talkmagic.co.uk

I'd be interested to know what some Talkmagic users think about this-

I took part in a talent competition at the weekend. First prize was £1000 so it was worth a bit of thought!

For the climax, I had a tin of fruit cocktail on display and offered it as a prize if I could not find the selected card. So I had a spectator come up on stage and select a card. They replaced it and shuffled the deck. I told them to remove their card and 3 other random different cards and I would be able to tell which card was theirs. When they looked through the cards, their card had vanished from the deck.

No surprises for what came next...

I offer them the tin of fruit as I cannot conclude the trick. A short pause and I hand the spectator a tin opener. I ask them to check the tin is whole, sealed and complete - which they confirm.

They then open the tin and find their card inside!!!!

I came 4th. Beaten by three singers. One was only 13 years old. Sob.

who judged it!!
that trick sounds excelent

There were 4 judges - 2 of which were lay.

The 2 judges with a bit of knowledge gave me top marks but the two lay judges were not as generous - the fools!

The singer that pipped me to third place was awful!

Ahh, the old bottled up trick ! Nice one...

Too bad you didn't get first but I think 4th is still pretty good. Well done !

Thanks!

There were 13 finalists so 4th isn't the end of the world.

I think I was more impressed with the trick than the judges!

Already working on my next trick - card in watermelon.

Watch this space.

Beaten by three singers. One was only 13 years old.

That's a pretty rough result consdering the effect you were doing is quite stunning. Can I suggest you don't choose card in watermelon for your next comp - go for Sword thru Singer instead.

Where can I buy this effect?!!

the trouble is Magic acts hardly ever win these things.We just dont have the cute factor.

It is infuriating though!

It takes more skill and ability to stand and entertain an audience with magic and patter than to stand there and sing a song!

Singers have to worry about their voice whereas us magicians need to focus on the magic, the presentation and the overall entertainment factor.

Anyone with a good voice can get up and sing a song and do a job!

These grapes I am eating just now are a tad sour!

I disagree, In every form of performance you need to have personality.
Its often the case that the magic act doesnt cross over the footlights as well as the singer, because there are a number of things that are placed on stage to occupy the audience, and the magicians attention.
The singer, or the comedian grabs more form the audience , because they focus on their faces.

First off, there's always next year and you've gained more experience from performing so look on the positive side.

Secondly, you'll probably see the 13 yr old singer again in a few years time on pop idol or similar. There's always a negative

I agree with Dale.

Also, with a singer, or a comedian, it's easy to judge how good they are. You listen to the song and like it, or you laugh, respectively.

With a magician, it's harder for people, especially lay people, to judge. They know what a good singer sounds like. They know a good joke when they hear it. A lot of people wouldn't know a good magician if he got up and bit them. Who have they got to compare you with? David Blaine? Paul Daniels (who last had a series over ten years ago)? David Copperfield (what, you didn't vanish a local monument)? Derren Brown (who still seems to slip 'under the radar' to a lot of people)?

Many years ago, I did a stage show/talent contest thing. I was a lad of only 18 at the time (what a memory, eh?). I did two acts, one was impressions, the other magic. I didn't win (or even come second) out of about a dozen acts.

However, it later came back to me that a guy that taught media studies at my college, who'd been a successful film producer, thought I had talent.

As you found out, the people who know what they are doing recognise ability.

By the way, I went back to the talent show in my second year and won it with what I regarded as a far inferior impression act. I actually felt guilty for winning with it!

Hi what sort of tin was the tin of fruit... need to work this out, I know bottled up.. but thats a bottle

Kems,

The method of getting the card in the tin is all my own - as far as I am aware!

It was a tin of Del Monte fruit cocktail with a ring pull lid - and no glue of any kind was used.

I'll have to think about that, could the tin be examined after it was opened??