As you may know, we like to have fun around here and we tend to have a lot of contests and give-a-ways! But out of all the contests we hold each year, we have one that is the grandfather of them all... The Outside the Box contest. This is a contest to come up with the best routine or performance idea for the feature prop of that year and we give away tons of prizes. Well, this year we have raised the bar (or lowered it if you are thinking in terms of limbo) and added a twist. This year the feature prop is Victory Cubes and Cube Squared. Yep, two illusions and you can submit ideas using one, the other, or both.

In the past our Outside the Box contests have been a huge success and a lot of fun. Not only were they a source of great ideas for the feature product that year but it has also been a great way to discover creative people. Daniel Martin, for example, was the runner up in the '05 Outside the Box contest and now you might recognize his name from the ground-breaking effect, BRUISED! And Kerry Summers, the first place winner from the first year, has a fantastic trick coming out this year called Flash Cards. So not only is this a chance to win prizes, it's a chance to get noticed and, most importantly, have fun. So get those Creative Juices flowing and let the games begin.

HOW IT WILL WORK

1) You send in your best ideas and routines for either or both illusions
2) We narrow it down to the top 10 ideas
3) Subscribers to the Cutting Edge will then make the final vote

OFFICIAL RULES

Contest runs Jan 1st, 12:01 am 2008 to April 1st, 11:59 pm 2008.
Entries must be received during that time period either electronically
or physically to this address: Creative Magic OTB08, 1581 S. 930 W., Payson, Utah 84651

NO LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED! And we cannot be held responsible for lost submissions.
Contest is open to all residents of planet earth; if you are under 18, get your parents' permission. Void where prohibited. Please make sure to include all of your contact info. And give credit where credit is due for any inspirations or ideas that are part of your routine.

By submitting your ideas, you are giving us permission to include your idea (crediting you, of course) on our site or in our newsletter- this is how the voting will take place. If you have an idea you would like to submit but not share you can still win a $200 gift certificate but you will be ineligible for the top 10. We also reserve the right to use your idea
for promotional purposes including, but not limited to, brochures, advertising, on the website, in our newsletter, and so on unless you specifically ask us not to.

There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit, but please submit each one individually (in separate emails or on separate pieces of paper if you snail mail them in) so that each idea can be judged individually (include your contact info with each submission).



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What if I already have the stuff I won?
If we have record of you having bought the illusions from us, we will let you use
the credit for any other illusions if you like.

Is there a limit to how many times or ideas I can enter?
No.

What if my idea shows up in the mail the day after the deadline - will you accept it?
Nope, sorry. Send them in early!!!

When do I have to have my ideas to you by?
By the end of the day April 1st, 2008 - no joke.

Will I receive a reply saying my submission was received?
Yes, if you send it electronically.

Will my submission be returned to me?
No. If you send in a video we are going to use the tape to record reruns of FRIENDS.

Will I have an advantage if my idea is more detailed?
Yes. The more defined and credited your idea is, the better off you are.

Will I have an advantage if I send in a video?
Yes. We love to see the idea in action.

What if two people send in the same idea?
We are sure it will happen and the judges will have to approach each case individually but a huge deciding factor will be how well thought out the idea is. For example, magician A sends in the idea: paint cubes to look like an ice cube. And that is it. And magician B says: have the cube painted to look like an ice cube and have a polar bear appear and perform snowstorm. Credit would go to magician B. A video of the performance will help tip the scales as well - proves you have tested it. We reserve the right to combine ideas and give credit as best we can. In some cases the idea will go to one person but we will acknowledge others that contributed. In other cases the prize may be shared equally - nothing like half a set of Victory Cubes, right?

Can I have more than one idea make it to the top 10?
Yes. There is no limit to how many times one person can win.

Can I request that my idea not be shared?
Yes you can, but if you don't want others to know about your idea, we can't put you in the top 10.

Can I incorporate other magic tricks?
Yes. You can combine the Cubes with a thumb tip, Bigger Wands, a Change Cap, an asrah, or a Zig Zag if you like. But keep in mind we are looking for original and exciting ideas that would appeal to a lot of people and in the end you will need to win over the votes of the Cutting Edge subscribers.

If my idea is based on another idea or was inspired by someone else's routine, do I need to mention that?
YES, YES, YES! Even if it was the kid next door, please give credit where credit is due. You just might find out that the kid next door got the idea from someone else as well.

What are the judging criteria to make it to the top 10?
Originality and creativity is huge. If 20 people send in the ice cube polar bear idea it will have a harder time beating an idea we only got once. We are also looking for ideas that are practical and that would be entertaining.

Can we paint the Cube Squared?
Sure thing. You can start your idea by saying I would paint the Cube Squared with pipes and wires and a dial and a clock so it looks like a time machine and go from there.

Do we have to use custom Cubes?
Absolutely not! We are hoping for a good mix and we would like to see tricks with the classic dice and plain red Cube Squared as well as custom painted Victory Cubes and Cube Squareds.

What if I have another question?
Please ask it!