A N D R E W

M A Y N E ' S ^^

VOODOO Box
BUILD IT Y O U R S E L F IN UNDER 3D MINUTES
FOR LESS THAN $3D

COMPLETELY FOLDS DOWN FLAT

CAN BE P E R F O R M E D TOTALLY S U R R O U N D E D
EVERYTHING CAN BE INSPECTED

The Uoodoo Box

I've always been a little uncomfortable with effects where you shove swords through
somebody. It's not the dangerous aspect of the swords that bothered me, rather it's
the lack of motivation. Why am I putting my faithful, dedicated assistant into harm's
way? Obviously the goal is to entertain my audience, but is there a reason why I'm
using swords in a violent way? Wondering about this lead me to thinking about reasons
why a magician might want to demonstrate the apparent invulnerability of his assistant.
This lead me to thinking about alternatives to swords which kind of felt cliched. I
eventually stumbled upon the idea of using umbrellas when I found a bunch for sale at
a dollar each. I picked up a couple dozen and began to experiment with them. One
previous idea is my effect Brain Damage in my Shock FX video. Another idea is the
Voodoo Box described here.
The purpose of the Voodoo Box is to protect someone from bad luck. The part of bad
luck is played by 21 umbrellas that are shoved through the box while the magician's
assistant is inside. The assistant is a bit reluctant and the magician a tad overzealous,
the end result is that the box works and the assistant is unharmed.
With a little preparation and practice (perhaps cool background music) you have an
effect that borders on weird. Some people will be convinced that the assistant is no
longer in the box. Others may guess that the assistant is some kind of super human
contortionist. Encourage all of those theories. The more open you seem about how
the effect is performed, the more mysterious it will appear to your audience.
I spent a total of $30 to make this effect. The umbrellas were not difficult to find at a
"Dollar Store". It took some time to find the right way to place the umbrellas, but
eventually I found it with the help of Matthew Barber. Poor Matt spent quite a bit of time
in the box as I tried to figure out the best way to make the effect work. I thank him for
his patience. It's not an easy job to be a human guinea pig in my laboratory.
In the next few pages you'll see a little bit of explanation about the different kinds of
deception that go into this mystery. What I like most about this effect (other than it only
cost $30 to build) is the fact that even if they guess the assistant is still in the box in
some twisted fashion, it looks impossible. In an age when audiences will watch a
magician perform a card trick in one moment and hammer a nail into his head the next,
the transition from trick to stunt has become seamless and audiences are equally
entertained either way.
Have fun and please, please do not hurt your helper!
Best,
Andrew Mayne

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M

the effect
The magician introduces his
hapless assistant and asks
him to step inside of a box.
He explains that this is no
ordinary box. This is a
Voodoo box used to ward of
ill wishes and bad luck.

The magician reveals a pile of

umbrellas. Each one having been
opened indoors, is guaranteed to
bring with it bad luck.

The reluctant helper kneels down inside of the box

and has it closed over him.

The magician wastes

no time in picking up
the first umbrella to
shove into the box.

the secret

Although it looks like umbrellas

penetrate the box from every
conceivable angle, the helper actually
positions his body between the
umbrellas. From the outside it looks
like there's no space, in reality he's
able to fit between them {provided they
don't have a large build!).

As the magician places each

umbrella into the box the
assistant grabs the tip himself
and pulls the umbrella through.
The magician does not shove
the umbrella through. Let me
repeat that for the sake of
clarity; THE MAGICIAN DOES
NOT
SHOVE
THE
UMBRELLAS THROUGH!!!

The assistant pulls the

umbrellas from within and
guides them around his
body...that's because THE
MAGICIAN

DOES

NOT

SHOVE THE UMBRELLAS

THROUGH!!!

Never, ever shove the

umbrellas through the box!
You could hurt the assistant
this way. It also makes the trick
more difficult, if not impossible.

There are four reasons why this trick is deceptive:

1. With umbrellas penetrating the four
corners and the middle of each side and

traveling at an angle, it appears that the

umbrellas effectively penetrate most of the
inner volume of the box.

2. Although the actual area the umbrella penetrates is not that large
{diagram 1), the "blooming effect" of the umbrella fabric makes it appear
that the umbrella penetrates a much larger area (diagram 2)

diagram 1
diagram 2
3. The corners and edge of the box are spray-painted darker than
the rest of the box to make the box appear smaller.

4. By posturing himself as wide and inflexible

as possible, the assistant makes it appear that

he's not likely to bend around the umbrellas
in an agile manner.

These are the dimensions for the box and umbrellas I used to

create this effect. You might want to experiment with a larger or

smaller box depending on the size of your assistant. The
umbrellas are pretty standard in size.

frh
54 (/m
ACME BOX CO.

23 inches

20 inches

b^C/YYi

^U
32 inches

20 inches

23 inches

23 inches

andrew mayne's voodoo box

~l

The slits in the box are "L"

shaped with the point being

approximately 3 inches

away from the corner.

Each cut is approximately 3

inches in length.

'liGcflu
- 3 inches

Each side of the box is the

same.

3 inches

ROY rn

"?/5c^\

materia.s
Large boxes can be purchased
at office supply stores such as
Office Depot. You can also find

them at storage facilities and

places that rent moving
vehicles.

21 umbrellas are used in this

effect. I purchased the ones
shown here for $1 each at a
"dollar store". Dollar stores like
Dollar Tree often have a bunch
of them in a rack.

on
^

Acan of flat black spray paint

is used to shade the corners
and edges of the box.

*.

i'

A knife is used to create the slits in the box

for the umbrellas to pass through.

preparation
After you've found the right-sized box
for your assistant to fit inside, prepare
the box with the slits as shown in the
diagrams.
Use the spray paint to darken
the edges of the box and the

corners. Use very light

applications. The purpose is
to let the shading look subtle.

Widen each slit by shoving an

umbrella through. This will make the

performance of the effect much easier

if the holes are already the right size.
Don't worry if you holes get torn. The

box is supposed to look old and worn.

This is a messy looking effect.

t
Make sure that your helper can fit inside
the box with enough room to guide the
umbrellas through. If not, try a bigger box.
They're cheap. You can afford it.

performance
Explain to your audience that you're going
to demonstrate the amazing properties of
your "Voodoo Box". Invite your helper out

on stage to assist. Ask them to step inside

the box. Close the top of the box on them.
Pick up the first umbrella. Place it through the
center of the front of the box. Let your helper
pull it through. DO NOT SHOVE THE
UMBRELLA!!!

Each umbrella should be placed carefully

so that your assistant can see the

umbrella coming and pull it through.

Each umbrella should be placed into

the box following this pattern. This way

your assistant will know where to

expect each umbrella to come through.

Place each umbrella with care.

Let your assistant pull it in as

quickly as they feel comfortable.

Your skill comes into play in
pretending that you're the one
actually forcing the umbrella into
the box.

Place all the umbrellas through

the slits. Place a final umbrella

through the top if your assistant
can manage it.
Step back from the box for a
moment. Pull out all the
umbrellas very quickly. Open a

few of them as you pull them out

to show that the umbrellas are
real.

Open the box and have your assistant

wait for a moment. Once a certain
level of tension has been reached,
have your assistant stand up to his
well deserved applause.
Performance note:
The whole effect will appear much
faster and professional if you have
some fast paced music playing in
the background for the entire

effect. An instrumental music loop

would be perfect.

Voodoo Box FAQ

How much time will it take to make Voodoo Box?
You can make it in under 30 minutes (after you get the materials).

How expensive is Voodoo Box to make?

I made mine for $30 with materials I found at the store. I bought the umbrellas from the dollar
store for a buck each. I've checked with several other dollar stores to make sure they carry
cheap umbrellas, they do.
I have a show next Saturday; will I have enough time to build it and perform it?
Build it, yes. Perform it well, maybe. That depends on how good you are at practicing and
preparation. Most of the work is done by your assistant in the box. If they're a quick study and
understand what's going on, you should be able to get the effect ready with a couple hours
intense practice.

How many people does Voodoo Box take to perform?

Two people. One in the box and one to place the umbrellas in.
Can Voodoo Box be performed surrounded?
Absolutely.
Does Voodoo Box fold down flat.
Very.
How can an audience be fooled by something so simple?
It's a similar concept to the sword basket with a few extra twists. There are several methods
of deception being employed to make the effect work.
How can an audience be fooled by something so cheap?
Some illusions are really expensive, some aren't. This is one of those effects where the
materials lend themselves to being inexpensive. A sub trunk is just a crate, a straitjacket is
just canvas and lots of black art effects are just black fabric. It's how these materials are used
that makes the difference.
What do I do if my assistant has trouble fitting in the box?
Get a bigger box. The box described in these plans was one that my friend Matt could fit into.
A box a few inches larger in either direction would provide more room and make the trick
easier for someone larger, taller or less flexible.
Is it okay if the umbrella handles stick out at a different angle than how I placed them
(because my assistant positioned them around their body)?
That's fine. Some repositioning is going to occur.

How long should I take to place the umbrellas into the box?
Being safe is the most important factor. With practice you and your assistant should be able
to put the umbrellas in place quickly without risking harm to them.

How long should I leave my assistant in the box?

Not long. It's not fun in there. Your assistant should always be able to open the top of the box
without assistance in case of trouble.
Can I make the box out of some other material?
If you want to make a more permanent version you could make a box out of sheet metal or
plywood. I'd try to make it look as much like cardboard as possible. Part of the deception of
the trick is that cardboard doesn't look suspicious.

Do I have to use black umbrellas?

No. That was the color of the umbrellas I found for $1 each. Any color is fine. In fact, a
brighter color would appear larger than black.
Can I use something besides umbrellas, like swords?
In my opinion that would defeat the purpose of the trick and make it not so safe. Getting
poked by an umbrella tip is like getting poked with a finger. Getting poked by a sword is called
getting stabbed. That's not a good thing. Swords would change the whole look of the trick
and make it appear less impromptu. Anytime you use odd props like swords or giant neon
tubes you change the audiences expectations.
Aren't magicians supposed to put women into the box and not other dudes?
It's the 21st century. We've made enough women victims of our cruel torture devices. It's time
to share the pain. Seriously though, sometimes it's more magical if you use someone who
does not appear to be some lithe agile dancer that could probably fold herself into a pretzel.

If you want to develop a lot of practice as an illusionist it doesn't hurt to be able to make use of
whoever you have standing around as a helper. I've had several girlfriends work as my
assistant as well as plenty of my buddies from school.
Can anyone perform/make this effect?
A twelve-year old could make the trick. A responsible twelve-year old could perform it. Being
inside the box requires a certain about of flexibility, but nothing you didn't learn in gym class.
How did you think of Voodoo Box?
I'd been playing around with a different kind of sword basket effect that didn't use swords
when I came across a bunch of cheap umbrellas. I started thinking about how some people
think opening umbrellas indoors brings bad luck. That gave me a premise. From there I
created the effect.

How long did it take you to create Voodoo Box?

Versions of Voodoo Box had been in my head for a long time (years). When I finally sat down
to create it for the Illusion Impact series it took me two weeks to make the final version.

Coming soon from Illusion Impact

light storm

More effects from the mind of Andrew Mayne.

andrew

mayne' 8