How to change clothes fast: magic trick

How to change clothes fast: magic trick

Monday, July 07, 2008

You probably have seen this magic trick of changing clothes so fast, like in a blink of an eye. How could one change clothes that quick without any trace of clothes on the floor? It's the beauty of the magic trick!

I have seen this video from the quick change artists on America's Got Talent few years ago and I am still amazed of how good the pair that the performance was nearly flawless!

I tried searching for tips on how the trick is done, I can only find good explanations from those knowledgeable with it.

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There are two basic methods ...
1) Clothes are designed for fast removal
2) They are not removed but drop (flap down) to reveal the garment underneath and the inside of the lowered part.

It's a combination of these that makes it complicated, together with the fact that they are specially designed, very very light stage costumes in silk so that when you start with say 10 layers on it appears normal.

An example of each method:
1) The clothes are not buttoned or zipped ... would take way too long. They have loop and eye fixings and these are held together with a thread that runs through the paired up loops. The thread simply need fast removal and the clothes fall of, drop down ... whatever. The fastest 'hands free' removal is to have a 'ring' on the top of the thread and this is hooked over something on the 'cover' ie the unmbrella, screen, sheet etc and when you walk away or this is removed it pulls the thread and gravity does the rest. (Note; lead shot in hems would make it drop faster!)

2) Imagine a dress with the top half is a different colour on the inside and you wera a matching top underneath. If the top is separated at the shoulders, it can now flap downwards and become the skirt .. showing the inside colour and the new top. Instant change.

Combine several of these to change designs, sleeves no sleeves, high neck, low neck .... and that's it.
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Here is another one from answers.com:
This is a stunt called a "quickchange." You may have also seen it on the show "America's Got Talent." There is a very useful wikipedia article about this genre of magictrick, but I'll try to explain two main methods of quickchange.

In the days before modern technology (a.k.a., decades and centuries ago), quickchange artists would use a series of hooks, buttons, and pull strings to quickly release clothing and reveal a new outfit underneath. This would work if you were using opaque fabric to cover you.

For the glitter trick, they most likely used a technology where the clothes are made with either lcd sensors or small triggers that work like human muscles. For the lcd, a person offstage could simply signal the outfit to change color and design. With the muscle-like triggers, clothes can either be released or--more commonly--draw up or down to give the illusion of a different piece of clothing.
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How To Make a Girl Fall in Love with You

The thought of tricking a girl into falling in love with you is a disturbing one. Love is a huge emotion that can radically and completely dictate someone’s life. If it was possible to perform a few magical steps in order to make someone fall in love with you, we would live in a harsh world of broken hearts. Uh oh… don’t we already?

You cannot make anyone do anything and you certainly cannot make anyone love you. The more you try to make someone love you, the less they will. Its kind of a catch-22 in that way but fortunately there are two aspects you can concentrate on to help you along the way.

What do you love in life? Usually its the things that make you happy and the things that we attribute the most value to. Keeping in mind these two aspects of human nature, we can therefore conclude that in order for someone to love us, we must make them happy and we must be valuable to them.

Let’s work on making them happy first, its really simple and is overlooked by most people. The simple rule to making someone happy is to be happy yourself. Being happy is contagious and people in your presence will automatically feel similar to you. If you’re happy about life, then the people around you will want to have you around them as well. If you’re always down, depressed or angry, then you are making yourself very hard to love.

Example #1: Think of someone that you love or loved. Imagine them in your mind until you can see a picture of their face. In this picture, are they happy or sad ? Its very likely that in the mental picture that you have, they are smiling or happy. If it worked for you, then it should also work for others.

The things you love the most consequently have a lot of value. Can you really love something that has no value? Things that are replaceable, or are easily attainable have little value in our lives. So make yourself valuable and people will love you. Being valuable isn’t as hard as people think.

The concept of value is relative, in an organization, the most valuable person is the boss even if in another situation, he could be completely insignificant. This is why so many secretaries are attracted to their boss. He has the most value. Let’s take this concept and apply it in practical situations.

Example #2, If you’re in school, then the most valuable person will be the person that is most respected by his peers. This can be the football star among cheerleaders, or the smart guy who gets the best grades. He can also be the guy who makes the girls laugh the most, or the guy that has the best house parties that everyone wants to attend.

In a work environment, the most valuable person can once again, be the social funny guy that everyone wants to hang out with, or the boss, or the sharp guy that the boss respects the most.

But… what if the girl I like doesn’t know about these social situations ? Well then… Tell her about your day! Although not as efficient, just telling her about your daily interactions (in a non-gloating way) can be an effective way of communicating your value.

The Double Your Dating book explains in detail exactly how to be perceived as the most valuable person while building massive attraction.

In the end, don’t concentrate on getting a girl to love you because as soon as you try to make someone love you, they won’t. So instead, concentrate on being happy and valuable, the rest will come naturally

How To Make a Secret Hollow Book

The first step into making the hollow book is to select a book. Make sure this is a book your own, and not one belonging to the library, or your family. I suggest rummaging through books at yard/garage sales.


Make sure it is a hardback; otherwise you will cut all the way through the other side when you are cutting out the insides.
You'll also need:

1. Elmer's white glue
2. a container to hold glue solution (I've chosen a film canister)
3. X-acto knife, and/or box cutter. Both if you have them
4. brush to apply glue solution
5. pencil/pen
6. ruler, or other rigid straight edge

Select a page that you want to be the first one cut out, and save that page to be cut out at the end. (I'll explain later) Even if you don't want to save any pages at the beginning of the book, you must set one aside for a later step.

Mix a solution of white glue and water. Just enough for the glue to be runny, and absorbed by the edge of the book's pages. 50% to 70% glue (30% to 50% water) worked well for me. - Half a film canister full was enough for this book.

Holding the remaining pages together, brush the edges with the glue solution - enough to soak in pretty well, but not too drippy.


Allow this to dry, but use a spacer so the first couple pages, and the front cover don't get stuck. I spaced mine with post-it notes, and used some old hard disk platters to apply pressure. It dries quickly- about 15 to 30 min


When dry, open the book to the first glued page.

Draw out a half-inch boarder around the edge on all four sides. (Don't forget along the spine too.)


Using a strait edge and knife, cut out along the inside of the line. Try to make the cut as vertical as possible, or else try to tilt so the hole will narrow as you go down.


Continue cutting down through the layers. I found that a box cutter was easier to keep straight. This part takes a long time. I recommend listening to music while you work. Watching TV though could be distracting, and you could also cut a page out of your finger. (no, I didn't.)


The longer you spend on it, the smoother and straighter the inside edges of your book will be. My first attempts at this yielded rough edges, but the fuzz flattens down a little when glued (later).

After a while, you can store some of your tools in it while you take breaks. I did this book in 2 evenings.


When you get to the back of the book, and through the last page, stop. Dump out all the little paper fuzz that inevitably comes from the cutting.

Next, brush the glue solution on the inside edges of the pages. Give it a bit to soak in. A little bit of drippiness is okay, as the glue dries clear. This is also a good time to apply a second coat to the outside of the pages with the excess glue.


Brush the rim of the book with a light coat of glue. This will affix it to that one page we saved earlier (and will cut through later).


Close the book again, this time without any spacers. Give it another 15-30 minutes to dry. Clean up any glue that drips on your desk, like it did mine.


Remember that first page we saved? It’s now glued to the rest of the book. Lets all turn there now.

Cut through this first page with your knife to open it. The insides of the book may still be a little gooey since there was no air inside to let it dry. -So let it dry now.


When it’s dry, you're done!

Fill it with whatever treasured items (or contraband) you choose.


Happy hiding.

How To Cut Your Own Hair: Scissors, Shears, & Hairstyling

For some people, going to the salon or barber shop is an enjoyable experience. For others, it is something that they would rather not do. Whether it is because of the cost or other factors, if you decide to cut your own hair, you should keep a few things in mind. Here is our hair cut how to guide:

For in-depth guidance on haircutting at home in a variety of styles, I recommendThe Beginner's Guide to Cutting Hair. You'll gain the confidence to cut hair like a pro without costly trips to the salon!

Let's get started with these helpful tips.

1. Wet hair is much easier to cut than dry hair. Start with freshly shampooed, tangle-free hair. Keep a bottle of water with a spray nozzle nearby so that you can dampen your hair if it begins to dry while you are working on it.
2. Be sure that your scissors are nice and sharp to avoid pulling your hair. If you plan to cut your hair on a regular basis, it will be worth investing in a good quality pair of scissors, shears, or clippers designed specifically for use on hair.
3. You might even want to get a RoboCut, a great haircutting system. No matter what style you choose, cut a little at a time, especially if you are a beginner. You can always cut it a little shorter, but once you've gone too short, all you can do is wait for it to grow back!
4. Simple styles are best for home hair cuts. The easiest cut will be one length everywhere. Decide on an overall length (it's a good idea to measure your hair when you have a cut that you find especially flattering) and then grab your ruler. Working in small sections, comb your hair straight out from your scalp and hold a section smoothly between your index and middle fingers. Measure to the desired length and carefully snip off the excess. Continue in this manner until you have cut all of your hair. This method works equally well for both men and women, with long hair or short hair. The length of the chosen cut can vary from quite short to shoulder length and beyond.
5. Do you have dry scalp and dandruff, or do you dream of regrowing hair? I recommend youstrengthen the hair you have and regrow what you've lost using this ancient Indian remedy, known simply as the Herbal Hair Solution.
   1. 
   2. You may want to start with a professional cut and then just trim about the same amount of hair from all areas of your head every month or two to maintain the style. Be aware that on most people, the hair on one side of their head grows faster than on the other, so if you choose this method, you will need to visit your stylist every now and then as the cut begins to get uneven.
      
      2. Another idea for a simple, yet attractive cut is to lean over and comb all of your wet hair straight forward. Smooth sections of your hair through your fingers and cut all hair in one straight line across. Be sure to work in small sections and continue from one side to the other. Double check to see that the cut feels pretty even and then stand upright. Part your hair in the middle and comb it straight down. Run small sections of your hair between your index and middle fingers to see if there are any long pieces. If you find some, carefully snip off the excess.
      3. If you have curly hair, be sure to cut your hair considerably longer than the desired finished length. Curls shrink up quite a bit as they dry, so you must allow for this. If your hair is very thick or coarse, hold very small sections of hair for trimming. Trying to cut too much hair at once, especially for thick hair, can make the hair bend between the blades of the scissors, instead of cutting evenly.
      4. For all styles, when you think that you are finished, be sure to check that the cut feels even everywhere. Simply take sections of hair from opposite sides of your head and gently tug them toward your eyes, nose, chin and jaw line to see that the sides are fairly evenly matched. Carefully trim prices that seem a little too long.
      5. For bangs, begin with your hair parted in the center. Using your comb, take an equal amount of hair from each side of the part line and comb it forward. Smooth the hair between your index and middle fingers and cut across, being careful to maintain a straight line.
      6. Currently, many men are choosing to wear their hair "buzzed" or cut extremely short. This cut can be easily achieved at home by using an electric hair clipper. These lightweight clippers allow you to set the blades to your desired length, ranging from completely bald to several inches of hair. By simply running the clipper across your head repeatedly, you will clip all hair to the desired length. For the easiest men's haircut of all, simply lather up with a thick shaving cream and shave your head smooth. This look is especially favored by athletes.
      7. One word of caution--keep it simple. If you are inexperienced at cutting your own hair and looking for a complicated style with many angles or layers, you will probably need to enlist the help of a friend to be sure that your haircut is even in areas that are difficult for you to reach.
      8. As you get more comfortable cutting your own hair, you may want to attempt more complicated styles. There are a number of terrific books and videos available that offer step-by-step guidance. A video can be especially helpful since you get to see the procedure in action and can replay it as many times as necessary to help you fine-tune your skills.