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Terry Owens Inner circle Ft. Wayne, Indiana 1707 Posts |
I love your work...what advice could you give if someone is interested in entering a magic competion, like FISM or maybe at some of the conventions...
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Shawn Farquhar V.I.P. Canada 760 Posts |
Hi Terry,
I really have to say that contests helped me to be a professional magician. I never did them for ego, but instead to force me to improve. I think if I were to give advice the first thing I would say is don't go into a contest to beat the other magicians. That's not the point. Go into the contest to be the best you can be on that given day. If you're just starting out don't build and act just to have an act. Look to rules of the contests and build your act to suit their judging criteria. When you build the act it might be best to not speak so you can do the act around the world. Yes, I know I talk in all my acts, which has in fact limited my success and penetration into many markets. If you want to win, study the contest, it's past winners and the trends they have created. It reminds me of the old infomercial with the guy saying "If you want to be rich, watch what the poor people do, and don't do it". Selection of magic is of course important and no where more than a contest. Doing something commercially available in the same way the instructions direct is just ridiculous. You don't need to necessarily fool the judges, but you better look original and be entertaining. Remember your being judged on everything, from your shiny shoes to your finger nails. I see a lot of people who watch an act once on YouTube and then comment that the act shouldn't have won an award. It makes me laugh. They are comparing a previous winner to the current champion. Many years have passed since the other act won and most likely they have changed a great deal in the time that has passed. The act that won, is not the best ever, just the best THEN. Keep that in mind and know that win or lose, if you do the best you could do on that given day, your already a champion in my books. -shawn farquhar |
Atom3339 Inner circle Spokane, WA 3242 Posts |
Shawn, I'm enjoying your philosophical attitude about this whole Magic business.
TH
Occupy Your Dream |
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