A Hypothetical Performance Question

Prudence · Newbie Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 30

I meant to say that you seem to have very high quality dreams, Spasm. Congratulations!

janus · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:33 pm Post subject:

Ok Spazzles, for you...a thought...

how about creating a ghostly apparition within an everyday scenario, just to test reaction!

let's say, an underground station (Baker Street, why not, it's old and it's full of atmosphere)

you pick an off peak time (less chance of people suspecting something then, and more chance of them noticing)

You create the illusion (a hologram or whatever) to appear on an inaccessible area, sit back and watch the reaction. It should be for a short period of time only, and at infrequent intervals...

sorry will stop being evil now Twisted Evil

(btw, I will PM you "A Gift" later, so you don't feel left out Wink

)

SpasmTheCat · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:47 pm Post subject:

Heh, Prudence, I always have very strange dreams!

Loving that idea, Janus! Applause

There's an effect called 'Pepper's Ghost' which would be absolutely perfect for that! It's relatively simple, but very effective.

Needless to say I can't post here how it's achieved, but you'll have seen it in action if you've ever been to the 'Haunted Mansion' in Walt Disney World. There's a ballroom/banquet scene there which uses it to produce very convincing animatronic ghosts dancing and eating...

Wink

And ooh! *hops up and down beside Inbox!*
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Prudence · Newbie Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 30

Janus - I have known commuters on the Underground to ignore a disembodied voice telling them personally to get out of the way of the train. I don't think they would even see a big hologram-thing, and if they did, they'd probably moan about it.

However, since you suggest an off-peak time, when there's lots of gulliable tourists about, it might just work!

Go on - you and Spasm should give it a go!

SpasmTheCat · Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:49 pm Post subject:

If we were going to use Pepper's Ghost, we'd have to set it up somewhere fairly dark. I've only ever been to Baker Street once when I went to the Sherlock Holmes Museum - does it have any good crannies?

Perhaps we could do it really late at night, when there are drunkards on the platforms!
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janus · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 12:59 am Post subject:

SpasmTheCat · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 1:58 pm Post subject:

*legs are tiring of hopping up and down*
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janus · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject:

SpasmTheCat · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:52 pm Post subject:

*strokes imaginary goatee thoughtfully*

*sees all sorts of scary happenings on the station*

*sees drunks accidentally falling on track in fear*

*sees train coming*

Shocked

Thanks Janus! *goes back to hopping from foot to foot excitedly*
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"We are all victims of society and that beardy bloke off the telly." ~ Mr Part-Timer

TC · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:15 pm Post subject:

Oooh. I like the ghostly idea. If you think rush hour, or even off-peak at an underground station would be too busy and perhaps too difficult an environment to control - there are some disused stations on the underground network that could be a possibility. It might even set the scene some more, a disused and empty environment has more potential to be menacing than an open public space (a la seance). You could have the ghost of a suicide appearing.
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AnnaM · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:22 pm Post subject:

When I am back to work from being ill I would be more than happy to have that set up in the office.Perferably in the boss's office Twisted Evil

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papillion · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:27 pm Post subject:

It would be interesting to use something like Pepper's Ghost - especially if you could arrange it so that only one person could see it and everyone around them couldn't.

I would imagine that would freak the person out.
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SpasmTheCat · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:28 pm Post subject:

Scary, Papillion! Love the idea that only one person could see it! The only thing is that it would probably have to be done in warm weather - I'm not sure how the Pepper's Ghost effect would react to condensation caused by the cold...

And hope you feel better soon, AnnaM!
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"We are all victims of society and that beardy bloke off the telly." ~ Mr Part-Timer

papillion · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:37 pm Post subject:

Good point Spasm. I've only seen Pepper's Ghost at Disney, so I'm not very familiar with it.
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"...which, for some reason known only to Beelzebub and his filthy henchmen sported a sodding butterfly…" Derren Brown - Absolute Magic

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SpasmTheCat · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:29 pm Post subject:

If my magical history is correct, I think Pepper's Ghost is also credited for the 'Girl Into Gorilla' trick, so how about 'Train Ticketing Bloke Into Devil'? Those little ticket booths would be ideal for the illusion! You'd need your ticket bloke to sit a bit still, but that would probably just look menacing. Then you could evil flash devil features over his, or perhaps slowly make him more and more devilish as the ticket transaction progresses.... Twisted Evil

The other (and probably slightly easier) option is to have a ghostly devil appear behind the ticket bloke, perhaps only for a short time, but he could point at, say some papers on the table, and then a wee pyrotechnic device could be fired to set them alight...
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Severina · Browser Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 56

SpasmTheCat · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:39 pm Post subject:

Hey, I have an hour's drive home from work! Might as well use it, eh? Wink

Wait - where did that 'evil' come from in the middle of 'Then you could flash devil features over his'??

Shocked

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"We are all victims of society and that beardy bloke off the telly." ~ Mr Part-Timer

Severina · Browser Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 56

I can just imagine.....

Policeman: So.....what was SO absorbing that you didn't notice any of those red lights you went through?

Spasm: Well...ummm...do you watch much channel 4 ?! there's this program...and...there's a new series due soon...and....I was just thinking about.....

SpasmTheCat · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:47 pm Post subject:

Heh heh!
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Lolly Pertwhistle · Forumite Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 4669

You'd have to engineer it so that the victim was in a near deserted tube station... one of the ones with the long, echoey pedestrian tunnels between the ticket hall and the platforms. Then you could put them on a near deserted train on a completely empty carriage... have the lights cut out a few times as they do sometimes. Strobe lights, suggestive of other trains passing, could be used as an excuse for a bit of psychobabble perhaps...

After the other few passengers have disembarked, the train stops at one of the Underground's ghost stations. The trains stands there as if waiting for a signal to change or something. But then the doors open and the train continues to stand there... until the victim decides to investigate. He'd probably walk up the train through the carriages first (I bloody well would... ghost stations are spooky) to find the driver. But the driver isn't there. What else can you do after that but try to find a way out for yourself. As soon as he steps off of the train, the doors shut (the train could even move off as long as the victim wasn't likely to electrocute themselves on the rails).

Then you can fuck with his head, cause a heart attack and whatever else you fancy.
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janus · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:24 pm Post subject:

SpasmTheCat · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:34 pm Post subject:

Ooh, Lolly, that's fantastically evil!

And how about doing it at Aldwych Station - it has a disused platform...

And just look at the derelict stairs that lead to it!

Spooky, eh?
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"We are all victims of society and that beardy bloke off the telly." ~ Mr Part-Timer

phoenixz · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:35 pm Post subject: stairs to nowhere

is it really weird that i want to visit there, right now

ooohh...atmospheric
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SpasmTheCat · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:41 pm Post subject:

Heh, me too!

And the back of the tunnel there would be great for setting up Pepper's Ghost... Twisted Evil

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"We are all victims of society and that beardy bloke off the telly." ~ Mr Part-Timer

Lolly Pertwhistle · Forumite Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 4669

Yup, Aldwych would have been my choice:

http://underground-history.co.uk/aldwych.php

Mainly because it is set up for filming.

So, all of your actors would have to get off at or before Holborn so that your victim is the only one left on the train when it goes down the branch line.

Although the (Old) Bull and Bush, being a station that was almost-built and never used, has an post-apocalyptic, industrial look to it that's somewhat appealing as well.

Not sure about the health and safety implications of that one though (there's also the problem of getting the victim there as I don't think you can get a train to it).
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