OK, I'll just get to the point by saying that I lost the contest. I didn't even place in the top 3, most likely because of self defeating behavior. I've lost many contests due to my own desire to break the rules. I used to like to say the work fuck in my act. In fact, I had a guy come up to me at the convention who said, "I remember you! I saw you at the Castle and you said FUCK." Anyway, there were other contests where I didn't give a shit about the length of my act.
Over the years the realized that if I wanted to start winning magic contests, I needed to play by the rules. This contest was different, I didn't cuss at all, my performance was within the regulation time, but I was faced with a new kind of challenge. It was a Close-Up Contest yet the closest audience member was 20 feet away from the close-up table. There were two large screens on either side of the table and a camera shooting the acts. I didn't like the idea of my audience watching TV and I fooled myself into thinking that I could get them to watch me and not my image in the screen. So, I came out from behind the table and approached the front row to start my act. BIG MISTAKE, The only lighting that the camera could use was the pin point spot lighting on the table 20 feet from the front row. So, when I came out from behind the table I was in bad light. I can't say that I've ever performed in this situation. I've worked with large screens on stage where the audience was huge (1000+ people) but I've never tried to work this way in a room with 100 people. I tried to connect with the audience, but I was fighting the set up. It was weird, I was standing 10 feet away from someone, I'm trying to make eye contact, but they're staring at the big screen. I felt a total disconnect with the audience and later evaluated that they must have been feeling the same way. Just as I wanted them to look me in the eyes, I'm guessing that they wanted me to look into the camera lens.
Half way through my performance I realized I was eating it. I did the cups and balls behind the table in the good light, but it was too late. If you don't get the audience on your side from the get go, it can be hard to play catch up. I finished with the rings and repeated my earlier mistake, I wanted the audience to watch me and tried to stand up on a chair to be more visible. Immediately from my belly up I was out of the spot light. I checked the screen and got off the chair. Doing the best I could, I pulled the table out of the way and performed the rings to the camera lens.
After my set, I was not happy. In my heart, I wanted to dedicated that performance to my recently dead mother (who was my biggest fan). I wanted to make her proud. I felt that I didn't. Further brow beating myself, I was reminded that I never really made her proud anyways so what did it matter. I went to my room to change clothes and by the time I came back down I was fine.
Life is a learning process and I learned a lot that day. I was touched and flattered that some told me that they had got out of bed that early specifically to support me. Thanks Curtis Kam, Steve Brooks and the Seattle Magic Posse.
The best acts won, I have no problem saying that.
Congratulations to them all.
