FISM NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
OF MAGIC
Hosted by the Society of American Magicians
Pittsburgh, PA July 13 – 16, 2011

HOW THE CONTEST WILL BE CONDUCTED

This FISM North American competition is similar to those currently being held in other continents of the world and will produce winners who are entitled to compete in the FISM World Championships of Magic in Blackpool, England in July 2012.

During the 2011 S.A.M. convention, six contests will be held in the headquarters hotel from Wednesday July 13 through Friday July 15. It is estimated there will be three (3) stage and three (3) close-up contests; however there may be four (4) stage and two (2) close-up contests. The actual number will depend upon the number of contestants and the type of act; and this will not be known until next spring.

There will be separate stage and close-up juries, each headed by a chairperson who is an experienced FISM judge. These juries will judge the contests using a system similar to that used by FISM in the World Championships.

There could be up to 15 winners, 9 Stage and 6 Close-up, based on their high score ranking. These winners all will be guaranteed a spot to compete in the 2012 FISM World Championship of Magic. The 1st and 2nd place winners in each category will be exempt from a FISM WCM competition fee.

Based on the winning positions, a final contest of approximately eight acts will be cast for performance in the Byham Theater Friday night. This contest will be run by the S.A.M. Contest Chair and will have many of the usual S.A.M. awards in play, including the S.A.M. Gold and Silver Awards, and the Bradley Jacobs People's Choice Awards for Stage and Close-Up Competitions, which are determined by the theater audience’s vote.

This contest will be judged by a different judging panel that will also determine the North American Champion of Magic for stage and close-up based on the highest judging score received at Friday night’s performance. The scoring system will be that used in the S.A.M. Contest of Magic.

The FISM North American contest winners, the S.A.M. contest winners and the NACM presentations all will be held on the stage of the Byham Theater immediately following the Saturday night Gala Show. It is planned that officers of the FISM Presidium, the North American Executive Board and the S.A.M. will participate in the awards ceremonies.

WHO MAY APPLY TO BECOME A CONTESTANT

The North America Championship of Magic (NACM) is open to any magician who has reached the FISM competition level, and who is a current member of one or more of the four member societies of FISM North America:

• Academy of Magical Arts
• Canadian Association of Magicians
• International Brotherhood of Magicians
• The Society of American Magicians

Excluded from participation are artists who are booked by the 2011 Convention Committee to perform or lecture at the 2011 S.A.M. Convention.

A contestant and his or her assistant must be a paid registrant of the 2011 S.A.M. Convention. In addition, each competitor must pay a one-time competition entry fee of $50.00 for each category entered. A competitor is limited to two entries: one in the stage category and one in the close-up category.

The contest pool will be limited to 50 contestants. It is expected there will be approximately 25 for the stage and 25 for the close-up category.

If any person is not a member of one of the four member societies of FISM North America and wishes to compete in the NACM, he or she must become a member of one of the organizations listed above and should allow a minimum of four weeks prior to the April 15 contest closing date for their membership application to be approved.

CONTEST CATEGORIES

The contest performances are open in the following six categories:

Stage Contest

Manipulation
General magic (including mental and comedy)
Stage illusions

Close-up Contest

Card magic
Micro magic (table top other than cards)
Parlor magic

The highest three (3) scoring winners in each of the three (3) Stage competition categories and the two (2) highest scoring winners in each of the three (3) Close-up competition categories shall be eligible for prizes and shall be guaranteed a position to compete at the FISM 2012 World Championship of Magic. [Please see the section on the JUDGING PROCESS for further information on scoring.]

HOW TO APPLY TO BECOME A CONTESTANT

Each competitor must register for the 2011 S.A.M. Convention. Registration may be made by contacting the S.A.M. convention registrar,

Ann Weidhaas
15225 Pleasant View Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Phone: (719) 637-9965
Email: samregistrar@yahoo.com

Each competitor must complete the 2011 NACM Contest entry form found on this web site.

The submission of an Application to compete in the NACM shall be construed as an agreement to abide by the General Terms and Conditions that are a part of this information package and may be found on this web site.

A contestant may elect to present a total of two different acts: one act in one category in Stage magic and one act in one category in Close-up magic. Two contest entry fees are required.

Each competitor must submit a DVD of the act(s) he or she intends to perform for consideration by a prejudging panel.

A contestant who is a prior FISM WCM Grand Prix winner may not perform the same act for which he or she won the Grand Prix.

Application, signed agreement to Terms and Conditions, check for $50.00 (for stage or close-up competition) and DVD are to be sent to the S.A.M. contest committee.

NACM
c/o Vinny Grosso
270 Mansion Street
Coxsackie, NY 12051

The Contest Committee must have received the signed registration form, the signed agreement to terms and conditions, the DVD of the act, and the competition fee not later than April 15, 2011. If the competitor has not already registered for the convention, the registration and competition fee must be made at that time.

HOW THE CONTESTANTS WILL BE SELECTED

Each DVD will be reviewed by a prejudging panel to assure it is a FISM competition level performance. All DVDs become the property of the committee and will not be returned.

Contestants are asked not to wait until the last minute to submit their applications. It is likely that some applicants will receive notification prior to April 15, depending on when their application is submitted.

The April 15 submission deadline is not arbitrary. Assuming the last entry is received on the closing date, the prejudging process will be completed in approximately 30 days. This means that notification of acceptance will be made by May 15 – or before. In turn, this will give the competitor 60 days to make necessary transportation and hotel reservations, if not previously arranged.

If the act is not accepted by the prejudging panel, the $50.00 competition fee will be refunded. A refund of the convention registration, if desired, is subject to a nominal $25 cancellation charge.

Competitors will be advised of the date and time of their competition in advance of their arrival at the convention. However, there will be a briefing for all contestants on Wednesday morning prior to the start of the competitions.

Each competitor will be allowed a brief tech by the stage crew not to exceed 10 minutes. Once set, the acts should be ready to go. Under no circumstances will the contestant be able to rehearse the entire act.

By participating in the contest, a contestant agrees to all the decisions of the judges, which are not subject to appeal.

A prize-winning contestant, if asked by the Contest Committee, must agree to perform his or her act again on a convention contest/show, without compensation.

The submission of an Application Form to compete in the NACM shall be construed as an agreement to abide by the General Terms and Conditions that appear on this web site.

WINNER PRIZES AND AWARDS

There can be up to 3 Winners from each of the three Stage categories and 2 Winners from each of the three Close-Up categories. Up to 15 Winners in all.

All those judged to be Winners in the NACM contests are guaranteed a position to compete in the 2012 World Championships of Magic in Blackpool, July 2012.

The FISM North American Champion of Magic in stage and close-up will be entitled to use the title “North American Champion of Magic” along with the category and year in all communication and personal publicity. Each champion will receive a handsome crystal trophy to commemorate the event.

There are a number of other possible awards. The S.A.M. Gold is awarded to a competitor who scores above the 90th percentile in the competition and the S.A.M. Silver to a competitor who scores above the 80th percentile - each with a cash prize.

The People’s Choice Award in stage and close-up is selected by voted of the live audience at the show on Friday night. It is a heavy crystal award that is a coveted prize.

For both stage performances and close-up performances, each jury can, at their discretion, award a "Most Original Act" award.

In addition, there will be performing contracts awarded for future conventions.

JUDGING PROCESS

The NACM jury will judge all the acts during the Wednesday to Friday contests in the hotel in order to determine who's eligible for prizes and awards and who is guaranteed to compete in the 2012 WCM. The jury for the Friday night S.A.M. Contest of Magic held in the Byham theater will determine winners of the S.A.M. prizes as well as the NACM in stage and close-up.

Each member of the NACM jury shall assess the performance of every contestant in regard to the following five aspects:

Technical Skill / Handling Showmanship / Presentation Entertainment value Artistic Impression / "Routining" Originality

The NACM jury will use an official judging form. Each judge will give a total score of up to 100 points to each contestant. After each contest performance, the judging form will be collected by a member of the judging staff and a final score will be calculated.

Prizes will be awarded to the highest scores in each category. In the NACM competition, to be awarded a first prize, a contestant must have a final score of at least 80 points. A final score must be at least 70 points for a second prize. A final score must be at least 60 points for a third prize.

A contestant with a final score lower than 50 points is considered below FISM level and will be disqualified. If no competitor has the required points for a given prize in a given category, that prize will not be awarded.

THE CONTEST PERFORMANCE

A contestant must present a complete act (not a single trick) of at least five minutes and not more than ten minutes.

A contestant is responsible for his own performance. He undertakes to FISM NA that he has secured the necessary rights to perform this full and complete contest performance, (also known as his 'act').

The contestant's undertaking includes the right to perform the act and encompasses the contestant securing all ancillary rights and licenses, whether music or otherwise, from all legally required third parties, if applicable.

The contestant must make known to FISM NA that he is has the right to use the music in his act and that his act does not infringe on the rights of any third party.

In the event that the contestant is in breach of any of these undertakings, he has to accept all the consequences and liabilities – including being required to forego WCM competition.

Performances that mainly depending on a pre-arrangement between the contestant and a volunteer or assistant in the know (also known as a stooge), are not considered magic performances. Since judgment is to be made based on the performance of magic, the jury can decide to disqualify the contestant. In case of doubt, the competitor will be asked to explain the method used and, if necessary, to repeat the identical effect in front of the judging panel with a volunteer picked by the jury.

A contestant who presents an act that is obviously a copy of the act, or a significant or typical part of it, of another performer will be disqualified.

A contestant must be ready to perform his act at least ten minutes before the scheduled time. The jury may disqualify a contestant who is not ready by this ten-minute notice.

For timing purposes, an act begins when the contestant enters the stage or when the music of the act starts, whichever comes first.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND BROADCASTING RIGHTS

When selected to compete but no later than four (4) weeks prior to the commencement of the competition, the contestant will provide the Contest Committee with a list of all music titles to be used in his act, including the title's name, composer, adapter, recording artist, the time of the soundtrack and the name of the label.

A contestant's performance or act may be recorded and/or videotaped by or on behalf of FISM NA and broadcast and transmitted to monitors inside and outside the performance venue.

The contestant, as a right of competition, authorizes and allows FISM NA without limitation to time and/or place to use his image and/or voice and to edit, and re-assemble a contestant's recorded act as FISM NA deems appropriate for publicity purposes. The contestant, as a right of competition, further authorizes FISM NA to video record his performance for archival purposes and to receive a copy of the DVD at cost for his personal use.