Saturday Night Contest - MC2 x 2014

CaseyRudd

Director of Operations
Team member
Jun 5, 2009
3,393
3,801
Charleston, SC
www.instagram.com
Tonight, we kick off the start of our new Magic & Cardistry Competition - MC2x2014. This is a new annual competition for both magic and cardistry that aims to push the envelope even further than before.

Your task is to make one video of magic and/or cardistry in 60 seconds max. You can make it all magic, all cardistry, or both. This is the criteria that we are looking for:

- 60 seconds max
- Presentation. Present your video in a unique way that has never been done before. Make it so that no one else can replicate it.
- Creativity. We want to see originality and style. Make it unique, whether it be the moves, filming style, editing, or location.
- Overall impact. By the end of your video we want to be left with a lasting impression. Make it meaningful, and make it memorable.

To be clear, this is a film competition, so production quality counts. Make your video as high-impact and polished as you possibly can! Show us your talent, your skill, and most of all - your creativity.

The contest officially starts tonight. The deadline to submit your video is exactly 2 weeks from today - Saturday, December 6th at 7:30pm EST. Name your video and post the link to it in response to THIS forum thread by no later than the deadline. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. If your video is marked as private or we can't watch it, we can't judge it. Also, old videos do not count. All submissions must be uploaded specifically for this contest. If you submit an old video, you will be disqualified and your submission will not be judged.

This year's Magic & Cardistry Competition will end with a top 3. Here are the prizes associated with each tier:

FIRST PLACE will receive 100 Decks of Monarch Playing Cards! Yes, you read that right. 100 decks! The first place winner will also receive a laser-etched, custom engineered trophy and 1,000 Elite Member Points.

SECOND and THIRD PLACE will each receive their very own laser-etched, custom engineered trophy, along with 1,000 Elite Member Points.

Good luck to everyone; we can't wait to see all of the submissions!

UPDATE: See additional tips and suggestions just posted here.
 

j.bayme

ceo / theory11
Team member
Jul 23, 2007
2,848
352
New York City
Does this mean that there won't be any contest in between this and the close?

Think of this as a normal Saturday Night Contest on steroids, with two weeks to enter and ten times greater prize!

Best of luck to everyone who enters - make it count. Excited to see your entries and your skills in action.
 

Zak The Wizard

Elite Member
Jul 1, 2014
32
4
USA
Anthony, my interpretation of the contest was that it would be a contest of filmmaking with elements of magic and cardistry throughout it. It sounds like they want us to use the sixty seconds to go on a journey through the arts and leave a lasting impact while doing so. Presentation seems to be key so whether it be the most unique magic, cardistry, filming, or editing, it must be completely original. To me it sounds like an opportunity to express your style as an artist in as unique of a manner as you can.
 
Nov 24, 2014
1
0
I get this error trying to use the free spin:

"The requested content cannot be loaded.
Please try again later."

Any help please?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mar 6, 2010
138
3
Length of video

Hey guys. I am excited to participate in this contest, but I wish the video could be a little longer than a minute. Is there any way we could go over a minute in order to fully capture the meaning of our video?
 

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
2,966
1,101
Utah
Alrighty, here's my entry. I didn't want to be the first but her it is!

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOYrgnkYJOY[/video]
 
Last edited by a moderator:

CaseyRudd

Director of Operations
Team member
Jun 5, 2009
3,393
3,801
Charleston, SC
www.instagram.com
Hey guys, hope you all are enjoying your weekend! By this time next Saturday, the Magic & Cardistry Competition will come to a close, and the judging process will begin. If you are still filming/editing your submission, we have a few tips that could take your video to the next level and come closer to taking home 100 decks of Monarchs.

First, here is the the winning video of our Cardistry Collaboration Contest in 2009. What set that video apart from the rest in that competition was the fact that the cardistry was ridiculously creative, and the production was on point. The combination of those two definitely set the bar extremely high, and it ultimately won them the competition. If your magic/cardistry is creative, you increase your chance of winning, so put that into consideration while filming your video.

Here is the winner of the Burt Wonderstone Contest in 2013. Ryuji Chua knocked it out of the park with his submission. Really slick moves, and a subtle storyline to keep us guessing and excited till the end. It contained everything a great video needs, and that is why he walked away with the grand prize.

Another tip I want to stress is that having the best camera doesn't mean you will have the best video. Yes, we are looking for production quality, so we expect the video to be in HD. But you don't have to have the newest model DSLR to make your video great. Almost all mobile phones can record 720p or 1080p HD, so access to a quality camera is easier than ever to obtain. Your production is all in the cinematography, lighting, and the composition of the shots. When filming a particular move, make sure the angle of your shot compliments it. Also, lighting is a crucial part of any shot. Sometimes, a shot can be ruined by backlighting, or the whole shot contains too much light and is almost blinding. The right lighting can compliment your shot and can set a particular mood/atmosphere. When it comes to composition, we don't want to see every move in the dead center of the screen. Doing that will not give your video variety and will make it hard to keep our interest. Spice things up, and get creative with positioning.

Obviously, location is very important. It will be almost near impossible to win this composition by shooting the video in your bedroom with clothes everywhere. Pick a location that will help with the theme of your video and will help set the mood and atmosphere in conjunction with the cinematography, lighting, and composition. All of those things have to come together as one to set your video apart from the rest.

Going back to the original criteria; it is important to be creative, deliver your video with a unique presentation, and overall make an impact. We want to specifically remember your video because we have never seen anything like it before.

With that said, we hope you take our tips into consideration and make your video the best it can be. We all look forward to seeing your submissions, and we are prepared to be blown away. You guys have what it takes, and we can't wait to see the result. Once again, the deadline is next Saturday, December 6th, at 7:30pm EST, so make sure your videos are linked in response to THIS forum thread by no later than that time. Good luck to everyone!
 

Pete Pridanonda

Elite Member
Jun 13, 2009
402
35
Think of this as a normal Saturday Night Contest on steroids, with two weeks to enter and ten times greater prize!

Best of luck to everyone who enters - make it count. Excited to see your entries and your skills in action.
I don't get it. So will there be SNC this week or next week? Yes or No?
 
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