THE MIRROR BOX PRODUCTION BOX MANIPULATION BOX PRODUCTION FOLDER
THE MIRROR PRODUCTION BOX By Richard Robinson The sudden appearance of solid obec!s fro" a space !ha! could no! possibly con!ain !he" is a "ys!erious e#en! !ha! is "a$ically perple%in$& The Mirror Box produc!ion enhances !he effec! since !he "a$ician see"s !o be conurin$ up a 'uan!i!y of solid bloc(s "ade of "irrors& The "irror bo%es described here can be used in #arious pieces of !radi!ional produc!ion appara!us) fro" under a clo!h s!ealin$ fro" a body load or usin$ a si"ple boo(*li(e folder& Construction Materials The Mirror Bo% is a s'uare bloc( "ade of card s!oc(& The bo% +ill collapse fla! and can be held in !ha! s!a!e under a sli$h! pressure& ,hen !he pressure is released !he bo% +ill sprin$ open and appear solid& The "a!erials needed !o cons!ruc! !he bo% are card s!oc() a len$!h of blac( elas!ic e las!ic cord) adhesi#e bac(ed !ape and a shee! of adhesi#e bac(ed The e%panded "irror bo%& No!e !ha! on !he !+o sides !ha! fold dia$onally one "ylar& sec!ion has been cu! sli$h!ly lar$er so !ha! !he corner o#erlaps !he bo% proper& use blac( -illus!ra!ion This holds !he bo% s'uare +hen supply houses& This e%panded and "a(es i! easier !o collapse !he bo%&
In !he follo+in$ descrip!ion I board- a#ailable fro" ar!is!sboard is ./.0 inch !hic( 12 ""3) s!iff and 'ui!e s!urdy& The blac( cord elas!ic can be had a! "os! se+in$ supply houses and should be used ra!her !han an elas!ic band +hich doesn-! func!ion as +ell& 4affers !ape is used !o hin$e !he sec!ions !o$e!her and can be had a! bo!h !hea!rical and "usicians- supply s!ores& The self*s!ic self*s!ic( ( "ylar is a#ailable a#ailabl e fro" s!ores sellin$ plas!ic shee!in$&
The bo%es could be "ade ou! o u! of playin$ card In collapsin$ !he bo%) !he !hu"bs s!oc( or o!her cardboard) hin$ed !o$e!her +i!h $en!ly pull ou! !he !+o foldin$ sides +hich causes !he" !o fold a! !heir clear +rappin$ !ape and decora!ed in ano!her dia$onal and pulls !he res! of !he fashion& Ho+e#er !hey +on-! hold up as +ell under hin$ed bo% fla!& cons!an! use& Prop Construction Cu! si% s'uares fro" !he card s!oc(& Each s'uare "easures 2*./2 % 2*./2 inches 10&5 % 0&5 c"&3 Cu! !+o of !hese s'uares in half fro" one corner !o !he opposi!e dia$onal corner corner&& Hin$e !he four s'uares !o$e!her !o$e!her&& In placin$ !he !ape one s'uare !o hin$e i! !o !he ne%! s'uare) a space should lef! be!+een !he !+o oined ed$es !ha! e'uals !he !hic(ness !hic(ness of !he card
The collapsed bo%) ready !o sprin$ open +hen no! held under pressure&
s!oc(& Tape should !hen be placed on bo!h !he fron!s and bac(s of !he s'uares& The easies! +ay !o do !his is !o place one s'uare direc!ly on !op of ano!her and apply !he firs! len$!h of !ape fro" one s'uare o#er !he !op of !he !+o ends and do+n on!o !he o!her s'uare& Then open !he !+o s'uares) !urn !he" o#er and lie !he" fla! before a!!achin$ !he !ape hin$e !o !he opposi!e side& 6no!her #ie+ of !he collapsed bo%&
The !+o se!s of !rian$ular pieces are also hin$ed in !he sa"e fashion alon$ !he dia$onal cu!& Punch a hole in each of !he !rian$ular pieces us! off cen!er as sho+n in !he illus!ra!ion& These !+o hin$ed dia$onally cu! pieces no+ for" !he final !+o sides of !he bo%& They are hin$ed on !+o of !heir sides !o four pre#iously hin$ed s'uares& 6$ain !he illus!ra!ion e%plains !heir connec!ion& The elas!ic cord is looped ou! and bac(
Inser! !he ends of !he cord elas!ic !hrou$h !he !+o in !hrou$h !he !+o foldin$ sides and holes on one hin$ed side& Run !he cord elas!ic !hen (no!!ed inside of !he bo%& across !he inside of !he bo% and !hread one end ou! of one hole of !he opposi!e hin$ed side and !hen bac( in !o !he bo% !hrou$h !he o!her hole& Pull !he ends of !he cord elas!ic un!il !here is enou$h !ension !o hold !he hin$ed sides a$ains! !he bo% proper& Then double (no! !he cord elas!ic and !ri" a+ay any e%cess cord abo#e !he (no!& The e%!erior of !he bo% is no+ decora!ed by s!ic(in$ s'uares of "ylar !o !he ou!side& No!e !ha! on !he !+o hin$ed sides !he "ylar is also cu! in!o sec!ions on !he dia$onal so !ha! i! +ill no! in!erfere +i!h !he hin$in$ ac!ion&
The four s'uares are hin$ed !o$e!her +i!h adhesi#e !ape a! !heir co""on sides& The +hi!e rec!an$les indica!e !he posi!ion of !he !ape& The !+o sides +hich are cu! and !hen hin$ed dia$onally 1dashed lines3 each ha#e !+o holes punched in !he" 1blac( do!s3 !hrou$h +hich !he elas!ic cord is !hreaded& These !+o hin$ed sides are a!!ached by hin$es !o !he four s'uares 1arro+s3 !o co"ple!e !he cons!ruc!ion of !he bo%&
Handlin Properly cons!ruc!ed) !he bo% has !+o s!a!es7 collapsed and e%panded& ,hen collapsed !he bo% ob#iously has !o be secured in so"e fashion !o pre#en! a pre"a!ure appearance& The easies! +ay !o do !his is !o use !he Produc!ion 8older described in ano!her ar!icle in !his series& In !his scenario) !he bo%es are produced fro" !he folder) +i!h !he folder bein$ sho+n -fla!- be!+een produc!ions& To produce !he bo%es fro" o!her props i! is necessary !o ei!her +ed$e !he collapsed bo%es in!o !he load cha"ber in a "anner !ha! allo+s !he" !o be re"o#ed easily and indi#idually& This "ay re'uire addin$ so"e in!erior -s!ops- !o !he load cha"ber dependin$ on !he prop used& 8or a body load) !he bo%es can be held collapsed usin$ +ha! is called a -ban(er-s clip&- This is a fla! s!rip of sprin$ "e!al folded a$ains! i!self and usually se#eral inches in len$!h& The s!rips are pulled apar! and !he collapsed bo% inser!ed& Per!or"ance Notes The only real issue in usin$ !his !ype of prop is !o ensure !ha! !he "o"en! of -e%pansion- is no! seen by !he audience& The bo%es should co"e in!o #ie+ fully for"ed so !he spec!a!ors presu"e !ha! !his is !heir nor"al and only s!a!e& The produc!ion se'uence can be enhanced by placin$ !he bo%es on a !ray or !able !op so !ha! !hey are piled one on !op of !he ne%! !o fur!her reinforce !heir solidi!y&
MIRROR BOX PRODUCTION 8O9DER By Richard Robinson The "a$ician displays a fla!) !+o panel folder bound alon$ one ed$e& The folder is opened and !he e"p!y in!erior sho+n !o !he audience& The folder is !hen closed& The folder is !hen opened a$ain and a solid sil#er cube is seen !o be res!in$ on !he folder panel& The "a$ician re"o#es !he cube and places i! on a !able or !ray& 6$ain !he "a$ician sho+s !he folder e"p!y) closes i! and on reopenin$ i! ano!her sil#er cube has "a!eriali:ed& This is repea!ed un!il a 'uan!i!y of sil#er cubes ha#e "ade !heir appearance&
Construction The Mirror Box Production Folder is a nu"ber of cardboard panels bound !o$e!her alon$ one ed$e& To "a(e !he +or(in$ clear in !he pho!o$raphs) a !hic( cardboard has been used& Ho+e#er) !he panels should be cu! fro" !hin blac( ./.0 inch !hic( 12 ""3 -illus!ra!ion board)- !he sa"e "a!erial uses !o "a(e up !he produc!ion bo%es& Illus!ra!ion board is #ery s!urdy) has a sli$h! fle% and blac( !hrou$hou!&
The folder is displayed !o !he spec!a!ors&
;e#eral panels are needed) !he e%ac! nu"ber de!er"ined by !he nu"ber of cubes !o be produced& The panels are .< inches s'uare 12=&= c"3& In hin$in$ !he panels !o$e!her) a >/? inch 1@ ""3 $ap should be se! be!+een !he panel ed$es before !he hin$e !ape is applied& This crea!es a space for !he collapsed bo% +i!hou! causin$ !he panel !o bul$e& ;hor! -!abs- are placed a! !he !op lef! ed$e of all !he inner panels) each !ab offse! fro" !he ne%! sli$h!ly& Paper clips co#ered in blac( #inyl are used in !he pho!o$raphs& These !abs allo+ !he lef! !hu"b !o loca!e !he panels !o be -held bac(- so !ha! !he folder is opened !o !he proper panel for any par!icular produc!ion&
I! is opened !o sho+ !ha! i! is e"p!y) !hen closed&
,hen opened a$ain) a solid sil#er cube res!s on !he folder& No!e !he display posi!ion +i!h !he bac( por!ion of !he folder hori:on!al !o !he floor&
Handlin # Presentation ,i!h !he collapsed bo%es loaded be!+een !he inner panels) !he folder is pic(ed up) sho+n casually and !hen opened so !he spec!a!ors can see !he in!erior& The lef! !hu"b res!s on !he !abs) (eepin$ !he inner panels a$ains! !he bac( panel of !he folder& The folder is closed) !he lef! !hu"b "o#es off !he The folder panels are hin$ed loosely !o$e!her !o allo+ for space !a(en by !he firs! !ab) !he ri$h! !hu"b "o#es !o !ha! !ab and collapsed produc!ion bo%es& pulls !he folder co#er and panel !he !ab is a!!ached !o for+ard& 6! !he sa"e !i"e !he folder is !urned so !ha! !he surface is parallel !o !he floor& The produc!ion bo% e%pands and is seen res!in$ on !he folder panel& This is repea!ed for subse'uen! produc!ions& Per!or"ance Notes This produc!ion folder is 'ui!e easy !o use and a lar$e 'uan!i!y of bo%es can be produced& The produc!ions should be "ade ar!fully +i!h !he perfor"er re$is!erin$ us! as "uch a"a:e"en! as !he spec!a!ors a! !he appearance of !he solid bo%es& The ou!sides of !he bac( and fron! panels should
6 !ab is a!!ached !o !he upper corner of each folder) each !ab spaced a shor! dis!ance fro" !he ne%!) so !ha! !he perfor"er can use !he !abs !o con!rol +hich panel1s3 are $rouped +i!h !he co#er +hen !he folded is opened&
be decora!ed +i!h a border and cen!er desi$n !o "a(e !he panels appear s"aller !han !hey ac!ually are& The in!erior surfaces of !he panels can also ha#e a desi$n so lon$ as a s!ron$ con!ras! is "ain!ained be!+een !he panel surface and !he bo%es bein$ produced&
