Naquada

Pixar Studios, creators of Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Cars, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Ratatoullie, also create ‘short films‘. Normally to accompany the features films (you may have seen ‘lifted’ if you went to see Ratatoullie). Pixar have now started on their latest short, a film based around a magician character and his long suffering rabbit.

The film, entitled ‘Presto’, is described as featuring a turn-of-the-century magician named Presto DiGiotagione, who’s become famous for an astounding rabbit from a hat trick. His rabbit Alec become more and more dissatisfied as he shares none of Presto’s wild success.

One day while Presto is out eating a lavish dinner, Alec is left behind, locked in a birdcage with a carrot tortuously out of reach…

via: HCMS website

I’ve seen all the previous shows Derren has done, indeed I’ve seen this show at least twice, and after a busy day up in London I headed back to Reading to meet up with two other members of HCMS and two non magical friends to see the show.

Thankfully Derren has also opened a west end run of this show this time, and the Home Counties Magical Society hopefully will have some interesting news about that event in the next few days.

Last year Derren didn’t do a run in Reading (possibly to do with the Reading crowd managing to, lets say deviate most of the effects from their intended outcome year!!) but thankfully he’d decided to give them another chance and return to the Hexagon this year. We had back of the flat stalls, center tickets, a very good view point. I think one of the nice things about Derren Brown shows is that the tickets are very reasonably priced (unless you pay the £200 odd on ebay!!) and the programs are a fair price at £5.. anyhow… On entering the theatre I instantly spotted a Malloy Master Prediction box hanging above the stage, that was quite exciting in itself, since I’ve been wondering how it worked (now I know!). The stage was set in the guise of a Victorian front parlour, think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, seances, mediumship and mystery, fitting the show very well

Before I go further, I should warn you there are some spoilers in this review, so.. if you’re lucky enough to have tickets to the remaining sell out shows.. go away.. come back after the shows run is over.. You’ll just enjoy it more…

(more…)

The Magic Woods has started it’s voting process on The Magic Industry Awards. The Magic Woods Awards are awards given to magicians, tricks and institutions in the magic industry, by fellow magicians. Nominations are made by magicians on The Magic Woods forum, and then anyone is welcome to vote on The Magic Woods Awards website. The awards cover everything from best new trick, to best magic website, and the awards are run annually in April. The nominees looks very good for this year, including our own Home Counties Magical Society Website!!!

TMW Award for Best Trick

Current Nominees for TMW Award for Best Trick
The C.A.N.N.A.B.I.S Effect - Daniel Young & Lee Hathaway
Between The Lines - Michael Murray
The Casanova Closer - Steve Haynes
Extreme Burn - Richard Sanders
iKnow - Jason Palter

TMW Award for Best Teaching Video

Current Nominees for TMW Award for Best Teaching Video
The Casanova Concept - Steve Haynes with Big Blind Media
Don Driver’s Jam Auction DVD - Don Driver
Past Midnight - Benjamin Earl
Here I Go Again - Bill Malone
The Roadrunner Cull - Kostya Kimlat
No Camera Tricks - Richard Osterlind

TMW Award for Best Book

Current Nominees for TMW Award for Best Book
Jack Parker’s 52 Memories- Andi Gladwin
Designing Miracles - Darwin Ortiz
Scripting Magic - Pete McCabe
The Secret Life of Houdini - William Kalush, Larry Sloman

TMW Award for Best Magician

Current Nominees for TMW Award for Best Magician
John Archer
Jeff McBride
David Stone
Shoot Ogawa

TMW Award for Best Website

Current Nominees for TMW Award for Best Website
Magic Unlimited -Tim Ellis
iTricks
Magic Video Depot
MagicWeek
Home Counties Magic Society

TMW Award for Best Newcomer

Current Nominees for TMW Award for Best Newcomer
David Forrest
Benjamin Earl
Justin Lee Collins
Peter Harrison

TMW Award for Lifetime Achievement

Current Nominees for TMW Award for Lifetime Achievement
Wayne Dobson
Michael Ammar
Harry Lorayne
Pat Page
Ali Bongo

Make sure you get over to the awards site and vote for your favorite in each category, voting closes at the end of April

After almost six months of hard work, from conceptual stage to launching last night, I’m very pleased to say that the new Home Counties Magical Society Website is now up and running.

A fully fledged content management system is now in place, and the site provides a full and flexible portal to the magic community and our members.

Visitors to the site will be able to see everything about our Society, from joining instructions, through to finding the location of our Society though interactive maps, you can even get the site to plan a driving route for you!!

As well as the normal Society information, the site provides information about the next lecture, reviews of previous lectures, magic related news and events, show and convention reports.

Members of the society get access to the private side of the site through their own unique username and password, giving them the ability to look through previous society news letters, the DVD Library lists, reviews and new purchases, and other content that is private to the society.

Members can also become more involved in the society through the ability to vote, and have polls on subjects, as well as a number of surprises that we have in store for later in the sites development. Members can also contribute to the site by writing article and news reports.

Advertisers also benefit as we are running a banner advertisement program for magic related companies and magazines, our rates are very very low! If you lecture for us, as an added advantage you’ll get one month of free advertising space following your lecture, which is a great way for members to buy additional items or other societies to contact you following a successful lecture.

We feel that the Home Counties Magical Society now has one of the leading and most flexible society resources for it’s members, and look forward to the opportunity to welcome more visitors and members to the site.

I’m slightly confused about what’s actually happening at Covent Garden now, and what the real agenda is. Beverly Churchill sent me (and everyone who’s emailed her) the same email. Which makes it sound like it’s a simple situation where sound clashes and movement of the public is the problem, she also states that “We believe that street entertainment is a significant part of Covent Garden’s rich heritage“.

However I’m confused by an article in Property Week, that one of the commenters (thanks Lee!!) pointed me towards that states:

Brand and marketing guru Churchill, who has worked at Tesco and with Vittorio Radice at Selfridges, has been taken on by Liberty International-owned Capital & Counties to turn Covent Garden from a tourist trap with tatty market stalls and buskers into a world-class retail and leisure destination with a top-end designer boutique hotel, designer retailers and restaurants. Her most recent job was with retail billionaire Sir Philip Green.

Which is a stark contrast to what we’re being lead to believe in the emails..

PLEASE make sure you join the myspace group that has been set up to show support for the performers. You can take a few moments to sign the online petitions, so please sign both the North Hall petition and the South Courtyard petition. Its very important to sign BOTH!!! You can also voice your disagreement of this by joining the mass email campaign. Just cut and paste the below sentences and send them to beverley-churchill@capcount.com.

I am writing to express my opposition to the reducing of the street theatre performance times by 50% in The North Hall, and South Hall areas in Covent Garden.I urge you to reconsider this direct attack on the livelihood of the famous Covent Garden Street Performers and Classical Musicians. Specifically I’m concerned about the comments made in Property Week regarding “Brand and marketing guru Churchill, who has worked at Tesco and with Vittorio Radice at Selfridges, has been taken on by Liberty International-owned Capital & Counties to turn Covent Garden from a tourist trap with tatty market stalls and buskers into a world-class retail and leisure destination with a top-end designer boutique hotel, designer retailers and restaurants. Her most recent job was with retail billionaire Sir Philip Green.”

Please link to this article, email it on, and spread the word…

Following on from sending an email to Beverley Churchill regarding the proposed changes at Covent Garden I got the following reply from her today:

Dear Andrew

Thank you for your email.

To clarify, we are working on a revised schedule of performances within only one of Covent Gardens performance spaces, the North Halls and Lower Courtyards of the Market Building. This is to overcome the issue of excessive sound levels from clashing performances and the lack of breaks between the shows that has been raised as an issue by other people who live and work in the area.

The schedule will not cut shows by the suggested 50%, but will introduce short breaks between shows to limit the competing noise levels within the two performance areas, while maintaining performance throughout the day for visitors to the area.

We are in ongoing discussions with the street performers on this matter and will continue to work with them to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

We believe that street entertainment is a significant part of Covent Garden’s rich heritage but we need to ensure this works for the whole community.

Kind regards

Bev Churchill

The Magic Castle, Hollywood, is the private clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, a very special organization devoted to the advancement of the ancient art of magic. It’s purpose is to encourage and promote public interest in the art of magic with particular emphasis on preserving its history as an art form, entertainment medium, and hobby.

The Magic Castle began its life as a private home built in 1908 by banker and real estate magnate Rollin B. Lane. Mr. Lane owned much of what is now Hollywood, dreaming of turning his land into orange groves, farms and ranches. Severe drought brought his dreams to an abrupt end and orange blossoms never filled the valley.

The Lane family moved away in the 1940s, and the mansion was divided into a multi-family home, then became a home for the elderly, and was finally transformed into a maze of small apartments. By 1960, the fate of the Mansion was uncertain. Then Milt Larsen met the owner, Thomas O. Glover.

Milt was a writer on the NBC TV show Truth or Consequences. His office was on the ninth floor of a Hollywood office building that overlooked the Lane mansion. Milt’s late father, William W. Larsen, Sr., was a renonwed magician and had long dreamed of building an elegant private club for magicians.

In September of 1961, Milt and a crew of eternally generous friends and volunteers began the extraordinary task of returning this run-down apartment building to its glorious past. After months of scraping and sanding, the rich Victorian elegance began to resurface, and at 5 p.m. on January 2, 1963 The Magic Castle opened its doors.

To gain access to the inner secrets of the Castle you need to whisper the password to the Owl, after which and a short pause the bookcase will slide aside to reveal a dark, low-ceilinged corridor, beyond which is a chintzy bar area where a nude portrait of a boy hang over a piano. Irma, the pianist has been dead for over 72 years, but ask her nicely, and she’ll play any tune are ask for from beyond her ghostly grave.

The Castles recent past though has been more and more uncertain as times gone on, the entire ten-acre Magic Castle site is now again up for sale. The sale has been on and off the table for as long as I can remember, rumors of deals and negotiations flying around the magical fraternity. It now seems though again, according to speculation, that the 11 descendants of the landowner who bought the place for $150,000 in 1948 are said to be considering offers of $70 million. Naturally, apparently promises have been made to preserve the existing structures on the site, including the Castle, but I have a horrible feeling they will go the same way as so much of LA’s instantly disposable history.

Covent Garden has always been the place in London to go if you’ve wanted to see street performers at their best, dating back to the 1600’s covent garden has always had performers, but the current performance areas and agreements still date from the late 1970’s. Covent Garden even has ‘Magicians Corner’ pictured here, frequented by some of the biggest magical names in street performing, including the legendary Bob Read.

However all this could change going forward. Performance has always been a hot potatoes as far as westminster council, and the owners of Covent Garden are concerned. The present owners of the market are Capital and Counties, a member of The Liberty International Group, (http://www.liberty-international.co.uk/). During a key meeting in the Westminster Council Chamber they unsuccessfully opposed the street performers having any involvement in the running of the performance spaces, and are looking to change the way performance is run there. Their main aim is to impose two things that would drastically effect street artistes of all types who work in the market.

1) A 50% reduction in the total time that performers can use the spaces
2) A reduction in the length of each individual show from 40 mins to 30 mins.

The idea of a street show, as veterans like Gazzo and others know, is that the true street performer does not perform to passing trade, they gather an audience, produce a show and collect or ‘hat’ at the end, implementing these changes could cost the performers between 25% and 50% of their total average income, making the venue unviable for performers, which will undoubtedly lead to street performing in Convent Garden to die out.

I feel very strongly about this, and a myspace group has been set up to show support for the performers. You can take a few moments to sign the online petitions, so please sign both the North Hall petition and the South Courtyard petition.

You can also voice your disagreement of this by joining the mass email campaign. Just cut and paste the below sentences and send them to beverley-churchill@capcount.com.

I am writing to express my opposition to the reducing of the street theatre performance times by 50% in The North Hall, and South Hall areas in Covent Garden.I urge you to reconsider this direct attack on the livelihood of the famous Covent Garden Street Performers and Classical Musicians.

Please link to this article, email it on, and spread the word…

photo credit: alextakesphotos

I’m struggling at the moment to get myself kicked into seriously doing some magic.. I’m not sure why.. I have my first effect now in the process of being published, a potential second one in the workings, and even getting close to working of the kinks in possibly the ultimate signed card routine thats currently going under the simple name of ‘Michelle’..

Yet I’ve sat here struggling to work out how to make the next leap.. My now good friend Brendon have been assisting with some Three Fly practice over skype today, but I guess my real issue, as it’s always been.. has been practice..

I remember asking Jeff McBride about ‘Practicing‘ and ‘Playing with new material‘ (I have taken out some aspects of this quote due to description of methods);

As for ‘Playing” with new material. If you use this word “playing” with material, you are not taking your practice or rehearsal sessions seriously. this term is one that slips into our vocabulary when we are afraid to commit to WORK!

If you want to play..no good! If you want to work…here is how I work on new pieces.

I set time aside each morning for mirror practice. Yes I know some things can’t be rehearsed. The camera does not blink. It can see you peek, and is a harsh but loyal helper in refining secret techniques.

Here is what I do to WORK on new pieces.

When I break in mentalism pieces, it is usually for small groups here at my home. I have a camera set up at all times with a fresh tape, ready to go. If I have the pleasure of having guests drop over. .. I will ask them if they worked like to see something new that I am working on. (most often they suffer through the work session with a smile) I sit them down with a cup of tea, and get the camera rolling.

During performance, I can watch their eyes. Over the years I can tell when they are looking where they are directed of NOT!

After I watch the tape back I can script the words spoken, quips from the audience, and add any of my ad-libs or improvisations that may have occurred during the session. Often time the best material comes from the audience during these sessions. I can then start to work on memorizing the script and get ready to refine the piece on the next rehearsal.

Yes, it is a challenge to rehearse some mental effects with no one to help; impossible in some situations. I am presently working on a crystal gazing act and have to continually invite friends over to my home theater to watch my performances. It will take many years of this work to get this piece polished, because it require so much” on the fly” feedback with the answering of the questions. I perform it at every social function and charity event I can do! I have been working 2 years on this act. Only a few weeks ago I placed a small portion of this “loose material .”( the hammock) between two of my strong pieces in my show. This technique is called “hammocking”. You put a new piece of “loose” material between two pillars of strong , solid material.

This “hammocking” process has worked well for me. I suggest you try it!

Video all of your shows!

Last week Eugene and the faculty of THE MAGIC AND MYSTERY SCHOOL where invited by David Copperfield, to visit his museum here in Las Vegas. David showed us his video archive. David has video taped EVERY show he has ever done. Not only that, but he has reviewed EVERY tape and marked it for spontaneous remarks and adlibs that HE made. AND he marks down adlibs that the audience makes during the show. The good stuff he adds to the show. the mistakes he revise so he will know how to handle the situation better the next show.

David shared a real inside secret with us… VIDEO EVERY SHOW! …now we pass this example of his commitment to excellence on to you! Hey, he does over 500 shows a year and videos and reviews all of them, and sells more tickets than any solo performer, including Madonna and Michael Jackson!

My camera is loaded and ready to go! All the best to you Andrew and see you in Cornwall next year! Kenny form Kernow will have the info in a few months about the timing of the classes.

Your friend in the mystery, Jeff McBride

This helps me some, but I really have still a huge problem with the whole idea of HOW to practice and work material…

The Ellusionist Blog has some interesting news about a potential new UK Magic show coming up this year

Magic on UK TV seems to be taking an upturn as of lately with a number of specials and shows having aired. These shows have subsequently spread across the shores to the US; the trend seems to be continuing. We’ve heard of a new magic show will be shooting this summer at bars around the UK.

The show that has yet to be named is being produced for a new UK channel launching this year. The difference—they are working with a little known magician who’ll be performing his own material alongside the cream of effects from the magic community in a ‘new and unique way’.

Having spoken to the magician at the center of the show, we’re sure that UK viewers are in for a treat, and a refreshing change in magic shows. “Everything I’m performing in the show, from my own material to the already released material, will be very unique in its presentation.

As to what the unique slant is and who the mystery newcomer is—stay tuned, and don’t touch that dial—we’ll be right back!

It all sounds very interesting, and a bit cryptic, but I’m hoping to do some more digging to find out what’s going on..