WDM Festival Contest Rules - 2010 Italy!

CONTEST RULES OF THE 13. WORLD DEAF MAGICIANS FESTIVAL
in Cattolica, Rimini, ITALY 2010
(revised, 2008)

 

1.0 Festival Contestants:

1. Participation in the Festival Contest is restricted to persons who are deaf, defined as a hearing loss of at least 65 decibels (dB) in the better ear.

2. Any female or male deaf magician, amateur, part-time professional or professional, may participate.

3. Three age categories of contestants shall be:         

(1) Junior (boy/girl) [age 7 to 17]
(2) Adult (man/woman) [age 18 and older]
(3) Merlin (man/woman) [age 55 and older]

4. All magicians, partners and assistants must be deaf (see Section 1.1 above) at the Festival contest. Otherwise, the national team is automatically disqualified.

5. All magicians, partners and assistants must be on the same national team or from the same country. Foreign magicians cannot hire or invite a person as partner(s) or assistant(s) from another country or the present Festival host’s country.

 

2.0  Categories of Magic Contest

1. Contests at the World Festival may be conducted in the seven following categories:

(1) Stage Magic    
(2) Comedy Magic
(3) Illusion Magic
(4) Micro-Magic / Close-Up Magic
(5) Children Stage Magic
(6) Women Stage Magic
(7) Merlin Stage Magic

2. No more than six (6) magicians from each country may be entered in each category.   

3. The host country may enter up to ten (10) magicians in each category.

4. Contestants may enter no more than three (3) of these categories of the contests, due to the limited time programs at the Festival.

5. Those magicians who are 55 years old and older, may wish to participate in either Merlin or stage magic competition, but cannot participate in both of them.

6. Each contest performance must have no repetition of any routine or prop in the different categories.

 If any performer enters three categories, he/she must do three completely different acts.  Otherwise, he/she will be disqualified.

 

3.0 Entry Forms

1. All PRELIMINARY entry forms MUST be mailed by post, e-mailed or faxed to the Festival Chairperson before November 1, 2009.

2. All FINAL entry forms MUST be mailed by post, e-mailed or faxed to the Festival Chairperson before March 1, 2010.

3. A letter of confirmation/sponsorship/approval from participants' national association of the deaf must accompany the contest entry form.  See the sample copy in Appendix A (Download PDF).

4. No contest entry forms will be accepted at the Festival.

5. If a specific category does not have a minimum of five (5) adult contestants, no contest will be held in that category. 

6. If there are fewer than five (5) adult contestants, totally, in the stage magic, comedy magic, or illusion magic competitions, these categories will be combined, and the judges evaluate all contestants using the stage magic criteria.

7. If there are fewer than five (5) adult contestants, totally, in the micro-magic / close-up magic competition, see Section 10.1, in regard to the number of prize awards.

8. If there is a small number of Junior magicians in a contest, the Junior magicians will be scheduled and perform during the adult competition, but with separate evaluations for their categories / ages.

 

4.0 Restrictions

1. Juggling, ballooning, fire-eating, acrobatic acting, pantomime, soap-bubble-blowing all accompanied without magic tricks, or other non-magic items are not permitted in the Magic Festival contests because this Festival is concentrating on the performance of magic only.

2. No large fire or flame is permitted, due to the fire regulations in the theater.  However, the use of a small flash paper, cotton, string, or candles may be allowed.

3. Music accompaniment may be permitted.  Importantly, contestants are to be evaluated on magic performance skills.  Judges shall not evaluate sound effects, thoroughly.   

4. Obscene or indecent physical body behavior or language in magic competitions is not accepted. In any case, performers and assistants shall be disqualified.

 

5.0  Time Limit for Performance

1. There will be a limit of ten (10) minutes for each stage, comedy, Merlin, and illusion magic performance; and a limit of  seven (7) minutes for each micro-magic / close-up magic act.

2. There will be a one (1) point deduction for each minute over the time limit. After three (3) minutes, the performer is disqualified. 

3. If there is a large number of participants entering competition, there will be reduced to eight (8) minutes for stage, comedy, Merlin, and illusion magic categories; and the micro-magic / close-up magic category to five (5) minutes.

 

6.0 Scoring Criteria:

1. The scoring criteria in competition (one [1] being the poorest value and ten [10] the best value) are as follows:
a. Appearance (Opening Impression) (0-10 points) Covers the wardrobe/costume,

display of props, and appearance of performer(s)

b. Presence (0-10 points x 2) Covers the personality, command and confidence

projected by the performer.

c . Skill/Technique (0-10 points x 2) Covers the level of the manipulative skill

and misdirection; how well the performer displays the sleight of hand; use of props.

d. Presentation (0-10 points) Covers the routining, interest and sequence of the act

and the professional manner of its delivery.

 

e. Conclusion (0-10 points x4) Covers the overall impression of the act.

 

f. The maximum score per judge is 100 points.

7.0 Selection of Judges

1. There shall be at least five judges with magic performance experiences, except for one non-magician (layperson).

2. The majority of judges shall be hearing magicians.  There will be at least one (1) deaf judge for each contest.

3. Among these judges shall be at least one non-magician for each contest.

4. No contestant may be a judge for any competition.

5. Judges will evaluate visual performances and skills, not "hearing" and sound effects.

6. Judges will not be revealed to any contestants until after all the contests.

7. Judges shall sit apart from each other in the theater and do not discuss their evaluations of magicians during the performances or the intermission. They can only discuss the issues at their jury committee meeting after the competitions end.

8. All scoring papers by the judges shall be immediately picked up by the Festival Organizing Committee member after each performance.

9. A master/mistress of ceremonies shall not announce each deaf magician’s length of years in his/her magic experiences or award achievements in the past, but introduce only his/her name and country before the performance.

Before performance, each magician’s name and country under the title of a specific magic category shall be posted on the easel or screen with a PowerPoint slide.

 

8.0 Order of Performance

1. A drawing for order of performance for each contest (category) will take place a day or two days before the contests begin.  See Appendix B (Download PDF).

2. After the drawing, the copies of the order list of the names of magicians in the respective magic categories shall be distributed to the magicians as soon as possible.   Also, the list shall be published on the papers for the program books and for distribution to individuals at a theater on the days of competitions.

3. A list of the order of the names of magicians shall be clearly posted at each of the performing locations behind the stage before the contest begins.

 

9.0 Responsibilities of the Festival Contestants

1. Contestants are responsible for knowing their scheduled times.  They must present themselves at the theater one hour (60 minutes) before the contest is scheduled to begin.  Contestants must be prepared to perform up to ten (10) minutes at their venue before the posted time.

2. Backstage and on stage, during the performance, all contestants are asked to cooperate with one another by not touching or moving other contestants' magic apparatus or props at any time. They should be very careful not to bump them.  The stage manager will strictly control all movements backstage.

3. Contestants are responsible for their own magic apparatus or props. The World Deaf Magicians Festival Organizing Committee and the Society of World Deaf Magicians assume no liability for any personal injury/illness or any stolen, lost, damaged or destroyed property.

4. Contestants shall not copy other contestants' magic tricks or presentations for future competition.

5. Contestants shall not socially talk with the judges at any time before their participation in competition.

 

10.0 Awarding Prizes (Referral to Section 3.0)

1. If there are five or more contestants in any category (for example, stage magic, comedy magic, illusion magic, micro-magic, children’s magic, women in magic or Merlin), there will be three (3) prizes.
If there are four contestants in a category, there will be two (2) prizes.
If there are three contestants in a category, there will be one (1) prize.

2. The trophies or plaques shall be given to the first-place winners in the different magic categories.

The host organizer may wish to add the money prize, along with the trophies or plaques, to the first-place winners only if necessary. The organizer shall consult with the officers of the Society of World Deaf Magicians for approval.

3. The trophies or plaques shall be given to the second-and third-place winners in the different magic categories.

4. All the judges' decisions are final.

5. The list of all contestants and final standings will be announced in print at the Congress meeting of the Society of World Deaf Magicians on the last day of the Festival program.  The point scores will not be revealed in the list. 

6. The “leaders” of the national contestants shall be responsible for announcing the competition results in their respective countries after the Festival ends.

7. All magicians and assistants shall receive the diplomas of recognition for their participation in the Festival competitions.

 

11.0 Miscellaneous Items

1. No videotaping by any audience member is allowed during the contest without permission. 
Only the official TV media and the authorized organizing committee people are permitted to videotape any activity or performance.

2. Use of still cameras without flashes by audience members is permitted during the contests.

3. A master or mistress of ceremonies (announcer) will announce only the contestant’s name and country of residence. No favorable personal-experience background or commendation of the contestant is permitted.

 

12.0 Insurance

1.  The World Deaf Magicians Festival Organizing Committee/Cattolica, Rimini ITALY and the Society of World Deaf Magicians will not accept any liability for personal injuries sustained, or for loss or damage to property belonging to Festival participants, either during or as a result of the show or event during the Festival week.  It is strongly recommended that all festival participants take an insurance policy of their choice as they register for the Festival and book their travel.  The insurance should be purchased in their respective country of origin.