052: F.F.F.F. 2012 - Day Four

April 28, 2012 - This final day is jam packed with two hours of material; some fun, some funny, some serious and some with some great advice and lessons, but all worth hearing. We started off with a chat in the Dealer's Room with Will Houstoun and John van der Put ("Piff the Magic Dragon") from the U.k. From there we moved over a few booths to Patrick Przysiecki's booth where we talked with him and one of the other registrants,  Gene Gordon. In the Dealer's Room was MVP (Most Valuable Person of the  convention) Denis Behr, from Germany. You must visit his website at  http://archive.denisbehr.de to discover his totally awesome archive and  database of searchable books online. We had a delightful discussion  with Mark Mason (from JB Magic) and Charlie Randall (formerly of H&R  Magic Books). As mentioned earlier, this convention marked the debut of  the new F.F.F.F. book that Charlie published.

After the show we  went to the Room (formerly the Precursor Suite) to get some random  reactions from a sampling of registrants (including Shawn Farquhar) of their highlights from the  convention. We also got a few excerpts from Soma's lecture on using music in your show. He gave some advice on websites for royalty-free music and sound effects. We also chatted with Ed Eckl, one of the orginal creators  and publishers of The Precursor magazine. I then had a chance to have a  quiet chat with the two guys who closed the final night gala, Steve  Bargatze and Rick Merrill who talked about their careers and creativity.

We then went back to "The Room" to chat with Shawn Farquhar, Geoff Williams and Peter McLanachan, from Scotland, for some more comments and fun. Boris Wild closed out the night with excerpts from his lecture that  included invaluable advice that every magician should hear regardless of  skill level. Thanks goes to Geoff Williams helped with the questions for this  interview. If you can only listen to part of this podcast, this last 20 minutes is gold.

Day 4 - 2012 F.F.F.F.
Scott Wells

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Sights from Day Four at F.F.F.F. 2012

Technology is a wonderful thing. Without it we could not effectively and efficiently communicate with one another. Nor could I give you the immediacy of these daily updates from magic conventions I attend. Magicians always seem to be on the leading edge of technology, always pushing the envelope in looking for ways to incorporate new technology into their presentations before they are well known by the average citizenery. As Arthur C. Clarke said in his third law, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistiguishable from magic." I spotted Pattrick Przysiecki early on the last day of the convention utilized every piece of technology at his fingertips in the wifi lobby.

The first event of the day was the 11:00 a.m. lecture by Denis Behr from Germany. This was a fantastic lecture for all the card guys which means it was perfect for this convention. Denis spent the first part of his lecture talking about his archive project that he has been spending the last ten years of his life creating. Basically it is an archive of hundreds of books listing the tricks in each book including a description, author, date, and more. It is not like the Conjuring Arts Center project with copies of the books, but it is a searchable library with a vast database. And the best part is that it is absolutely free. You can visit the site at: http://archive.denisbehr.de When you combine his skill, his dedication to our art and the work he is giving back to the fraternity, it is no wonder that Denis was voted later in the evening as the M.V.P. (Most Valuable Person) at this year's F.F.F.F.

Jean Emmanuel Franzis, from France, was the MC for the afternoon "Mini World Show #2" that featured eight close-up performers from five different countries all of whom were very entertaining and finished with the F.F.F.F. 2008 Guest of Honor, Boris Wild.

Dan Garrett hosted the afternoon show "Fabulous Frolics" that featured many performers going for their Masters and Doctorate degrees (second and third performances).

The Grand Finalie show, hosted by the "Head Forker" Obie O'Brien pulled out all the stops with a great line-up of talent from around the world.
But first it was time to fete our Guest of Honor, David Stone with adulation, gifts, awards and a roast. It was a fun and funny time that ended with an emotional moment as David thanked us all.

Then it was showtime. Talent from the past, present and future was on display this evening.

After the show, it was time for us to say our goodbyes and get in that last opportunity to learn one more trick as the hours marched toward dawn.

051: F.F.F.F. 2012 - Day Three

Another full day (and night) of non-stop, world class, innovative magic was in store for all the attendees on Friday. The day started with mild snow flurries but it did not deter a hearty band of golfers who regularly play in the frigid weather at the F.F.F.F. annual tournament. But my first chat on the podcast of the day was immediately before and after the Mathieu Bich lecture. Long time attendee Dick Cook, from Ohio, told me a couple funny stories from his attendance at the Columbus MagiFest.

I then caught up with the Man of the Hour, Guest of Honor, David Stone. I caught him when there was no one else around him in the otherwise jam-packed lobby between events. We got to chat about his experience at the F.F.F.F. as well as his take on creativity and what his long term plans are in magic and, well, maybe the movies.

The day quickly slipped past me and before I knew it, it was dinner time. I dined with Chris Capeheart and Ice McDonald who shared some stories and experiences with me. Then to round out the day, I sat down with Mark Leveridge, from England, after the final show. He talked about his bi-monthly publication, MagicSeen Magazine, the Magazine for Magicians and Mentalists. More information at http://www.magicseen.co.uk/ It was interesting to get his take on the English economy, conventions, and publications in the U.K. as they directly impact the English magic community.

Day 3 - 2012 F.F.F.F.
Scott Wells

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