Thread: Magic Mirror banter/script

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Hi all, it's been a while since I posted but I do lurk here often!!

Last year I did the Magic Mirror with much success. The prop turned out better than expected but the weak point (as is so often the case) was the bag of meat running the thing (me).

The kids thought it was great but my wife's critique was that my banter or comebacks to the TOT's questions were well...lame. I really didn't have a good line other than "Who dares wake the Magic Mirror" and a random comment about the costume the kid was wearing and well that was it. I focused so much on getting the set built I forgot about the performance. She suggested I should have a list of comments/phrases/comebacks planned (and rehearsed) ahead of time to eliminate the pauses and general "dork-ness" of the act.

So... any suggestions for source material? I figure someone somewhere has figured this out already.

Oh, here are some pics of the set:
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/z...0/IMG_0914.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/z...0/IMG_0913.jpg

Yard:
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/z...0/IMG_0943.jpg

P.S. Anyone have a suggestion for a voice changer that works well and is under $100? Tried playing with some of the free software but the delay just does not work.

-Rich

Well Rich! Impressive work my friend! The prop looks beautiful and I like the Disney-esqe look you've got going on with your display... As far as a good place to look for source material goes... I'd say the noggin is a good place to start. See what else you can come up with. I'd bet there might be a few things cookin' in that noodle of yours. If you'd like I'd suggest going at it improv. You'd be better off going from the cuff than trying to have a dialogue for certain situations. Just say what comes to you but be sure to pick your "mirrors" personality... Are you a scary mirror? Frightening, does the mirror frighten easily? ("ugh, do I really look like that?") Just some ideas! Go crazy man! After all... It's Halloween.

The personality idea is a good one and is a very good place to start. Last year was all improv but it would have been helpful to have had a couple of good jokes or snappy comebacks etc. up the sleeve. Thinking about how Turtle Talk with Crush is done.

Yep-my "theme" is HM. Major Disney nut-while some may say it is not creative to copy another persons theme it takes some work to figure out a way to re-create a prop without an engineering or art dept that can withstand Oregon weather the month of Oct.

I don't have any good lines off the top of my head at the moment, but as someone who is terrible at ad-libbing, especially if I haven't got a well defined persona, I think having a handful of stock lines available is a good idea.

One thing I saw mentioned somewhere in these forums was using a baby monitor (or similar thing) to eavesdrop on tots as they approach. If they or their parents mention their names, you can call out their names as they approach. I think that could be really effective.

Being able to use the kids name was very cool and I know almost all of the kids by name since my 10 yo daughter is very active in the neighborhood. The black screen on either side of the stone is basically a 1 way scrim-I have 2 blue up lights on outside so I can see out but they can't see me. I could watch them all interact with the mirror while being 1' away.

I have a buddy working on programming the mirror program to enable use of a wireless joy-stick. I already have a wireless mike. This way I can be anywhere in my haunt that night and still be able to run the mirror.

Just need some references and a voice changer to make me sound more mysterious/spooky.

Great display. Did you make the dog?
I would advise against a voice changer. They tend to make the voice hard to understand. Just do your best character voice and amplify it, if needed.

Rich,
Great job on the mirror prop! I've enjoyed using mine for a couple years now. I also know what you mean about keeping comments going with the TOTs. The older kids are a bit easier to joke with. The other posts have offered some good suggestions. My first year, I got a few lame jokes to share with the kids (TOTs love to pass them along to friends). Check the humor section of the forum.

I've used a wireless camera to allow me to see and hear the visitors. I'll comment on their costume (or lack of one). Plus, they have a hard time figuring out how you can see them, which adds to the experience. Be careful using voice effects. If you over do it, your voice can be difficult to understand. I use a slight reverb effect on a program called "Ultraware Guitar Multi FX". I also usekeyboard mapping software to control the movements with a PC gamepad. Having better control will help your performance.

Hope this all helps.

Your mirror looks great !! & the guy that I had doing the voice, well just didn't have the come backs.......it's hard. We played with it a bit & once he got the hang of it with a few rehearsed lines & the rest off the cuff, it got easier. Dealing with kids can be hard to know the right come-backs- but once you do........... YA Baby !!

I ended up using an old karaoke machine ( had tape decks ) & had the "echo" up & base up a bit & gave it a nice foreboding sound that the voice was still clear & understandable. I found it in a Salvation army store for $20.

I used a tape that had a line out I plugged into an mp3 player with a low spook ambient music, being a karaoke machine it worked great, ambient music & a voice changer all in one !!
I bought another one on EBay with shipping for $28. It really gives the mirror that extra punch it needed.

Ended up the best solution I found on the cheap & effective "voice changer"........

This may sound sacrileges, but how about sounding more the the mirror from "Shrek". Insted of scary more game show host like. Please dont hate me, its just an idea.

We promise not to hate you.....LoL, personally I think it's towards what kind of haunt your doing, I was going for a darker dramatic "wizard of Oz" effect, for those doing maybe a lite hearted / kid friendly haunt, your idea is great !

Coming up with the banter lines is half the fun, watching the reactions is the other half of the fun !