Saturday Night Contest - Unnatural : 24 Hours

jonraiker

vp of development
Team member
Aug 5, 2007
1,330
24
Florida
instagram.com
Tonight's Saturday Night Contest was inspired by a submission posted earlier this week in our Media section - Unnatural. Quite simply, Ineski accomplishes nothing in the effect. To the spectator, a single playing card is placed face down on the table and then, after some brief byplay, turned back over by the performer. In reality, there's so much more happening. The description sums up the message of the video:

"Too many people are focusing only on the unnecessary, unnatural sleights. This sometimes makes the magic very confusing to follow and the effects get blurred."

Your goal tonight is to create a video showcasing an original routine, constructed so it portrays this message. That is, an effect that - to a laymen - accomplishes nothing, but involves a minimum of three sleight of hand movements. You can utilize patter, or perform the routine to music; whichever you please. We're looking for the most beautiful, creative, and original submission.

To ensure you have plenty of time to come up with something extraordinary, you have until 11:00pm EST tomorrow (Sunday) to get your submissions in - to be judged by the theory11 team. Videos can be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, or drop.io. Tonight's winner will receive a copy of our latest release from Jason England - Foundations - in digital download format. Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with.
 
Aug 31, 2007
1,960
1
34
Long Island/New York
So we need to do a minimum of 3 sleights that we don't need to perform but will anyway in front of spectators to show nothing happened? Why?
I don't understand it.
 
So let me get this strait, the contest is to create an original effect/ routing that uses at a minimum three slights, to which end appears to have done nothing for the effect (in otherwords completely invisible) from the spectators perspective?
 

Joe.Carr

Banned
Jul 3, 2009
14
0
exactly, i like this, shame its too late and i'm lying in bed, but i would do something along the lines of, flashy double lift, eg. dan and dave's centre double, show say the 3 of clubs, brush on the side of the deck, depositing the random card, then casually top change, but keep the card face down. Then place the random card face down on the table not showing it, and then palm the card on the top of the deck, and use the macmillan switch to turn over the card, thus revealing the 3 of clubs and achieving nothing. :D 3sleights, right there.

oooh i've just seen the date is extended, however im out all sunday. :(
 
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
0
Sweet. I'll possibly be entering this one...we'll see if I have some time to think of something after the UFC fight tonight, and have the time to actually film it tomorrow while I'm out. I like this idea for the SNC! :)
 
I am certain I've missed the intended mark on this one because it looks like a lot of work for no gain. Doing three or more slights with nothing happening magical for the spectator just seems like magical masturbation to me, done because it only makes you feel good.

I'm am now infact certain that I missed something, a plot that assinine just doesn't seem like something the boys at T11 would come up with.
 
Aug 31, 2007
1,960
1
34
Long Island/New York
I am certain I've missed the intended mark on this one because it looks like a lot of work for no gain. Doing three or more slights with nothing happening magical for the spectator just seems like magical masturbation to me, done because it only makes you feel good.

I'm am now infact certain that I missed something, a plot that assinine just doesn't seem like something the boys at T11 would come up with.

I'm saying the same thing.
Don't get me wrong, the message in the video was good, but I took it that it was for magicians giving the message that we don't need to do all these different moves in order to accomplish one thing.
But doing this in a performance is pointless. Why would I want to do this? What is this purpose?
 
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
0
But doing this in a performance is pointless. Why would I want to do this? What is this purpose?
The same reason we learn a lot of what we do in school -- as a mental (and physical, as the case may be) exercise. :)
 
Sep 1, 2007
457
0
San Diego
evryone wants to show off when noone asks- but when we're asked NOBODY wants to do anything?

Come on guys, have fun- show off, show us that the move monkeys can actually do something
 
If the point is to excersize then I would almost encourage the subject matter to be practical.

When was the last time you ever needed to quote the Gettsburg address outside of your American History final?

If the point is practice then in the persuit of professional interest the subject matter should be relevant to the skills needed in the working field.

Forgive me for being a critic but this challenge appears to do nothing more for the individual than stoke ones ego.
 
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
0
If the point is to excersize then I would almost encourage the subject matter to be practical.

When was the last time you ever needed to quote the Gettsburg address outside of your American History final?

If the point is practice then in the persuit of professional interest the subject matter should be relevant to the skills needed in the working field.

Forgive me for being a critic but this challenge appears to do nothing more for the individual than stoke ones ego.
The use of critical thinking skills/thinking outside the box are needed in this challenge...useful skills when trying to brainstorm ideas for other, more practical effects. How is that not important to have as a magician? And the school reference I was making would be more along the lines of how to critically assess a novel. Something most of us won't do, unless we pursue a career in the Arts and Humanities...however, that skill can spill over into other aspects of our life, such as critically analyzing newspapers, opinions of others, etc.

I find the reactions to this SNC, mixed with the reactions to last night's 1-on-1, just hilarious. We were given an effect, completely done for us, and practical, for $5, but people complained about how simple it is, and how it wasn't a useful sleight or skill that we can apply to other effects or aspects of our magic. Now, we're given an opportunity to help develop some critical thinking skills (used in a situation where we are forced to think outside of the box), for free (which could actually turn out to be profitable, for whoever wins), and now there are complaints that it's not practical enough? Awesome...just awesome. :rolleyes:
 
Jul 8, 2008
443
1
Damn. I'm confused as hell lol. So we need to do a routine where the sleights are so natural that it looks like we are doing nothing. For example, a REALLY smooth double lift where it looks like we just push the card to the sdie a little adn then let it flip off our finger face up onto the deck? Do we need to have a climax to the trick or do something just like in the video where nothing happens and you just do a bunch of sleights?
 
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