Hello everyone.

I was thinking to buy the origami illusion and then after thinking better I think that is best to buy a grand illusion that doesn´t requires assistants.

Could anyone please help me?

Thanks!!

I think the barstool levitation was nice.
It would be better if you tell us more detail what type of illusion you have in mind.

I have in mind for example a levitation...
The pole levitation for examplo or a grand illusion which uses a person from the audience...

Go to http://www.weirdthings.com Andrew has come out with a new book on levitations. He also has a lot of other books on illusions for the solo performer.

Joao,

Keep in mind that even with the pole levitation you require someone to take away the stool and the other pole while you hover above them. You also need someone to operate the levitation. Plus the fact that P.L. is rather expensive.

Not many illusions are truly "one man" illusions. Even the illusion that Andrew Mayne put in his Solo-X book (Shrink Boy?) needs a second person to turn the prop left and right to give the audience the full view of what's happened.

Some suggestions that might work are the Barstool Levitation (Talk to Kerry Pollak at Wireless Wizardry), Flash appearance (can be done one man but requires lighting/sound control) and Twister. I'm not sure if anyone is currently marketing this but a one man twister where your arms stick out through the sides or up through the top to revolve the headbox and open the front doors, could be excellent.

There are also several props that use audience members like Audience Acupunture and Audience Dismember(Bill Smith - Magic Ventures), Balloon Box (Shock Magic), and any number of Head Choppers (from your favorite builder).

Best of luck in finding something that works for you.

Murray

Ok, since no one mentioned that price was a consideration ......

my nomination for the best "one-man" illusion is Walter Blaney's Ladder Suspension or Blaney's similar Suspension 3001 .

http://www.walterblaney.com/illusions/routinell.html

Joae,

What budget are you dealing with?



John Taylor

Budget?

What does this means?

Regards

It means how much money do you have to spend on the illusion!

I have exacly $2000

I seem to remember seeing an advert for a one man/woman version of Jim Steinmeyer's 'Modern Art' in an issue of Magic Magazine - I'll go and check the pricing if you want.....

I would be interested in that. What issue of Magic magazine was it in?




Thanks,
Mike

João,
I can design and build an Original One Man Illusion within your budget. As my website shows, I can assure you a Cutting Edge effect and built to Perform. You may have to be a bit patient as we are so busy but I am sure we can get the ball rolling. Let me know if you have an interest. Sounds like fun!
Chance Wolf
http://www.wolfsmagic.com/

Now that is a great deal and wonderful offer! I would take Mr. Wolf on that in a heartbeat!

Now I wonder what kind of one-person illusion I would want. Dang! You have my little pea-brain working over-time!

Everyone knows about the impact that the origami has on an audience.
I want a similar illusion in the impact it has on an audience...

João,
This is a tricky area regarding Impact. It can be up to You as much as the Prop as to how much Impact you will create. The Origami can Impact your wallet for up to $8000. My point is that the Origami has so many Visual actions happening which create the Impact as well as the overall effect. Unfortunatley, this cost TONS of time in R&D and Materials which in turn gives you the big price.
So within your budget of $2000, there are Many options but focus on Plot and Staging to help get more "impact" from the final Illusion.
Hope this helps a little!
Chance

Paul & Mike,

I think the illusion you are referring to is a prop designed and built by Roger Kapps. He works with Jody Baran and I saw the prototype in their warehouse a few years ago and it's sensational.

It's also expensive as I recall - I believe they were asking in the neigborhood of $10,000.00 - $13,000.00.

Murray

Thanks a lot for your posts people.
You all have been very kind to me.

Could someone tell me why does such illusions cost $10.000?
I think such prices look like a joke.
Without lefting of talking about the principal topic..... why does grand illusions cost so much??

Regards

I think they cost so much because of the Research and Development put into such effects , plus the labor and craftsmanship needed to produce them,
plus the fact that there is a very limited market for such items. How many people in the world will ever purchase and use and Origami illusion or a Blaney Ladder Suspension ?



General musing on what makes illusion "grand" ( tangenting off from your original inquiry about one-man illusions) -----

Chance Wolf makes a great point in his post above about staging and how that will effect the amount of "impact" that an illusion has. You might be able to come up with some very grand illusions from Gary Darwin's "Inexpensive Illusions" book or the old reliable U.F. Grant "Victory Carton Illusions" , but the amount of "grandness" will depend very much on how you decide to stage it . This applies to all magic , just as much as illusions ; ever seen someone do a really bad "Zombie ball" routine ? But then did you ever see Neil Foster do the Zombie ? Or Tommy Wonder ? The difference is in how much thought and practice you want to put into the thing.

Illusions cost so much because they are simply expensive to build. You have costs of materials which is high for quality, you sometimes have outside fabrication costs, Then add in the many hours of labour, intellectual property, costs of the shop space, costs of and wear and tear on power tools and table saws($$$), Hydro for the shop and the tools(we pay alomost $500.00cnd a month just for hydro at our shop), you haven't even made a profit yet, I mean the list goes on, but I think you understand.

Our Triangle of Darkness illusion took ten years to develop, and from experimentions, and prototypes, to the Motorcycle, to the finished product, we spent over $60,000.00 on an illuison that we made and concepted ourselves. It's not for sale yet but if we were to sell you would be looking at a price alot higher than ten grand.

Magic is expensive, plain and simple. But you have to keep in mind if illusions were cheap then everyone would be doin them. Price it high and only the serious will have their hands on the secret and the prop to do the illuison. Imagine if an impaling was only $500.00, your neighbours would have one...lol, and we would be out of business in most cases.

P.