Love the expanding head optical illusion-- works itself, packs flat, always wows the crowd and keeps them talking after the show.
What other optical illusions can anyone recommend like this? Looking for a wow factor that is easy to do or use on stage in small and medium size audiences.
Is anyone doing an optical illusion show for schools? thanks for any suggestions you might be able to share.

Here is a pdf blueprint for the Jerry Andrus "Paradox Box" illusion. Try to print it out large, and color it on photoshop.
http://homeschoolvideos.com/downloads/il......dout.pdf

I hope it works for you.

I'm also interested in showig Andrus illusions or similar things, but I don't kow how well they would be recieved or how to present them, etc. I also would like to get more patterns - do you guys know where to get Andrus patterns?
Also, I have the growing head illusion, but I've shown it to my 6 year old and my wife and it doesn't work on them, any tips? How fast do you spin it? Do you have it attached to a drill? Thanks

If the Growing Head Illusion doesn't work there are at least three likely culprits

1) Audience is too close. The farther away they are the better it works. A living room is usually too small.

2) Speed of the spin. Don't spin it too fast. they have to see the spiraling clearly. I use a cordless drill which works well but I have been told that it should acrually go a little slower. I agree because I get better results when my battery is getting low.

3) Getting them to focus on the spiral for the right amount of time. Go to utube and watch the presentation. You should talk for about 20 seconds and then count to 10 so that the audience is focusing for about 30 seconds.

Some people just don't follow directions. When I watch the audience I always see one or two people looking at my face while I am telling them to look at the spiral. I look right at them and tell them to look at the spiral and they do but a moment later they are watching my face again. Other people watch the spiral but then only look at my face for a moment and then declare that they didn't see anything. I have to repeat and tell them to STARE at my face.

Ive used it for years and some will never see it. Just go with the ones that do and play it up. I know I posted this before but if someone knows where I can get a more sturdy plastic one made, please advise. Thanks.

Decomp

Decomp,
I have made sturdy ones out of aluminum that spin on bicycle hubs. I had them printed onto the metal at a sign making shop. One is 18 inches in diameter, the other is 24 inches. I would consider selling, but I don't know how long it will be before I can get a few more made.

For a school assembly show called "Seeing is Deceiving" I had large banners about 6 feet square covering two prop trunks and sound equipment on each side of the mike and table in the center. On these banners were optical illusions drawn and painted large so there could be seen fomr the rear seated children. Reference was made to each of them during the show.

I probably should have said that one of the optical illusions I had drawn and painted in color on one banner was the "rabbit/duck" optical illusion. The other banner had the optical illusion which figure is taller with two figures the sanme on expanding parellel lines.

If you're still looking for one in plastic:

http://www.tophatprod.com/store/product.......ler=YOld thread