# Illusion of empty space Chip's cart in BATB



## hamlett22 (Apr 2, 2013)

hi

I am making Chip's table (cart) for our production of Beauty and the Beast. The outer walls are scroll work so you can see through. I planned on setting four inner walls inset about 10cm from the outer scroll work walls and then painting a design on the inner walls to match the scroll work of the cart. But I got to thinking it would be cool to use perspective or some other trick to make the inner walls pass off an illusion that the space behind the scroll work (outer walls) is empty, so then it would appear as if the actor's head was floating above the table but no body below.

Any ideas on how to do this? There is a great example of this effect here... 

http://hennepintheatretrust.files.w...abriel_reis_as_chip-_photo_by_joan_marcus.jpg

any advice on how I can achieve this effect?

thanks
hamlett22


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## ruinexplorer (Apr 2, 2013)

Similar to the magician's empty box trick. See here.


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## rsmentele (Apr 3, 2013)

I've done the show before, and we did the same illusion as ruinexplorer suggested. The mirror was larger than his picture shows so that the actor playing chip can ride in the cart and fit. the bottom of the open area of the cart is simply painted and decorated however you want the front to look.


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## MagicDave (Apr 16, 2013)

With this illusion, the key point is the mirror. You need to use a mirror (not mirrored perspex) as the image will become blurry otherwise. It is also ideal that the mirror has to be at a 45 degree angle. Any more or less, the image may be distorted and people will be able to see the mirror. The only other major point to mention when building a "Ghost" illusion is that its important to mask where the mirror joins the box well, otherwise people will look for the solution and find it easily. I've built quite a few of these illusions in the past and to get extra room (or the appearance of less room then there is) the simple way to do that is add in a extra few inches below the "magic area", but have it painted black and away from the front by around an inch (creating a smaller box below the edge giving a little bit more room)


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