Any idea who will be reporting from FISM in blog or webcast format?

I did consider setting up a formal blog but I doubt I'll get time to update it much as there are so many things planned.

I suspect the Café will be a good place to see a variety of reports and updates though.

It seems the antics have already started ... with Derek Lever opening the event by trading insults ... http://www.linkingpage.com/magicnewsfeed......ult.html

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3853/photojuv.jpg

Shameful how Mr Lever chooses to embarass not only himself but the FISM organisation who must be having heart failure at present with such crazed rantings.

Facebook is beginning to show many pictures from friends who are attending, as well as the FISM Facebook page. I was hoping someone would do some video reporting.

It is true to say that many, many people unfairly knocked Derek and Blackpool for winning FISM. It is also fair to say there has been nastiness from some quarters, some of it quite personal in nature. I admire Derek for making a stand against the thugs and bullies but I wish he had left it out of the programme as it acts as an enduring memory of the event. When I read it in future this is what I will remember.

However, I am not overly surprised by this turn of events. After all, it wouldn't be FISM without a bit of controversy now would it?

Now then, which lecture hall do I need to go to next?

If the regular Blackpool Magic Conventions are anything to go on, video recording of any kind is strictly prohibited in the entire venue. The rule is enforced.
Of course, this doesn't keep anyone from shooting outside the venue, but there would be considerably less atmosphere.

Finally found something, a daily review, in Spanish
http://blogdemagia.com/2012/07/10/fism-2......_oneline

And here, by Craig Mitchel:
http://www.geniimagazine.com/forums/ubbt......r=269769

Well found Rolf.

Very little informatin flowing through the web. Here a Danish view at FISM, in Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=......8&type=1

Wittus Witt reports in German, with good photos:
http://www.european-magic-history.com/Eu......012.html

"I admire Derek for making a stand against the thugs and bullies"

Richard Kaufman is a thug and a bully ?

Somebody is clearly drinking the Blackpool kool-aid. Mr Lever has to be one of the most unpopular figures in magic.

Another blog with some photos, By Hanno, in German:
http://www.quacksalber.at/Quacksalber/Willkommen.html

...but also in German

http://www.trixxbox.de/

Enjoy!

No, Richard is a good guy.

However, there are others who are downright nasty. They've even uploaded horrible songs about Derek. Google his name to find them.

Derek won FISM for Blackpool and others are jealous of his success. Particularly magicians from other parts of the UK who thought their towns should have won. I know lots of magicians from London who thought it should be held in the capital (good job it wasn't based on the Olympic fiasco - M4 collapsing/Lack of security/transport system collapse/constant rain etc. What a joke!).

Personally, I'd like to see FISM in Scotland one day

Derek Lever now has the reputation of having produced 3 of the worst gala shows in FISMs recent history ! And quite possibly one of the worst FISM conventions full stop - lacking any sense of class or taste at all.

The trainwreck is all unfolding on the Genii Forum as well as Facebook & Twitter...

Richard Kaufman says it all: "If this week's fiasco of awful gala show after awful gala show, and poor organization from top to bottom, can't shake Derek Lever's hold on power in the Blackpool Magician's Club, I don't know what can. He needs to GO."

Stage contest Day 1- not too good apparently

http://www.geniimagazine.com/forums/ubbt......st269830

Genii articles from above Link-keep updated thanks Genii-

Genii The Conjuror's Magazine

Forum - Online

Stage Contest - Day One

by Craig Mitchell

It's contest time! And what would a FISM contest be without musical FISM
legend - Frank Wilson - this musical genius kept the entire day going with
his hilarious interludes and now mandatory sing-alongs of "magic all over
the world" ...

On to the magic.

1. Michael Jordan - High Jinx - Stage Illusions - England
A young brother & sister illusion duo who if memory serves me correctly have
been featured on Britain's Got Talent not so long ago. Toy dolls to real
person appearance ... cutting in fifths ... straightjacket escape to a
dueling violins soundtrack ending with the re-appearance of the toy
mannequins. No fireworks to write home about - youthful energy and a
pleasing start to the stage contest

2. Javier Fernandez - Luxor - Mental magic - Spain
Mentalism seemed to be Monday's theme and unfortunately for non-native
English speakers - it is not the easiest of choices. With the performers
pants unfortunately way too tight - it was very difficult to concentrate on
too much else.

3. Antranik Arabadijia - Astor - Comedy Magic - Bulgaria
Great excitement - our very first red light act at FISM 2012 ... and not
even three competitors in. A large gentleman in Indian fakir-style garb who
starts the act whilst eating cotton wool set on fire and ends with a bizarre
misers dream in the audience which was out of sight of everyone. The red
light came on for being below standard - but bizarrely the curtain did not
close ( perhaps a new instruction from the organiser to the stage staff
following the telling off of the judges at last year's FISM Europe ? )

4. Pablo Lambertini - General Magic - Argentina
A saxophone player in a jazz club scene that had an origami bird coming to
life - a vanishing harmonica, card manipulation, a horribly exposed
production of a trumpet from his jacket ( magicians and their body loads )
and an appearing bird from music book. Interesting premise that never
reached its potential.

5. Florian Sainvert - Manipulation - France
A Tron / matrix style act with green card manipulation of strange circle and
square pieces of card attached to his body. A backwards lean that got the
audience very excited ... followed by a 'floating' saucer attempt that had
to be aborted when the thread got entangled ( FISM rule - never use
invisible thread ) The act concept is dated ...maybe if this were still the
'80s.

6. Luca Bono - General Magic - Italy
This act kicked off with much promise - featuring a young performer at his
desk computer about to start a Skype call. The stage visual looked great. An
origami bird vanishes re-appearing on the computer screen - only to be
extracted out of the digital image once more. A great costume change
followed - but then quickly brought about the end of its novelty as the
'desk bound computer user' transforms into magician - and we follow the same
tired old plot of every other magician with standard card manipulation,
billiard balls etc. ending with the production of the girl. I really hope
Luca re-looks at his concept as there is definitely something there which
can be developed.

7. Christian Bischof - Mental Magic - Switzerland
More mental magic for a Monday ... 2 people on stage and a mindreader with a
supercilious grin. I just can't believe that you can read my mind when you
stand there grinning like the Cheshire cat.

8. Kim Young Ju - Comedy Magic - Korea
The hit of the morning. But alas - not a magic act. This comedy juggler did
a great cigar box routine - but missed the memo that this was the World
Championships of Magic.

9. Riku Koponen - Riku & Varg - General Magic - Sweden
A jumbo balloon can be seen on stage. It pops and out emerges the performer
from within the balloon in a very confused act that didn't know if they were
supposed to be mentalists or magicians. A ridiculous vanish of a chair, a
spectator left hovering in mid-air and a strange prediction of who knows
what.

10. Andy Huang - Andost - General Magic - USA
A flickering lamp, red card manipulation, multiplying light bulbs and red
silk appearing within the light bulb. In the brutal world that is FISM -
instantly forgettable amongst the general milieu.

11. Jesus Cornejo - Andy Gonzalez - General Magic - Spain
CD manipulation along with appearing violins, vanishing stereo ( and yes -it
featured tape cassettes ) a "slow change" and ending with appearing cello.

12. Andrew Melia - General Magic - England
A large hole cut in the middle of a wall that is intended to be a TV screen.
Combination black-art and digital interaction. In the now traditional black
art hoop vanish - the white shows flashed twice unfortunately during the
vanish as they scurried off behind the mystical wall on stage.

13. Christoph Kuch - Mental Magic - Germany
A fun and entertaining mentalism act ( hurrah ! ) that started off with the
echoes of Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. A spectator is invited to take
an imaginary journey to the wreck of the Titanic with our all knowing
magician predicting the name of the vessel, the depth they reached and year
of the coin that was discovered on the ocean floor. A very effective use of
music and lighting helped set the scene for what was a playful magical
interlude.

14. Vadim Savenkov - Comedy Magic - Russia
My heart sinks when I see the words 'comedy magic' ... and even more so when
the act features a sponge banana, bunny rabbit puppet and all-time
favourite - a Zebra head. Clearly the alcohol content is higher in Russia
than anywhere else.

15. Oliver Macia - Olmac - withdrew

16. Lee Ki Suk - Lukas - Manupulation - Korea
Our first standing ovation of FISM 2012 and potential prize winner. Moments
of beautiful magic that looked like technical wizardry ... whilst previous
Korean manipulators have been on hyper-drive, Lee Ki Suk has slowed
everything down to nth degree - planted his feet firmly in a single spot and
found some oh-so-depressing music that the magicians simply went wild for.

17. Thomas Hoeschelle - Thommy Ten - Mental Magic - Austria
An interesting mentalism act with a magician and his true love - and a
jellybean for every kiss ... ending with a girl production complete with
fireworks.

18. Robert Mark Jakoobsen - Robert Mark - Comedy Magic - Denmark
There are those 2 words again - comedy magic. Things are clearly not right
in the state of Denmark. 2 overweight men on stage - one with naked buttocks
... in a horrible act set in a supposed bar ... that I would prefer to
forget.

19. Yang Hee Jun - Nicky Yang - General Magic - Korea
Fancy that - a magician doing billiard balls when the act is actually themed
around billiards ! Vanishing pool cue, appearing and disappearing chalk,
never-ending sands and billiard ball production in box.

20. Johannes Lutz - Jojo - Manipulation - Germany
Young performer ( who celebrated his birthday today and got an official sing
along from Frank Wilson ) with color changing baseball caps, appearing items
in postbox, billiard ball manipulation, vanishing peak caps and ending with
a basketball production. All formulaic and your standard magic contest act -
but done cleanly with energy.

Nineteen performers down and day one of the FISM 2012 stage contest is over
... and things aren't looking too good. The standard is hovering around
baseline mediocre at best.

Hopefully things improve on the morrow ... we've got 4 days left to find our
next Champion.

The Genii account of the end of the convention reads like a manuscript that has been dropped on the floor and the pages scrambled...

Tim Ellis and Craig Mitchell appear to have long term grudges against DL and Blackpool, hence their attempt to derail things on the Genii forum.

I actually thought FISM 2012 ran like clockwork and apart from a few bad acts during the gala shows I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Looking back at other FISMs it seems the norm for magicians to find things to criticise. At least there wasn't a near riot at Blackpool as there was in Stockholm (remember that debacle?!)

Thanks to BMC for hosting a great convention.

I think it's time Scotland made a bid though. It would be the best FISM ever.