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Jonathan Inner circle Oklahoma 1223 Posts |
For many years I've contended that a "real" magician could entertain with even the simplest trick. It seemed the perfect competition to separate the men from the boys! Take a beginners magic trick, and make an impressive/entertaining routine out of it.
I actually had the idea to do this competition/challenge years ago and never got around to doing it. But I just saw Penn and Teller doing exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about using the exact same beginner's magic trick, and I took it as a sign! lol {Here's the link to their AWESOME routine. Mine was more of a clean/direct pseudo test conditions style presentation, theirs more of an entertaining Penn & Teller style, but the exact same vase & ball gimmick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8713uIoRjc} HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Goal is to turn a beginner's trick that other magicians would turn their nose up at, and make it into something that an average audience would love! Come up with and video tape your presentation and post the link in this thread. Anyone can do one, and anyone can judge and award prizes anyway they like (more on that in a sec)! RULES: 1. Centerpiece of routine must be a trick out of either a beginner's magic set, or beginner's magic book. Either use the exact gimmick that came in the set (if from a magic set) or make your own version, provided it works the exact same way. 2. The heart of the trick must utilize the same concept as the original. But any number of extra methods and sleights can be added to either mask the method or add extra elements to the routine. 3. No camera tricks or Blaine/Angel style editing tricks. Has to be something you could actually do on stage or to a live volunteer/audience in a close up/parlour situation. 4. Can't be a routine currently in one of your shows (unless you are a beginner). 5. Must be entertaining, but doesn't have to fool magicians. You can go for that if you want, but it's not necessary. Emphasis can be simply on the framing/presentation of the trick (like the story element P&T added), humor (like P&T added), the magic itself (like the various misdirection and sleights P&T added), or a combination of any/all of the above. 6. Can be in front of an audience or straight to camera, doesn't matter. WHO CAN JOIN IN? Anyone! It doesn't have to be as impressive as P&T's routine (which I'm sure took a lot of time to come up with!). This isn't for something big like the tonight show, so no one is expected to spend as much time as they did. - Professional and amateur magicians can show their stuff and see how they stack up against others on a more level playing field without the crutch of a new fancy-schmancy method. - If you are a beginner in magic, you can show what you can do with what you have, and maybe more experienced magicians on here will be impressed enough to reward you by mailing you (or emailing you) a newer, more advanced trick for you to add to your repertoire! - Famous magicians can also join in the fun, strictly for the challenge and joy of the art! JUDGING/PRIZES: Anyone on here can judge the entries based on any criteria they want, and with any kind of "prize" they want to give. And yes, you can enter and also judge! (you can also show the videos to some laypeople and have them judge a winner for you) I suggest deciding on your favorite(s) and contacting them for an address to send your award. Rummage through your magic drawer and find some commercial trick or old magic book you aren't using and mail it to them. Or, if you'd like, you can send them an original effect that you've come up with. The more valuable the prize, the more valuable your judgment will be. If you think someone is deserving of some kind of booby prize, you can "reward" them with that as well! lol I'll contact some of the magic sites/stores and publishers and try to get them to come judge and send a few prizes themselves. Hopefully, word will get around to some popular/published magicians who'll want to come choose a winner or two (and maybe even send some kind of prize). I'm sure we can all help pass the word on to some of those guys! NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS PLEASE. Let's enjoy the craft, have fun, and be positive. TIME LIMIT? There's no time limit. Posters may rediscover this thread years from now and decide to post their video, bumping the thread to the top. Or they may decide to judge a winner themselves, giving a prize to someone who posted years before. I'd wait for at least a couple of weeks before deciding on a winner, though, to give people time to enter. Sound fun?? Help spread the word! If you have an idea to help promote it or make it more fun, go for it! ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE? |
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Have you read Strong Magic?
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