'I would like to start entering magic competitions but don't know where to start. Will it help me become a magician? What's the best magic competition to win?' – David K

Magicians all over the world are taking part in magic competitions, both at their local magic clubs and also in national and international convention events. Just like any talent competition, contestants perform for a group of judges who decide the winners. The most popular magic competitions cover close up magic, childrens magic, and stage performance.

Where magic competitions take place.

Magic competitions tend to take place on a stage. Even close up magic competitions will be structured with an audience comprising mainly of fellow magicians and their partners. If you take part in a close up magic competition, it's important to note that the environment you will be competing in can be very different from that of a normal working area. You will need to invite spectators up to join you on stage to perform for them, or assume that the whole audience are your spectators. This can impact the types of magic you should choose to showcase and your presentation.

Winning a magic competition.

Judges watch each act and give points based on a wide range of criteria. Sleight of hand ability, presentation, stage craft, originality etc etc. Magic competitions have set time limits. Your act should be specifically rehearsed so that it fits in the time permitted. Ending too soon or running over time can work against your score.

Once all the competitors have performed,the juges meet and decide the winners.

Why it's good to win magic competitions.

If you win a magic competition it's great for your marketing. You hold the title as the winner until the next competition takes place. You can advertise your win, and feature it in your promotional material. Winning magic competitions will also bring you into the spotlight within the magic community and can help you gain respect amongst fellow magicians, and be a gateway to lecturing on magic, or releasing magic products.

How to start taking part in magic competitions.

The best place to start is your local magic club. If you are not already a member JOIN NOW. Local competitions are small and tend to have the same magicians entering each year. New talent is always welcome and it's a great way to learn about what does and doesn't work in magic competitions. As you gain experience, you can look to enter national competitions and expand your title collection.

The best magic competitions.

There are many competitions run by magic clubs and societies across the country. Some of the highest profile competitions run by:

The Magic Circle

The Magic Circle close up competition takes place each year. They also run a stage magic competition every other year. This is a very prestigious competition to win and the results are noticed by the whole magic community.

The Blackpool Magic Convention

The Blackpool Magic Convention runs both stage and close up competitions. These competitions attract the largest crowds as they take place at the worlds largest magic convention.

FISM (International Federation of Magic Societies)

The most respected magic competiton in the world takes place at FISM. Winning FISM lifts you into the world class catagory of competition winners.

IBM (International Brotherhood of Magicians)

The IBM run a competition in the UK which is quite popular. Smaller than the competitions above, yet highly respected.

Should magicians compete in magic competitions?

Winning magic competitions has little to do with entertaining the public. The audience and judges are comprised of magicians that are reviewing the magic from a technical standpoint, whilst trying to view the magic in the eyes of the general public. That's no easy task, and some magicians that do well in competitions may not do so well performing magic to the public.

Winning competition titles can be good marketing and publicity. Being recognised for your abilities is highly rewarding, but it is not a full schooling in performing magic for the public. Some magicians can be very good at winning competitions yet fail to entertain audiences outside of magic. Magic competitions are run by magicians for magicians, so it's important that you don't focus all your time and attention in this direction.

Sometimes, results could be based more on club politics than ability. A competitor may be prefered simply because it is 'their turn to win', so don't be too disappointed if you enter a competition as an unknown and don't get a winning place right away.

Magic Conpetitions are fun and rewarding, but not a place to judge if your magic is suitable for paid performance. Unlike competition judges, audiences don't care about the method or seeing a new variation on an old technique. For the public, it's about how much they enjoyed the performance.

Performing Magic in Restaurants – The Staff

by Dominic Reyes 1 Comment

By Dominic Reyes

Performing Magic in Restaurants – Talking to the Staff

When you perform magic in a restaurant you are part of a team. You're one cog in the machine that is designed to give the guests a great experience, a fantastic atmosphere, and a wonderful meal. Being part of a team means that you need to consider the other team members. Sometimes the restaurant may not have used a magician before. Take a moment to talk with the staff and reassure them that you will be an asset rather than a hinderance. Here's some points you may want to communicate to them:

When will the magician perform magic in the restaurant?

Usually you will be performing magic in restaurants during the waiting time between a guest ordering their food and the meal arriving. Let the staff know that you will not approach a table while guests are looking at the menus, eating their food, or once the guests have asked for the bill. Restaurants care about turning their tables, so your job is to entertain during the waiting times the guests experience, not when they should be doing something to move the process of the meal forward.

How performing magic in restaurants helps?

Let the staff know that the magician is a helpful tool for the restaurant. There are many ways that magic can help things run smoothly. If a table is facing a long delay getting their food, the staff can tell the magician to keep the table occupied. Let the team know they can call you over to a table when they need this service.

Magic in restaurants is exciting.

Suggest that the staff mention to the guests that a magician will be performing magic in the restaurant when they are shown to their table. Ask the staff to let you know as soon as possible if guests have requested to see your magic.

Interuptions.

If possible, mention that there are applause moments in the magic you will perform. In those moments the guests will be watching closely. Don't boss the staff around, but if you mention this they will look out for it and soon understand when it's not a good time to interrupt. This is also a good time to ask that waiters don't offer drinks or canapés to a group if you are performing for them. Be polite about this and explain that you will not get in their way. If the staff are aware, then it will not ruin the magic for the guests.

Talk about Tips.

Assuming that you are not working just for tips, I recommend that you pass on any tips you receive to the main restaurant staff. Let the team know that a magician may increase tips because the guests will have a great time. If a guest insists on tipping, accept the gift, but check if the restaurant has a tip jar to it's shared with everyone working that night.

Let the team know how a magician will help them.

Performing magic in restaurants is a bonus for the whole team. Let the staff know how magic will help them:

You will entertain the guests and give them a great experience.
Long wait times can seem shorter if guests are being entertained.
A guests special celebration can have a magic trick to mark the occasion.
The magician can identify any guest issues and bring them to the staffs attention.
Magic in restaurants can increase tip levels for everyone.
Make regular customers feel extra special.

It's also important to reassure the staff that you won't be a hinderance. Let them know that you will not:

Disturb the guests whilst they are eating.
Interrupt food or wine presentations
Take their tips.

You don't need to give a long speech to the waiting staff, but a quick chat just to mention these points will really help your interaction with the whole team when you start at a new restaurant. Performing magic in restaurants can be a fast paced and challenging experience, so keep the restaurant staff on your side and aware of the help your magic provides.

Magicians Quotes – Words of Wisdom on Magic

by Dominic Reyes 4 Comments

15 Useful Magicians Quotes

"It is the unspoken ethic of all magicians to not reveal the secrets." – David Copperfield

"Nothing must be left to chance in a magical performance. Everything conducive to enhancing the mystery of the illusions must be arranged with painstaking care and thought." – David Devant

"Magicians have done controlled testing in human perception for thousands of years." – Teller

"Generally, magicians don't know what to say, so they say stupid and redundant crap like, 'Here I am holding a red ball.' "– Teller

"Magicians will always tell you the trick is the most important thing, but I'm more interested in telling a story." – Marco Tempest

"The easiest way to attract a crowd is to let it be known that at a given time and a given place someone is going to attempt something that in the event of failure will mean sudden death." – Harry Houdini

"Magic is the only honest profession. A magician promises to deceive you and he does." – Karl Germain

"A lot of unconfident kids do tricks because it’s the quickest route to impressing people,” he explains. “You can stand behind something amazing and people think you’re amazing." – Derren Brown

"A magician creates magic and mesmerizes the audience. But it is a pantomime, and the audience knows that it’s a ruse. It’s in the name: a “magic trick”. They play along when the magician tugs his sleeves to show there is nothing hidden within them, or that the top hat is empty of a rabbit, or eggs, or flowers. Beneath the façade there is only sleight of hand, wires and contraptions, misdirection at a key moment. But what the audience does not realize is that it’s not always trickery. Or at least, not quite." – Laura Lam

"The average man is not hard to mystify." – Howard Thurston

"Suspend for a moment your disbelief and encounter once again the sense of wonder you knew when there was… magic!" – Andrew Lord

"A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician." – Robert Houdin

"Conjuring is the only absolutely honest profession: A conjuror promises to deceive and does." – Karl Germain

"First rate magician perform first rate magic effects, second rate magician performs third rate magic effects." – Amit Kalantri

"What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes." – Harry Houdini

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