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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Going for the 'Gold' » » Define Close Up (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

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Mike Melito
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Looking for a good defination of close up magic.

I was in a contest last weekend and heard some people questioning one of the acts saying it was more Parlor and even stage being performed in the close up show.

Anyone have any thoughts?
Josh Chaikin
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Close-up is a little difficult to define. The line between close-up and stage is obvious: a dove act is not close-up. Parlor is in the gray area between the two. Traditionally, close-up is cards and coins. Cups and balls is though to be close-up, but a lot of performers use it in parlor and stage settings.

Bill in lemon is definitely a parlor/stage trick, yet Todd Lamanske did it at the close-up show at the Jubilee last year.

It's a good question, not an easy one to answer.
daviaac
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I think of parlour as tricks that cannot be reset straight away or would play for a large audience but could also play for a small one and also pack a big punch i.e. bottle production, gold fish production. whereas close up works walking around or table hopping and can be easily re-set. perhaps even as far to say parlour is on a stage but perhaps in front of a small room of people instead of stage magic which would be in a auditorium (goldfish/bottle production would play very well with lot's of people).

I might be wrong but this is the only way I can think of it

luke
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harris
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Harris Deutsch
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As one who has never one a close up contest(though I did get the unofficial "title" of Comedy Strolling Magician at the 2003 big IBM vention) the idea is like beauty in the eye of the beholder...

As one who has considered producing a snake in a close up contest, my ideas tend more toward close up theatre(notice the "re") and intimacy rather than types of props....

Times have changed a lot since the 70's..One problem in big contest folks beyond the first and second row can't see the table top..(ala shadow coins...though former Ring 129 John Born did a killer and won several big events..)

My entry for 129 big show..was more of a monologue with magic...also a chance to play again with Regal's disposable deck and folks minds...(hence my brain washers instead of chinese coins) I also had fun with Kam's Goblet....a sort of expanded spellbound.. My work was done at chest level..Though I didn't "place",(1,2,3) it was a great experience and way to give back to the club.

Heard on Ellen today..reach for the stars and even if you only reach the clouds your are a step or two ahead...

Harris "still working on his Attitude" deutsch
A=1, T=20, U=21, D=4, E= 5 I=9 (add them up and you get 100% of how you react to life...(that was the theme of my nearly normal program..ending in a flag production...(mini size for the close up venue)
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Nell
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In competition, parlour acts tend to be close-up, however, it is up to the performer's discretion where their act will be most appropriate or successful. In some contests, such as FISM, close-up and stage are broken into several sub-categories...


Close-up:
•Cards
•Micro Magic

Stage:
•Manipulation
•General
•Illusions

Either:
•Parlour
•Invention
•Mentalism
•Comedy

Hope that helps... Basically, if you can pull something off, successfully, close up, than it can be used. I'm working on part of an act now which is almost exclusively thought of as stage magic...
"A trick may be very good...but...the illusionist must be better than the trick." -René Lavand
harris
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Harris Deutsch
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Nell I think you have it...

I remember a close up contest where I produce my Melodica.(a piano that is also a wind instrument)

Back in the 70's to today I have seen close up on the big stage. The first was seeing Henning do the torn and restored cigarette paper on stage....

Harris
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TOTALLY MAGIC
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Look at jhon ace palmer he produces 2 doves in his close up act, ive seen a lot of close up act from some of the biggest names and 3/4 use something that is normally stage, I'm a stage magician but when I do close up magic I try to add some type of stage work in it.

kyle
Excaliber
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I am guilty of doing parlor magic at close up contest as well.
The reason I did like many others is this...... the last several conventions I have attended have large rooms or the close up show it done on the main stage area. therfore the contestants are doing other things besides cards, and coins so everyone can see, and there afraid of getting points taken away because they are not getting the reaction from the audience . my 2 cents worth.
By the way the last close up contest at the Winter Carnival was won by a younglady ( well deserved I might add) with a total parlor show.
Sammy J.
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I love Richard Sander's Fiber Optics because it plays as close up and parlour! Actally, it works for stage! I primarily do close magic, but love it when I find an effect that works for both!
Sammy
Sammy J. Teague
illusionist13
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Perhaps it is who you are performing for and where! Im sure there are a great number of magician doing "stage" or "parlour" magic in their routines....just as there are stage magicians doing "close up" magic in their routines. Not to void anyones title....but there will be trick defined as close up or parlour....but the venue of the magician I think is the deciding factor...my thoughts...
clamon86
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Close-up magic is magic that can be seen from close-up. Close-up magic in a competition, is close-up magic for 500-2000 people(depending on the contest).

Parlour seems a more formal setting, I like to think of as "elevated close-up."
Magicdoc88
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Is it appropriate for one to use the same close up routine (Producing and vanishing coins)that won the Close-Up competition and enter the Stage/Parlor competition?
Bairefoot
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When I made the Gold Cup finals at IBM. My reset time was only 5 sec. they contest chairman loved it. Some guys take up to ten to 15 min to reset before the can do their act again and need people help them set up their act for close-up. Also, that same year I won the best comedy for strolling, and best over act for strolling at the covention it was called the Strolling Olympics. I believe that was in 2005 I believe. I would have to look at my award page. So close-up is what ever you can get in front of the audience.

Bairefoot
Perseus Arkomanis
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I personally think it all has to do with the distance tha audience watches you.
Close up is close up, Stage is stage and Parlour is in between.
The things that are most real to me are the illusions which I create...everything else is quicksand...
<BR>
<BR>www.orionmagicproductions.com
harris
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Harris Deutsch
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Bairefoot,

I remember you in KC in 2003. Your stuff is great.
It was in 03 that I took the comedy division of the strolling olympics.

Never won a close up event locally.

Though winning is good, I see other opportunities in competing.

In a few weeks, I will make another go at it in Kansas City's full of talent Ring 129 Close up event.

Jeff Coleman(now of Colombia) took home the honors. I saw his coin work last month when he and other Colombians came up for a lecture. Seems like I heard he also produced a bird.(parakeet???)

It's been years since I have used budgies or other birds.
The act is puppet and music heavy. This year I may go for more lick than my usual schtick...

or if it is like most of my gigs...It will be 75% planed and 23% improvisation.

Oh what fun it is to play, share and learn.

Harris
aka dr. laugh
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
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Bill Hegbli
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There is formal Close-up which is an act at a table, with the audience in front of you as in many magic convention. And example of this is Don Alan and Albert Goshman.

Close-up also involves small objects and ordinary objects people are familiar with in life. It also involves the audience more, the performer interacts with one or several individuals on a intimate bases.

To stand behind a table and demonstrate tricks is not really close-up magic. He is using the table as a barrier to the people, not as a comfort zone to invite people closer to him.

Then there is strolling Close-up and Table Hopping Close-up.

I believe the definition really is in the prop. A true close-up trick can be shown inches away from a person or persons, and usually no more then 30 people surrounding you to view easily.

Close-up Magicians visiting the Abbott's Get-Together Magic Convention, have to move from table to table, and there is no place to reset anything out of sight of the audience. They also do not allow any period of time for the performer to reset, if he cannot reset while moving several feet to the next group, he better have additional duplicate tricks all set to present.

I remember one German magician that did the Gypsy Thread trick as his Close-up trick at Abbott's. I thought that was an odd trick for Table Hopping. He had to have 6 or more already prepared for each showing. I also remember John Carney, it was great as he showed several of his published works, and he just put them back in his close-up bag and move easily, all ready to go again, as putting them away was the reset.
harris
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Harris Deutsch
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....and another important question...what is the set up for the close up contest you are entering.

I had thought our ring was still having the performers rotate through 3 rooms. I am glad I went to the meeting last night, and found out it is in a bigger room and we all just share once. This morning I found out they project the performers on a big screen, for folks "in the back" to see.
Tomorrows the "big night" at Ring 129. Oh what fun it is to play.

Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
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harris
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Harris Deutsch
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June 9th, the night of the contest was great. It was both a celebration of our 11th Anniversary(Annie and I), as well as a win.
On a given night, any of the fine performers had a chance of winning. This year the kind members of ring 129 voted me in as their Close up Magician of the year. (2012) When I heard my name I was touched by tears and joy.

Oh what fun it is to create, share and play. That morning I changed my opener and closer to include a harmonica rendition of Ode to Joy. The set up was fairly done and did not need a large screen close up projection.

Thanks to all the people both behind and in front of the close up "stages" curtain.

Be safe, well and creative,

Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
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Pengnome
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I take it there are no definitions for competitions then.

Surely it would be the position of the audience relative to the trick, and that they are judged with this in mind.

Asking peole to do close up on a stage seems strange.
Pengnome
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Thinking about it a bit more. In a magic competition it should define where the judges observe from.

e.g.
Close up - within arms reach of the performer
Parlour - Within say 6 m of the performer
Stage - From near and further away in the room.

The definition would need to be fairly loose though as competitions need to take place in different places each with their own environment.

I would ignore any comments on that trick was more a parlour trick than a close up trick (especially if the competition doesn't have a Parlour category). I would listen to comments along that lines of that prop was difficult to see.
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