As I've previously mentioned, the FISM World Championships of Magic did not disappoint.
Magic, real and imaginary, could be found at every corner.
Here's a write-up of my thoughts and emotions as a first-timer.
Getting To Grips With The FISM Schedule
It's funny, taking time off work to book a holiday - that ends up with a more hectic schedule than your 'normal' life back home.
Yet that's exactly what happened, during my trip to Busan at FISM.
On a workday, back in London, I'll usually get up around 7am or so - I'm not a morning person so this feels early for me, though I appreciate it's not necessarily to most people.
Here at FISM lectures would start at 8.30am (earlier than my 9am start at work!) so it would require a similarly early start to get ready and travel across to the venue in time to grab a good seat.
Not easy when you were at a lecture that finished at midnight the night before, had a few drinks and ended up going to bed in the early hours of the morning.
I felt drained and, being honest, didn't always get to shows for the start time of 8.30, but that's more of a reflection on myself than it is the quality of the magic.
Discovering Magic From All Over The World
One of the most amazing parts of the entire FISM experience is discovering new acts, magicians and performers that you may not have heard of.
There's a wide range of magic to see, from watching the Close-Up Magic Contest with parlour and card magic, through to Stage Magic with comedy, mental, mapnipulation and general magic on offer.
Magicians come from all over the world to compete, often training years to do so.
Unfortunately for you as readers, however, it was strictly prohibited to record these performances as to do so may reveal secrets of the trade and of the individual's act.
The best I could manage, without breaking the rules, was a screenshot of the performers as they were introduced:
I did, sadly, see a small number of magicians try and film the acts, which I found disrespectful to the magicians performing, potentially putting them off and / or leading to the release of their secrets.
I did, however, take notes in the intervals of as many performers as I could manage, to summarise their acts and jog my memory in the weeks / months / years to come.
Please note: these are my own personal thoughts, comments and initial scores out of 5. They're not affiliated with those of FISM or any of the panel, and represent my subjective opinion as an impartial spectator. It's worth noting that I am most certainly not of a FISM standard myself, but I learnt from and respect each and every performer.
Take Wednesday, the 3rd day of FISM and the second day of the Stage Magic competition. In one four-hour sitting (yes you read that correctly - four hours!), for example, you would see 18 performances.
Eighteen different magicians, spanning the world from Argentinian stage illusionist Lipan Jr. to Russian comedic magician Vadini and the manipulation of Dutch performer Zippo The Funky Magician. I have not made these names up, they are real artists performing real acts.
Here are my thoughts on Taiwanese magician Eric Chien's performance, for example. More on him later, to reward those that read my posts in full ;-) .
Lectures
Whether you wanted to watch Card Magic For People Who Don't Like Card Magic or simply want to better understand Space, Movement & Magic, it's likely that as a magician at least one lecture would pique your interest.
It reminded me of a busy festival line-up where you have to pick between your favourite artists as you traipse across the fields to see them play.
One of my favourites, as someone that loves card and close-up magic, was the lecture of French magician Boris Wild.
Though it won't necessarily mean much to you or give anything away* - here's a snapshot of the notes I took on the day.
*Ps I hope it really *doesn't *give anything away, so pat yourself on the back if it does
Meeting MopMan
Take, for example, Tina Lernert's MopMan act.
Whether you classify it as 'conventional' (whatever that means) stage magic, or whether you simply find it magical, it's an act that has taken Tina the world over and has been performed in front of thousands, most likely tens of thousands of people.
I'll be honest in that I had never heard of her MopMan act, but was recommended to go to her seminar with husband / comedian / fellow magician Mike Caveney. Long story short, I'm very glad I did.
Every magician finds inspiration in different places, and Tina's lecture walked through how MopMan had over 27 different sources, both material (ie a technical aspect of the performance), or emotional (a memorable life event or trigger).
This really struck a chord with me as whether I'm writing blogs or performing magic, I'm always looking for inspiration and it's not always easy to find.
Sitting down and discovering the act, then hearing about its entire thought process, in a room full of equally passionate and interested people, really is an unforgettable experience.
I managed to catch her afterwards and thank her for sharing her thoughts with us all; the humble, kind response I received was a reminder of how welcoming the magic community can be.
The Gala Shows
I loved the gala shows.
These were a mix of stage shows with performers from all over the world. Over the course of six days the audience was treated to:
- Korean magician Lee Eun Gyeol's show The Illusion
- An Asian Gala show featuring some of the continent's best performers
- The* Magic Circus*, including illusions, comedy and circus acts from all over
- Mixing Mysteries; a show put together by the infamous mentalist Max Maven
- Korean Night; performances from the host country's top acts, including Ted Kim and Han Seoul Hui
- The Final Contest, the show on which winners of each category would be assessed to decide the winners of the overall Grand Prix.
Again, you sadly were not allowed to film performances, so I captured the final moments of the Asian gala show:
The Final Awards
Even to be accepted as an entrant for any of the FISM competitions, you have have reached an exceptionally high standard of talent.
Many performers have won national competitions and most have been put forward by their local clubs or countries, then gone on to train for months or even years to perform at FISM.
The final day of FISM, day 6, includes the final performance - one from all the winners of the various categories - and decisions on the winners.
This year's very well-deserved winners of the two Grand Prix were Eic Chien from Taiwan, for Close-Up, and Miguel Muñoz from Spain, for Stage.
Both were incredible performers with stunning routines, and I recommend trying to find footage of their other magic on YouTube and thereabouts.
The full list of winners for the range of other awards on the night can be found here.
There we have it. My first ever World Championships of Magic, in none other than South Korea.
Have you got any interesting trips lined up? I'd love to hear about them!
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