Real world thinking, for real world working magicians.
I'll consider last week's challenge a total flop but that doesn't mean I'm giving up on the entire idea. The 13th hour challenge is designed to present a potential real world situation that a working magician could face, and create a last minute come up with something challenge that invokes ones creativity and resourcefulness based around a central theme. What I'm looking for is a detailed response with thought and care worked into the reply. Before we look at this week's challenge, lets take a look at last weeks.
The theme last week was "Pirates". The details was to design a 35 to 45 minute act that could play for up to 200 people, and work on a budget of no more than $25 dollars.
When faced with this challenge I would have set up the following act.
Pre-Show Music: I would have raided my collection of CD's of Pirates of the Caribian music, as well as historical sea chanties. I would loop the music for one hour prior to show starting to help set a mood.
Pre-Show Announcemnet: I would pre-record a pre-show annoucement informing my audience to turn off their cell phones and pagers and get ready for a rip-roaring good time. I'd also add the extra touch of doing a pirate voice for the recording. I would play the recording 5 minutes to curtain.
Wardrobe: I would certainly dress like a pirate. Since I have a lot of Ren-Fair style clothing as is, putting together a costume wouldn't be difficult. That sets my $25 dollar budget money aside for something else.
Party Favors: I would make sure to spend the $25 dollar budget money on getting a bunch of old IBC root beer bottles, empty them out, wash them, fill them with sand, and a scroll of paper worn and burned placed inside. The scroll of paper would be a small map to a location on site that the kids can treasure hunt for a candy coin foiled chocolate surprise after the show. I live in LA so sand is cheap if you go to a beach. I've got contacts at local bars I can use to get their empty beer bottles after a weekend or so. Candy coins luckily, are cheap as hell, so $25 should work for 200 participants or less.
Performance: I would open with a sword swallow, and segway into the following effects selected for their pirate like themes.
> Clear Water to Black Water
> Sands of the Desert
> Multiplying "Rum" Bottles
> Topsy Turvey "Rum" Bottles
> Re-purpose the Disappearing Ketchup Bottle to work for a pirate theme. Discus food on the ship, and how it always needs an extra touch of flavor.
> Fire Eating
> Mis-made Flag re purposed to a Jolly Roger
> Comedy Manacle Escape
> Chain Escape
> Close with Tip Over Box production of a Pirate Wench assistant. The Tip Over Box, of course, would be fashioned to look like a pirate chest. (Fortunately, a friend of mine has something I could borrow that looks very close to this.)
Figuring that each effect will last between 3 to 6 minutes on an average to fill a 40 minute show I'll need between six and ten effects, allow time for patter and set up and I'm golden on time.
I would have on stand by (in case I needed it)
> Stan, Kate, and Edith reworked to have a pirate theme.
> Human Block Head
> McCombical Prediction: Reworked to use pictures that would be familiar to a pirate, such as a ship, a plank, a sword, a shark, etc.
Now that you get the right idea of what we're aiming for here, now lets look at this weeks mental work out challenge!
The Theme: Comic Books (In honor of Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend)
The Budget: $50
The Challenge: Create a 30 minute show set list that would present magic in the theme of comic books and super heros. The show should be able to play for a small to medium sized audience. (5 to 75 people)
Good Luck!
I'll consider last week's challenge a total flop but that doesn't mean I'm giving up on the entire idea. The 13th hour challenge is designed to present a potential real world situation that a working magician could face, and create a last minute come up with something challenge that invokes ones creativity and resourcefulness based around a central theme. What I'm looking for is a detailed response with thought and care worked into the reply. Before we look at this week's challenge, lets take a look at last weeks.
The theme last week was "Pirates". The details was to design a 35 to 45 minute act that could play for up to 200 people, and work on a budget of no more than $25 dollars.
When faced with this challenge I would have set up the following act.
Pre-Show Music: I would have raided my collection of CD's of Pirates of the Caribian music, as well as historical sea chanties. I would loop the music for one hour prior to show starting to help set a mood.
Pre-Show Announcemnet: I would pre-record a pre-show annoucement informing my audience to turn off their cell phones and pagers and get ready for a rip-roaring good time. I'd also add the extra touch of doing a pirate voice for the recording. I would play the recording 5 minutes to curtain.
Wardrobe: I would certainly dress like a pirate. Since I have a lot of Ren-Fair style clothing as is, putting together a costume wouldn't be difficult. That sets my $25 dollar budget money aside for something else.
Party Favors: I would make sure to spend the $25 dollar budget money on getting a bunch of old IBC root beer bottles, empty them out, wash them, fill them with sand, and a scroll of paper worn and burned placed inside. The scroll of paper would be a small map to a location on site that the kids can treasure hunt for a candy coin foiled chocolate surprise after the show. I live in LA so sand is cheap if you go to a beach. I've got contacts at local bars I can use to get their empty beer bottles after a weekend or so. Candy coins luckily, are cheap as hell, so $25 should work for 200 participants or less.
Performance: I would open with a sword swallow, and segway into the following effects selected for their pirate like themes.
> Clear Water to Black Water
> Sands of the Desert
> Multiplying "Rum" Bottles
> Topsy Turvey "Rum" Bottles
> Re-purpose the Disappearing Ketchup Bottle to work for a pirate theme. Discus food on the ship, and how it always needs an extra touch of flavor.
> Fire Eating
> Mis-made Flag re purposed to a Jolly Roger
> Comedy Manacle Escape
> Chain Escape
> Close with Tip Over Box production of a Pirate Wench assistant. The Tip Over Box, of course, would be fashioned to look like a pirate chest. (Fortunately, a friend of mine has something I could borrow that looks very close to this.)
Figuring that each effect will last between 3 to 6 minutes on an average to fill a 40 minute show I'll need between six and ten effects, allow time for patter and set up and I'm golden on time.
I would have on stand by (in case I needed it)
> Stan, Kate, and Edith reworked to have a pirate theme.
> Human Block Head
> McCombical Prediction: Reworked to use pictures that would be familiar to a pirate, such as a ship, a plank, a sword, a shark, etc.
Now that you get the right idea of what we're aiming for here, now lets look at this weeks mental work out challenge!
The Theme: Comic Books (In honor of Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend)
The Budget: $50
The Challenge: Create a 30 minute show set list that would present magic in the theme of comic books and super heros. The show should be able to play for a small to medium sized audience. (5 to 75 people)
Good Luck!