FISM ASIA 2014. THE STAGE COMPETITION.

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KateMedvedeva
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FISM ASIA 2014. THE STAGE COMPETITION.

Postby KateMedvedeva » November 30th, 2014, 4:31 pm

THE STAGE COMPETITION. FISM ASIA 2014.

FISM ASIA is a unique event. I am grateful to AN SONG U and Hyung Jun Kim (Casa) for inviting me to be a part of this congress.

I would like to thank Kei Izumi who was an official photographer at the FISM ASIA convention for great photos. http://www.keisukeizumi.com
Kei Izumi is not only a wonderful photographer he is a talented designer, take a look at his new creation "Play Fair" deck of cards:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/12 ... k-of-cards

I shall not be mistaken if I say that East is a different world. Asian magicians have their unique style. ASIA starts playing a bigger roll in the modern world, as well as eastern magicians change the face of the magic art today.

Seven countries sent their representatives: China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand. There were 43 participants in a Stage Competition without one mentalist and only one contestant with a Grand Illusion. 21 magicians took part in a Close-Up Competition.

Of course most of the contestants were young but there were a few elderly magicians. I would like to mention Satoru Furukawa ("Manipulation", Japan).
His technique was perfect. Certainly that was a "set" of classical manipulations with cards and some of you would have called them "old school" techniques but you should have seen HOW he demonstrated them. His performance was filled with great enthusiasm and energy. The audience shared his emotions. As to the finally of his routine, even young people could have envied him: at first he did a few tricks with Jumbo cards, Jumbo cards turned into Super Giant card fans (in both hands) then he let most of the cards fall and in a second opened new card fans, he did it again and again. Bravo!
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I would like to apologize to you in advance because I am not going to describe acts. I think it is a waist of time. I suppose MAGIC is a kind of art that should be seen live rather than be prepared for examination purposes, the essence of magic can be lost in the in detail description. I'll try to highlight trends which will help us to see what makes Asian magicians so different and unique.

"Consider the past and you shall know the future".
Chinese proverb

The most difficult choice is between: "anew" and "new". Thoughts about something new usually scare and excite us at the same time. What will outweigh a fear or a challenge? Will you dare to take a step into the UNKNOWN?
Last time at the World FISM convention in Blackpool I noticed that the Korean Team had badges: "Create. Don't copy!". We are WHAT we think and it was proved once again. It has been long time since I saw so many original acts, fresh ideas, new props in one competition.
Yuki Iwane ("Manipulation", Japan). He manipulated the stars and the moon. A very thin sickle moon transformed into a crescent and then to the full moon, of course eventually the moon turned into a ball... where are we without ball manipulation?
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Lee, Hyong Woo ("General Magic", Korea). Korean Harry Potter. His act was bright and original. A short example of his creativity: instead of balls, he used crumpled sheets of paper; the other his prop was appearing books...
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Kento Mukai ("Manipulation", Japan). He used hands of clock instead of sticks.
David Hung ("Manipulation", China). He performed in a classical manner, but there was one item that made his manipulations look different – a bow tie.
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Lee, Young Min ("Comedy magic" Korea). He did magic with stickers (Yellow Re-stick Pads).
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CY ("General Magic", Korea). A dove act. What can be new about it? His movements and techniques differed, when the first dove appeared it seemed like real magic, several times a cry of astonishment rolled over the hall. Usually we want to see an artist's live performance, but this time I had a contrary feeling I would love to watch his act on video, with a remote control in my hand (a slow-motion mode is an irreplaceable feature).
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Den Den - 2nd place "Manipulation", Japan. Manipulations with paper cranes (origami). It was breathtaking and a routine was very beautiful. This was something completely new !!!
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Imaginative thinking.

Another peculiarity of Asian magicians is an imaginative thinking. A trick creates an image then as a seed it germinates in spectator's heart and inbues it with emotions.
Probably the secret is hidden in their culture, in hieroglyphics ... A hieroglyphic itself is an image, it is usually made of several characters. For example the word "sadness" is composed of two characters "heart" and "Autumn", i.e., "Autumn in the heart". They think in images, so maybe that is the reason why their perception of the world varies.

Young-Min Kim, Korea - the Most Original stage act & 3rd place in "General Magic" . It was a masterpiece (maybe a little bit raw, unrehearsed...still a masterpiece). Sometimes there was a feeling as if you were transported to another reality. I do not even know how to describe it ... the manipulation with sand whirlwinds? .. It was a sense of wonder, which still does not leave me.
A similar impression "Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan" made on me.
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Rings, scarves, ropes, cards, balls... were used so often that they cast a gloom, but a creative approach may bring a new reading OR slightly modified angle of view at familiar objects, can completely change their perception.

Lee, Chang Min, Korea - 3rd place "Manipulation". He tried to create an illusion as if he was not manipulating cards, as if it was a dance of butterflies. He waved first two cards so they looled like flapping wings; card fans changed colors brining an association with an amazing variety of butterflies; in such a way other usual manipulation movements looked different. It gave an impulse to my imagination so it startred to finish images: a layout of 8 colorful cards (with both hands) transformed into a rainbow in my mind.
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Benny Li ("General Magic", China) found another solution: he writes a letter, tears it to pieces, and these are not the cards any more, that are shreds, scraps of paper, separat words, which he tries to put together in a right way to change a meaning of his message, to show his feelings... manipulations are the same, but an act looks completely different.
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Dramatic Art.

As a person with a theatrical education (5 year course in the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts) I could not be pleased more. There was a large number of acts with a plot, the drama & vivid characters.

Taijyu Fujiyama (Japan) - 1st place "General Magic". Masks. It was more than an act, it was a theatre play, it was a combination of Japanese mythology, folk characters, acting, choreography, not to mention the tricks. He changed masks and images with lightning speed. BRAVO !!! (and for sure an ENCORE!!!).
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CS Choi - 2nd place "General Magic", Korea.
Horror-style act, this was a story about an artist and his paintings that came to life.
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Mala John (“Comedy magic", Malaysia). "James Bond". The plot, staging, knifes fights... it was very funny and there were many tricks, but unfortunately he did not get a prize, I hope that he will come to World FISM Championship in Rimini and you would be able to see it.
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Lee, Young Min (“Comedy magic”, Korea). "One day of an office-worker’s life." (The guy with the stickers).

Lee, Hyong Woo (“General Magic”, Korea). "Adventures of Harry Potter." It was such a joy watching his act, as if I were in the cinema... I could have watched it again and again.

Former Soul (“General Magic”, Taiwan). It was a remake of the movie “The Lake House”.

Song Da Min (“General Magic”, Korea). Korean folk dorama (drama). I shall not retell you the story, I should rather describe the final trick: a tree turned into a girl. It was beautiful, visual and entertaining.
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I would like to draw your attention to Lee Han (Korea) - 3rd place "General Magic."
His act is built on "a move". At the beginning he sets up a camera at an edge of a stage, as if he wants to record his act. The magician starts his performance, in the middle of his routine something goes wrong (I even sympathized and at the same time admired how he found a way out of this situation, as it turned out – I shouldn’t). He finishes his act, the audience applauds him, but it is not a final yet. He starts to "view" a recorded video… and it is when the fun began, Han Lee showed the same number, but in reverse order, in rapid rewinding... and the "way out" was a part of it. It was fun!
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I can’t help mentioning Po-Cheng Lai’s Fans Act (“Manipulation”, Taiwan). Interesting combinations; a very well thought-out composition; visual effects; masculine; stylish.
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Lukas (Korea) the Grand Prix "Stage Magic".
What is his secret? Referring to the classics he finds something NEW, besides it he has a talent to "restyle" old trick, making them seem new. In comparison with his performance at the World FISM Championship 2012 he changed a bit his act, added a few tricks. Maybe it was a combination of unexceptionable techniques, music, lights and a costume, but there was something elusive in his performance, he created a sense of wonder, his act was filled with magic. Maybe that is why he was the only one who got a standing ovation.
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“Stage Magic” Jury Panel:
Luis de Matos (Portugal)
Danny Cole (USA)
Kris Castro (Philippines)
Yumi Nakajima (Japan)
Ham, Jeong Kyun (Korea)
Gerrit Brengman (Belgium)
Xu Qiu (China)
Cyril Takayama (USA)


Results of the STAGE CONTEST

Grand Prix
Lukas / Korea / Manipulations / 87

The Most Original Act
Young-Min Kim / Korea / General / 77.57

-Manipulations-

1 prize - Lukas / Korea / 87
2 prize - Den Den / Japan / 81.57
3 prize - Lee Chang Min / Korea / 74
3 prize - Katayama Yukihiro / Japan / 74
5 - Po-Cheng Lai / Taiwan / 72.29
6 - Anson Lee / Taiwan / 71.14
7 - Yuki Ywane / Japan / 70.71
8 - Kento Mukai / Japan / 66.86
9 - David Hung / Hong Kong / 64.71
10 - Oh Hyun Seong / Korea / 64.57
11 - Satoru Furukawa / Japan / 63.14
12 - Hirishi Yamamoto / Japan / 58.71


-General Magic-

1 Prize - Taijyu Fujiyama / Japan / 80.86
2 Prize - C.S.Choi / Korea / 78.00
3 Prize - Hun Lee / Korea / 77.57
3 Prize - Young-Min Kim / Korea / 77.57'
5 - CY / Korea / 77.43
6 - Song Da Min / Korea / 74.71
6 - Lee Hyoung Woo / Korea / 74.71
8 - Red Star Seong / Korea / 72.71
9 - Zhao Jun / China / 71.86
10 - JC Yeo / Malaysia / 67.57
11 - Jonas Chen / Taiwan / 67.43
12 - Benny Li / Hong Kong / 67.29
13 - Michey Mac / China / 66.57
13 - Bond Lee / Hong Kong / 66.57
15 - Eric Cheng / Hong Kong / 65.86
15 - Seiya / Japan / 65.86
17 - Chan Yeop Kim / Korea / 65.71
18 - Ricky Chang / Taiwan / 65.43
19 - Sandy Chang / Taiwan / 62.00
20 - Patch Magic Dance / Thailand / 61.57
21 - Hsu Shao Yuan / Taiwan / 59.86
22 - Aleen Hsien / China / 56.14
23 - Former Soul / Taiwan / 55.86
24 - Oby Sto Domingo / Philipine / 55.14


-Comedy-

2 Prize - Kim, Young Ju / Korea / 74.71
3 Prize - J. Yang / Korea / 71.42
4 - Tokyo Tomo / Japan / 63.71
5 - Mala John / Malaysia / 62.29
6 - Lee, Young Min / Korea / 57.43


-Illusion-

3 Prize - PJ Wen / Taiwan / 63.85

More interesting articles you will find here: http://www.fismitaly2015.com/blog
FISM BLOGGERS: JOAN CAESAR, WITTUS WITT, JO MALDERA, ALDO GHIURMINO, TONY MONTANA & me (KATE MEDVEDEVA) are writing for you every week.
Last edited by KateMedvedeva on December 1st, 2014, 1:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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matthewmcgurk
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Re: FISM ASIA 2014. THE STAGE COMPETITION.

Postby matthewmcgurk » December 1st, 2014, 6:43 am

Such an amazing review, thank you for posting. Ive been looking for the Fism results online for a while now. The standard of magic is now being pushed to new limits. We have these dedicated performers to thank for raising the bar and futhering our art. Fantastic pictures! :D
Best Regards,

Matthew McGurk
British Magical Champion
http://www.matthewmcgurk.com

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CraigMitchell
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Re: FISM ASIA 2014. THE STAGE COMPETITION.

Postby CraigMitchell » December 3rd, 2014, 8:12 am

Thanks for taking the time to do this & the pics are fantastic!

KateMedvedeva
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Joined: November 18th, 2010, 6:45 pm
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Re: FISM ASIA 2014. THE STAGE COMPETITION.

Postby KateMedvedeva » December 8th, 2014, 4:44 pm

Thank you. I am grateful for your kind words.

Soon the second part of an article will be ready ;)


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