FISM CLOSE UP :: BY CRAIG MITCHELL

Before we catch up on the rest of the day's contests - I thought it prudent to write up my views on the "close-up" gala show from which we have just returned.

What do I enjoy so much about FISM ? That for one entire week in 3 years I can immerse myself entirely in magic, forget about the 'real world' outside and have a really great time with friends - old & new. And it is for this very reason that I get so utterly flabbergasted that with 3 YEARS OF PREPARATION - 3 ENTIRE YEARS - that all manner of intelligence seems to evade the organisers ( who we are told are well versed in organising magic conventions ) that they go and truly spoil what has - up until now - been overall a fairly good event.

They do some things so well and then this.

Perhaps they missed the memo that covered the definition of close-up ? Perhaps someone truly honestly thought in a fleeting moment of madness that close-up can be presented in the main 2300 seat theatre where even the stage illusions vanish into the void. Did not a single person in all of magicdom in 3 years pick up on this teeny, tiny, minor little issue ?

Apparently not. And if they did - there is simply no possible excuse to have let this evening's show go ahead.

We have a superb close-up auditorium in which the close-up contests are held ( here's an epiphany - how about multiple close-up shows as in past FISMs or nearly every other convention ? ) but no, we'll settle on a single 'close-up' show for everyone at once in the biggest space imaginable.

Delightfully clever.

And even if we have to live with this bizarre decision - and have months and months and months to plan accordingly - what then should we do ?

How about rehearse with the video cameras ? There's a novel concept because guess what - your entire 'little' close-up show rests on your film crew.

But no - that would require far too much preplanning. Instead we have our 'artistic director' Hank Moorehouse coming out at the start of the show to just let all us delegates know that they rehearsed all day ( for which we are thankful ) - but without the camera crew ( for which we are not ) - so we should all be very happy to be a part of the 'world's largest close-up show'. Making excuses at the start really sets the tone.

Where is Stan Allen when you need him ? This is not rocket science.

So under these awful circumstances - it is up to MC, David Williamson, to lead us on our happy journey. David spent more time re-arranging furniture and bringing chairs on and off - than he did on much else unfortunately. Rocky did, though, make an appearance. If anyone was expecting David Williamson video antics as in past FISMs you would be disappointed.

Despite the circumstances, some artists thrived: Henry Evans with his visual colour changes and Shoot Ogawa with his incredible ninja rings and sleight of hand ... although we had a near riot as Shoot's hand moved out of frame for one of the sequences. Miguel Puga from Spain had the audience clapping in unison - infusing much needed energy.

Artists such as Lennart Green came horribly short - dying a death in front of so many. I've seen Lennart kill before - but tonight unfortunately wasn't for him. And then immediately following was the awful Hernan Maccagno with his ridiculous joker's hat who literally sucked the energy dry. If you are not fluent in English, please don't attempt to speak it and then apologise every 3 minutes that you aren't an English speaker while you go ahead and butcher every sentence only adding to your suffering ( on a side note, why do we need 2 performers from Argentina when you've already got Henry Evans ? )

Ending our evening of 'close-up' was Rick Merrill. His sleight of hand survived the haphazard filming - but so much of his subtlety is lost in translation.

The things we do at FISM.