Clyde. I emailed you with their Web site.

Or else check out
http://www.magicbroadcast.com under open mic.

I posted our challenge there and that is where they answered.

Wolf

PS.No Problem. I will help out with whatever I can.

Wolf,

Thanks! I got the info now and have added it. I was also glad to discover the magic radio! Thanks!

Clyde

Clyde,

I will forward you the standard guinness forms for a early look. They are only interested in measurable results that can be verified and repeated in record breaking attempts. In this case the request should be somthing like the largest group of escape artists to perform an escape within a 24 hr period. Or largest group to perform escapes during a 1 hr period etc. Every aspect has to be tied to numbers, measurements, or times of some sort. Its just a matter of putting everything to numbers and getting folks to go along. They do like film and newspaper clippings.

Pasotr Clyde...
Email has been sent, both Kristen and myself would like to be involved.

Kristen will do something big. We look forward to getting the publicity rolling.

Kevin & Kristen

We are getting more signing up. If anyone has any inclination toward participating PLEASE sign up now so that we can response to the Guinness people with some sort of count accuracy.

Also, please let me know what you think about each participant wearing a shirt with W.E.A.R 2005 printed on it? I can do them up at my cost for about $2.50US per shirt plus shipping? My thinking that after the event it would be great to post pictures of each escape. The person performing the escape would be easily recognizable with the shirt and it shows a concerted effort. Either way is fine- please let me know what you think.

Clyde

On second thought- IF shirts are desired, whether for wear during the event or simply to have as a keepsake from the event, the shirts will be donated; one to each registered participant.

How do we register ?

I think shirts are a great idea, and it's very generous of you to want to donate them Pastor Clyde, but that could get quite expensive depending on the number of participants we get. I for one would be happy to compensate you for the shirt and the shipping costs. I'm getting very excited about this event and I have a very good feeling about it.
Best regards, Tony Parisi

And you know if Tony's getting excited then its gotta be good...LOL

You know we love ya Tony. Have a Merry Christmas!!!

Kevin & Kristen

Maybe the Big Boys will want a piece of this action as it gets closer to reality.

Mister Baker?
Mister Gunnarson?
Mister Griffin?
Mister Bigelow?
Mister Manzini?
Mister Santini?
Mister Solomon?

Anyone want to snail-mail Nick Jansen and Bill Shirk?

Steve

I don't know if anyone else has done this, but I have just emailed Mark Cannon to clue him in on this.

Steve

Thanks Kevin, I love you guys too! Sorry I missed you in NJ last month, and a Merry Christmas to you and Kristen. Incidently Bill Shirk can be contacted at Houdini96@aol.com.
Best regards, Tony Parisi

The list continues to grow! Hurray! We still need representation from several countries and continents. Anyone from Canada interested? South America? Australia? Europe? Russia? I have couple of contacts in Taiwan, China and Japan I'm going to contact who are magicians who do some escapes. I hope and invite everyone to do likewise. To register just PM me or email me with your stage name, location (state/providence, country) and the escape you plan to perform. You can always change the escape you plan to do or even decide later. You can email me at: clyde@mighellsillusions.com

No Problem Clyde. Glad this is growing.

I agree with Tony. I will compensate for the shirt and shipping. I think it would be a great idea to have an "I saw the WEAR 2005" T Shirt to sell to cover some costs and maybe raise money for Charity or something? Any comments on this?

Thanks Steve. I don't have addresses but it looks like you guys have everything covered anyway.

Clyde - I will probably be doing an escape from bindings within a prison cell on Robbin Island (The same prison which Nelson Mandela was kept, for those who did not know).

Regards
Wolflock

Just went to check out the WEAR Site. Looking good.

Well done Clyde.

I have a question for you guys....

How do we do this? I mean, I will do a simple chain and bag escape, probably for a small audience of neighbors. The question is how do we coordinate the whole thing? Do I have it videotaped? I guess I can tape it and download it to an MPEG or something, but please let me know.

Also I think the matching tee shirt idea is great. I have no problem kicking in a few bucks for it.

Oh, hey Clyde, first of all, I just looked at your site, and I think you should be proud to be the organizer of such a great event. On a side note, Cliffg37 is just my e-mail address and I use it for forums. When you get a chance, can you change my name on your web site to Cliff Gerstman? and as I said above, a chain in the bag escape. Thanks

Everyone is free to take whatever approach they like, but Ladies and Gentlemen, this is big news! In my neck of the woods I have never heard of anyone doing a Guinness World Record attempt of any kind for the five years that I've lived here.

So my approach: a nice slick press kit, with a press release, performer bio and photos, nicely printed but also all supplied on CD for the ease of editors. The press kits will get mailed to every local newspaper and TV station. I will do an email blitz to get the event listed in the Arts and Events Calendar of every paper, also on the local online event calendars. This is the kind of story that sells newspapers, folks!

Think big!

I will also remember to get extra copies of the clippings, one set for Pastor Clyde and one set for the Guinness folks.

Remember Who, What, Where, When, How and Why. Who is you (with a nice bio). What is the first World-Wide Escape Artist Relay Record for the World-Famous Guinness Book of World Records.

Where? Well do you have a local establishment that has Guinness on tap? How would they like to get in the paper? Do you have a hospital or nursing home nearby? It's National Magic Week, if you are in the S.A.M. you should be performing for folks who can't get out anyway. Maybe there is a local landmark with a connection to Houdini - a theater, a river that he wnet into when it was frozen, you have plenty of time to think about it. There's no reason to do this in your garage when you can go out and get some free press somewhere else.

How? Well if you are reading in this forum you know how. If you are a comedy magician do a Chinese Finger Trap. Can you imagine getting all the press there for the big event and you've got a dime-store novelty. Maybe you then roll out something more impressive to help them get over their disappointment.

Why? Well for the record books of course! Some kind of a charity tie-in might be nice too.

As we get closer to the date let's put together a standard press release for the event, in addition to the press releases for each individual performer.

Yours,

Paul

Wow!

Paul, you ought to go on tour as an inspirational speaker. Your last post has given me a number of thoughts. My actual escape, even if I ham it up or throw in a strees making treat if I don't get out, is still under a minute. But you've got me thinking, rent a hall (get one donated) change a nominal fee (my charity is the American Cancer Society but maybe we should take a poll as to what charity to support). Do a presnetation on the history of magic (with a few effects thrown in) and then do the escape. This would be a shipload of work for me, but the rewards could be amazing too, and I am not just talking about the people at Guiness. The amount of press and publicity that may generate if done well, could be a career maker.

Thanks for the ideas Paul.

Thanks for the kind words, Cliff!

The ideas and inspiration come from reading two books recommended here:

Santini's "Entertaining With Escapes" and Jenson's "Publicity Stunts."

These are discussed here and here. There was another good thread on Steve Santini's book but I can't find it; it might have been iced, which is unfortunate.

Yours,

Paul

Hey Dr. Wilson, I agree with Cliff that your post was very inspiring and thought provoking. I have both of the books you mentioned and they are definitely great, but don't cell yourself short. You organized a lot of what those books said into a beautifully worded post. You got the rusty gears in my brain moving again, and for that I thank you.
Best regards, Tony Parisi

Might I recommend this be staged on October 29th? This is a Saturday on my 2005 calendar. Your best crowds can usually be gathered on a Saturday.

Steve

Excellent idea Steve.

I will be performing an Escape from bindings and A Jail cell where Nelson Mandela was help prisoner on Robbin Island. I will be raising money for the Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund. This is a well known Tourist attraction so I will have more than enough people watching. I will have local Television news and papers covering this. Is there any way to get Someone like CBS or CNN or BBC or someone to cover this so that they have someone covering every area? Any one have contacts??? How are we going to know when the one is finished and the next is to start?

Regards
Wolflock

Wolfie I guess the best way is to just get ahold of your local paper tv station etc. and maybe it will get on CBS etc.