks for the presentation that you wouldn't mind sharing. I've been debating investing in one of your water-cube escapes, but I travel by public transport, so it will have to wait until my show expands. The bag idea would pack small but deliver the punch I'm looking for. Thanks for the idea. Randi, thanks for the clip! Anderson's act must have been the one I saw on TV so many years ago. Do you know if he devised this presentation, or is it based on another performer? I know that Rudy Coby did a similar act as well. Was this borrowed from Anderson's presentation, or are they both paying homage to a classic idea? I don't want to resort to copyism, but I love the idea, so I'd want to make sure that it's a classic presentation, or get permission from the originator first... Thanks for all the help, Jared |
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randirain Inner circle Fort Worth, TX 1650 Posts |
I don't know whose it is.
I'm just a big Harry Anderson fan and knew about the clip. Randi |
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Cliffg37 Inner circle Long Beach, CA 2491 Posts |
Jared,
I know of at least two people who have done that act, Harry Anderson being one and Joycee Beck is the other. I have no idea who originated the bit.
Magic is like Science,
Both are fun if you do it right! |
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jeremysweiss Special user 742 Posts |
Here is my version: click on the upper left video. But, Jared, it truly is dangerous. The method is not foolproof. Panic sets in and each layer, although simple unto itself, gets very difficult without air.
http://www.theshockdocshow.com/gallery/ For everyone out there, this isn't just untwisting your arms over your head. It is dangerous. My jacket has belly loops. The 18 feet of chains and 4 padlocks are placed on me by the audience (as is the jacket and the saran wrap). By themselves, these escapes are no big deal. Anyone can do the chain escape, but when you really are short of breath, even the simplest of "tricks" become hard. I get panicky each time I do this stunt and, the first time, I learned a HUGE lesson when I couldn't get out and I couldn't breathe and my wife (who was watching) wasted a lot of time trying to find and peel back the edge of the saran wrap. That doesn't work and I have come to discover a better emergency out. But, it could have been bad, very bad. Unrelated to this PARTICULAR escape, I have given a lot of thought to "motivators for escapes". Maybe it is a that a horrible death or maiming will occur. (This in turn made me think of all the horrible ways people can die and all of the things people fear in general.) Fear of death, pain, deformity are all great motivators for an escape. (If there is no motivation, there is only boredom--who cares how fast you can get out of anything?) However, they aren't the only motivators. So spend time figuring out the reason behind the escape. It could be that you will die if you don't get out in time (a classic plot). But it could be that the audience is cheering you on in a race against someone else. (And that was not an old vaudeville idea--that was purely Harry Anderson with his wife on SNL--you are correct. And they were cheering for his wife, not him.) Maybe it is because you will win a prize, or maybe someone else's life hangs in the balance. Spend time thinking about what motivates people. Is your presentation serious? Comedic? What is the flavor of the rest of the show? I know you to be more of a quiet, thoughtful type. So what fits for you?
The Shock Doc
<BR>www.TheShockDocShow.com <BR> <BR> <BR>http://ballycast.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/ballycast-024-2009-03-21.mp3 <BR> <BR>"....Jeremy Weiss has the greatest card trick of ALL TIME!"--Jamie D. Grant. <BR>Start listening to iTricks 11/12/09 |
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CARNEGIE Loyal user 267 Posts |
The Straitjacket Contest belongs to Harry Anderson, it was his creation. You can find the routine in his book, WISE GUY, published by Mike Caveney's Magic Words.
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Straitjacket with plastic bag over head was created by Jeremy Weiss, 2 posts up.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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jeremysweiss Special user 742 Posts |
Well....thanks, Harley. Don't know if I can really take 100% credit - it is a combination of things. You have more interesting escapes than I could EVER dream up, and they are 100% original. Some day, I hope to be as creative as you. Right now, it is a little something I am proud of because I think it is the first thing that really gets the audience in a space where I want them and have intentionally put them.
The Shock Doc
<BR>www.TheShockDocShow.com <BR> <BR> <BR>http://ballycast.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/ballycast-024-2009-03-21.mp3 <BR> <BR>"....Jeremy Weiss has the greatest card trick of ALL TIME!"--Jamie D. Grant. <BR>Start listening to iTricks 11/12/09 |
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Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
Great routine, Jeremy! The plastic wrap around the head did add just the right amount of danger! You sure made the escape look difficult (a problem with many escapes). You sold the Cannon jacket well, and the chains didn't fall off during your struggle (a problem I've had in the past)! Great theatre, man!
Harley, I thought you invented the plastic wrap escape.
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Mine's quite different. It's full-body with a LOT more plastic, a snorkel, and a cork. And I'm wrapped in a physical position that allows very little movement.
Jeremy and I talked a bit about what he wanted to accomplish with his, and I think he created a very effective piece. I should point out that with any danger factor, you take risks (well, the way I work anyway). I have ongoing problems with ripped muscles and cracked bones that don't quite heal, and abrasions of various size and shape which do. There have also been a handful of times when the committee had to help me out. I don't actually mind this, as it doesn't happen often, preserves me for another day, and I can make it look good. Properly handled, it loses none of the heroic qualities we work so hard to attain. It might be interesting to do an escape that required rescue every time. Within the context of a full performance, it could create some exciting theatrical possibilities. I'm going to have to think about that. BTW, Jeremy's comments about motivation are dead-on. A dangerous escape isn't really about us getting out. It's about the emotional space where we lead the audience.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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jeremysweiss Special user 742 Posts |
Thanks for the comments, Harry. I will say, though, that it IS difficult. Without air, you panic, and if you mess up, don't instruct the audience correctly, your hand slips, the performer is in trouble. Audience instruction is KEY. Not panicking is KEY.
I really like it, as well. Honestly, I have only performed it a few times because it freaks me out every time I do it. Harley was a great help and inspiration. Although I like the piece, I wanted to get back to MagicJared's question. I love escapes, but I think what I find frustrating about their use is that nearly every magician answers the question with "Well, what is my motivation for getting out?" with "I have to, or I will die!" (Well, then what is your motivation for getting in?) For me, the pieces that have been truly groundbreaking (in recent ears) haven't really answered the question the same way (as death as the motivator). Everyone loves the Harry Anderson routine. His motivation was a race to win. Penn and Teller's was a race, too. Although Teller could have fallen, I don't think anyone was worried for real. They just loved and were focused on the race between Penn saying Casey at the Bat and Teller's mad, furious motion to get out. I also loved it when they were Asparagus Valley and they were three. I THINK I saw them at a Ren fest and Penn, Teller and (?) were all tied up. There was a race to get out and beat the clock. Penn rolled around in a mad fury. Teller made slow, purposeful movements, and the third guy stood perfectly still. Teller, the first to get out, walked over and unhooked the third guy, just as Penn got out and threw down his jacket--all three beating the time nearly simultaneously. It was brilliant, and there was no danger involved. So, for me, a race against death is a good motivator, but it seems to be the default motivator that everyone does. How about working on something different? Everyone, I encourage you to sit down and come up with a list of "motivators for escapes". I have my list. Let me know what you come up with.
The Shock Doc
<BR>www.TheShockDocShow.com <BR> <BR> <BR>http://ballycast.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/ballycast-024-2009-03-21.mp3 <BR> <BR>"....Jeremy Weiss has the greatest card trick of ALL TIME!"--Jamie D. Grant. <BR>Start listening to iTricks 11/12/09 |
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Steve_Mollett Inner circle Eh, so I've made 3006 Posts |
This can also be predicated by your style and the character you play.
As an example, I perform as a "mystic" (fakir feats and "escapes as fakir feat variants"; concentration and physical control). With that mindset, I gear my escapes to appear to involve yogiistic contortionism and measured mind-body control. If I do a water escape, I emphasize the breath control and presence-of-mind as much as the escape skill. Other "characters" could involve almost any appropriate "focus" or "theme." Another example: If you were playing an "escapist as a reformed safecracker" type (sort of a show-biz Willy Sutton), your focus might be CLEVERNESS, staging the stunts to playfully "sting" your volunteer "jailers." An effect example would be Murray's presentation of his Canvas Cabinet escape, where he would appear from behind the cabinet while the volunteer was still tying it shut, casually instructing him to "make sure the rope is tied tightly." A little thought; a little originality; making the effect true to your character. Just food for thought.
Author of: GARROTE ESCAPES
The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth. - Albert Camus |
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Rappel Veteran user Memphis Tn. 303 Posts |
Back in 1991, I did a straitjacket escape with a 15 foot Python in a large box under me. I was to be lowered down into the box with the snake. I wanted rattle snakes, but I could not get any. It was not supposed to be too dangerous of an escape, but when the escape date came, the snake had not shed yet and her eyes were coated and she was very hungry. We were going to feed her a rabbit, but the owner said she could not see it, but she would see me, something large. I was told to get out within 5 feet of the box, or she may spring at me. On top of that, the man running the crane, holding me by the feet, had been drinking and lowered me too fast. I did escape in time, and probably broke a SJ escape record. I learned quite a few lessons on this escape.
Rappel |
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KerryJK Special user Northampton UK 621 Posts |
My SJ escape ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIM5OZfOWgA ) is part of a story routine and involves singing a song while escaping (a tango version of "I Want To Break Free"), which I suppose puts a sort of time limit into it - I need to escape before I finish the song - but I can play around with exactly how long that is by milking the ending of the song until the time is right to finish.
With escapes, the "why" is always a bugger - in my case, the "why" is to illustrate a somewhat contrived tale about an overbearing stepfather preventing his daughter from disobeying him - but for small escapes, I think if you can be entertaining and likable enough, a perfectly valid "why" is because you're an escape artist; it's what you do. How you do it, and how interesting it is to watch, is what makes or breaks it as a piece of entertainment. If you do choose danger, though, do it right; not just in terms of safety, but in terms of making people care. I remember seeing a club magician performing a sombre Russian Roulette routine at a tiny bread and butter gig and coming away thinking what a pointless setting it was to be making a big deal of risking your life - at that point, you've crossed the line from "daring" to "desperate". |
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MagicJared Regular user 120 Posts |
Thanks for the insight, Jeremy, and your presentation is very impressive. I timed that you were holding your breath just over a minute and a half in that video (not bad at all, especially with thrashing around and the panic issue that you mentioned), and the tension made it seem impossibly long.
My SJ escape, as it's been, has always seemed like enough for people. I'm a quiet/thoughtful type onstage, as you said, and also thin in stature; so my thing has always been to use this to my advantage by humanizing myself and then getting the biggest, most obnoxious person in the audience to strap me in. Then, I purposely struggle like heck to get out. That contrast always makes people question if I can get out and usually ends up with people rooting for me. At this particular venue, my presentation doesn't work since they don't want speaking acts...so most of the showmanship just goes out the window... Creating further motivation is a challenge, and I actually have been listing ideas for twists and motivators and how to present them in a way that could fit in with my style. At first, it has been daunting to come up with anything, but there are so many clever routines (the Asparagus Valley bit is hilarious!) and seeing these acts gives me hope and a few ideas of directions to go in. |
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KerryJK Special user Northampton UK 621 Posts |
Quote:
At this particular venue, my presentation doesn't work since they don't want speaking acts...so most of the showmanship just goes out the window... Ah, now we're getting to the sticky wicket - they want silent acts. This does make it hard if you're getting strapped in by a volunteer because you'll need some serious pantomime skills to give the necessary cues, and you've no way of keeping the crowd entertained while being bound. A silent escape I've done OK with is what I came up with to go with Clyde Mighell's Chain Jacket, which involves a nifty way of being bound tightly with two bits of chain and four padlocks. My co-performer fastens me into the chains and leads me into the audience, so spectators can verify how tight and immovable the chains are, and leads me back to the stage where I'm tied into a sack. The time limit is imposed and regulated by my co-performer, who leads the audience in a countdown. I did a spoken version of this for the first WEAR event, but I subsequently found the silent version (performed to spooky nocturnal piano music) to be a more effective piece of theatre. So, basically, you need a menacing assistant and a visually clear restraint which can be easily checked by audience members. Chains and padlocks are ace for this because you can let a few volunteers put padlocks on wherever they choose without verbal cues and, even if no one has ever seen a straitjacket, they'll all be familiar with chains and locks as big, heavy, immovable objects designed to keep things in place. I could imagine this approach working with a straitjacket too, though, given the right performance and mood setting. |
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