Duzer, Eric Van: The Seven Basic Secrets of Illusion Design ©2005 Eric Van Duzer, Illusion Systems Publishing, TX Softcover, spiral-bound, 8.5x11", 180 pages

Image courtesy eBay seller NHSeller

Comments: Book design by Leslie Van Duzer, Cover Design by Paul Osborne.

Contents (from book)

i Foreword

1 Introduction. Secrets Of Illusion Design

7 Chapter One - Hiding Behind

7 I. Overlapping Planes
8 The Burglar
9 Victory Cartons
10 Three Kings and a Queen
10 Builder's Tip - Drawing Large Designs

11 II. Swinging Doors
12 Who's There?
13 Little Stinkhouse
14 Triangle Illusion

15 III. Impossible Events
16 Tip-Over Cabinet
17 Girl from the Light

20 IV. Tilting Panels
21 Builder's Tip - Sizes Of Equipment For Hiding Behind Illusions

23 Chapter Two - Hiding Space/Deceptive Detailing

24 I. Body Position
24 Bangkok Bungalow
25 Hindu Basket
26 Zig Zag
27 Builder's Tip - Positioning The Assistant

29 II. Tapers
29 Dollhouse I
30 Crystal Casket
31 Staircase Vanish
34 Builder's Tip - Tapered Bases

36 III. Segmenting Visual Space
36 Dollhouse II
38 New Palaquin
39 Cutting in Sixths
40 Builder's Tip - Painted Segmentation
42 Builder's Tip - Segmented Base Construction

45 IV. Swinging Doors
45 Burned Alive or Cremation
46 Elastic Lady

47 V. Expandable Space

49 Chapter Three - Masking

50 I. Black Art Theater
52 Tabletop Vanish
53 Bare Stage Appearance
53 Builders Tip - Black Art Materials
54 Flash Appearance
55 Builder's Tip - Preparing Roller Blinds for Instant Release
56 Two Assistant Arch
57 Spirit Theater I
57 Builder's Tip - Ligthing Black Art

60 II. Full Frame Above The Stage
60 Artist's Dream
61 Cargo Net

62 III. Removable Masking
62 Phantom Black Art Platform

63 IV. Breaking Up The Masked Area
63 Appearing Bride
64 The Chamber

66 V. Matching The Inside Of A Cabinet
66 Spirit Theatre II
67 Phantom Cargo Cage
68 Lion's Bride

70 VI. Matching Anything
70 Overflowing Coconut
71 Raceway

72 Chapter Four - Mirrors And Glass

74 I. V-Mirrors
74 The Sphinx
76 Blue Box
77 Builder's Tip - Positioning The V-Mirrors Inside A Cabinet

79 II. 90° Applications
80 Morrit Plank Illusion
81 Million Dollar Mystery

82 III. Horizontal-Diagonal
82 Living Torso
82 Mabel Illusion
83 Builder's Tip - Concealing Mirror Edges
84 The Metempsychosis

85 IV. Periscope
86 Builder's Tip - Periscope Angles
87 Vanishig Head

88 V. Odd Angles
88 Pendulum Illusion
90 Vanishing Elephant
91 Mirrored Platform

92 VI. Scrim
92 Shape Shifter

93 VII. Glass As Mirror
93 Pepper's Ghost
94 Ghostly Piano Player
95 Transporter Illusion
96 Tichbourne Claimant
97 X-Rayz

98 Chapter Five - Trapdoors

99 I. Trapdoors In The Stage
99 Instant Appearance
100 Appearing Chorus Line
101 An Aternative Sword Box
102 Bare Stage Vanish
104 Vanishing Lady

105 II. Trapdoors Through The Backdrop
105 Vanity Fair

107 III. Trapdoors Through The Equipment
107 Woman Through Glass
108 Substitution Trunk

109 IV. Trapdoors From One Cabinet To Another
110 Crystal Casket Revisited
111 Break-apart Cabinet
113 Builder's Tip - Trapdoor Mechanics

116 Chapter Six - Fake Form

116 I. Wire Forms
116 Asrah
119 Builder's Tip - Wire Forms

119 II. Prosthetics
120 Disembodied Princess
121 Builder's Tip - Casting A Fake Form
123 Mismade Girl
124 Builder's Tip - Styrofoam Forms

125 III. People As Fake Forms
125 Assistant Switch in Sheet
128 Two Performers Change Places Magially
130 One Performer Vanishes and Reappears Elsewhere
130 Two Performers Enter, One Peformer Vanishes and Becomes the Second Performer

131 IV. Twins
131 Here There
132 Transportation

133 V. Silhouettes
133 Spiked
134 Instant Vanish
134 Builder's Tip - Constructing Silhouettes

136 Chapter Seven - Secret Mechanical Devices

137 I. Visible Support Suspension
137 Broom Suspension
138 Sword Suspension

139 II. Hidden-Support Suspension
140 Super-X
141 Flying Carpet

142 III. Floor-Based Levitation
142 Aga Levitation I
143 Platform Levitation

144 IV. Backdrop Aga Levitation
144 Aga Levitation II
145 Abbott's Aga Levitation

146 V. Wire Arrangements
146 Keller Levitation
146 Flying

148 VI. Sliding Blade
148 Abbott's Chinese Chopper

150 VII. Duplicate Blade
150 Visible Sawing
151 Abbott's Knifer

153 VIII. Combined Sliding & Duplicate Blades
153 Guillotine

154 IX. Swinging Blade
154 Arm Chopper

156 X. Flexible Blade
157 Sword Through Neck
157 Ribbon Through Woman

159 Appendix. Design & Construction Tips
159 Estimating Sizes Of Illusions
159 Drawing Illusions
160 Laying Out Curves
161 Eliminating Waste
162 Wood
169 Cloth
170 Plastics
172 Aluminum
173 Glue
173 Hardware

176 Bibliography
178 Effect Index