Magic competitions for Stage!

It is hard to get up the guts and nerves to compete in a magic competition. Mainly because you are going to be performing for an audience of only magicians, and your judges will be magicians. The first time is a nerve wrecking experience, but once you get over it, competing can be fun.

I myself have entered numerous magic competitions. I have won several and I have lost several.

The best thing about a magic competition is that it gets you in front of your fellow magicians and allows you the chance to show them what you've got. And if what you have is good enough...word starts spreading about you and then you get booked for conventions...then people see you more and all of the sudden you are the next big thing on the circuit.

As far as what to expect, you can always expect to be judged on the following:

Skill Level (do you do card fans, or fancy sleights or steals?)
Stage Presence (How well do people look at you on stage?)
Entertainment level (How well can you keep the audience entertained)
Costume Appropriateness (Does your costume fit your character?)
Music Appropriateness (does your music fit your character?)
Time Limit (Did you stay withing the given time limit?)
Patter (Did you have good patter without "Blue" material?)
Routining (How well did your performance flow?)

Judges score on a number range and usually leave you feedback.

If you don't win, don't let it get you down...you are still improving yourself and getting yourself noticed! You must not forget...you are being judged by biased magicians who have certain tastes in magic...if they don't like comedy magic, and you are performing comedy magic, then you probably won't win...that is just the way it works.

If you DO win...don't get cocky...nobody likes an A-hole...and I have seen some bad win smearing before. Always be a good sport.

Competing is a great way to meet people as well. Some of my best friends in magic I met by competing against them. During the competition, you hang out backstage with all the contestants. This gives you a lot of time to talk with all the people back there and find out some information about their lives.

I highly reccomend competing...it is a great way to polish your skills, get noticed, make friends, and have fun!

I tried to keep this short and sweet...so I am sure I might have missed something...so if anyone has any questions or coments about competing in stage competitions, let 'em fly!

UK Specific Question:

How would I find out about magic competitions in the Lanceshire area, maybe spilling over to Yorkshire? I'm not a member of the Order of the Magi (and I'm still unsure whether I will be as yet) so I have little to no magic contacts offline.

General Question:

Do competitions come certain flavours like close up, mentalism and cards, or do you have competitions that are open? I ask as my magic is steadily moving in the direction of a mix of weerd magic masquerading as psychology and Derren Brown style hypnosis - as such I haven't a clue where you'd pigeon hole me (not that I'm eager to find out of course, as I feel any label other than Psychic Magician or Psychic Entertainer, the two I've been toying with the most recently, could be misleading).

32

I entered a close-up competition in the Northern Magic Circle once.

The judges were the biggest [edited] [edited] heads I've ever met.

To find competitions, search for conventions in the area you are interested in competing at. Make sure and register early because sometimes the roster fills up quickly and if you wait until arrival to sign up, you may not make it.

Competitions are separated by category: Stage, and Close-up.

If you go to a huge international competition, the competitions will more than likely be more specific: Stage (Comedy, Mentalism, Illusion, etc) Close-up (Cards, Coins, Slieghts, etc).

AtticusFinch,

The judges weren't being jerks out of meaness, they were just trying to tell you what your friends and family won't (the truth). They gave you an honest opinion about your performance...they did this to give you the information you need in order to improve yourself for the better. You can take the criticism and use it to your advantage, or be a child and call the judges ignorant A-holes, and not imrove any. You choose.

Don't suggest that my family and friends patronize me by humouring me. I trust them more than any magician.

The judges were all in their 60's and 70's, and cheered tricks with "patter" about robbers and kings. None of them had a clue about how magic should be presented to a 21st century audience.

I improved plenty because of that competition, because I realised that trying to be part of an older generation of magicians does nothing but work against you. I'm glad of that lesson, at least.

How do you know that the judges were all so old? In every competition, the judges are suppose to be confidential.

and besides, not every elderly magician thinks the way you think they do.

My comment about your family is fact. Your family and friends are just like everyone elses family and friends. Family and friends are usually ALWAYS an unreliable source to ask opinion on skill from...because they are always afraid of hurting your feelings. An unbiased opinion is always best...and you simply can't get that from a family member or friend.

Apparently that's just not the case. Of course not every older magician thinks the same way, but their generation has that similar view, just like my generation listens more to rock music rather than classical.

Your comment about my family isn't fact, and it's narrow-minded of you to say that. My family tell me if they see me palm a card or if my presentation sounds too scripted. I'm smart enough not to need some [edited] who thinks bluntness is the key to learning, telling me that my pass is bollocks. Either that or some weedy, balding magician who looks like a paedophile, telling me my presentation needs a school bully theme and my suit needs a frilly shirt and a bow-tie.

Sure, my family might be biased, but not up to the point where they're saying: "Well done! Aren't you a good at this! My own little David Copperfield!" to every trick I do.

My friends just tell me if I'm a load of crap at something - like doing a Welsh accent.

Like I said, they don't patronize me and I'm smart enough to learn from the feedback they give me.

You're right...you know everything and are smart enough to figure out everything on your own....you are the champ...just keep up the good work and don't stop what you're doing cause you are bound for success!

good luck ...oh well you probably don't need it...

Thank you Kyle, not just for that beautiful take down but also for the answer you gave me. I'd be totally up for a stage comp some time in the near future, anything to improve my presentation and chances of making a nice sideline with o magico.



32

Thank you. We're on the same page now.

Sorry I haven't posted. This is exactly what I wanted to see just because I want to enter a competition. Do you think I should watch a competition atleast once and then do a competition or just go out and do it?

Just go for it. WHen you watch a competition, it is just like watching a show. When you are in the competition, you see what goes on behind the show. You can't tell what one is truly like by simply watching...you must be a part of it to fully understand what is going on and to get the full effect of it. If you have an act you are comfortable and confident it, enter the next one you come accross...even if you don't win, you won't regret it!

I am thinking of the IBM/SAM competition when I get two things. Then I might be ready.

You will need to have a video ready. The IBM and SAM both require that you send in a video which they have to watch and choose before you will be eligible to compete. The head hanchos recieve the videos and watch them and then choose who they want to compete...You may or may not be selected depending on whether or not you impress them.

Most competitions are just a "First Come First Serve" sign up deal. The first So-many to sign up are the ones who get to compete. But this isn't the case with the national and international conventions.