Those of us who were at the chalet had heard a little about this, it's the first major magic event of 2007, the 3rd Micro Magic Convention by JC Sum.
Payment for this event will be collected through The Little Magic Shop.
To register for this event, click on this link and purchase a ticket.
or
go to http://www.thelittlemagicshop.com and click on the "Magic Event" Category at the side menu and purchase the tickets.
The full event details are as follows:

In Oct 2003, Concept:Magic (www.conceptmagic.biz) held its first Micro MAGIC Convention for about 15 invited participants. The purpose of the underground micro convention was to create an event where magic enthusiasts could meet up, participate and exchange ideas in a positive learning environment, facilitated by professional magicians.

This 3rd Micro Magic Convention will be the biggest one yet with a new venue and the largest number of participants. Held at the hip & happening Fluid Bar & Lounge, it will be an entire afternoon of magic, food and fun!

The highlight of the event will be a Master Lecture on Close-up Magic & Professional Magic Performance by J C Sum (www.jcsum.com), the region’s most prominent professional illusionist.

He will share his routines, personal handling, methods and presentations for close-up (street) magic effects that he presented on Channel 8’s ‘Top Fun’ ‘Street Illusions’ segment as well as the upcoming ‘Magic in Motion’ series for Singapore Press Holding’s MediaBoxOffice (SPH MBO).

More importantly, he will share his proven approaches to superior magic performance that has brought him around the world and back.

In a special ‘Producing Your Act’ session, J C will also help 8 lucky participants achieve a quantum leap in their magic performance through analysis, constructive critique and demonstration.

Details are as follows:
Venue: FLUID Bar, Far East Square

Date: 6 Jan 2007

Time: 1.30pm – 6.00pm

Featured Highlights:

• Master Lecture by J C Sum on Close-up Magic & Professional Magic Performance
• Producing Your Act Session
• Escapology Performance by ‘Iron’ Will Hairmi
• Hosted by Shawn, The Magic Dude - IBM Ring 115 Parlour Magic Champion 2006

Also:

• Magic Quiz & Prizes
• Magic Jam Sessions
• Dealer Booths - Concept:Magic, The Little Magic Shop
• Food & Drink Included

Participant Fees:
S$30 for all the above for registration made by 31 Dec 2006
S$35 for all the above for registration made on or after 1 Jan 2007
Limited to 50 participants

J C Sum’s ‘Approaches to Superior Magic Performance’ lecture notes will be available at a special price of S$15 (regular US$25) to Micro Magic Convention participants. Please pre-order your copy.

Details also is available at http://conceptmagic.com/convention.html

This event is really great value for the price, just look at what you will be getting. Here's the detailed information about the various segments of the event:

MASTER LECTURE BY J C SUM
International Illusionist & Illusion Designer, J C Sum (www.jcsum.com), will present a lecture on Close-up Magic & Professional Magic Performance.

He will share his routines, personal handling, methods and presentations for close-up (street) magic effects that he presented on Channel 8’s ‘Top Fun’ ‘Street Illusions’ segment as well as the upcoming ‘Magic in Motion’ series for Singapore Press Holding’s MediaBoxOffice (SPH MBO).
Some of J C's pet routines that he will be teaching include:

• Inside Out Deck - J C's Handling of the Mental Photography Deck
• Four Cubes of Chance - Stand-up Dice Stacking Routine
• 2 Cups & a Salt Shaker - Cups & Balls Routine
• Bent Coin - A Super Clean Borrowed Coin Bend
• Coin in Bottle - A Visual Routine using a Borrowed 10-cent Coin
• Shape Through Glass - As performed on 'Street Illusions'
• Dribbling to the Aces - J C on Vernon's Cutting to the Aces

More importantly, J C will share his proven approaches to superior magic performance that has brought him around the world and back. These real secrets behind J C's magic will be detailed in his ‘Approaches to Superior Magic Performance’ lecture notes.

The notes will be available at a special price of S$15 (regular US$25) to Micro Magic Convention participants. Please pre-order your copy by e-mailing shawn@conceptmagic.biz


Producing Your Act Session Details:
The concept of this session is to help participants learn from each other’s performances while guided and professionally facilitated by J C Sum.

J C will provide an open analysis, assessment and constructive critique of each act and show how it should be produced to achieve a quantum leap in improvement.

Due to time constraints, this special session will be limited to only 8 participants. If there are more than 8 participants who register for this session, 8 names will be chosen based on a ballot on 1 Jan 2007.

Participants who would like perform for this session have to meet the following requirements:
Must Present a Complete Magic-centric 4min - 6min Act
Close-up, Parlour or Stage
Talking, to Music or a Combination
For enquiries, please contact Shawn Chua at 6841 8489 (office hours) or e-mail shawn@conceptmagic.biz


ESCAPOLOGY PERFORMANCE BY 'IRON' WILL HAIRMI
The region's only professional escape artist will present various locking picking demonstrations and escapes as well as his signature 50ft rope-tie challenge. Do not miss out on this unique act!
For more info on Will, visit: www.conceptmagic.biz/performers/escape.html


HOSTED BY SHAWN, THE MAGIC DUDE
IBM Ring 115 2006 Parlour Magic Champion, Shawn 'The Magic Dude' will host the event and perform highlights from his award-winning act.
For more info on Shawn, visit: www.conceptmagic.biz/performers/shawn.html

Detailed information available at http://conceptmagic.com/convention.html

By the way, although this event is held at a club, there will be no age limit for participants. B)
So, again, all are welcome.

Do follow up post any questions or enquiries in here. Unregistered posting enabled.

I've seen JC Sum gave advice on magic performance and always find his insights helpful. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend his lecture. If you can, try to attend this event.

Hi,

As the event date draws nearer, we will be adding more & more exciting things to the Micro Convention program.

For now, here are some more things to expect at this one-of-a-kind event:

1) I’m inviting a number of local magic personalities who are very experienced in their own right. They are there for you to answer any questions that you might have.

The whole idea is to create a professionally facilitated learning environment where one can be exposed to different points of view and perspectives. So, take the opportunity to ask anything and everything under the sun.

2) If the facilities are available, we will also be screening episodes from my latest ‘Magic in Motion’ series that will be aired on Singapore Press Holdings MediaBoxOffice from Jan 2007.

3) The dealer’s booths will feature the latest items from The Little Magic Shop as well as exclusive items of mine. Over the course of 2007, I will be releasing original magic creations to the local and international magic community.

Some of these items that were originally released in 1996 – 1998 have become underground favourites with magicians in Singapore, US and Canada. Items that will be available at the event are Inside Out Deck, Folded Selections, Four Cubes of Chance and Mental Knockout.

My new lecture notes ‘Approaches to Superior Magic Performance’ will be available at a very special price only at the Micro Convention. In these notes, I will be sharing for the first time my thoughts, philosophy and strategies to achieve world-class magic performance standards.

Topics detailed in the notes include:

- Magic’s Greatest Secret Revealed
- Building a Pro Show
- Performing Magic for Money
- Producing Magic for TV

Finally, my Street Illusion compilation DVD with audio commentary will be finally officially launched. Available at a special price only for Micro Convention participants.


All in all, I guarantee that this will be one single event where you WILL learn, be exposed to a wide variety of magic, styles and presentations, get to buy new magic items and simply have loads of magic fun!

There are limited places due to the size of the venue and the desire on our part to keep the group manageable for maximum learning effectiveness.

So, register and I will see you there!

Best,

J C

Hi,

I thought I should also elaborate on the Producing Your Act Session.

This part of the Micro Convention program will be a life-changing experience for those who can apply the lessons learnt during that session.

Over the years, I’ve produced acts that have been successful or milestone springboards for the performer's own future shows.

From the first Back 2 Back show featuring Jeremy Pei and P. Prakash, to Danny Koh’s Midnight Carnival Show to ‘Iron’ Will’s Escape Show to Shawn the ‘Magic Dude’s’ awarding winning comedy magic act, I’ve worked with almost a dozen individuals to help create commercial and marketable shows that showcase their individual strengths and uniqueness.

While my working style may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the results for those that have understand the methods to my ‘madness’ speak for themselves.

This Producing Your Act Session will give valuable insight in the form of constructive criticism and feedback to ensure that individuals will achieve quantum improvements in their acts in just that short session. Even if you do not intend to be one of the performing participants for that session, you will still learn through observation and example that you can then apply to your own act.

To encourage participants for this session, I will be offering a special gift for each of the 8 participants who sign up for this.

E-mail shawn@conceptmagic.biz to register.


Best,

J C

Hi all,

Just checking. Do I just turn up at the venue after paying up?
Or do I have to have the ticket for this event?
A little curious and confused, as I received email from Ning for collection of my purchase.
Hee....

Please enlighten me.

Thanx and cheers!!!

Just show up at the event and we will verify your identity with your mobile number. :)
There is no physical ticket to collect.

BTW, I haven't gotten your email addr yet insomanic

Okay Aloy.
Thanks.
I just sms-ed you my email add again.
BTW, is there any dress code for the event?
I usually just dress casually so, wouldn't want to dress wrongly for this.
Just checking.
Thanks.

Hi All,

Dress code should be smart casual.

Please no berms, shorts, slippers, singlets, sandals etc.


Take note that if you do want my lecture notes, reserve a set by e-mailing shawn@conceptmagic.biz

Regular selling price to the international magic community is US$28 (as you can see on my product site www.illusionbooks.com/books.html ) but for Micro Convention participants, I will offer it at only S$15. You may buy for your friends if they cannot attend the convention.

These notes include the kind of info I wished I had when I was getting into performing magic seriously and for money.

Thanks.

J C

Woot!!! :g:

Yep, this is IT people... the HAPPENING magic convention I was hinting about just awhile ago! ;) It's NOW a reality so don't miss it... isn't it just fantastic to start the year magically with a big bang? *grin* :lol: Do grab your tickets before 1 Jan as mentioned by JC Sum & Aloy, to enjoy the early bird special prices!

And hey, those of you who already perform, should really make full use of the Producing Your Act Session! Afterall, JC Sum is the guy who's produced shows for professionals like Shawn (I trust most of you have seen his winning stage performance for IBM), Will (his escape act REALLY rocks and he's a really cool dude!!!), Prakash (now doing serious magic in USA), Danny Koh (kudos to the man, he was on the newspapers some weeks ago!) and Jeremy Pei!

There's just so many good things to look out for this 2007! Don't miss this!!!

CHEERS
ning :lol:

PS: Don't forget to say HI to this magic shop mistress @ the dealer's booth! *grin* ^_^

3 days left for the early bird registrations.
Do note that early bird discount price of $30 is only valid if payment is received before 1 Jan.
Considering that sometimes fund transfer might take more than 24 hours to go thru, and can take up to 3 days if transfered from other banks, I would really suggest that those going for this event register for this event NOW to not miss the early bird discount.
And those that have registered for the event but haven't made payments to do it asap.

Don't miss this one guys... B)


BTW...insomanic, i still didn't receive your sms. You might have been sending it to the wrong person :P
You can email me at aloyeo@singaporemagiccircle.com

Can register on behalf of a friend?

Anyone can buy for me? I'll be inside camp :(

Yeah, you can register for your friends or get your friends to register for you. Just get the number of tickets you need from The Little Magic Shop and have your friend with you when you come that day.

Hi all,

Below are the original exclusive items available from the Concept:Magic dealer’s booth at the Micro Convention.

Payment to be made in cash only. The prices are only for the convention. Please make reservations for limited items to ensure availability by e-mailing shawn@conceptmagic.biz

If you do not have the cash at this point, but really want certain items, e-mail me at jcsum@conceptmagic.biz and I’ll work something out for you. I’m not here to make money from this but am doing this to help anyone who really wants this to push their magic to the next level.


Beyond the Stage: Approaches to Superior Magic Performance Lecture Notes
36 pages, A4 spiral bound
$15


Four Cube of Chance Set – An Incredible Stand-up Dice Routine
All Components of Routine inclusive of Modified Dice Stacking Cup & Four Razor Edge Casino Dice + More
$40 (5 sets available)


Four Cubes of Chance Instruction Booklet Only
$10


Inside Out Deck – A Presentation & Handling for the Blank Deck
Inclusive of Gimmicked Deck, Customized Card Case and Instructions
$25 (3 sets available)


Folded Selections – An Innovative Twist and Development on the Magician’s Insurance Policy Effect
Inclusive of Custom Printed Prop & Routine
$10


Street Illusions DVD
90min inclusive of English audio commentary
$20


If you can only afford one item, invest in the Lecture Notes. I guarantee that they will change the way you approach your magic forever!

Best,

J C

GO!

This Micro Convention is an event certainly not to be missed! I think most if not all of you have seen JC Sum's magic segment on Top Fun, if you have not, this will be a great chance for you to get the dvd during the convention as even includes the english commentary which was not on the vcd. This is also a great chance for you to learn some great routines where some of which were featured on TV.

You also get to see the IBM Parlour Champion,Shawn Chua, performing highlights from his award-winning act as he host the event. The only professional Singapore escape artist, Will Hairmi will also be performing. Don't miss out our very own escape artist in action, especially those who are interested in doing escapes.For those who have not seen escapes, this will be a great chance for you to be exposed to this kind of art.

You will even get to purchase exclusive items at the convention, mind you, they are EXCLUSIVE. Of which the lecture notes will be offered at a special price.

So GO! Sign up for this event, you will not regret it, I'm sure you will go home with a head full of useful magicial knowledge by the end of the day. So don't lose out, sign up for the micro convention now!

Sincere apologies to folks who've made payment but have yet to hear from me (The Little Magic Shop) the past few days... My internet has been acting up & I've also been kept very busy *sheepish grin* But yes, I'll be replying my emails shortly!! :P Anyways! Do grab your tickets today to enjoy the early bird prices for the event which happens just next week! It's really something to look forward to! ^_^

Cya guys there!!!
ning

Hmmz. Any kind soul can get a copy of the notes for me? I think Cynwell may want a copy too. Have to double check with him. Any kind soul around? :D

yay signed up for it yesterday !!

its a must to turn up then.

Great news guys & gals,

3 special guests have confirmed their attendance for the micro convention:

JOHN TEO, President - International Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring 115

John has been active in the local magic scene for more 30 years. As an officer of the local IBM Ring, he has met so many magicians and seen a lot of magic. His personal choice in magic material is very unique and novel. He has the greatest collection of novel magic routines and props.


BOB CHUA

Any regular to SMC events will be familiar with 'Uncle Bob'. Bob is a veteran performing pro who understands the value of commerical magic matched with superior technique. He is one of the very few Singapore 2nd generation magicians that I consider truly all-rounded in skill, technique and presentation.


ENRICO VARELLA

A prominent magic personality in Singapore who is a serious student of the art. Well read and well traveled, Enrico has seen loads of magic and interacts with many foreign magicians on a regular basis. He is an individual who takes a scholarly approach to the art yet at the same time ensures he develops the skills and techniques learnt. He is a dependable member of the Concept:Magic Close-up Team.


All the guests will be mingling with YOU at the micro convention. They are yours to answer ANY questions that you might have. Don't miss this great opportunity.

There is one more guest who has yet to confirm, so keep yoru fingers crossed!!

Best,

J C

Hi JC , didn't realise the convention getting close until Pamudi brings it up in our committee meeting today. You will be expecting to see some of us there this SAT. Hope we are welcome. :P Our SAM president and vice-president should be going. See ya.

HI all,
This is definitely a "must-attend" convention ....
More good news, The President of SAM, Singapore Association of Magicians Mr. John IP Teo (who strangely has the same name as President of IBM Singapore ) will also attend this convention.
He will come with 2 commite members of SAM, Andrew Kong and myself.
This is probable the convention where most of magicians in Singapore will attend.

See you on Saturday


Magical Pam

Hi Calvin and Pam,

Thanks for the update! Of course, you are all most welcome to participate in the convention. SAM's contigent will add even more significance to the the event!

I think with you guys on board we are, at this point, we are fully booked for the micro convention.

I am strictly not accepting more than 50 participants as it will defeat the purpose of the 'micro-ness'. The whole idea is to have a small event so that participants have a quality session of interaction and learning from each other.

Thanks for all those who registered and the rest who are supporting the event in one way or another!


On aside note, I have only 1 more 'Inside Out Deck' and 3 more 'Four Cubes of Chance' sets. If you want this, please e-mail shawn@conceptmagic.biz to pre-order to avoid disappointment.

See you on Sat!

Best,

J C

Great! Hope to see you at the convention Pam. Haven't seen you since you went to FISM. B) I'll PM you more abt this Pam.
With the addition of the SAM group, the 50 slots for the event is now filled.

We will still be accepting registrations for the event but only on a "waiting list" basis. Meaning if anyone drops out of the event, the slot will be given to the next person in waiting.
So if you are registering from now on, please DO NOT make payment. Just add the convention ticket in The Little Magic Shop to your cart and check out. And Ning will contact you when a slot frees up.

This is gonna be an awesome event. See you guys there. B)

Awesome indeed! Ticket sales got reeeeeeeaaally intense since last week and as of this morning, it's officially packed!!! :) What a brilliant way to start the new year... I'm so looking forward to Saturday already!!!

I think it's REALLY cool that magicians from SAM and IBM will be coming down for this event too, besides SMC folks! *grin* We've got BOTH the John Teos in the house!!! How about that? :g:

Oh yeah, a little side note... I'll be bringing down my ENTIRE inventory down so do swing by the dealer booth and check out the items (from snow storms to cup & balls, to dove pans, DVDs, fantasio stuff, and so much more!) ^_^ ...Please try to bring small change too, as I may not have sufficent in my money box :P Expect to see A LOT MORE than the items featured in stock on www.TheLittleMagicShop.com! ;)

Can't wait for Saturday!!!
ning :lol:

I just want to remind those registered for the event since this morning that we are on a "waiting list" basis now.
Please DO NOT make payment for the convention if you have just registered from today onwards till you hear from Ning about free slots.

Sorry about that. Thanks for your understanding.

One last thing, I've been told that seating will be on a 1st come 1st serve basis so do be early if you want to "chop" the good seats. B)

See y'all tomorrow :)

Location Map for those who don't know.

:g: far east square :!!:
See You There

Hi everyone,

This afternoon saw a massive gathering of magicians (magicthegathering.com - ok, lame joke) at Fluid Bar, Far East Square.

But seriously har, it was a good show, simply because it wasn't just any old show. Concept Magic's Micro Magic Convention Number 3 (Micro MAGIC Convention) was a lecture+performance from J C Sum (J C Sum) and a series of magic performances, some of which were critiqued by JC himself.

Although JC explained the secrets behind quite a few of his routines including his Bent Coin and Four Cubes of Chance (his dice stacking routine), his lecture was primarily on presentation styles and subtle parts of routines that were essential for any magician. After all, we all know that magic secrets are really dumb most of the time, and that misdirection, patter etc are what really sell the act. JC rightly pointed out that seriously, there are no true magicians, only actors playing the part of magicians.

(JC's right; several other blokes say that too. Good phrase. Check this out: The Magic Cafe Forums - Are Magicians Actors?

At the bar, Concept Magic (Concept : Magic) and The Little Magic Shop (The Little Magic Shop (Singapore)) were selling their magic wares, and JC's very own lecture notes were on sale at the discounted price of $15 (one day only!). Several buyers got their copies autographed by JC himself. JC is a big name across the globe (J C Sum World Class Illusionist), and these manuscripts with real autographs certainly make for really cool souvenirs.

It was a splendid session picking up JC's performance tips. Got a story here I have to tell. Bizarre coincidence: I stepped out of the Raffles Place MRT to get to Fluid Bar. You know the place: the MRT exit which is bounded by OUB centre's and Caltex House's giant video screens. At that moment, I noticed JC Sum on these screens! Blerdy spooky. I'm headed to his lecture and I see him on TV. I later learned that the show I saw was part of his "Magic in Motion" for SPH's MediaBoxOffice.

And that's that. It was a very entertaining time learning J C (The Thinking Man's Magician) Sum's performance tricks and watching performances by John (President, IBM Ring 115) Teo, (Uncle) Bob Chua, Enrico (Iron Man) Varella, (Iron) Will Hairmi and even our emcee Shawn (the Magic Dude)!

Seriously, these magic people all have part of their names in brackets. Makes you wonder. Some secret magician's code on top of the magician's code.

In all, it was a jolly good show. I'm positive no one went home empty-handed. We all took home a great deal of magic advice, some of us performed and JC offered some constructive criticism, we were all entertained by all the performer's routines, and some lucky ones won neat prizes in the lucky draw.

And yeah, all of us also took home a torn half of a playing card. The lucky draw was done by drawing out the other half of the card from a bowl of torn playing card halves. And for that a pack was mutilated, sigh.

But that's very important too. It was only 1 pack. Any more and the lucky draw would have been a joke. See here, so it's proof that only about 50 participants were in attendance at this gem of an event. All you sway chaps who didn't come, I'm afraid you missed quite a bit. Later I found out from JC etc, that response was so overwhelming that many had to be turned away. Fluid Bar (FluidBar) is not the National Stadium (National Stadium) huh, so next time something like this turns up on the forums, jump in and register. Don't wait, just jump.

Thanks to everyone (JC&friends&everyoneelse) who made the event such a success. SMC (that's you) and Singapore magic (that's also you) really rock.

Well what can I say, the micro magic convention 2007 was THE perfect event to kick start the New Year. There are really so many things to write about but I will just write about the highlights of the event.

The first segment of the event was a lecture conducted by none other than JC Sum himself, he explained the methods to a few tricks but more importantly he really wanted us to understand the secrets behind every successful magician. For those who were not there, JC emphasized a lot on the “communication” between the magician and the audience and if you bought his lecture notes, I am sure you have a better understanding of it. I personally loved the way he first showed us a trick then as he reveals the secret behind it, he explains how do we achieve perfect audience control.

Next, JC opened the floor for a short session of Q&A and some of the audience got their questions and doubts cleared by none other then the man himself. The next segment of the event was a showcase of some magicians who entertained us with some short performances.

After that, it was the part which I liked the most, our V.I.P guests came on stage to perform some really great magic. First it was Mr. John Teo, president of IBM Singapore, he wow-ed us with his amusing yet amazing “HOLE” trick followed by the fishing rod trick. Next it was Enrico Varella who blow us off with his coin sleights then finally it was Uncle Bob who showed us his much talked about rope trick and I must say he really lives up to his reputation.

After all these, the event was pretty much but not much over, we had free flow of drinks throughout and were treated to a sumptuous spread of finger food. The best part was that everyone had the opportunity to mingle around and I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Pambudi and his daughter Ilma whom also showed me her powerful mentalism trick. Here’s something funny, ironically, for one hour, yes 1 HOUR, I was seating next to this guy called Bernard (LOL) and it was only until halftime through the event that I found out he was none other than our forum moderator magicdow. (D@mnit) but nevertheless, I chatted with him abit and got to know more about some coin stuffs. Also not forgetting the ever cheerful MR, ENRI-ri-ri-ri-CO VARELLA! Well that was how Shawn pronounced his name. Anyway he too wow-ed many of us with his coin tricks during the free & easy jamming time, and as it was my first time meeting him, he really is as what JC said, “ a prominent magic personality in Singapore”.

Well there is so much I could write but you really have to be there yourself to experienced it yourself, as for those who missed it, there is always next year.

Timo

PS. this is my first time writting a review, no flaming please

Well, what can I possibly say that haven't already been said? :)

JC Sum performed several of his pet effects and shared with us his thoughts and ideas on his brand of magic. His spirit of generousity and goodwill towards everyone there was evident as much as his enthusiasm in promoting his chosen art.

Kudos to Kenneth and Sherman for having the guts to put on a great show in spite of the overwhelming pressure from all the big names out there that day. I thought it was incredible that neither of them fainted from the combined awesome aura of our world-class performers - I would've probably wet myself just hearing the introduction by Shawn. :P

Of course the performances of John Teo, Enrico and Uncle Bob were nothing short of the stuff of legends. How often do you get to witness these guys perform for you under one roof? That alone would have been worth the price of admission. And then some.

Yes, the day was simply incredible. It was simply the beginning to a great evening!

After dinner we decided to grab a quick drink together. I had the distinct priviledge of sitting right in the middle with Jerome in front of me (who had a baby pint sized beer - *COUGH* WUSS *COUGH*). I was spoilt for choice - JC sat to my left; Bob was on my right; Enrico to the far right. I had a hard time keeping track of all the magic action.

I had a good time. It is easy for us to place these guys - JC, Enrico and Bob - on a pedestal and bask in awe of their accomplishments. Sometimes, we forget that they're just human too. Each of them have a very unique brand of humanity that emcompasses more than their stage persona. It is perhaps that which makes them more - it makes them great - at what they do.

JC continued to amaze and astound us with his magic at dinner and over a beer. He was not only open with his ideas and constantly shared them, it was also very clear that he deeply wishes to make a difference for his fellow practitioners. He wasn't just JC Sum - Illusionist; he was more.

Enrico doesn't need magic to entertain. Enrico was entertainment personified - you can't sit next to Enrico without losing your marbles (literally laugh your marbles off). His infectious personality and blatently outrageous character is simply lovable to everyone. And his open willingness to share his work is truly a boon to all of us. It was a pity he downed his beer too soon.

Uncle Bob simply blew everyone away with his card work. There was no stopping this veteran. What I always admired about him was his ability to just be himself - a somewhat cheeky old man with a charm that could melt rocks - and get away with murder. Hahaha. It was poetry in motion.

I just wished I had video taped the session. It was like having a special session; like the ones that Ed Marlo had with his pals in Schuliens' or the ones that Vernon conducted during his prime in the homes of Charlie Miller and Jennings - might have been worth some serious moolah in a few years perhaps? LOL

Either way, I do wish to extend my sincere thanks to the spirit of Magic and its ability to bring people together - it has, to say the very least, been magical.

Shade
PS: Memo to self - drink slow; alcohol hits harder when gulped.

Nice review there shade, i saw you and a few other guys haven a mini-lecture about coins by enrico but it was a pity i left too soon and missed out the dinner.

WOO! This was my first time ever attending JC SUm's Micro Convention, and it was a really great experience. Everyone's pretty much said about everything else, so i'll make this a short one.

Gotta meet Pambudi and talk to him in person(he actually talked to me first), and he gave me some review of my first stage show in which the video i posted on YouTube. Gave me advice on using a video camera to record your rehearsal, instead of mirrors, so you'd know where the bad angles are and such. He has 4 cameras on when he rehearses! whoa. Thanks Pambudi for ur advice. i'll take note!

JC's lecture was very good as he shared some original effects of his and gave some invaluable advice on how we should go about our close up acts, etc. The amount of gems that i got from this lecture is priceless.

It was very nerve wrecking performing on stage, and considering that i onli prepared a day or two before it, coupled with the pressure,(IBM, SAM, BOB, etc. :P), that i literally went into an anxious rush. Dropped my cane, fumbled the rings. But one of my main aims for coming to the convention was earning the experience and getting some good critique. JC gave some solid adivce to me, in which are still deeply etched in my mind. Thanks to those who encouraged me, esp Aloy, Ning, Jeffrey and Benny.

And thus i end. A happy and satisfied fella(man i sound gay).

Yours,
Ken

I had something to say about the dinner.... I wish I was there.

Thanks guys for all the glowing reviews of the 3rd Micro MAGIC Convention! I’m glad you enjoyed it and hope all the rest feel the same way too!

From my personal point of view, the convention was extremely successful in every possible aspect. Firstly & most importantly, I think participants all took something home in terms of knowledge and insights on how they can improve and elevate their own magic - whether it was from my lecture, watching the guest performers, buying new items from the dealer booths or simply interacting with fellow participants.

I got to interact with most of you at some personal level - I wish we had more time during this session and will ensure this for future events. If I spoke to you and you are interested to talk more, e-mail me as I offered.

The program was jam-packed with a wide variety of offerings from the lecture, to performances, to critiques, to networking, to video screening and the dealer booths... It was amazing we could squeeze so much in that afternoon. We had to cancel the magic quiz due to lack of time. And yes, an earlier break will be planned in for next time.

The overwhelming response was really encouraging. My sincere apologies to those who had to be turned away. We tried to accommodate as many as possible and even went over the limit several times but had to be firm on the final number so that the overall xperience of the micro convention would not compromised. Lesson learnt - book your place early!

While the event was no way as 'micro' as our previous two, it was still much more intimate than the large-scale events that most magic convention organizers strive to put together. As my primary goal is to elevate the art for serious magic individuals, the only way to do this is with a micro event, thus, future conventions will remain 'micro'... unless we find reason to do an alternate 'macro' one.

The event itself went very smoothly with a few minor hiccups. We have noted how to improve the program and administrative components of the event so expect an even better convention next time.

We are putting together a detailed micro convention report, hopefully with video footage, so look out for that in a few days!


A few thanks are in order! Firstly, to all participants - you truly made the event what it was. Next, our special guests who took the time to add value to the event and I believe thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the same time.

A big round of applause should go to the ‘Producing Your Act’ participants - Kenneth and Sherman. Both of you did well and I hope will take away whatever insight I could provide and apply it to improve your acts. More worthy of applause is your effort to prepare for the session and willingness to showcase yourselves; and at the same time be open to critique and improvements. It is this attitude of pushing oneself to elevate their magic that will guarantee that your magic goals will be achieved sooner, rather than later. I hope others will follow the prime example set by you two guys! Thanks and my respect to you! You added great value to the micro convention through your participation.

Last but by no means least, thanks to the Concept:Magic Team, the SMC Team, The Little Magic Shop and Fluid Bar & Lounge for making the event happen at the level it did. I guess you all know who you are (I had dinner with most of you and know who didn;t). I know the continued collaboration will ensure that many more world-class events will be staged at the local level.


On a somewhat related note, I've begun work on another set of lecture notes that will detail the methods and handling of most of the routines I shared in the lecture; including several more professional routines I developed for close-up shows and TV.

1. RE-Cased - An Original Visual Re-Boxing Deck Effect
2. Interweave – An In-the-Hands Triumph
3. Dribbling to the Aces - A Vernon Classic Reinvented
4. Visual Push - A Two-Phase Borrowed Coin in Bottle Routine
(different and better from the lecture)
5. Bent Coin - A Devastatingly Clean Handling of this PK Effect
6. Lighter than Fire - An Impromptu Flame from the Fingertips
7. Sibling Rivalry - The Cleanest Oil & Water in the World (as performed in the Street Illusions VCD/ DVD Bonus Section)
8. Two Cups & a Saltshaker - My Worker's Cups & Balls Routine

These lecture notes will be available in a few weeks time. Micro Convention
participants will be able to purchase them at a special price.


See you at the 4th Micro MAGIC Convention in Jan 2008!

Best,

J C

WOw, it was certainly a great event that every single one had a great time. To those who missed the event, I hope you won’t hang yourself after reading our reviews :lol: Haha, just kidding.

Hosted by Shawn Chua, the IBM parlour Champion, entertained us throughout the whole event while performing some highlights from his act.

The lecture by JC Sum was wonderful. I've bet all of us had learned something useful and gain lots of magical knowledge from him. He not only lecture on the effects, but also explained the importance of communication and interaction to create the perfect magical moment. I'm sure many also learnt a lot. JC explains the effects, which are really wonderful ones. My few favorites will be the cups and balls, and the coin bending. Each effects were explained in details, which very fast got into our minds. JC not only explains the secret behind each effect, but also talks on the essential pointers on how to become a better magician, which I think, is a very important factor.

The ‘Producing Your Act’ segment was next, I personally admired Kenneth and Sherman for stepping out in front of all the big names in magic and perform. JC gave use comments to both performers, which was also a good time for us to reflect upon our own self.

Next, we all sat were entertained by the guest performers. John Teo, the president of IBM Ring 115 entertained us with his "whole" trick and also the fishing rod. It was a truly unique performance, getting able to see John perform was a chance hard to come by for me. He entertained us with his patter, playing around with English. I personally enjoyed it very much. Next was Enrico, whom first performed a coin routine, which was truly magical. He also performed a card trick which ended with a surprise kicker, which was truly amazing. Uncle Bob Chua performed his rope routine, which I’m sure many have heard of, and we certainly were not disappointed. Will the escape artist was up next, he WOWed us with his unbelievable lock-picking skills, come on, how many of us can actually lock pick as if it was eating nachos to us? Will also presented us with his 50-feet rope tie challenge, which unbelievably shown how skillful he is as an escape artist. Taking only less than a minute or so to escape from being tied to a chair. I’m sure he is not called ‘Iron’ Will for nothing. Who is also a very entertaining guy.

After which was the time for us to mingle around with the performers and the rest of the participants. Drinks and food were also served at that time. By the way, the nachos were so good that I had to take one everytime I walked pass the table, haha. This was also the time were the dealer booths were opened. Just by looking at the crowd, I’m sure both booths had roaring business. There must be some good stuff on sale, a pity to those who weren’t there. The first 3 episodes of JC sum’s new ‘Magic in Motion’ series were also screened that day. The lucky draw then begun, congrats to the lucky winners. FYI, the lucky draw was held in a very interesting way. The participants each were asked to pick a card from a deck of cards, the card will then be torn in half, one half will be kept by the participant while the other half was thrown into the lucky draw ‘box’. The winner will be picked when the other half from the ‘box’ was randomly taken and the person who has the other half of the card will be asked to step forward to match the cards. Once again, congrats to the lucky draw winners!

A great job was done on organizing the whole micro-convention. I personally enjoyed myself very much, I’m sure the others did very much too. The lecture, the performances, everything was great. I certainly gain lots of new knowledge by time I step out of the event venue. I probably be banging my head against the wall if I were to miss the event. Haha, I’ll sure to support the next micro- convention or such of similar events, even after it reached its hundred and fifth. Haha.

I was very honoured to see JC's 'oil and water' routine and i tell you, it killed me instantly. No doubt, it is very clean

*sheepish grin* Well, better late than never to write I guess... ^_^ Yes, Miss Ning has pretty much recovered from all that excitement and this is what I have to say!

The Micro Magic Convention #3 was a BLAST!!! I totally enjoyed myself and I know most of you did too :lol: I'm so glad it happened and that SMC and The Little Magic Shop could be a part of it! *grin* Kudos to Aloy, JC & Shaun for helping me with the pick up of the TLMS stock in the morning... It was 2 huge boxes of stuff a grrl like me could never be able to lift alone!!!

I was unfortunately hit by a sudden mean bout of gastric flu just before the event started and I'd like to thank Adeline again for saving my life... if she hadn't tried looking for me in the ladies (where I was concussed for almost an hour), I might have just K.O.-ed :P ...also many thanks to JC and my hero from Concept Magic for running to the 7-11 to get some meds to settle my tummy! :wub:

So yeah... apologies I didn't get to mingle and move around as much as I'd like. I was already pushing myself to function, that's why I had Aloy, Adeline & Bernard help me at the booth because I simply just could not do it alone... thank you guys, you're awesome friends! ^_^ Also, a big THANK YOU to those who came by to say HI and also patronise the wares from The Little Magic Shop dealer booth *grin* You made it fun!!

Like everyone else who has shared their thoughts and experiences, I enjoyed the event tremendously... Shawn Chua was brilliant as the event emcee, his hilarious jokes and funny antics simply tickled everyone. JC Sum amazed us all with his magic and ideas, his lecture captured the attention for everyone... no dozing off or going for toliet breaks! :P I especially liked his original effects like Bent Coin, Dribbling to the Aces & his Coin through Bottle routines! I've always thought cups and balls was very old school and well, boring, but his variation of the classic effect certainly made me sit up and appreciate! :lol:

Kenneth & Sherman were awesome (men with guts... I like...) in the Producing Your Act segment ad it isn't easy performing for a bar full of magiciansand having your act critqued upon openly but we all learnt valuable things and both men have my admiration. Sherman is smoother than when I last watched him perform and Kenneth has some mean magic going for him now... an impressive improvement from just a few months ago! :lol: Awesome!

It's great that the folks from SAM came down for the event, I'm glad that I managed to talk to some of you before things got crazy and I was swamped at the dealer booth... it's sweet that Betsy of IBM came too! The VIP guest performers were wonderful on stage. John Teo, IBM president, performed his novel tricks and effects that I'm sure most of us have not seen... Enrico was his usual self, charming as hell... *swoon* Iron Will Hairmi was the ultra cool cat with his ropes and chains, but funny when the mood called for it... And Uncle Bob impressed us all with his pet rope trick, the Prof. Revenge! ...I can't stand it when they all make it look so darn easy and effortless when it truly is difficult to pull off! :lol: LOL... Kudos to all!

Dinner at the Japanese place after the event was nice... it was nice banter, and I almost had a magic overdose with Shaun performing so much awesome close up stuff across the table for me. The food was pretty good (couldn't take my fave sashimi cos of my stomache flu :whine:) and the company was fantastic. After the satisfying meal, the whole bunch of us adjorned to a nearby pub for drinks (no alcohol for magic babe!) where it was more sessioning and chat and getting drunk. ...I wish I took photos (of the comparison of Jerome & Shade's drinks as well... mini me/ happy meal/ beer for hobbits VS big ang moh man's brew) :lol: Will & I were probably the only ones who weren't, high, clumsy, red in the face and/or slurring at the end of the session! HAH! :!!:

It was a day of TREMENDOUS fun and I'm happy to start 2007 on such a high note... Thanks all for being a part of it, for making it happen ^_^

Cheers,
Ning: looking forward to the next Micro Magic Convention already!