Whether you have an existing stage illusion requiring further development or you would like something brand new created for you, Stolz Productions is at your service. From the moment a brand new idea sparks right through to a live audience, we're here to help you make your magic and illusion projects an absolute success. To do this effectively and efficiently, we have developed a solid process. While not every magical effect, illusion, special effect or other project is the same, they tend to all fit without our work flow which is as follows:

Our Process

1) Brainstorming, research and information gathering:

It all starts with an idea. I always start by talking with the client to find out what they want, where they perform, their style etc. I’ll also pour over their website to get an idea of what their show and current props look like.

2) Creating the Look – Pencil to Paper

Now that the basic effect has been established, I can put pencil to paper and start forming the basic look of the props involved. This is where the creative juices really need to flow and it can take many revisions before it feels just right. When designing an illusion, I need to be able to think not only about the creative aspects, but also the technical such as lighting and theater capabilities.

3) Modeling and Testing – The 3D Advantage

From there, I move into the 3D environment. I use professional software to build all pieces of the prop in full 3D. It is given textures, lighting, shadows, the works. This allows me to ensure that all of the proportions and angles work as they should. It is important that 3D Modeling is not necessarily supposed to replace experience, expertise or prototyping. It is a very powerful tool which allows me to test many elements which would normally be difficult or expensive to test in the real world. Also, because many illusions use methods and principles which have been around for hundreds of years, I know that they will work as they should.

4) Dimensions and Scale

This part of the process may seem strange in many ways because I tend to jump between various other steps. Essentially what happens here is that now that the props has a final look, I need to work out all of the dimensions. First, I look for the easiest element in the prop to dimension. This is usually the height of a table or thickness of a table leg. Then, I will scale that item to the proper size, while scaling the rest of the prop up or down with it. This sizes that element and the rest of the prop in the process. This is printed out and it’s time to put the tape measure to work. One of my favorite ways to set the dimensions of a prop in real size, is to use blue painters tape. With this, I will tape the entire prop to scale on either a floor or a wall. This lets me see the prop in full size in relation to the real world. During this process all of the dimensions are tweaked and noted on the print out.

5) Final 3D Images, Blueprints, Writeup, Fabrication

Finally, I transfer the dimensions back to the 3D version and adjust them to fit what we did in the previous step. This now puts our model in exact scale. The images are now rendered with lighting and a stage floor from multiple angles and a blueprint is created. Once final approval from the client is given, I create a writeup of the effect and method (When applicable. Not every performer or every prop needs one), and send it off to the builder. From that point on, I keep in contact with the builder and the client to make sure everything is going smoothly

And that’s it! That’s the basic process that most of my illusions follow. As you can see a lot of work goes into make an illusion for a client. I feel extremely lucky of have the theatrical experience that I have. It makes this process go much more smoothly when I can wear the various hats of the performer, builder, lighting technition and designer.