NOTE: this was done as an warm-up exercise through interviews & reactions off the video from the website mentioned in article. I really do plan to do more! Enjoy!
A street prank group called Improv Everywhere leisurely strolled through Home Depot in New York with 200 participants shopping for home improvement in slow motion.
During a slow afternoon on Sunday on August 19, 2006, employees and fellow shoppers at the 23rd Street hardware store in Manhattan were left wondering if they were in a space/time warp or on drugs.
The action, complete with hidden cameras to record unsuspecting people's reactions, were at synchronized five minutes intervals.
"What are they doing? What's going on?” said one shopper as she freaked out to her boyfriend. “Is this some kind of street theatre or am I on drugs?"
Most ironic moment occurred in a song "Am I Standing Still", by the poet singer Jewel, pouring over in-store PA speakers a few moments before pranksters went into phase two, frozen motion.
Original prankster and orchestrater of the act, "Agent Todd" was still surprised by the effect of his terracotta prank army, as past settings have been in McDonald's, Best Buy, Starbucks, and Barnes & Noble.
"I hadn't noticed how quiet the store had gotten. Over 200 customers were dead silent," he said. "When the five minutes ended, everyone instantly sprang to life and began talking to their shopping companions. For a moment, it was as if the world was moving in fast forward."
Agent Todd, feigning innocence as a confused shopper with a small digital camera, interviewed some of the employees who had no idea what was going on.
"They were standing there looking at stuff, but completely not moving," said an employee. "They didn't seem to need any help."
The key to the act was to appear that nothing was out of the ordinary, but for one participant, he got a more heart-felt moment than he expected.
"I didn't know what to do, because there were half a dozen elderly people around me with walkers or in electric wheelchairs," he said.
The prankster was walking equally as slow or lifting up an item at the same rate the older people around him.
"I saw one lady in an electric scooter nearby who was really slow, and I felt horrible like I was mocking her."
Instead, the lady slowly raised one hand and waved to him and he returned the wave in slow motion.
"She just smiled and scooted off," he said with a grin, "it was a great feeling."
According to their website, http://www.improveverywhere.com 'missions' are about spreading "chaos and joy people can talk about ten years from now."
Their harmless stunts, such as an annual No Pants Subway Ride and a poker game in a pool at Ceasars' Palace in Las Vegas -- complete with floating table, waist-deep prank participant dealer and cocktail waitress in heels -- attract hundreds of volunteers out for a lark.
According to Agent Todd “most [Home Depot] employees either laughed or thought they were going "crazy," or both.”
The smiles and momentary confusion on people caught in the middle of the scene were priceless by all accounts.
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