It’s All About You!
Do you dream of being the greatest magical artist alive of all time? Some people do and others do not. It is no small task and if in your mind you have achieved that in the end you will end up as one of the greatest because the opinions of others. That’s provided you become famous. If you did get to the point of national recognition can you keep it going?
In my opinion if you can keep going you should take the accent one step at a time. If you get sucked into large deals you have to live up to that by providing mind blowing performances and I don't mean just something dangerous. If you are doing dangerous magic you may be rushed by agents, press or others to hurry up if you want to get their deal.
This happens more than people think.
Many people rush dangerous acts because of a television opportunity. There are many in the publicity field that will rush an act. I have had several arguments with television people over this. I was always ready and on time to present my act but I never allowed these people to rush me into making the commitment. I believe I am alive because I don't give a dam how big a deal is or who thinks I should do it their way. I changed an under water box at the last minute to please a client and almost drowned many years ago. I was young. Never again!
If you always look at this situation as climbing a dangerous mountain you might be reminded that you have to be so careful with every step of anything that can harm or kill you. When you get high enough only oxygen will keep the climb going. When it runs out that’s as high as you are going.
Even if you live to get famous then what? Show business contains a lot of the same approach that old kids game called King of the Hill has. The oxygen is creativity and forging ahead with ideas no one has done yet. I am releasing as many ideas as I can to help pump oxygen into the art. Even if you never do one of these acts you still may get an original idea or ideas of your own from these ideas.
Now I can't believe I am going to bring up the subject of reality shows but we are in that age and it might be the right role for someone. Many times the people selected are put up in mansions with large swimming pools. So if you were on the show it would be a perfect place to pull off an underwater and the producers might like the idea. You know the people on the show will want to see you do it. If you are allowed to do it you will be on national television. If you send a video of yourself in action you may get on the show. With that said I would never consider most reality shows but that is just me. At this stage I won't be filmed for anything and I don't want to do interviews with the press.
Think about swimming pools. How many different tricks could you do under water using just chains, rope and cuffs? It might be worth working out three effects each one getting harder so at pool functions you can offer a special performance three times during the day. If each time you are bound the audience thinks it is impossible and you make a big finish you could have a powerful show. Each one should look harder than the last. Most all pool stunts are a one time event at a function. This plan of three theatrical pieces makes it a larger show and during the day interest will build as people wait for you to try something else.
I have seen on television the controlled sinking of old ships to make barriers or reefs in the ocean. Although it might be next to impossible to set up if an artist could set it up and was shackled to a rail on the ship as it goes down it would make for a big time act.
Another interesting concept is an old fashion diving bell that traps some air in the top. I think a nice clear bell weighted properly at the bottom would work fine. The artist would be chained and cuffed inside the bell and then lowered underwater. It can be filmed and an audience can see you work.
I also think an oil rig could be the new bridge to jump if the set up can be arranged. It has a platform to film and perform on. Perhaps if you booked your show for an oil company event you could get permission to do the jump as a publicity stunt.
Also while I think of it in a special in Masters issue I published my own plan for a full view water cell. With this plan you can appear to pick the must secure padlocks made brought by a challenger and you never have to handle the locks before hand. The audience will believe they saw you pick four or six high security padlocks underwater with this system.
Thomas Blacke can tell you more about that issue.
The Maze
This idea is based on a Fear Factor stunt. They had a large pool and what looked about to be three sheets of large plastic. Each one laid flat in the water making three floors. Each one had a hole in the end for the contestant to go through. When a person went through the first hole they had to swim to the other end to go through the second hole and then swim to the opposite end to get through the third hole to get under all these plastic floors to retrieve something on the bottom of the pool and then reverse the process all the way back and out.
These plastic sheets did not touch the sides of the pool so a contestant in trouble could just go out side ways and up for air. Now let’s work on this for an act. Let’s think of this in these terms. Imagine the plastic fits tight around the sides of the pool and there is no way out except the holes in the plastic.
Now imagine a shoot that runs through all three plastic floors. The escape is chained up slid down the chute into the bottom of the pool. A small door on the shoot opens and then locks after the artist slides out into the pool. This is the concept. To escape and run the length of plastic to find the holes and way out. The holes and chute must be large enough for a skin diver with a tank to fit through for a test run of the inspection and check to see if all is on the up and up before it's made.
To really ramp it up the third floor and second floor are to be built like a maze with clear plastic just like the floors. So now the artist must move a restraint then find their way through a maze on the third floor or deepest piece of plastic. Then the artist must find their way through the maze on the second floor to get to the last hole and freedom. A skin diver can be used to show the difficulty and time it will take. There must be a safety of some type for emergency air and a way to direct the skin diver through the maze should they get lost. Of course you must have the route through down to a science. This has all the element of a highly visual grand.
The Chair Tie
Some years back I read about a magician who did a chair tie to a metal chair. His act was to be thrown off a pier and get out underwater. This could be done on stage in a clear tank smaller than a water cell. Once tied to the chair it could be lifted up on a small crane and you could be lowered in the water. This could be seen from four sides. I think it could be a really nice one.
Someone sent me an e mail that says, “Do not post your papers to Handcuffs.org any more.” I don't post the paper I only post that they are available. Many people with a lot of experience don't say anything at all. Many are busy. Many do not want to give up original ideas and will take them to their grave first. Many just don't want to deal with all the nonsense from the peanut gallery.
I am still going to keep writing because at present almost no one else with my years experience is going into the areas that I am willing to go.
We have all lived under the exaggerated shadow of Houdini but this is a new day and it’s all about you now if you step out of the crowed and make it all about you!
-N. Bigelow
