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Exit
Exit
EFFECT
A free-standing doorway is positioned at an angle in the center of the stage away.
The door in the doorway is opened and the audience can see an exit sign on the front of the
door. The exposed back of the doorway is covered by a roller blind.
At the end of the show, the illusionist walks behind the "exit door" and moments later, the
door is pulled shut against the doorway.
The roller blind springs open to reveal that the illusionist has completely vanished and all the
audience sees is the back of the door with a sign that says "The End".
INTRODUCTION
This is an effective and novel way to make a person disappear. It can be used to make a girl
vanish at the end of an illusion act or is also a poetic exit for the illusionist to make at the end
of the show. You can also use the same prop to perform a teleportation illusion as well.
It is relatively easy to build, inexpensive and plays quite big.
You can perform the illusion solo, if you are making yourself vanish, but it will make things
easier to have a secret backstage assistant or stage hand to help you.
1 Aluminium Angle
Shelf Support
Roller Blind
You need to buy a specific type of roller blind for this illusion. You want the sort with a
cardboard tube. One end of the tube has a flat pin and the other end that has a round pin that
both fit into mounting brackets.
Most good hardware stores or stores that sell curtains and drapes should carry this model of
roller blind. You do not want high-end roller blinds with multiple casings, gears or a motor.
Cut the cardboard tube core to length so that it fits on the inside of the door frame. I have
found using a hand saw or Mitre Saw (power tool) works best.
Next, remove the spring catch from the roller blind so that the blind will not stop halfway but
will retract all the way once released.
Use a flathead screwdriver to pry off the cap at the end of the roller blind with the flat pin. Use
a pair of needle-nosed pliers to remove the Pawl (See diagram below) that acts as the
spring catch.
Replace the cap and use electrical tape to secure it in place.
Cut a 1/4" diameter wooden rod so that it is the same length as the width of the fabric.
Tape two strips of 1" double-sided tape onto one end of the fabric. Mount the wooden
rod onto the end of the fabric and roll the fabric tightly around the rod. The doublesided tape will keep everything in place.
Buy a 1/2" grommet set (you might have to buy a couple in a pre-packaged set) and
create a grommeted hole in the center of the fabric just above the wooden rod at the
end of the fabric. You can learn how to attach the grommet to the fabric here.
Take a 1.5" split ring and fit it into the grommeted hole and over the wooden rod.
Use duct tape to tape the other end of the fabric to the cardboard tube core of the roller
blind.
Wood Rod
Grommets
Split Ring
Door Brush
Split Pin
Screw Eye
Rope
The doorway is mounted on a base made from 1" ply measuring 36" x 36". Drill holes in the
underside of the vertical supports of the door frame. Insert T-nuts into these holes. Drill
countersunk holes through the underside of the base so you can secure the door frame to the
base with two countersunk bolts. The bolts should be at least 8mm in diameter.
The "L-Shaped" steel shelf supports will act as side supports that bolt to the sides of the door
frame and the base. The side supports extend on the back side of the door frame to the base.
You can use T-nuts and 3/4" long bolts with washers.
See Figs 1 - 2.
36
FIG 1
FRONT VIEW
75
Door
The door is made of a lumber frame sandwiched between two sheets of plywood. The
finished door should be 1.5" thick and just fits into the doorway.
The door is mounted to the door frame with door hinges. The door has a door knob/ latch
assembly with the corresponding component embedded in the frame.
Add four lengths of 1" aluminum angle, 2mm thick, to all sides of the inside of the door frame.
These lengths of aluminum angle act as backing supports for the door to close against.
Attach the door brush (cut to length) to the bottom of the door. The purpose of the door brush
is to cover the gap created by the height of the 1 base of the prop. This prevents the
audience from seeing under the door when it is opened.
4
FIG 2
Roller Blind Mounted
in Door Frame
SIDE VIEW
(Viewed from the Back with
Door opened)
THE END
Aluminum Angle acts
as backing support for
door to close against
Door Brush
36
Roller Blind
Mount the roller blind brackets on the inside top of the doorway. Mount the roller blind onto
the brackets.
You will need to turn the metal flat end of the roller blind to create tension. Fit the metal ends
into the brackets without losing the tension. The fabric needs to be rolled over the roller blind
so that when you pull it down open, it will spring back closed around the roller blind.
On the base of the doorway, under the center of the door frame, mount two screw eyes about
1/2" apart from each other.
Pull the roller blind down so that the split ring fits down between the two screw eyes. Take the
split pin and insert it through each screw eye and the split ring. This will hold the roller blind
down and open. See Fig 3.
Note: The 1 aluminum angle on the bottom of the door frame (not shown in Fig 3) helps to
block the view created by the gap under the roller blind when it is pulled down.
FIG 3
FRONT VIEW
(Bottom of Roller Blind Set-up)
Screw Eyes
Pull Cords
Drill two 1/2" holes (next to each other) through one side of the door frame, just above the
base. The holes are on the side opposite the hinged side of the door. See Fig 2.
Take the last screw eye and screw it into the bottom corner of the door, about 2" from the
bottom and long edge of the door.
Take one pull cord and tie it to the screw eye on the door. Thread the cord through the 1/2"
hole closer to the door.
Take the other pull cord and tie it to the end of the split pin. Thread the cord through the other
1/2" hole.
If you pull the first pull cord firmly, it will close the door into the door frame.
If you pull the pull cord, you will pull out the split pin causing the roller blind to spring open.
See Fig 4.
FIG 4
FRONT VIEW
When Pull Cord is pulled, Spilt Pin will be pulled free from Screw Eyes,
releasing Split Ring and causing Roller Blind to retract
SET-UP
This illusion is designed for a theatre setting with stage proscenium so that the audience do
not have extreme side angles of the illusion.
There needs to be a back curtain that has a center split that will act as the "escape route" for
the person vanishing.
Prepare the curtain by using large bulldog or binder clips to clip the center split of the curtain
together so that only the bottom 5ft of the curtain can be parted. This is so that when the
person goes through the curtains, there is no movement at the top of the curtain above the
door.
The prop is set as far in front of the back curtain as possible, ensuring that sight lines are
protected. Naturally, the further away the prop is set from the back curtain, the more
deceptive the illusion will be.
The prop is set at a 45 degree angle so that when the door to closed into the doorway, the
front of the door faces the back curtain. At the start of the performance, the door is opened so
that it is parallel to the front edge of the stage. See Fig 5.
The roller blind is pulled down and held in place by the split pin as described above.
The pull cords for the split pin and the door are laid out taut from the prop to the back of the
stage under the back curtain.
FIG 5
TOP VIEW
Pull Cords
Center Split
Back Curtains
Door Frame
Base
Door
AUDIENCE
PERFORMANCE
When you are ready to perform the illusion, deliberately and slowly walk behind the door. You
want to do it slowly so that it creates a false sense of time when you quickly make your
escape once behind the door.
Once you are hidden behind the door, as quick as you can, make your way to the center split
of the back curtain and go through it. This is where it helps to have a backstage assistant
page the curtains for you.
Copyright J C Sum 2015
Once you are through and the curtain is closed together. The backstage assistant or you pull
the first pull cord to close the door shut into the door frame.
Wait two beats to allow the audience to register the closing door. Then pull the second cord to
release the roller blind, revealing your complete disappearance.
Use stage lighting to enhance the illusion. A single spot can frame the entire illusion prop.
Several other coloured spots can be added to create texture and light up the area.
Once you walk behind the door and it closes, turn off the coloured spots, leaving the single
spot on the prop.
After the roller blind has sprung closed and the audience has time to register the
disappearance and the "The End" sign, slowly fade off the single spot for a complete black
art. This is an aesthetically pleasing and theatrical end to the act or show.
For more advanced and sophisticated designs for The Exit Door illusion, check out my book
"Illusionary Departures" HERE.
"The Exit Door" is combined with an original design for a black art table system or a full
deceptive base so that this illusion can be elevated on a platform with legs off the floor and
the audience can see underneath and behind the platform during the illusion for an even more
deceptive effect.
Front View
Roller Blind
EXIT
Door constructed
from 0.125" thick Ply
sandwiched between
3" x 1" thick Pine
Framing
Door Knob
Rubber Stopper
Floodlights
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