Let's try a creativity exercise.

Someone post an object while another should post a plot.
Someone else can describe the limitations/parameters ...
Once those are established let's see if we can make a new effect ...

Does it sound like fun?

Stage, Close Up, Comedy, Mentalism ... you decide.

-shawn

I love the idea, but I'm going to wait and give others a chance to make some suggestions and then see what we can all do together. It reminds me of the Bag-o-Tricks, only we will all be collaborating. Exciting!

Hey Shawn,

How 'bout this for an object?:




Laurie

With this plane we will make random selections, but yes this plane is Tatoo's personal mode of transportation"the plane, thee plane BOSS"

Pawn to e4.

Sweet, I love the plane! Love the plane...

Random selections is good too.
So we are headed to a mental effect perhaps?

The most obvious plot is to have it thrown multiple times in the audience and random people add to a travel story.
Perhaps one offers the destination while another offers a number, such as a hotel room and in the conclusion they are both discovered to be printed on the aircraft?

Maybe not Mentalism ...

-shawn

Not sure I understand Aractus comment in regards to a chess move. Pls explain. I'm guessing something to do with limitations... but I'm lost.

"in the conclusion they are both discovered to be printed on the aircraft? "
That was an initial thought I had but then I realized that would be seen by the participants so then I thought having a larger RC plane on stage as well then take off pulling an adverting banner with the choices written across it.

Nice ... not sure about your assumption that they would see the writing, but regardless the idea of the RC is cool...

-shawn

Wouldn't a pre-written prediction on the plane require FORCES beyond our control? Cammoflage principles could disguise the writing if that's the way we are going.
I like the banner idea (like the box hanging in plain view throughout an effect) and the plane could be "loaded" just before launching. Some concern with safety, but this is just brainstorming for now.
While they are watching the plane and banner fly around, you could pretty much build a real plane or scale version on stage too. haha

Here is a different twist on the mentalism plot.... While holding the plane talk about "freak accidents" and maybe relate a story or two about a couple of famous freak accidents in History. Tell the audience that you are going to toss the plane into the crowd and that no-one is to try and catch it... instead whoever the plane touches or crashes into is to immediately scream and jump up out of their chair. Once that happens an envelope that has been hanging in plain site is opened and the contents removed. It is the front page of a paper... Headline reads "Spectator Injured in Freak Accident at Shawn Farquhar Show!.... brief story continues "While attending a recent Shawn Farquhar show a young lady was injured in row 16, seat 5 in a freak accident with a toy glider...." Use your favorite method for the prediction <g>.

Congrats Shawn on being the guest of honor this week!

Cheers,

John Talbot

John,

Love the idea. It could be played quite big if needed with an introductory video of planes crashing and stories of remarkable escapes by the survivors. Additionally the idea of the tail having the correct numbers picked by the spectator might be a clincher... I have a method in mind to have the numbers written on the tail and yet never noticed by the spectator.

That's a keeper ...

Anyone have another item that we can use with anything other than mentalism?

-shawn

I'd like to see a house levitate outside. or
An animal going through a plate of glass. or
A fur coat animate and come back to life. Could be good emotionally.

Glen,

I have actually seen all three of those scenario on video.
The house levitation was a little lame, (can't seem to find the video... help anyone...)
Doves are pushed thru glass frames all the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKSJLA26Oqg
A fur coat comes alive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB0jml3iLBc

-shawn

Holly Sh*t Shawn. I thought the fur coat idea was just me being silly.
I was totally blown away with both the effect (even better than I hoped for) and the fact that you even knew about it at all. You never cease to amaze me.

I was actually envisioning a trained dog or lion doing it themselves, but that looked good.

The house was just a grand gesture. Will look that up one that too. I was just being influenced by the Wizard of Oz and the animated movie UP.

Glen,

Every time I think of an idea I spend days watching video's, scouring the web via Google and reading Ask Alexander to see who invented, presented it first. It would be quite arrogant of me to think it hasn't been done before. Every once in awhile I score and don't find prior references... that still doesn't confirm it's original but it makes me more confident I have something new... all that research time lets me see a lot of stuff...

-shawn

Thanks for the "Ask Axexander" suggestion.
Got it! Being original is not an original concept.
I still love the creative side of Magic and will keep asking
what other functions could an existing gimmick be used for.

Once, a long time ago I created a fun game at a convention that had no name.
Basically a large box with a covered hole contained an object.
A volunteer stuck their hands into the box and felt the item and then proclaimed what it was and the effect it could accomplish
Then they removed the item and saw it for real... they then had one hour to make it do what they claimed it could!
Some were quite funny, some a disaster while other actually identified the item correctly.
The best of course were those that were mis-identified and yet were able to make it do as they claimed!

-shawn

Didn't you also introduce a game at the VMC called "The Assistant From Hell."

We would each get to pick something out of a pile of old used magic crap, thinking we could at least perform such and such with it. Then the nasty assistant would sabotage the effect by removing a vital part and we had to come up with a different effect or method on the spot. The results were hilarious.

I remember picking out some old chinese sticks with the 2 strings that go up and down. Then the ass. from hell took one stick away. We only had the time during the laughter to figure something out. I ended up pulling on a shoe string to cause the sticks string to go up. What a hoot.

Glen,

That games was a combined effort. David Culos and others had lots to do with that fun time...

-shawn

I miss David Culos.R.I.P.
Well Shawn, back when you had more time to spend with us, our club was so full of energy, caring and lots of sharing. Thanks for instituting or contributing to the fun we all had in one of the greatest little clubs around. IMHO