I've been in 5 close up contest and I'm honored to say I took first place in 4 and second place in one of them.

I think the best advice one can get for competing in a close up contest is to not do a close up show. They really aren't held in a close up setting. None that I've seen where anyway. They're actually parlor or platform shows.
I've seen some performers in these contests place there close up pad on the table where the judges are sitting and did there close up act there. Most of them did some great magic too. Why didn't they win then? I think it's audience reaction that brought the points down. The audience didn't react because they couldn't see what was happening. They may have gotten very high scores for there technique and maybe even there presentation, but very low scores for audience reaction and it really makes a difference.

Laughter and the reaction of amazement can be contagious. If you get the audience to react then it'll strengthen the judges opinion.

The other advice I feel is good is to not compete against the other magicians. I've gone to magic conventions where I was competing and other magicians where like, "You're in the contest. Oh no" I'm not saying they always say this to me but to other magicians too. The thing is, they shouldn't worry about who else is in the contest. It's the audience they need to focus on. Entertain the aucience and you've got a good chance of at least placing if not taking first place.

Lastly, I hate to say this but I think some need to hear it. Make sure you're doing your act and not someone else. I'm not just talking about tricks either. What kills me at these conventions is I hang out with everyone. We spend our free time performing and sharing with each other. I'll see some of them do some amazing things and I'm blown away. Then I see those same performers get up in front of the audience for the contest. Suddenly, they make me think of a robot. You can see in there eyes that they're sticking with the script they made for the show and trying to remember the next line. All I can think of is why aren't they being as entertaining as they where a while ago when they blew me away. I do understand that sometiems they are just nervous. When that's the case I hope they gain the confidence and not give up.

So, what I mean by your act is to be yourself. To do the act just like you would at any party or function you perform in. Have fun because they really effects the audience too. Have confidence because they are expecting you to be an entertainer.

I hope these things are helpful to someone out there.

Ron Jaxon

Ron

Good Points

If you enter a comp then know your material backwards - not that that is the way you should perform it, then you can concentrate on your presentation.

Ignore the judges and perform for the audience, that way you get reactions from people who are not concentrating upon your moves.


Paula

So why are they still called Close-Up Contests? To perpetuate the myth?

Some very good points Jaxon. Thanks.

A regional convention I attend annually has close-up performers doing their acts in a small room, then an auditorium size room with maybe hundreds of people. If you guys have been there, you know where I am talking about. Insane.

Yea, I think they should start calling them parlor contests or something like that.

I'd love to see someone figure out a way to make a real close up contest. one where they can perform things like a matrix, coins across, 3 shell game, etc.. There are some great tricks that only work very close up.

Only way I can think of is to have a number of cameras on them and a number of video screens showing the different angles. That would be hard to pull off though because the cameras might get in the way too.

Something I think needs to be figured out. It would be great to go to a convention and find they have a stage, parlor and close up contest going on.

Ron Jaxon

I attended a small convention a few weeks ago, and the close-up contest rooms were pretty small, maybe holding 25 people each.

Still, the contestants who played to the whole audience did well, and won the first third positions. The others, I can think of three, who did traditional close-up effects, didn't fair so well.

There wasn't much debate over who won or lost as far as the audience was concerned. The contestants who did the traditional stuff thought otherwise.

It is a given that this is the way these contests are judged, and until there is a major change, which nobody seems to want to make, this will continue to be the status quo.