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Harris0n Loyal user leeds uk 290 Posts |
I wanted to briefly review a piece of work that's been a good 30 years in the making...
Franklin the Mind Magician has been a full-time mind reader since the 70’s, in fact the intro to this chunky book of wonders includes a picture of the cover from Franklin’s first set of 1979 lecture notes entitled ‘Mentalism into the Eighties’. This guy has been doing his thing for a looong time. Beyond the Veil is jam-packed full of effects that work and work well. There’s audience tested stuff for stage and for close-up. For me personally it’s the close-up effects that really push this book into the realm of the indispensable. I've worked alongside Franklin several times over the past ten years or so. We've occasionally been hired by the same entertainment agency up in the grim north of England, so we've crossed paths at some of the larger corporate northern shindigs working close-up for the crowds. During these times, particularly in the earlier days, I’d watch Franklin at work whenever I had the opportunity, eager to learn from an old-school master of the art. I was always amazed by his effortless ability to perform mentalism in potentially tricky environments; meanwhile ‘experts’ on magic forums were repeatedly informing anyone who'd listen that mentalism couldn't be performed effectively close up. Franklin made it obvious that, with the right choice of effects and a thoughtful delivery, mentalism could not only be performed well close-up but could absolutely devastate an audience in even the most raucous and unforgiving walk-around situations. Beyond the Veil includes techniques for naming thought-of celebrities and famous landmarks, predicting the actions of spectators, demonstrating lightning fast calculating abilities and much more. The one effect that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Franklin kill audiences with time and time again is his ‘pebble game’, an effect in which the performer accurately discerns in which hand a participant is hiding a pebble, before repeating the process again, and again, and again. I’ve never been able to work out the method for this and believe me, I’ve had the opportunity to watch pretty closely in the past. I was surprised and delighted to find the method fully explained in the book. There are no expensive electronics, no inconsistent ‘psychological techniques’, just a method that works 100% every time. I remember working alongside Franklin at an event a few years ago where ‘the pebble game’ was pretty much the only effect he performed all evening. It’s the kind of effect that often sells individually for a huge sum of money. Astonishingly it’s just one effect of many in Beyond the Veil. As if all that isn’t enough, there’s also a ‘bonus section’. Marc Paul puts it best in his quote on the back of the book: “Franklin is a professional and he’s been one for years. He’s a worker out in the real world earning a living from performing. All of the effects in this book are professional routines; they use sure-fire methods and sure fire effects to create a strong impact in any environment. If there is a highlight for me it has to be ‘Analytical Calculations’. A classic effect made impossibly deceptive. But the real value will be missed by many and that’s the last chapter simply titled ‘Bonus Section’… make sure you read it.” The bonus section in question covers marketing and networking, publicity, agents and more. Coming from a professional mind reader, this is invaluable information for anyone looking to turn their passion into a lucrative career. Have I mentioned the included CD-Rom containing printable files to make up many of the props described in the book? I have now. I've never understood that thing that many magic reviewers do: they write something along the lines of “I wish so-and-so hadn't shared this material, I want to keep it all to myself”. I’m always left thinking, ‘well, why write a review about it? If you genuinely wanted to keep it to yourself surely you’d tell as few people as possible?’ Now however, having read this book, I understand where some of those reviewers might be coming from. Yes, there’s a part of me that’d like to keep this material in as few hands as possible, yet at the same time I want performers to read this, to learn from it and to make their mentalism, and in turn, make ALL mentalism, better for everyone. I want fledgling performers to read this book and perhaps put off releasing that single effect ebook for a few years, ideally realizing that their time might be better spent performing for others, honing their craft and taking their sweet time before hawking their wares. In a world of internet advertising, instant e-books and the secrets that many of us hold dear being openly discussed all over the web, Beyond the Veil is a genuine, modern ‘underground classic’ in the true sense of the phrase. As for where you can purchase this book, in the spirit of a truly underground publication I’ll leave it up to you to seek out. Franklin’s a member of this forum so it shouldn't be too difficult. Do yourself a huge favour and get in touch with him A.S.A.P.
"There are times when the truth is necessary and times when myth-making is necessary." Nick Cave
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The Paranormalist Special user United Kingdom 702 Posts |
First and foremost many, many thanks to Harrison for his review of my book, I’m totally overwhelmed by it. Since the review I have had so much interest and today alone I’ve had to make 4 trips to the post office.
If I can answer any questions about the book please do not hesitate to ask, but full details are on my website http://www.themindmagician.co.uk/beyondtheveil . I have secured the details page with a password in fear that my book will find its way on to a torrent sight, but obviously you can only secure it so much. A further clue that may help solve the name of the mentalist needed is that he was born in Poland but lived in Russia!!! The book consists of 196 A4 pages, 14 chapters of routines and essays together with a CD Rom with all the necessary artwork to make up the routines. Harrison quoted one testimonial by Marc Paul; here is another one from Mark Elsdon. "This excellent new book from Franklin contains a wealth of audience-tested material which is refreshing in its diversity and practicality. I am already using one of the ideas taught within and I can confidently predict that this material will find its way into the repertoires of discerning mentalists everywhere. Highly recommended." Here is a list of the contents: The Mentalist Deck For the mentalist that loves demonstrations like Simon Shaw’s Directors Cut, Max Maven’s ‘Mind’s Eye Deck and Richard Osterlind’s ODDS. In the ‘Mentalist deck’ this takes the working performer to the next step that allows their assistant to freely shuffle the cards themselves before and after a card has been chosen with nothing ever being written down, this can also be performed in a walk around environment ad infinitum. Many different variations and presentations are included. If this isn’t enough the cards can be freely designed to bring in any subject the performer chooses. Ghost Writers in the Sky The ultimate in revelation techniques where you teach your assistant how they too can read your mind or the mind of another member of the audience. Analytical Calculations A cabaret or stage routine that demonstrates your skills as a lightning calculator and a mentalist at the same time, where numbers are freely chosen and totalled in front of the audience, with absolutely no exchange of the numbers taking place. All this is after having made your prediction. The key point in this demonstration is that absolutely no mathematics is involved leaving all your efforts going towards the presentation. The Pebble Game A completely low tech and natural way of knowing which hand holds a hidden object, to those that know the secret of this, the value goes way beyond the cost of this book. It Peeks for Itself A totally impromptu and convincing way for obtaining a full area peek of a business card after having it replaced back into the stack of cards by your assistant. A Force of One A Remote Viewing demonstration where you can prove that you know which picture postcard has been chosen without ever going anywhere near the postcards during or after the card has been chosen. In Defence of Playing Cards My case for the defence in using playing cards in mentalism, together with one of the most useful gaffed decks in the mentalist’s arsenal. The Unseen Assistant A miracle class stage demonstration that makes use of an unseen assistant. Tuning In Updated Based on the classic Princess Card trick without using playing cards but instead everyday objects, 'Tuning In Updated' takes the demonstration to a whole new level. A Back to Back Drawing The key factors in demonstrating this test are: The assistant and audience must be 100% convinced that a completely free choice was made in choosing what to draw. There is absolutely no way the mentalist could see what influences the assistant to make the drawing. No pre-show work is required at all. Even though an apparently free choice of a word is made sight unseen, the word is also freely changed and converted into a manageable and simple drawing. The Bonus Section A 20 page essay on the business side of show business. |
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