Thread: new prop combination!

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Idea Concept to combine the talking bust and talking pumpkin into one projection animated prop!

Ok so, I thought It would be cool to have a talking pumpkin paired with a talking headless horseman tombstone. The plans are below.
I'd like some criticism and ideas before I get started.

Does this idea work?
How could it be improved.
Should it be generic or do you think the headless horseman angle is a good idea.
What should the tombstone epithet or name be?

projection!

I was thinking they would both have an independent speech and a skit they do together. Any ideas? I know at one point I want the pumpkin to sing "the headless horseman" and I want the bust to lose his head. But as to their interaction I haven't got a working script yet. I want to play of of the headless horseman somehow.

Does anyone have any script or animation ideas? I haven't a clue as to what they should say...

how do you plan to make the bust lose his head? Seems to me that it would be way too complicated to actually make the head come off, but you could animate an incision on his neck.

well according to the HH legend. He loses his head by cannon ball blast. I plan to have it all be animated by projection. I think having the head explode is a bit over the top. I will probably just make his head "dematerialize" and have the head fade to black with the body of the bust staying lit. If not! I might consider just making the neck start to bleed.

I'm not sure if a name appears in the literature, as I remember, he was just listed as a Hessian. Well the Hessians were German Mercenaries, so the German word for mercenary is Söldner, so that'd make a good last name in my book. Maybe make his first name Franz or Fritz or Heinrich? or Josef? or Geköpft, German for decapitated? Kopflos, German for headless? Reiter, German for horseman? Pferd, German for horse.

That's how I'd do it.

This is a fantastic idea. I love it. I actually think you can move away from the legend a bit and take it in a more vaudville direction. What you're setting up here is the perfect ventriloquist skit.

You can talk about all sorts of Halloween related events -- not just the headless horseman and his pumpkin head.

Saw the mummy last week...
Oh, yeah, what'd he say?
Not much, just, "mmm..mmmmmm.mm..mmmm"

(I know, that's a cheesy one, but you get the idea.)

You can search online for ventriloquist scripts, check YouTube, etc. You could turn this into a hysterical skit that people won't want to pass by!!!

BTW, what are you using for a projector?

Thanks TK421! I was actually planing on it being a series of skits. But still related to the horseman! How I invisioned the characters are as follows:

The bust will speak with a holow germanic accent and speaks with disdain and agression, but get's easily upset when the pumpkin makes fun of him for losing his head.

The pumpkin will hopeful speak with a deep smooth voice like Bing Crosby.

Durring the routine, which Im still working on, a running gag throughout the 2minute act will invoves the pumpkin saying an insult or joke to the bust and the bust losing his head before he as a chance to answer or make a comback remark. Also at somepoint the pumpkin will sing the Headless Horseman song. I plan to have the bust, tombstone, and pumpkin all be animated. with the tombstone's name changing from "hessian soldier" to "headless horseman" and the horse at the top galloping (hopefully).

My only concern with making the head disappear is that you'll still be able to see the bust, unless it's just a flat projection on the tombstone. Remember that there is no true "black" on a digital projection, so as long as the projector is on, the projection surface will be visible.