[DONE]The Lord of All Contests - UPDATED AND GOING

[Will Thong]

Dear all,
There will be a contest run on this thread. The prize will be 1 free VIP, generously donated by Exo. I don't know what's going to happen if you are a VIP already, but maybe you just get a pat on the back.
We have now filled the team of judges. Anybody wishing to be a judge, tough luck. All judges have a "join date" of 2007 or earlier to avoid people creating dummy accounts to judge themselves with. Anybody judging leniently because of friendships will be fired. We will mark harshly, out of 20. Judges follow a rigorous mark scheme: 5 marks for technicality, 5 for style, 5 for originality (making the trick unique to you or making a unique trick) and 5 for personal preference, at each judge's discretion. We now have a 5-judge team, so the entries can start to roll in!
The rules are as follows:
You may post a video of yourself (and only yourself; we don't want anyone pretending that somebody else's work is their own) performing a magic trick on this thread, whether the trick is of your own invention or otherwise. Before you present your trick however, you must hold up a piece of paper/card displaying your username and name of trick. This is to prevent people passing off other people's performances as their own. If you want, you can involve however many spectators you want, but if any of them are stooges, please let us know in your entry post. Your performance will be marked out of 20 by each judge, then all the marks will be added up to give a final mark. Be prepared to be marked harshly, and be prepared to answer any questions about the trick, should the judges ask them of you. If you put all the information about the trick into your entry post, you will remove the need to ask questions, thus making the judges happy, thus getting you more marks. So it is in your best interests to tell us as much as possible
Remember, the grand prize of 1 free VIP can ONLY be given to 1 PERSON. You've gotta be in it to win it.
If you do not have access to a video recorder/camcorder/mobile phone/flashy camera that can take videos, then unfortunately, you are not eligible to compete in this contest. But you can still be a judge, or you could borrow a friend's; a lot of people own videophones.
This contest will run for 1 month until 11th February 2008, then if there are enough entries, then we will start marking. If not, we will go on for another month and so on and so forth.
Thanks to Exo for providing a free VIP as a prize, everyone on the suggestions thread who helped inspire this contest and everyone on this thread for helping me out with technicalities and rules.

The Judging Team:
Willthong (Head Judge)
Cameraboirzu (Second Judge)
Donkeykong (Third Judge (and Member of the Month for December!))
drkrelemnts (Fourth Judge)
^R^ed-$py (the Last Judge)


Many thanks,
Willthong

[DonVito91]

does it necesarilly have to be a magic trick?

i mean what if someone has come up with some flourishes or effects or productions?

do these count in as well?

[Will Thong]

No. Unfortunately, we will not accept a video of a production or flourish. Magic tricks only. There can be a hazy grey area as to what counts, but the final decision lies with me. However, if your card handling shows evidence of knowing some XCM, it could boost your style rating, and if you finish with the production of an item as a logical climax to a trick, then by all means it will also boost your score. But this contest is ONLY for magic tricks, whether they be single effects or routines.

[Brandon Pomeroy]

At the beginning of your post, you say the scoring will be out of twenty, then in the middle you say twenty-five. Which is it? (Just curious)

[donkeykong]

Since the prize is a VIP, maybe you could get the judges from VIP only?? Kind of make some usefullness out of the VIP here? LOL....

As... we are not sure if non-members will be serious enought with the judging.. i know they will be serious, but just an 'if'... also, a non-VIP judge might also help a friend or make another account and try to judge himself to get a VIP?? Well.. not that it will happen, but just some 'If' thoughts that maybe could be taken into consideration..

[grizzlyaddam]

hmmm.....how about, before the magician starts the trick He/She will have to hold a paper sign with thier username or contestan number. that way we'll know that that's the person who entered this contest.

Just My 2cents....

[Will Thong]

Cornman: Very sorry. I originally had 25, but I realised 5x25 is 125 rather than 100 like I wanted, so I changed it to 20. I've edited it there as well now.

Donkeykong: Nice idea. Not so sure about how we're going to manage it if people make fake accounts. Perhaps we could limit it to VIPs, but we'd still have the "friends" problem if people make alliances. I'll leave it for now, but I'll make a 20-post count minimum for judges. That's now in the rules. If any judges start misbehaving, I can just fire them. I know it's only a possibility, and it probably won't happen, but it's Exo's real VIPs we're playing about with here, so I need to be as fair as possible

Grizzlyaddam: Great idea, I'll stick it in immediately. Funny, it'll look like if they're in prison holding up their cards for the mugshots lol.

[Hansi]

A easy way to prevent fake account would be if you just choose people who had their account before you opened this thread.

What do you think?
Hansi

[Will Thong]

OMG Hansi you are a genius. I was so thick not to think of that. Updating now...

[S.U.B-Xero]

No judges till now ? I want to participate too but i have some questions . We can create a video of any trick ? . What if its a street performance then how we will do the holding a piece of paper part ?

[Will Thong]

^R^ed-$py: Wait a second...I said no ENTRIES till now, not no judges till now. If you want to be a judge, then say so now.
If it's a street performance, you'll have to find a way around it. Perhaps you could show the paper and then walk out to whoever you are performing it to.

[Kirbynator]

so we have to go on the street? Why we can perorm is at home only in front of the camera? i am confused xD. But we dont have to perform tricks which we have invented. We also can perform tricks like 2 card monte ,shapeshifter(lol)??

[Will Thong]

Kirbynator: No, the word "street" was a direct reference to ^R^ed-$py's question about "what if we need to do it on the street?" And no, your trick does not have to be self invented, but something like Shapeshifter; you'll probably get nothing for "originality" and a lower mark for personal preference. 2 card monte is alright, but if you want "originality" marks, make the performance your own, with new patter etc.

[Kirbynator]

yeah it was only a joke^^ but hell yeah this will be awesome It also can be mentalism or doin magic?

[Will Thong]

Kirbynator: Yes, it can be mentalism, because it fits into the broad umbrella of magic. Sort of. But it'd probably be better if you did it with a spectator. Then you can see how it works. If it's a stooge effect, then your presentation needs to be damn good. And you should probably let us know.