On Thu, 26 Jul 2018 10:59:08 +0100, "Bert Coules"
wrote:

For reason far too boring to go into (but related to a stage play) I have to
build a full-sized dummy person which has to disappear on cue. The figure
will be wearing a full-face mask and long flowing robes, and they *don't*
have to vanish: the effect should be that the man disintegrates and the mask
and robes just collapse, empty.

Any thoughts on how to construct the dummy figure? A lightweight head and
shoulders which support the robes, suspended and released from above? A
collapsible lazy-tongs arrangement rising from a base, again with a dummy
head at the top? An inflatable figure punctured with a pin (and presumably
patched up each night for the next show)?

I think it may depend on how fast this disintegration needs to happen,
if you were to say use the deflation of an inflatable manikin
(possibly the easiest)?

If there is no real pressure required (depending on the weight of the
mask / robes) you could probably glue some sort of electrically
released and resealable flap valve into an inflatable manikin so that
it might collapse fairly quickly and be re-useable.

If it needs to happen quickly then any of the suggestions you made
could work, depending on the weight of the outfit.

The 'suspend from above' would give the 'empty Jedi cloak' effect
pretty easily, depending on how easy it would be to provide such
suspension and it's ok for the collapse to be 'random'?

Cheers, T i m