Hi Tim, very cool. I think I saw a littly news bit about that last year on TV. I will have to come up and visit sometime for sure if you will have me. After much marketing research I was thinking of locating one in Wassaga Beach. One that is permenant but only open seasonally. Since you are so close, perhaps you could do some work for us as a consultant.

Thanks for the link!

Peter.

Many thanks Peter,

If you are going to stop by let me know in advance so I can pick a time to give you a backstage tour of the effects and their workings.

I'd love to have discussion regards your project sometime. Be warned there are LOTS of pitfalls. Mine is a 10 day event so all my business happens then and I have lots of volunteers as its a fundraiser. It takes 20 to 30 backstage people to make it run and keep it safe. I also get lots of promotion and materials donated because of the charity issue. A project like yours that is open for a summer season will need to have more effects that don't require people ( paid people especially ) to run them. Over the years I've developed a few ways to make the effects less dependant on human power.

Insurance is also a BIG issue. The Shriners have a blanket policy that covers all their fundraising efforts nationwide and I am included in that so I have that angle covered..luckily.

Best,

Tim

Tim I would love to come up this year.

As for the human power, I was plannng on building an attraction that was 90% if not 100% automated, with peraps room for one-two live actors that could do several "jump" effects via back passage ways etc. For example take the UFO haunted house in Niagra falls. 2 guys run it. One guy does the ticket sales the other guy is the actor.

The attraction begins by this actor dressed up in a white lab coat standing with you in an alien autopsy room with the alien underglass. The actor begins to do the autopsy suddenly the lights go out there is a big crash and when the lights come back on the glass casing is shattered the alien is missing, and green smoke is emitting from the glass casket. The actor tells you run and directs you into the rest of the attraction while he sneaks into a little door.

From then on there are tons of great animatronics that will make you jump, but also through out
the attraction this guy is jumping out all over the place through little holes in the wall etc. It would seem that there was 10 live actors, but it wasn't it was just one guy following you through a parallel passage. I thought it was brilliant.

But I would like to have it so that at the attraction could be run successfully and entertaingly enough without any actors.

P.

That sounds like the ideal way to run things. They do the same sort of 1 or 2 man thing in the Haunted House in Florida "Old Town" .

I think I'll check out the UFO attraction in Niagara Falls. Speaking of Niagara Falls ..check out the Greg Frewin thread in Grand Ilusion...we're planning a Café Day where Café members all attend one of Gregs shows. Its a chance to meet other members ( besides auditioning for Soap Commercials ) and see a great show. We'd love to have you particpate.

Best,

Tim

LOL! Haha, were you at that tide comercial too? did it air yet? I remember talking with Bill Abbott and Ryan Joyce there and we all had wished we never showed up...lol.

I can't wait to see Greg's Show. Did you know I actually competed against Greg in the finals of the Rising Star competition many many years ago at the CNE(I think I was like 13 or 14 years old), long before he ever made it big. Guess who won....yaeah, not me.

I don't think the commercial ever aired. Several other friends auditioned and they all agreed the people in charge didn't know what they wanted.

Yep..thats were we met. I was there with Ryan. You may remember me. You had your Losander Floating Table there and I mentioned I was interested in buying one and I asked you if I could feel the weight of it. I reached to pick it up and the instant my fingers touched the spindle ..the table started to float while I was hanging on to it and totally freaked me out. Seconds later I realized that it was only you lifting it from the top to hand it to me but for a bit there...I was really amazed! ...and then really embarressed!!!! LOL I did buy a Losander a few months later so thanks for recommending it. I love mine!

If you're available on the 5th we'd love to have you there. PM or email me if you can make it. BTW...cool story about the competition.

Best,

Tim

Oh well ofcoarse I remember you. I guess I never put 2 and 2 together. Glad you are enjoying your Table.

I would love to come, I will let you know in the next couple of days if it is feasable for sure. More than likely I would go up for the whole day and spend some time in Clifton Hills with Lyndsy and then meet up with you guys at 6:00 or earlier. Its just that it is a 2-2 1/2 hour drive, so I would make a day of it. Or if anyone else is going up early perhaps we can all hang out for the day or part of it anyway before the show, as I wouldn't have a lot of time after the show to stick around.

Im not sure if the story about the competition is really that cool...lol, he smoked me and others with his bird act...and back then when it happened I felt devastated, but now over the years, that I see what he has become, and what he has done with magic, I don't feel bad at all, but rather honored! I really want to attend so please pass on the details.


P.

Hi Peter,

I don't mean to highjack this thread so I'm going to post a new one soon so don't hear from other members that I complained to when they got of topic. Eh..Kline? LOL

My thought was to get a bunch of us together on AUG 5 but then changed it to AUG 12 as Abbotts is on the 5th. The plan is for the group to get together at 6:00 at the theatre. It'd be great to get as many as possible together so we can really cheer Greg on and then help get the word out. Ryan Joyce, Chris Stolz, The Amazing Corbin and myself are all on board so far but I'd like so many more. You'd make a great addition. Spouses and family are more than welcome..the more the merrier. If you know any others in NY or ON pass the details on. Info will be posted here http://www.timothydrake.ca/cafeday.html

Best,

Tim

Im all over it like Oprah on a baked ham!

P.

Ouch!

So Mike Im curious about your thoughts on the vertical asrah. Have you had time to investigate?

A little. Took a look at what Tim mentioned (its at almost the last page of FOREIGN(?) Illusions. The way this one is set up it really looks like it could almost be self-contained with NO lines or traditional flying rigging.

Performers body blocks an armature from the device, or even (so much detail work would need to be worked out) a ZOMBI style extension rig where his body and draped cloth overlap.

You guys sound like you are going great guns over there. I run a much smaller operation. Hope I can keep up with what you are doing, interesting conversation. I love that kind of stuff.