Hello, all...

My brother, a schoolteacher and theater coach for his high school, has asked me for help with an illusion for the band's halftime show next school year. Without going into all the gory details, the essential idea is that a pair of band members would be carrying what appears to be a pirate's treasure chest covered with a large opaque cloth. At the critical moment, another actor will whip the cloth off of the chest, only to find it vanished into thin air.

This of course suggests the Asrah technique, with the chest taking the place of the female assistant. There is no levitation involved; the chest will likely be carried on poles, much like the ark in the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Alas, I haven't the slightest idea how one would go about building the wire form for this sort of illusion. Googling this site (and others) hasn't turned up any information useful to this task. Can anyone suggest a good resource for learning how an Asrah form is built, and/or the principles that make it work?

Thanks...

Jeff

I don't know any reference material. Usually, people buy the illusions.

As I read your post, it sounds impossible, as you are out in a field.

The only method that comes to mind, is the Abbott's Vanishing Alarm Clock cloth. They call the trick, The Beat All Vanishing Alarm Clock. It is not the props you will make but all the work in the cloth.

You will have many other problems as well.

I assume you are referring to a collapsible frame. I am sorry to report their are no plans that I am aware of on making such a prop. that is why they sell them, the creators are trying to make a living selling their ideas.

I can only suggest you go to a teacher who works and is familiar with mechanical engineering. He can assist you in your idea.

It sounds like the "one-man" designs would serve you best. The standard Asrah method would expose the form under the proposed conditions. Not many ways to hide it in an area that open.

"Encyclopedia of Suspensions and Levitations" would have the needed info, although just the concept, not the construction techniques. http://www.abbottmagic.com/Encyclopedia-......slev.htm

Does your high school play night games and have a blimp?

Ha-ha!!! The king of wishful thinking??

Think, Nielsen Vanishing Bird Cage.

Bear in mind, please, that we have no need for a levitation; only the instantaneous vanish of an (apparently) large and bulky solid object from beneath a cloth cover.

Jeff

See Eldon's post. Minimal gimmick. The only critical issue would be ditching the real chest.

OK! I got an idea! It's all in what you said were the requeriments! the poles hold the form, I made a quick sketch in sketch..up hehe the front and back are rigid and the middle is flexible to form the arc, if they separate the poles the form goes plain I hope the images are clear enough

Click here to view attached image.

I don't know how to post both images in the same post so here is how it would look extended, hope you like it

Click here to view attached image.

1920's vanishing radio method?

The form and cloth are easy but switching out the real chest is harder. Have the chest sitting on something, a platform of some type and use the platform to aid in the transition from chest to form in cloth.

Jim

Fred Goode built an illusion for the High School Production of "Pippin" in which a box, containing a lady, vanishes. You'll find photos HERE: http://wizkidzinc.com/WK2013/PippinMagic/PippinMagic.htm
Scroll down about 4 pics to the vanishing box illusion. Fred's box was on wheels, but it could have been carried on a litter.

Think "theatre", not "magic."

If it's outdoors, you'll be dealing with a breeze, too. If air pushes in the side of the "chest" your illusion will be ruined... I.e. orient express as it floated to the side.

Would the chest need to be real and switched out?

What if its just fabric, painted and weathered to look real (the audience wont be too close anyway) and have velcro on a few critical spots. Put that on a form, it sticks to the opaque cloth and away it goes.

Does this need to be seen in the round, or just the "home team" point if view? I have methods in mind for both, but proscenium-like angles are far easier than the "home" and "away" angles of a football field audience.