Little Man Demo

[Curtis Kam]

The tacked-on flash paper revelation is just dopey. The trick is that the clay guy moves as if he were alive. The fact that he reveals your chosen card just suggests that the moving part is no big thing, probably some sort of mechanical trick.

Sure the movement is disappointing to those of us who were hoping the little guy would tap dance, but with expectations properly lowered, couldn't this movement be enough? Suppose, for instance, that you told them that this is the freakiest thing, and the last time you did this, you're sure you saw him smile, just a little, and his hand twitched.

All it takes is for a pure and chaste maiden to come in close and breathe upon him lightly....come on, the reaction there would be worth it, IMHO.

Or, you could tear off his head and place it in the hands of the maiden. When he walks over to her, you can tell her, "He wants you to give him a little head".

[Ian Kendall]

The flash paper thing is the justification for making him move - otherwise it's just a plasticine thing shuffling along. I'm curious as to how many people watching wouldn't immediately get the method, or at least a basis of the method.

The last line, however, makes it all worthwhile.

Take care, Ian

[Doc Dixon]

The flash paper thing is the justification for making him move - otherwise it's just a plasticine thing shuffling along. I'm curious as to how many people watching wouldn't immediately get the method, or at least a basis of the method.

Ian, relating your comment to Richard's earlier comment about Del Ray's mouse -- how many laymen knew (or at the very least had a general idea) of the method for the mouse? I'm guessing some did. But it didn't matter, because in Del's hands, after deeply fooling them for an hour plus, he didn't need to establish his bona fides. The pure charm of the piece came through. Could such a feeling come through with the Little Man? Guess it depends who's doing it.

DD

[Jonathan Townsend]

DD, that pretty much justifies treating any trick as more fuss than necessary as reading from the phone book would suffice for a sufficiently engaging performer. -Jon

[Phil Angees]

I've been doing this trick for years, but I have to wait for an earthquake.

[Doc Dixon]

DD, that pretty much justifies treating any trick as more fuss than necessary as reading from the phone book would suffice for a sufficiently engaging performer. -Jon

Jon,
No it doesn't. At least not in "real world land". Just like the trick has to be in the right context, so does my comment. Any point taken to a degree of absurdity becomes, well, absurd. I think the comparison of the Little Man to the great Del Ray's mouse, both in effect and the charm vs. deception, is a valid point without resorting to taking the comparison to places where I never meant it to go (phonebooks)

With Respect,

DD

PS: Of course, it goes w/o saying Del's Mouse was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better. Of course, Del Ray just telling stories was way better than most things, too.

[Jonathan Townsend]

DD just how or where does one draw such a line? Is Del Ray just telling stories better (more entertaining to most people) than most of us doing card tricks?

If the goal is entertainment we have a serious question. Consider the monologueist who has a card selected, talks for an hour and then gets off his chair and the audience sees the missing card (and the wise acres can see it's varnished on). Good enough? Why or why not?

By way of balance, remember the SNL bit about Elvis's coat going on tour? :D

[Tom Stone]

The are plenty of presentation posts in green land (green acres?).
Angelo Carbone suggested making a clay penguin.
I kinda like the "old film" one using a strobe light.

A strobe might make it quite spooky, if set so one never actually see the figure move.
As in Ninja Cat or in the Doctor Who episode "Blink":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79dt9HRif8g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFKa9tQqzrs

[Jonathan Townsend]

The notion of showing a stop-motion movie with real props appealed :)

Ah, a Little Weeping Angel. Spooky. And timely since they are due back this spring.

[Doc Dixon]

DD just how or where does one draw such a line? Is Del Ray just telling stories better (more entertaining to most people) than most of us doing card tricks?

Forgive me for my brevity. It's not meant to be rude, I just can't get into a long discussion on a philosophical point right now.

But I will answer your first question: just how or where does one draw such a line? The audience draws it. I think you're approaching this topic from a theory/philosophic standpoint, which is fine. That's part of what discussion is about. I'm approaching from it from "if I wanted to get this effect on the boards" standpoint.

While these two standpoints intersect, they are far from the same territory

Best,

DD

PS: and the Del Ray comment about telling stories was just a small homage to my favorite magician and not intended as part of the discussion thread.

[Joe Mckay]

The strobe light idea is very good!

Joe

[Ian Kendall]

But also utterly impractical. How, in your average performing arena, would you black out a room sufficiently for a strobe effect to work?

And even if you did find an environment where you _could_ get absolute black, and a strobe light - would you really be taking out a tub of modelling clay?

Take care, Ian

[Jonathan Townsend]

? no reason to try for perfect here as they know it's not a real movie the same way as they know it's not magic

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Operated- ... B001G6KJH6

see if that also fits in the bag.