From the people who brought you the Masked Magician... Fox Television.

I just came across another example of quality programming on FOX T.V. The premise (if you are not already aware) is, you are on stage and have 30 seconds to wow the crowd. The down side is, the audience also has little voting switches that they can use to vote you off stage before your half minute is up.

This got me thinking. How can we improve this? The answer is, of course, MAGIC.

My question to you all is, what would you do for 30 seconds? Props allowed, budget unlimited but reasonable.

My answer, a speedy, tabletop sawing an assistant in half set to some up tempo music.

Not 10 mins after I posted this and who comes on... a magician. (sorry I didn't catch his name)

He did a good little set with a Cards from mouth, silk to cane and a dove production from a picture book.

Nice work.

Did you see the card manipulator? OMG. He needs to fix that routine, it looks as though he bought a McBride video the other night . . . and good thing he was ELIMNATED!

There was also some chicks who did "Chick Tricks" - they had good effects, but the audience did not like it . . . ELIMINATED.

I have also noticed that the magicians on there only cram in 2 effects in 30 seconds . . . I wanna see a manipulator or the liking get on there are WOW the audince with 30 effects . . . just a thought.

Magnus,
you asked "How can we improve this?"

My answer: No magician should perform on a show like this unless he wants to blame magic or wants to make a fool of himself, or both.

-Uli

Agreed, a real show or magical experience can not effectively be presented in 30 seconds. Most good effects (if not all of them) take a couple of minutes to build up expectation.

A good example was the Card Manipulator that primoshock mentioned. His performance was terrible but primarily because he didn't have the time to build the presentation of the skill of card manipulation. To the lay audience it looked like he was a guy dressed in a "Chinese" outfit shooting cards from his sleeves. The rest of us who have worked with these techniques know that this is not the effect we want.

The result, "to improve this... from a magic standpoint", stay away from FOX (I'm still bitter about the Masked Magician). I was just caught up in the fast-paced energy of it all.

Just my 2 cents.

Uli writes: "No magician should perform on a show like this unless he wants to blame magic or wants to make a fool of himself, or both."

How true!

Unfortunately, there are a lot of performers who fit that mold perfectly!

cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

I heard Dan Sylvester *the jester* was on this show but I don't know if they've shown that episode yet or how well he did.

Perhaps someone who actually watches the show could enlighten us?

Is Jester the dude who does the whole stretchin of the mouth and bulging of the eyes?!

I have watched EVERY one and have not seen him yet . . .

Yep, that's him. The "human cartoon". I know some have said they've seen him in ads for the show, but I guess they haven't shown it yet...

I would love to go on this show but since it takes me longer than 30 seconds just to open a deck of cards I doubt I would qualify.
Maybe if there was a 30 minutes to fame I would have a chance.

I watched it a few weeks ago and suddenly there was Dan Birch performing! Dan does some very strong dove productions. The audience just loved him.

He was a finalist at the end, and lost first place to a talented musician on an electric violin.

I think Dan has shown that a good magician with a good act has a good chance to win at this show.

I was just at the Houdini Convention where there was a comic magician, Robert Baxt, (he won the comedy magic award at FISIM years back) who will be on 30 sec to fame in 2 weeks. I love FOX and how they keep magic and similar talents on TV (as long as they don't expose it)!

Some people don't like live entertainment. How else will we get our magic and live entertainment through to them unless we bring it into their world, the TELEVISION!?!? Now that the magic special fad is over, (World's Greatest..., Champions..., etc.) we need shows like 30 of Fame to keep people interested in magic.

They see a magician on TV, like him, and there's a better chance of him/her going to the live magic show down the street.

That's my 2 cents.
Justin

This weeks winner were a husband and wife quick costume change magic team.

They did quite well. However two other magicians got booted, they bite real bad. Can anyone do a good presentation in 30 sec.?

I agree with Payne 30 min. I might have a chance.... it takes 30 sec + just to figure out where my TT is half the time.

I am scheduled to be on that show in the first week of October and I agree that it is a tough show for a magician. With only 30 seconds there is little or no time to build any emotional content to your Production/minip or what have you. As for the Juggler part of me I will offer a dangerous stunt. Something all visual and hope for the best.

One desire in doing this show is “Branding” I was once told on a show that if I did not do it, (The Bar-B-Que stunt) they would find another performer who would. There are so many performers out there doing my original ideas, that the more TV time I have, the more people will hire the original and not a knock off. To them it is just ratings.
Wish me luck!

We do wish you luck. It hurts when you see an effect that you have made a name for starts being done by someone else.

Besides, with your interesting "look", all exposure is good. If it is only 5 seconds, you are a person who could be spotted and used for - say - a commercial or something. I wouldn't think that way for many people, but most of us don't have blonde hair down to our knees. You stand out. And you never know who is watching!

As they say in Japan, "gambatte!" (That's sort of like "go for it".)

Paula

I say bring a kitchen knife and stab yourself in the stomach. Repeatedly. Each time with blood gushing from the wound(s). Then slump to the floor. Have assistants carry you out. Don't do it like magic. Hide the knife and pretend that you've smuggled it onto the stage. Bring it out. Scream. Stab and stab and stab.

I have to take my medication now, excuse me.