Just went for the finals held today. First, big congrats to Sherman Tang, Ahlishufi and Farid! And also to the organisers for the nicely done event.

Though overall it was pretty nice, I have some thoughts of ways to improve the event. I'll like to stress that I don't really know any of you guys here well, and I'm no pro performer or pro magician, so I'm just saying based on the show that was put up tonight, from a lay-man view.

A few obvious stuffz, The opening section was kind of draggy, and the MCs, please be familiar with your lines, especially the guy who came out of the small box. There's also no need to announce to the audience the appearance of the performer pre-maturely, i.e before they're ready. The silence were too hard to bear, considering how many times it occurred.

Then, I thought mike test shld be carried out well before the show starts, so I don't really understand how the mike problem occurred.

Performance wise, it'll be nice for the first contestant to be more polite to the volunteer. It almost seemed that you were trying to humiliate her.

It'll also be comforting if contestants had a back-up plan for all tricks that they did. Or can at least talk their way through the error. One of the acts really left a big impression on me for the abrupt ending. But of course it's tough to be on stage performing to such a big audience, I don't think i'll ever be able to do that anytime. So I'm not saying I can do any better, just my 2 cents.

Perhaps more practices and rehearsals would help. =)

From my lay-man friends that I brought along, I realise that the action of:

"Just let me check the cards.." (While you look thru the cards after the selected cards were replace into the deck)

seems quite a let down, as it would appear that the performer is not confident, or the trick had screwed up.

And they felt refreshments should be provided. LoL, can ignore this one, maybe my friends were kinda hungry. I dunno, maybe can consider for the next event.

On the whole, they preferred "short and sweet" magic, some that were too lengthy seemed less appreciated.

Okies, far too much rambling from a noob. Well done everyone and good nite! =)

Its almost impossible to have back up for all tricks that magicians do. Some magic just is too hard. Example: I was blindfold during one of my show and it turn out that the positions of the effect is wrong, and I didnt know until I tried to predict the effect. So ended up i screw up the effect big time. But I have to humbly say that mistakes do occur and proceed to do the final prediction on the slip which its wrong by the way.

So i guess, in any case that there is a screw up in the effect, example a sleight of hand is wrong, the card is lost, just have to humbly accept the mistake and go on. The chances that you can impromtu to save yourself from the effect is very low, though i see it happen before.

Yeah, that is true. Can only just do your best and hope nothing screws up bah. =D

And I'm having fun witht the first TT i bought, from the Magic Boutique booth outside the theatre. =)

It finally over, a sigh of relief for all the contestants. Well the competition had a overrun, sorry got to rush off can't stay for the results release. I think the mic problem create a big distraction to a lot as well as the contestant. I know how it feel having a intermitten mic. Nevertheless the show still have to go on. I felt such a failure of equipment the contestant should go on vocally without the mic like wat Shufi did. Rather to have a halfway intermitten projection of voice which i felt it a bit distracting. The mic should be switch off and carry on the show without it while the equipment to be fixed up backstage. Just my personal thoughts.

I know the stress to face the crowds and failed in the effects is possible. Give credits to those who admit it and apologise for it. It take lots of experience to recover a fail effect. Well murphy's Law, Sometimes things want to go wrong, it will go wrong.

Anyway, for SMC to stage such a big event, I think the MODs does a great job. Hope to see another of this coming a long the way next year.

hey.

I think the next one shouldn't be called Ledgerdemain. Because léger de main means lightness of hands in French. I'm not sure if its me but I get a bit irritated when people say the "fast hands" thing and I try to convince them that magic goes deeper than that. Perhaps we would not, on our part want to reinforce the stereotype.

CSJ

Well, here are my reviews of the overall competition:

Firstly, Congrats to the top 3 contestants and a big THANK YOU to all the moderators and helpers for this event! Well, to all the rest of the contestants, do not feel dishearted because it takes guts to perform in front of so many audience and overcome some difficulties throughout the entire performance. You guys have done your best!! :) Perhaps to some of you, it is your first SMC competition so treat this as an experience so that you can learn and move up to the next level in future.

As one of the audition contestant before, I also understand how the rest feel when things don't go right at that point of time. Perhaps more and more rehearsals will help?

I think that overall, the mic problem and the camera zooming in is the main issue. I personally feels that it is kinda distracting if the mic sound intermittently went off like that and also I am not able to catch some of the close up effects due to the angles of the camera zooming.

I had enjoyed the SMC competiton yesterday and looking forward for the next competition.... :D

hey.

I was thinking. Perhaps your backup doesnt have to be another magic effect. If your blind fold effect failed you might want to say something like "see I told you this stuff was impossible" to give the remaining routine a kind of coherence and you can carry on while still having entertained the audience.

CSJ

Hi guys,

I truly felt privileged that i was able to witness the first SMC competition. Kudos to all competitors for their guts and to really 'walk the walk'! Also thanks to all the SMC 'lao jiao' who organized this and made it possible! Mic problem or not, i personally don't care, it's our first year so it can only get better!

No offense to the hardworking camera guy yesterday but i felt that camera angles could be improved. I don't know, perhaps it's the nature of close-up magic. Acts that are more 'parlour/ stage-like' don't fall into this 'trap' because everyone can see the act without camera-aid.

Just an example: i would really like a more 'close-up' view of sheeke's shadow coins. The 45 degree-isometric angle yesterday, frankly, did not do the shadow coins enough justice, in my humble opinion. Same for all the other more table-oriented acts.

All in all thanks for a good show!

PS: Gallen, the girl on your left that day quite sweet-looking :D

Just overheard some comments from the crowd:

".. why do they want to perform so difficult (card) routine in the competition. It just showed how skillful they are handling cards, and it is not as magical......."


Also, for a few performers/competitors, the audience spend time, effort and money to watch the show. Treat them with respect with your choice of words. :)

The question answered itself. It's a competition, it's natural and I think that it's highly commendable that the performers strived to give their best.

I do have a bit of feedback to a few performers. As mentioned already previously, courtesy is important. Any lack of it reflects poorly on the performer and creates a bad impression.

Also, be aware of what you are saying in public and who your audience is. It is always tricky when saying things that could be rather "blue". Matt, I felt that you were off to a really good start and the audiences were really enjoying your performance but I think when you cracked the "really blue" joke, it was really inappropiate in that context and uncomfortable. If you wanted to use something "blue", make a joke out of yourself rather than the spectator to avoid any sting.

I thought that Sherman's humour about "2 balls" was well-received because it was directed to himself and there was no sting to anyone. Thanks to Matt and Sherman though because I probably wouldn't have been able to make such an observation had it not been how I saw how the audience responded to both jokes.

Roland, the handphone revelation was very nice but taking a call from "God" was totally inappropiate and probably very discomforting for the audience. Some may take a great deal of offence as they think that you are being disrespectful.

I feel that the curtains should be closed before and after every performer had performed, its very unsightful to see helpers walking in and out from the stage to set up the tables and chairs.

There's also a part where you can see hw to coke trick was done because one of the helpers flashed it while moving the table off stage, so hope you guys will consider that, and make the whole show more professional in the future. =D

Peace,
Jason.

I felt quite lousy the moment it came out from my mouth. I guess that's what happens when you don't have a script and just improv on the spot.

Anybody know who's friend she was? I do want to sincerely apologise.

Its a magic competition. Not a magic show. Not a presentation competition.

The objective is not to entertain, but to score points with the judges. Judging criteria wise, presentation while still important, took a back seat to technical skill. Whether I agree or disagree with the criteria is a moot point. All I know is that I structured my routine accordingly, and I think that most of the contestants did the same. My routine had 2 parts, Michael Skinner's 3CM, and an ace cutting display. The 3CM was to show presentation, the ace cutting to show technical skill. (or the lack of in my case)

Shufi has stated in another post that he would never perform his competition routine for a paying client. He understands as do I that performing for a judging panel and performing to entertain a lay audience is a very different thing.

Guilty as charged. Hopefully I learn from my mistakes.

Honestly, matt i dont think you did anything wrong that day.
Your joke did get laughs, i feel that when we performers crack an open joke, there will be 2 sides to it. It more of depends on how the audience process it, thats where we should take not of. You "tested water" before using your lines which i though was good.

For example, when i do dinner and dance shows for Indian companies.
They will make fun of their own race all all, "we are all banglahs to night"(no offence though but it was a real line that i heard them saying before my magic show and i knew it was all for fun and laughter). But i feel that any seasoned performer should know this, "test water" then continue if it works. Matt just did that.

Just some grievences that i would like to state. Ill only state the stuff not directly realated to my performance in case someone calls me a sore loser.
Before that, ill gladly admit, Sherman, shufi and farid, your acts owned!!

You guys didden want to close the curtains when you guys promised too?
And you guys wanted me to do my loads and set up infront of the audience?
Mcs didden know their lines and started making fun of my friends just to kill time? ( I mean, you guys should be prepared for such errors to occur, and you guys dont make fun of my friends just to kill time for the curtains to close? Marrige proposal??)
I had to say, im not going out with out the curtains closing, it would be direct exposing already.
The camera angle totally was wrong for my performance, matts performance,rolands performanceand jian feis performance. It should be straight down not a 45 degree angle from the sides. And for my coins, the camera only picked up moving shades of silver. I coulden capture rolands metal bending either. There was not a shade of magic at all.
I mean you guys are professional camera man right?
For my act, the guy kept zooming in and out changing camera at times, Eg after my snap change, i produced 4 coins, but what did the audience see? nothing cause the camera switched views.
For my sam the bell hop act, i was requested to slow it down because the audience could not capture the cards totally, and we wewre only supposed to be doing a 8 mins act? You guys told me every one also have cards to deal, yes i admit, but remember i have 52 cards to deal. yes 52 cards to deal. and you guys wanted me to really slow down and show the cards to the camera? by that time 8 mins already gone and the trick is to have a good tempo, theres no way i can slow down like that.

Ill finish here for now, post more again tonight, ciao.


And top 3, you guys rocked the stage!!

**** BLOODY LONG POST **** READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL

It's finally OVER! :) I'm glad everything turned our more or less well. Of course there were lots of things we COULD have done better; of course there were hiccups in the programme; of course there were technical glitches; of course we could have used more rehearsals. Of course.

The bottom line is - it happened. It actually came to materialise. I still remember the late night after we had one of our usual sessions in late April at the Toa Payoh Mac Donalds that Aloy said, " Hey we should hold another competition this year for SMC to celebrate our 3rd Anniversary!" What started as a simple competition to be held in a simple place (some far out of the way bar probably - lots of those around in chinatown area) became a monster of an event.

We are not event organisers - we were ordinary folks holding full time jobs coping with full time credit card bills and mortgages. Our day jobs were giving us a hard time as it is; what business did we have organising a magic competition? The only fuel we ran on was passion.

I can't speak for the other Mods but gosh - the entire experience for me has been so surreal I have to break it down into a few sections so that I can do credit to everyone who had been involved and review the event objectively.

Pre-Event Planning
This was a bitch. We had so many sessions and delays. The biggest headache for us was truly getting a venue to hold the event. We explored many possibilities and one of the top priorities for us was not just the location but also keeping costs down - Most places charge 400 - 1000 per hour depending on the location, size and the facilities.

We spent almost a month debating where to hold the event - as long as there's no venue, Legerdemain was never going to happen. Then Adrian contacted an old friend of his who was working with the People's Association at the Ulu Pandan Community Club Executive Youth committee. He asked us to consider using the UPCC's Theatrette and work with them as co-organisers for the event. We set up a date to meet up and took a long drive down to Ulu Pandan.

My own initial feelings were a little mixed. The location wasn't exactly ideal - it's far off the central map of Singapore and might cause problems for the competitors and our guests. How much was it going to cost us? What were the overheads involved and how were we supposed to 'collaborate' given the unique nature of our competition? Thankfully, my doubts and concerns were completely unfounded. Even though the location was far off, it was near enough to the Bouna vista MRT station to be accessible.

After I met up with Danny - Adrian's friend - my mindset almost changed immediately. Danny was warm, open and completely earnest. He was truly sincere in making it happen and was more than generous with both his time and efforts - this would show even more as time passed in our collaboration. His help was not only invaluable, he provided some insights into the event that we overlooked - he was the one with experience in organising events. For the first time, it seemed possible that Legerdemain was going to happen. After we saw the theatrette, we fell in love with it and decided on the spot that that was it.

With the venue out of the way, we had to make massive plans for what was to come. It was incredible - the amount of details we had to plan would be too immense for me to share in this small space and time. Suffice to say that EVERY meeting we had (which amounted to about twice a week since early June) was about Legerdemain. We argued, fought and stabbed each other over all the details from sponsorship to trophies to prizes and programme details.

We wanted this competition to mean something - so I suggested that we asked IBM if they would be willing to sponsor a membership for the winning contestant. We were concerned that IBM would laugh us off as we were really nobody - who'd support a nobody that wasn't an organisation with no reputation whatsoever?

I was thick-skinned enough to give Enrico a call anyway and asked him about it (for those who don't know, Enrico is the current Vice President of IBM Ring 115 - tremble in fear of the IRON MAN). Enrico didn't think it was ludicrous - he was really enthusiastic and said he would bring it up to John Teo at the next committee meeting. IBM not only responded positively, they went and added 2 more memberships - for the 1st and 2nd runners-up as well! We were extremely impressed and touched by their generousity and spontaneous support. Some sponsors were really reluctant and we were rejected by a great number of people we approached. But who could blame them - as I said, we were nobodies.

Of course Ning as always gave us her full support without question - she committed Magic Boutique as a sponsor even before we asked her. Thanks MagicBabe - it's always good to know you're on our side, rain or shine. It's a pity she had to rush off for a show that night or her booth would be waiting for you guys after the competition event.

Our primary concerns were always the contestants - we wanted them to have an experience that they could carry away with them forever; regardless of whether they won or not. All our plans were detailed so they would have the least amount of waiting time; so they would have what they needed when they needed it; and most of all - they would be comfortable in their performances. I can't say we succeeded 100% - we do make some mistakes every now and then, but we really tried.

I know that the start of september marked the end of sleep for me. We would meet after work and work late into the night - often discussing and re-discussing the event details to ensure we didn't miss anything logistically. I averaged on 3 hours of sleep almost every other night and my weekends were also burned in meetings. Poor Jerome had to work to 9 or 10 at night almost every night and he still made our meetings! Axl and Aloy were having In Camp Training and were unable to assist but they did everything they could when they could. Gordon and Adrian were so taxed I think I caught Gordon snoozing a few times during our meetings - poor Gordon; as if his day job wasn't taxing enough!

We even had to rope Jonathan (Jlowhy) the moment he came back from his vacation to help. He was very kind to assist us all through the event. His help really came at the right time!

There are so many other details I think I left out because they would be of little interest to the casaul reader - the other Mods can fill in the blanks if they want to. But suffice to say that I had the privilege of working with a dedicated and extremely talented team of friends who had the courage and endurance to pull this off. It would've have happened otherwise.

Post Event Review
I want to thank everyone who did make the effort to turn up. There were of course those who took tickets but didn't show for one reason or another. It happens - you guys missed a good show.

The team arrived at the venue at 10:30am. We had to turn up early to do the sound test and all. You see, the sound technician is paid by the hour / day. We couldn't test the sound system until that actual day or it would be too expensive. There were a lot of hiccups with the sound - we deeply apologise for the inconvenience caused to some of the performers when the sound was abruptly cut off. The sound guy brought 2 headset mics which we requested for, but one of the headsets had a wire was was almost broken. It caused a lot of intermittent problems for us. This was a factor that was really beyond our control as the sound guy told us there was no way he could get another piece. So many of the delays and interruptions were caused by this.

We were fortunate that the MCs were good enough to stretch time as and when the occasion arose. The audience were also good enough to put up with the delays. If we have anything in the future, we might want to fix this problem earlier - but purchasing was out the question as each of the Seinheiser headset mics were about 1000! If you guys have suggestions, do let us know.

I would like to respond to some of the feedback you guys have made here as well:

Yes - it's true. The competitors were given a strict time limit to abide by. AND they had to structure all their effects given the constraints set. BUT - first and foremost, this is a magic competition. A competition is a contest of skills. Do you watch a soccer match because the player is skillful or because the guy can simply kick a ball? Either way, the competitors tried very hard to give you their BEST show. I think that's more important.

We decided that the curtains will not close since there was no need to set up any secret loads - this is not a stage show after all; it's a close up competition. And the screen being behind the curtains means that the projection will end up on the curtain if we close the curtains. Either way, it's a point noted and we'll surely look into this next time (IF there's a next time. HAHA)

Honestly, in retrospect the parlour acts and the close up acts should not be judged together - it's not a fair comparision as it's almost like a comparision between apples and oranges and which tastes better. I think it's an oversight on our part - perhaps next time we'll simply have a CLOSE UP competition. That would make staging easier as well.

Jonathan makes a very good point here - I felt that Sheeke could have handled his initial reaction to the missing spectator in a more tactful manner. But perhaps that's his natural way of speaking. The problem is - on stage - it sounded really rude and obnoxious.

Likewise, I didn't like the way farid continuously cajouled for support from the audience - if you can't get it on your own merit, you don't deserve to compete. I got quite a lot of feedback from the lay audience that they found him patronising and demeaning. I'm not sure how the judges scored him in presentation but perhaps magicians are immune to such things and might even consider it good presentation. I know more than ONE performer who does this (even professionals).

And of course Roland could have handled the final revelation with a little more tact. :P That was a very very risky way to perform that effect.

Actually the camera angles were already some of the best I've seen in a while. You have to give the camera guy a lot of credit for trying his best to follow the angles. ALL the contestants have already been briefed on the camera angles and restrictions. They were already told to slow down their actions and perform for the camera. Some of them didn't listen though. Our sponsor Mr Baha was running the projection with 2 cameras - he had a really hard time as it was and I thought he did a SMASHING job with the camera work! Of course there would be some angles he missed but this is a really tough job. I don't think anyone else would be able to do a better job.

I think in most situations under normal performing circumstances, it's not an issue, ShadyKnight. But being a competition and all, the stress levels are very high and it's hard to think while the camera and ALL EYES in the auditorium are trained on you. The most limiting factor is they can't prepare a backup for a competition - there's no time anyway. They are given 8 minutes. If they screw up any part of the act, any recovery would push them past that time limit in any case so most don't prepare a contingency.

Some magicians feel that there should always be an OUT for EVERY effect, but I disagree - this might be true if you're performing a stage show like copperfield where you can plan a backup in case of a hiccup and then a backup for the backup and then another contingency for the backup's backup, but in the context of a close-up magician's repertoire (especially for cardmen), there are SOME effects where - once commmitted - there is no turning back. And it's irrecoverable in an error. Rather than be stubborn and try to 'smoke' your way through - which would be painful for BOTH the audience and the magician - it's better to admit the effect didn't work that time (but of course you first inform the audience that it was a DIFFICULT one) and move on after a brief apology - your audience deserves that much. In the context of a real performance, you can always go on and do another killer effect, but you can't do that in a competition. It has to end there. Unfortunately. Of course, there are those who'd say it leaves the audience with a bad impression. I, on the contrary, gain respect for a professional performer who is able to conduct himself with respect and dignity befitting a gentleman and will enjoy whatever else he shows me all the more (again, he'd have to vindicate himself - if whatever he shows also fails, it's downhill from there. :P)

But you're right - it's not easy to perform on stage that way. I know that for a fact.

We had 2 rehearsals for the performers. The operating cost of the theatrette and the available schedule of the venue also made it hard to have more than 2. Again, every performer also had day schedules we had to work around. It's not easy. But we'll certainly try to do a few more if we can.

The MCs are both working full time day jobs which are demanding. I know Adrian was arrowed a last minute project and was so busy the week of the competition, he barely had time to breathe. Gordon also had to help his father run a business - he spent most of his day travelling around meeting clients and still made our meetings at night - often going home about 3-4 am; always the last to reach home because he made it a point to send the other mods home. I think they did a FANTASTIC job.

As for the annoucement part, we know it could have done better, but it wasn't the MCs' faults. They didn't know the mic was giving problem - it was intermittent due to the faulty wire. And we didn't own the mics they were provided on that morning itself. :( We'll fix this the next time though. Hopefully. LOL

Read ABOVE on sound problems.

They paid $10. Gosh - Singaporeans. :rolleyes: :angry:

AFTER THOUGHTS
It's been a very rewarding experience for me. Probably one of the highest moments of the entire evening for me was watching in horror as Jian Fei (last contestant) messed up his effect and struggled to recover. I say highlight of the night because I remember how I was brimming with pride at the way he conducted himself on stage and ended his performance. In a manner of speaking, he graduated being a boy to a man almost at that instant. That moment was class.

My fellow Mods - it's been more than an honour working with you guys; you guys are the reason why SMC will stay alive - in spite of some very icy remarks about the forum being dead. There is nothing I can say that will ever adequately describe how much pride and pleasure I have working with you.

As Jerome often likes to say, "We're a family". I wasn't always sure.

I am now.

Shade

My gf thought he deserved a medal for that one. She was so impressed - she said he was a real gentleman.

Thank you to all for all the feedback. It is all a learning experience for all of us still and we certainly will keep all the feedback in mind for future events. :)

Let me 1st start by saying what I really liked about the event.

I am really impressed with how Adrian and Gordon did their MCing, remembering that neither had any formal training hosting events.
The chemistry between them was fantastic as they tried to fill in whenever there is a need to fill in on the spot just thinking on their feet. I thought they are damn professional. :wub:
A little snippet, they also built the opening illusions and practised it till they were both sweating buckets. :P
Champions. B)

I thought Baha's camera work is 1st class. Remembering that this is a LIVE show that he is covering. There is no chance for "Cut...redo that part". It will simply not be possible for an audience of that size to experience the magic without it.

I am really impressed with how much thought, effort and work all the contestants put into their act. I know because I got to speak to quite a few of the finalists and they shared their concerns about their act and I can see them thinking and re-thinking, refining and re-refining their acts from auditions, 1st rehearsal, 2nd rehearsal to the finals itself.
It's the subtle changes that can really change the dynamics of the act.
All of you are winners. B)


I just want to briefly answer a few of the questions here.

Curtain close was something we really could not accomodate for every performer because of the nature of the whole structure and timing of the event. In this case, we tried out best to accomodate what we could with whatever we could this time round. But maybe next time, we will try factoring in curtain closes more closely to the core of the event.
However, I do admit that perhaps the stagehands were not the most experienced and professional that we could have gotten. It is noted and will be carefully considered the next time round. B)

I think I really own it to Baha to defend his camerawork. I thought for this event, it is almost impeccable.

I'm sorry to say this but I think it is ridiculous to require straight down camera angles. In a magic act using a table, the normal audience should be sitting or standing around the table right? Would it be fair to say that in those circumstances they will be watching you from an angle? I don't remember many audiences who can hover directly over a table.
Yes, maybe a top down view would have been beneficial, and might even make better view. But it is a resource we don't have for this competition and I don't see it as a "requirement". If anything cannot be performed unless it is a top down view only, I would think that is an unsuitable effect for a live magic competition.
If it's the coin routine we are talking about. I daresay the camera angles has nothing to do with the effect showing up as "shades of silver" only. As with the Sam the bellhop routine for camera not capturing all the cards fully.
The change in cameras was for your advantage sheeke. They were trying not to dampen your act with just a close up view of your hands and not your facial and body actions which is important for your act. To not change cameras, it would then either be just a 1/2 body shot which is not close enough to capture the value of the cards, or a close up of the cards which will not capture your body language.

I remember I tried telling you many times that you need to slow down your coin routine and sam the bellhop in order for it to register correctly because it is simply going too fast.

But how to slow down when you have full 52 cards to deal and open with a coin production routine followed by 2 different versions of bare hand coin matrix routine followed by jumbo coin kicker and in between all that, still have to get the spec to pick a card at the start, do a gag with a gun and do a cardiography at the end? And all that given only 8 mins to begin with? How to fit into 8 mins only??

Well, everyone is given 8 min time limit.
The question is, do you think perhaps you tried to pack way too many effects into the 8 minutes?
Given a longer time limit, say about 20 mins, your act would be great and you will have more time for interaction with your volunteer too.
I personally think your problems are because you tried to pack way too much magic into the time limit provided. I'm not sure if you caught it, but I tried to hint to you many times during the 1st rehearsal that you should cut out a few effects if you have to because I felt your routining was wrong.
But to be fair, everyone was given the same time limit to do what they can with, and not give the contestants different time limits based on the nature of their acts.
Maybe given 20 mins, Sherman would produce an elephant after the dove too?
So it's really a matter of correct routining isn't it?

My view.

I thought everything was pretty well put up, besides none of us has any experience in doing a competition on such a scale. Of course there is always room for improvements.

We can't please everyone and satisfy every needs although we try to, but I guess its never enough in the eyes of others.

There are certain things that can't be done according to your needs, like having a camera directly in front of the performer as this will be blocking the audience.

Initially, we only have a non-professional cameraman but Mr. Baha was kind enough to sponsor not one but 2 cameras. Imagine what would happened if there were no such cameras.

Sometimes, one would need to change oneself to suit the environment rather than change the surrounding to suit oneself. If you don't have enough time for the 8 mins act, then its better to streamline the act or get an act that you don't have to rush through.

Sheeke, I think you did not expose anything while setting up. In fact I think your act is pretty good except that you have to rush through your "Sam the bellhop" routine. It'll be better if you can let the audience register the card before shoving the card away. If there is not enough time, you could probably take some part of your act out rather there cramp everything into the 8 mins.

Despite some of the mistakes, I think it was pretty well covered up. I was laughing when Jian Fei says "That's how Bridge is played". That was a total bull but I think it works :D . It was fast thinking on his part.

I was talking to Baha about the mic problem and I was told that this will not happen if we engage more sound man. It is due to our tight budget that we can only afford one. The wire was probably internally broken when it was being transferred from one perform to the next performer.

Nevertheless, I think everyone has put in their best. Remember, none of us are paid to do all this. It is because the love of magic that makes us do this. Sacrifices has been made just to make this event happened. One can only learn from one's mistake and not repeat if the next time. We have gain much from this experience and hope it'll be better should there be a next one. :)

I was running around the backstage most of the times so missed some of the things that you guys mentioned but anyway here's some facts for you guys:

1. We only had 2 mikes that day for the finalists and both were checked to be in working condition before the show.

But unfortunately, I think Sherman somehow broke the wire for his one when he was trying to put it on (I think... because it was working fine during the first half... no worries, no need to sign 1206, Sherman :D ), and that's what caused the sound to come on and off. We tried to cut the mike but the message didn't get through fast enough.

Anyway, Sherman still won the day for his magic, mike or no mike... in fact, runner-up Shufi was the other guy having the mike problem.


2. Regarding about the set-up, I understand that only Sherman (fortunately we did it for him), Sheeke and Shufi need the curtains to be up.

For Sheeke, probably some mis-communication there, but I think the setting up didn't really affect your performance. And yes, maybe you could have been more gentle with your spec, afterall, she was a volunteer.

The real headache was with Shufi's set-up... and I thought my guys did a admirable job in solving the problem. I asked a few friends in the audience whether did they see anything while the table was carried up and apparently none saw anything.

Under the time pressure we had, I think we managed to do the best we can for the finalists.

3. Lastly, due to the glitches we had with the mike and the walkies, the MC had to say things to buy time. So if you find that they tried to drag, it's not their fault.

Ok, I can't comment on the performances itself as I didn't have the luxury to sit down for long... we will take in all your suggestions and make it better the next time (yah, if there is a next time)

Hey Matt, don't beat yourself over it. I think the spectator could have been Adrian's friend if I remember correctly. You might want to PM him to ask and apologise for the off-colour remark. I think your mistake was a valuable lesson for yourself as well as for others who were there to witness the awkwardness caused.

Regarding the camera, I strongly disagree with the negative comments of the camera work. It is true that there were some mistakes made in the decisions to zoom in and out but this is a challenge that is inherent in all live displays of camera footage. It is very difficult to make a live broadcast and I think Baha did an excellent job.

Here are some of my thoughts regarding the event. Though there were some problems throughout the contest, the event was still an enjoyable one. The venue was nice. It was comfortable and the screen was big enough to view most of the performances clearly. Although there were occasional camera zooming problems, I thought it was still a very good job after all.

One main gripe about the event though of no fault to organizers was the constant discussion and commentary of the performance by the group sitting beside me. Even if one wants to discuss the secrets behind the acts, please have the simple courtesy to discuss at home to avoid destroying the magical experience of those beside you. Not only are there people who do not wish to know the secrets, the chattering during the event was plain annoying.

Now on the positive side, I thought that the MCs did a commendable job in guiding the whole event along and improvising on the spot when there were technical difficulties. Most of the contestants put in their best and their acts were very good. Sherman’s pigeon act was definitely worthy of the first place and people’s choice in terms of entertainment value. Though that were problems with the microphone, most of them did well to project their voices loud enough to be heard from the back. Another mention goes out to Jian Fei whose skill and deals and shuffles were really amazing. With a contest named Legerdemain I thought you seriously stand a chance to be among the top 3, until the last moment. Even then you handled the situation very well and yours was truly a class act. When you said “…and that’s how to play bridge” I could not help but smile and be amaze how you came up with that line under such pressure.

I learnt a lot from the various performances from what to do and what not to do regarding the use of humour, audience management and improvising. Overall I thought it was a well thought out and organized effort by the moderators. Thank you for all the hard work and effort put in by the organizers, the helpers and the performers who made this event a great success. The lessons learnt and the three hours of magic and entertainment was definitely well worth the ten dollars.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your comments and feedbacks. As part of the organising committe, I would like to add in my few cents worith of comments and respond to some feedbacks. If I sound too harsh, my sincere apologies in advance. If I'm repeating what has been mentioned, my apologies as well and none of my comments are tagetting anyone. Its just my response in general. Warning: Long Post

Both our MCs Adrian and Gordon did a fantastic kick ass job and I'm not saying this because I'm part of the committe but because I realise how difficult and tedious it is to be the MC of any event, even more so for such a big event, considering that we all have day time jobs and personal commitments to prioritise. I do have to apologies for the many periods of slience due to technical fault as murphy's law will occur on us even though all had been planned and tested.

The mike problem occured because the mikes that were provided are not mikes form the CC itself. In fact the CC themselves do not have any mikes. The sound guy was contracted by the CC for us and they brought 2 clip-on mikes as per our request. We were using the mikes during the days for rehearsals to test. Some technical glitches were found and soon rectified. Both mikes were then confirmed working. Again the most unfortunate thing happend when Sheman broke the wire on one of the mikes. Nonetheless, it was an off-sight of ours that we should have requested for extra mikes in case of malfunction but then again cost would be a factor to consider as well.

It'll always be nice to have a contingency when something fails. We all love contingencies but looking at the context of a magic competition, its easier said than done. The performer has practiced and practiced, rehearsed and rehearsed to ensure that their act is done flawlessly and more importantly controlling linguistics, actions, body language and maintaining composure all in one is not an easy job in front of such a big crowd of live audiences. I would not have done better and I salute all the contestants for having the passion and audacity to exhibit youselves.

Providing of refreshments were part of our plan. We even wanted to have a birthday cake to commerate our 3rd anniversary. However, if you notice all the red and white sign boards you see before you enter the theatrette, you'll know why no refreshments were provided. Its not that we did not plan for it but we're not allowed to do so.

The name of the event went through several sessions of brainstorming on our side and we finally decieded on Legerdemain because it reflects the nature of art that we do. I agree with you on the "fast hands" comment but this is something we can't run away from and more over this is a Magic Competition. NOT a Magic Show. Naming it with some fanciful magical name might be inappropriate.

This is indeed a very strong point for us to note. On top of the reason mentioned by Shade, we opted for the curtains to open all the time is because we wanted the audiences to have a full and proper view of the projector rather than on the curtain which would be unsightly. However, I believe the moving in and out of the stage hands might have been more unsightly. Thanks for highlighting this and we'll definitely remember this if there is a next time... ^_^

Sheeke, you are taking things too personal here. I can guarantee you that our MCs were not making fun of your friends on purpose. There was no way that the MCs would know which of your friends are in the audience.

Pls take note that we are running on an extremely tight budget here. We are not some production company that can give you multiple angle shots. A top angle shot would of course be good however, due to resource constraints that we have to make do with what we have and if you go and find out the cost of using such equipment, you'll understand our predicament. The cameraman onstage is indeed a professional cameraman but he is not a magician. You can't expect him to know which angle to cover for all performers. Baha our main cameraman was instructing the cameraman on stage on where and whent o shoot. The co-ordination between 2 cameras is not easy if we want to capture both your effects and your facial and body language. Baha was nice enough to sponsor 2 cameras for us of rthat night and I can tell you. He did a very professional job. The sound guy in the control room with me even commented that Baha is the fastest and the best he has seen so far for so many video companies he has worked with. Imagine if Baha did not provide another camera right at the last row of the theatrette, do you think the entire audience can see your cardiographic post?

Aloy and Shade has mentioned to you umpteen times to slow down during the rehearsals. You mention that you've done many stage shows. You should know very well how well or how badly camera catches your own actions. We already told you slow down from the very start, so do not shift the blame to others when the perpetrator is one who should know better him/herself.

I think I've covered more or less what I want to respond to. My apologies for my long windedness. Some personal After Thoughts now:

I would like to Thank all your feedback and comments. Without all of you, we would never improve. I would like to send my heartest congratulations to the Top 3 winners and also to all our contestants. I feel you all are winners in one way or another. I hope this competiton has benefited everyone in some way or another. A final saltue to all performers again for your commendable performance.

Lastly, I share Shade's sentiments on the experience. It was a very rewarding experience for me as well. The organising committee that we have is one group of committed and dedicated that is very hard to find now. We do not work for any money and the what drives us is the passion for this beautiful art. In my context, this is more than any real magic than can happen. My fellow mods and brothers, it was indeed an honour to be on board with all of you. All the sweat, quarrels, fights, swearing and blood that we contributed was well worth it. I take a lot of pride, glory and honour to be able to share the success with you and I look forward to more events together...

Cheers
Jerome

Sheeke, you are taking things too personal here. I can guarantee you that our MCs were not making fun of your friends on purpose. There was no way that the MCs would know which of your friends are in the audience.

They knew my friends were in the audience, all i asked was for them to dedicate my work to them, but what marridge proposal??? Bouquate of flowers??? Roses?? Just because they had nothing to say due to not wanting to close the curtains?

Pls take note that we are running on an extremely tight budget here. We are not some production company that can give you multiple angle shots. A top angle shot would of course be good however, due to resource constraints that we have to make do with what we have and if you go and find out the cost of using such equipment, you'll understand our predicament. The cameraman onstage is indeed a professional cameraman but he is not a magician. You can't expect him to know which angle to cover for all performers. Baha our main cameraman was instructing the cameraman on stage on where and whent o shoot. The co-ordination between 2 cameras is not easy if we want to capture both your effects and your facial and body language. Baha was nice enough to sponsor 2 cameras for us of rthat night and I can tell you. He did a very professional job. The sound guy in the control room with me even commented that Baha is the fastest and the best he has seen so far for so many video companies he has worked with. Imagine if Baha did not provide another camera right at the last row of the theatrette, do you think the entire audience can see your cardiographic post?

I did cardiographic to a whole theatherate of 1200 people? and every single and EVERY SINGLE one of them saw it? Even those at the 4 stories above?

Aloy and Shade has mentioned to you umpteen times to slow down during the rehearsals. You mention that you've done many stage shows. You should know very well how well or how badly camera catches your own actions. We already told you slow down from the very start, so do not shift the blame to others when the perpetrator is one who should know better him/herself.

coin matrix from a 45 degree angle?

Chill. All. B)

I assure you the MCs did no mean to make fun of your friends. And the tone that part is very light hearted. I would be surprised if any of your friends took offence at all. Which I am pretty certain they did not. If anything, maybe just a little shy, which is normal eh? ;)

There's a difference between can see it and can see it CLEARLY. Because it's a parlour/close up competition, we want to make sure it is can see it CLEARLY.

Coin matrix at 45 degree angle is not only possible, it is normal.
Beg Bernard to show you his. ^_^


All comments, however, are humbly accepted. What we can do better, we will do better next time. :g:

Hey guys :)

Wow, I haven't had the chance to visit the forums in a bit because of my busy schedule and this thread suddenly looks like there's a war breaking out :lol: Chill guys, chill!

Sheeke, I know that you know that you'd ruffled feathers unknowingly (we talked about this) in the past because of the way you communicated online, so let's not have you sound too brash here again ok? :) I'm not sure if you're aware but to most people you do sound a tad aggressive & I'm certain you don't want others to have the false notion & think you're a sore loser or something, right? Right ^_^

We all learn from mistakes. Such is life ;) Things don't always go our way and we always have to adapt to the environment around us. Sh*t happens like audio/ tech problems but we just have to find a way to go around it. Experience is always good; it makes us grounded, humbles us and helps us become stronger when we understand the way.

I understand you are feeling frustrated, Sheeke, but please do calm down :) Baha (our friendly abang from IBM!) was extremely generous in sponsoring the video live feed, equipment & human resource for Legerdemain. They did the best they could - and I'm quite certain to a certain extent, contestants were already briefed on where the cameras would be place. I enjoyed your all original Singaporean take on Sam the Bell-hop, really... but it was a pity that it was quite rushed so maybe next time you should listen to advice from others who want to help you improve your competition act. All competitions have rules and we all have to work within the confines, no one gets special treatment!

At the end of the day, I think the bottom-line is this: SMC is NOT a magic club. The organizers are moderators doing this because of passion. The emcees are not professional stage workers and did their bit because of passion. The sponsors are contributing freely because of passion. There's never been an 'entrance fee' of sorts to be a part of this place because we're not an official club like IBM or SAM. SMC never had any moo-lah or budget to play around with. I think your expectations have to be managed accordingly, hey ^_^ And yeah, the suggestion of food/ catering is quite funny lah. Do you expect free munchies at the cinema also when you pay for your movie? LOL.

Anyways! Murphy's Law does happen every once in awhile. Still, everyone (like all our brave Legerdemain's contestants) did the best they could :lol: Kudos to the organizing team who worked real hard to make this work - it was no easy task putting this together. It took a lot of effort and sacrifice of time and social life on their part too, so let us all be grateful here ;) You might not have noticed the mods scurrying around to fix the glitches at the event!

Congrats again to the top 3, and to the rest of the contestants- you're all winners too. I'm sure you went home with something (not just talking about prizes here) important and experience is all good.

Sheeke - Your local spin on Sam the Bell-Hop was outrageously creative but it was a pity your streamers came out at your entrance so maybe the judges minused points on that. Also, Tony Wilson might not have understood most of the Singlish patter too.

Hasif - You're amazing for someone so young :) I thought your manipulation act was very impressive. More so later when J C mentioned to me later that you shared with him that the ideas were your own. Keep it up ^_^

Roland - Your act was entertaining but next time please don't leave your two spectators lost on stage as you jog off! :lol: LOL... And yeah, maybe tweak the bit on religion, may make some people uncomfortable when you use 'Jesus Christ' loosely.

Matt - I don't know why but your unique presentation style tickles me, and I know that it's just 100% you being you *grin* It's evident that your skills in sleight of hand rocks too!

Faris - You made me laugh until I cried. You can probably be Singapore's Jeff Hobson of the future in mentalism :g: What I loved about you is that you're just so calm and totally comfortable on stage for one so young. Nice!

Zian - You started strong and kudos to you for being brave at the end though things didn't turn out ideally. I think comedy is your forte tho *GRIN* I'm sure there's a whole bunch of people who'd agree to, so you should show that zany side of you the next time around? ;)

Sherman - Eh bro, what's there to say... LOL. I'm sure you had a good night's sleep right? ^_^ Someone owes a bunch of people a hearty treat! Anything but CHICKEN... or PIGEON :P You did fabulous & I'm sure your wife's real proud of her hero ;)

Farid - As always, your coin moves are slick, I just hope you can read this because I understand you're still banned from the forum?! It's easy to see you're really comfortable on stage!

Shufi - We started magic about the same time and it's so cool to have noticed how you've evolved as a performer really. Your act is 100% 'feel good' ...steady bom-pi-pi!

Fei - You did good really, and it was a crazy rush from school anyways. You tried your best but some days, just aren't the best days. I'm sure your teacher is still really proud of you anyways, so just keep at it... you really rock, kiddo!!!

Oh yes.

I'd like to sincerely apologize to those who were looking forward to the Magic Boutique booth at the end of the event (I'm so sorry... I know I had to 'chase' some of you away during the intermission because the next part was already starting!!!) but due to the delay, I had to leave early as I had a show booking in town we had to rush to. I'll try to post a list of in-stock products I currently have, so you can get them from Magic Boutique (minus the usual order waiting time - we order once every 30th of the month).

It was good seeing friends there again, those from SAM & IBM, SMC and "in-betweens" *grin* Please, let us not harp on the points of improvements but also show appreciation to those who made Legerdemain possible...

Shade, Gordon, Adrian, Bernard, Jerome, Axl, Aloysius ...and awesome helpers like Jonathan, Lukold and Shade's students too! I think these fellas deserve a good clap on the back for their amazing effort.

CHEERs,
Miss Ning ^_^


(Magic Boutique sponsor's dealer booth @ Legerdemain event - yours truly in white!)

Yea, thanks Ning Jcsm Aloy and Magicdow for all the kind comments, yup i understand. Though i hate to admit i was a little rude on stage due to being super and yes SUPER pissed before my act , sorry i guess.

But anyway, im super everyone had a great time!

Thanks ning!

Hi all. Well, i am the all famous contestant no. 3. i a

Sheeke, if it's any consolation, all my friends loved you cardiographic. They were asking me how you did it. But don't worry, i didn't give you away. If there was anything they remembered about the show, it was your cardiographic and sherman's dove production at the end.

But sheeke, i would like to point out that one week before the competition, at the rehearsal, my act was supposed to be performed standing up. Aloy and Shade told me that it was not good for the camera and told me i should change my routine to be done seated down. So i did it because it would look better on camera. i do feel that we should have been given a chance to rehearse much earlier before the actual day, so that we can get comfortable with the stage and camera angles,and to know if we need to change anything. But knowing the situation, i understand why they couldn't. My point is that we were all aware of how the cameras will be positioned and how everything was going to be like, so we as contestants should do our part to accomodate the situation and not blame everything on the organisers.

Another point to note is that all the organisers are human beings. They are normal people that lead normal lives. They have day jobs, wives or girlfriends to deal with, and there's also so many of them so arranging time and place to meet was a real b**ch. So please don't be too quick to blame them for the shortcomings of the show, but appreciate everything that they have done so that all of us and our friends could have a good time.

Lastly i would like to thanks a lot of people for all the stuff they have done for me. In chronological order

1) Axl who was back stage was the first to console me after i got off stage.
2) Aloy who came back stage just to comfort me
3) Gordon and Adrian and Jerome whom i saw at the break who also consoled me
4) Ning for her sms which i only read during the break
5) Jian Fei whom i saw during the break.
6) Last but not least, Shade who has always been there.

To end, to shade, jerome, gordon, adrian, axl...at least we are still friends?
hahahahahahahah

ZiAn

I could not stay for the full competition because of some other stuff but i managed to catch a bit of the whole thing.

The mods really have my admiration for pulling the whole event off. I have recently started juggling school with other stuff and i know it really is not a piece of cake, more so for the mods who are juggling full time jobs, probably plus family plus their mod responsibilities plus the whole event organising!!

I was at the event a little earlier and already saw the mods buzzing around, trying to get everything in place proper. The effort and work put in for this event must have been tremendous. And to know the mods put in so much of efforts and work purely out of passion and asking for no returns... well they really deserve loads of credit!

Seriously, how many of us would be willing to give so much of time and effort to do something like this and make it work out, purely for everyone else and passion?

Hence i would just like to say that despite the little glitches and all, let's give the mods and everyone who made this work out a huge round of applause and their well-deserved thanks for without them, i don't think there might even be a competition of this scale!

*clap clap clap*

Its really because of people like them that SMC is not just a forum. :wub:

Clap clap clap, Yup we are one big family yea?

I would like to thank the mods for putting so much effort into this event. I think saying that you guys worked hard would be an understatement, you all did more than that. Thanks Mr soo, Axl, Aloy, Adrian, Gordon and Jerome! Its my pleasure to have met you guys.

I thought Gordon and Adrian were great as Emcees that night. It is difficult enough to speak on stage to a whole group pf people and they had to even improvise on the spot sometimes. No matter what the others say, I think its a job well done.

Even though most of the audience wont be reading this, I want to say thank you too. You were great and supportive even though some of the acts didnt come through as well. And thanks to all, such as timothy, who came down and support. It was great to have you there.


This goes out to Jerome, Axl, Adrian, Gordon, Mr Soo, Jonanthan, ZiAn, carmen and a few others ( sorry I missed your name but you know who you are ) for that fantastics night after the competition. Thanks for the great company. That was damn fun! ZiAn, " I am watching! " Hahahahahaha Oh and glad jonathon found his phone!

Also a big thank you to people like Mr Baha who provided us with the cameras and Danny who stayed long hours to help out. The backstage crew also deserve much credit for making sure everything was moving as smoothly as they could.

Last but not least, thank you Mr Soo for all the help, guidance and fun you provided me with. I wouldn't be where I am now without you. Thank You.

ROFLMAO - Yeah that was probably the funniest thing that happened that night! Jian Fei beat Zian at cards repeatedly - when he dealt, when Zian dealt and finally when somebody else dealt and Zian went - "I'm watching YOU.", gesturing in true DeNiro style ala Meet the Parents. Then he got beat again and had to down his beer.

That was a classic moment! HAHAHAHA.

Then Zian challeged Adrian to show him a 5 of a kind in the deck. Of course Adrian and Fei had mucked around with that deck so bad that there were really 5 ACES! Poor Zian had to down another. HAHAHAHA

I laughed so hard I believe my side almost split and my guts would've spilled out!

Shade

Hi all,

I finally got my computer up. It's been down for almost 2 weeks now. Firstly, congrats to all finalists. Everyone was a winner that night. It takes guts to compete, really. I've entered 5 competitions before this one. Trust me, it wasn't easy for me when I first got started. Things always go wrong on the actual thing for some reason. But through these experiences, my "covering up" skills gets better along the way. But of course, that's besides the point. Important thing is I am sure all of you gained something from these experiences.

To Sherman, his act is very well structured, beats mine hands down. So, there's no doubt that he's the deserving winner for this competition. Great job bro! (See folks, sometimes it's a blessing to lose... Don't mind me sharing, because I felt that Sherman made a significant improvement to his act within a week after the IBM competition which he sadly did not get a placing).

To Farid, great job! Even as a magician myself, I still get very impressed and amused when watching him perform. Glad to have you in the TrillusionMagic.com Team dude!

Hasif did brilliant on stage though some ideas were probably inspired by other magicians, but I guess it's alright not to come up with something totally original. The ending was a let down I felt. It should be something really big (in my opinion). Build up the climax! My act was not entirely original either, but that's as original as I can get. Haha. Besides that, I enjoyed what I saw, maybe because we have similar interest in manipulative magic. Hope to work with you someday bro! I have alot to learn from you also. Good job!

Jerome's Ahboi trick is really neat. I love it. I enjoyed it. The cardiographic ending was nice for layman audience, but probably can't score much as a competition material (just my thoughts... don't kill me) The opener was a little bit too fast, abit unclear. Maybe your approach was to squeeze as much magic as possible, but bro, try to achieve clarity in your act. It will help. All the best!

Jian Fei, I admire your abilities with cards. Too bad I am more of a stage magician and pay little attention to closeup stuffs. Watching you perform is enough to feel like a noob. Great job! Don't worry about the blunders. Try again, I'm sure you'll make your mark some day.

To all other finalists, you all did a great job. Yupyup.


OK. Enough about the finalists. I would like to now thank the organising committee. Thanks sooooo much!!!! I know I am such a problematic guy backstage. That's why God punished me and made me go on stage with a mic that is not working.

My most sincere apologies to axl and friends. They are a helpful bunch. I had to be fussy with my setup because my act depends highly on it. Sorry. I know I did flare up abit. Sorry, but I was really full loaded and it's hard for me to make too much movements to fix on the mic myself, that's why I asked you to help me put it on. Hope you understand dude. Once again, sorry.

Thank you to Bernard as well who's been a great pal in magic. Without him, I wouldn't be able to come up with the dice routine. Thanks for the advices as well!

And to all friends who came to support, thank you so much! Thank you for voting for me too! Thanks. I just hope that you all enjoyed my act as I really spend alot of time contructing that act of mine. Haha. Speaking of which, thanks to this unknown auntie who kept cheering for me from the audience seat (according to my girlfriend). Thanks. Glad you people like what you saw.

Last but not least, a big thank you to my beloved girlfriend. Without whom, I wouldn't have the energy to continue competing for so many years. She's truly the woman behind my success. Having to juggle studies and magic at the same time, sometimes things just get too tough. Lucky for me, she's always there to push me on. Thanks honey!

Guys, anyone knows where I can get my hands on the photos that were taken on that day? I believe there was an official cameraman?