Maximum Entertainment 2.0: Director's Notes For Magicians And Mentalists

by Ken Weber

There are no tricks in this book, but it's loaded with secrets!The most important secrets- techniques for mastering your audience!Product to Be Your Own Director!How to climb the Hierarchy of Mystery Entertainment!How to target the "Big Three" Reactions!Discover the Six Pillars of Entertainment Success!Learn powerful tips for Scripting and Rehearsing, and Choosing the Most Powerful Material!Discover invaluable Voice tricks and Language Skills!Do you know the best way for magicians to be Funny? This book will show you!Immensely practical tips on Sound and Lighting!Find out what the most successful performers do Before, During, and even After every show!Plus bonus chapters zeroing in on the special problems faced by Close-up magicians and Mentalists!"Insightful and inspiring.fun to read.destined to be a classic. I can think of only a few performers a very few who do not NEED this book! It's packed with more nitty-gritty, real-world advice than a whole shelf of magic books."- Charles Reynolds Award-Winning Magic Consultant/Producer While still a teenager, Ken Weber was the "Official Magician" at the RCA pavilion at the New York World's Fair. After receiving two university degrees in theater, he went on to a successful career as a full-time entertainer. Ken has appeared at over 500 colleges and universities, and for hundreds of corporations, associations, and resorts. Newsweek magazine named him "one of the most frequently requested" performers on the college circuit. In 1993, the internationally respected Psychic Entertainers Association awarded him their most prestigious honor, the Dunninger Award for Excellence in the Performance of Mentalism.This Book is a must for every magician / mentalist / entertainer. It should sell for thousands.

Genres: Magic, Nonfiction

332 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Julius · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, to my understanding, is not for beginners or amateurs, but for pros who want to lift their work to another level. Myself being a beginner I found this book is very opinionated - being written by a professional director I assume that it should be so, and Ken encourages to go against his suggestions, but only after giving them a good thought and having understood well why they wouldn't work in a particular situation. Director's job is to carve from raw material something an audience would thoroughly enjoy - in a sense, in this book, he's probably all your audience in a book. However, among so many I-don't-likes and this-shouldn't-be-dones suggestions how it actually should be done - and written black on white - are rare and few. This is why I write the book to have more value to a professional - someone who can take these I-don't-likes and this-shouldn't-be-dones and based on experience transform them into truly entertaining pieces, while beginner will be lost until after significant performing time. That said, I might revise this book when/if I feel I reached that stage.

[e. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very good. Unlike a previous review that recommends this for someone already established in magic. I think this better suits an absolute beginner. The advice is very basic, and can mostly be summarised as record yourself and watch it back, read your scripts out loud and think about your magic. Much of the advice given seems to be the authors personal taste, as there are multiple examples of magicians who break his rules and create wonderful magic. At one point his advice is literally, "don't wear glasses." He is also pretty sexist at a few points in the book, and comes across as a generally dislikeable person. Recommended only for those very new to magic, who should flip through a library copy to pick up one or two things they didn't know, but would probably discover elsewhere just by talking with other magicians. For everyone else, ignore. Author has an unhealthy obsession with Kreskin.

[Casara Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a mix here of stuff for the beginner and stuff for the pro. I think it’s worth a read or listen, for sure, because there is definitely both mixed in. There’s something for the pro who thinks they’re built the most impactful show (it can always be further polished). And things for the beginner to know now, before they set the wrong habits. I found certain parts incredibly helpful and did change my show idea, per his suggestions. Other parts weren’t very necessary for me, but that was the mix. It’s definitely a thorough and helpful book.

[Vincenzo Ravina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Largely evergreen and solid advice for magicians. A few parts I disagree with, and a few parts are dated so I’m interested to see what’s changed in the newly revised Maximum Entertainment. Should be required reading for any magician who performs for the public, if only to make sure they think carefully about these aspects of performance.

[Dan Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read on performing on stage. Great book!

[Xack Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic guide for any aspiring magician. Full of great tips and useful advice that will help any performer create a well-rounded show. I really cannot recommend this book enough!