9 years ago I went to Edinburgh Festival and worked my tail off. I lost 5k.
Since then, I have worked harder than ever before, learnt so much about our craft and have returned for the past 8 years. In that time, I have won the Edfest Bouquet 4 times, had sell-out runs, National press and secured the biggest contracts of my career so far.
I made so many mistakes, spent so much money and this book details the innermost secrets I have discovered...
Some of the techniques covered include:
Defining Your Lags and Dealing With Them!
A system for uncovering and eliminating your lags which will quickly and objectively make your act significantly better! Taught to me by Scott Harris the comedian, this changed my life. Literally.
The 1 Thing!
The 1 thing you have to do that will make you improve faster than anything else! No matter what your current level is!
Authenticity
How to be more authentic, why it's important and what it will do for your show.
Notes
How to take notes, what to do with them, and a system for implementing them that will effectively improve your performance rapidly
Pattern Breaking
I will show you the 2 pattern breaks I use before my show even starts and then how I pattern break during ETHERMIND. I examine the different ways of pattern breaking available to you...
Movement and Script
A truly powerful way of combining what you are saying with movement to deeply resonate with any audience...
ETHERMIND Analysed!
My most successful Edinburgh show of all time, more than doubled the revenue of my last Edinburgh run! Here's the show broken down for the first time ever, looking at the psychology of each stage.
Scripting
A system for scripting and the evolution of script that ensures natural verbiage and congruency.
The 3 Elements
The 3 elements that should be in place to enable your audience to act as a cohesive group and respond to you in a truly powerful way.
Character
How to ensure congruency and an accurate portrayal of the one thing that will ensure you stand out...your character!
RAS
Learn how to trigger your Reticular Activating System to achieve goals expediently...this one technique could change your destiny (no exaggeration).
Star Moments
I have never seen this discussed anywhere in our business. How to incorporate star moments into your show and make your act shine brighter than ever.
And so much more...
Plus, I give you my precise technique for reading people.
I studied at Leicester University under one of the leading profilers in the UK. He taught me a lot! For the first time ever I reveal my full system of reading people quickly to optimize your chances of selecting the best volunteers for your show. This is worth the price of admission on its own. I have charged corporates thousands and thousands of dollars for this information... now it's available for you to implement!
Everything I do to speed read people in real time
Your audience can make or break your show. Do these things to ensure your best possible chance of an amazing show...
How to pick the type of volunteers that will raise your show to the next level
One of the most important keys to success and one of the least discussed. I give you all my knowledge on this most important of subjects...
Real world applications!
Use these techniques in your everyday life, both in and out of magic!
Retrain
With today's societal advances we all need to do this immediately to retrain ourselves so we can read people to the best of our ability.
Then, I delve into the 101 tips in more detail than ever...
Ensuring that this book will truly help you become even better faster, I detail more information than ever previously released regarding the 101 tips.
They say "if you get a couple of ideas from a book it is well worth the investment". My goal here is to really over exceed expectations...
This book is 148 pages long, offering ideas and concepts that quite literally could improve your performance immediately. Designed to be easily and quickly consumed, digested and acted upon, it may prove to be one of the most valuable books in your collection...
Whatever level you are currently, from beginner to full-time pro, you will find something truly valuable within its pages...
"This book is an easy to read, no nonsense guide to making your show the best it can be. A must read for anyone who really cares about the art"
- Jon Armstrong
"Probably one of the most important books ever written...You want a rating, I'm going to give this book 200%... I genuinely think I would be more successful as a performer if I had access to this book 10 years ago... I think every single performer should buy it!"
- Craig Petty
"Imagine you're at the pub having a beer with a good friend who's a masterful performer and a great success, and they spend a few hours giving you their best advice and insights into what it takes to be a true pro! This is what Chris Dugdale has done in his new book, Becoming Better. With candor and clarity Chris sets you straight with the kind of time-tested advice that will save you years of trial and error and add to your happiness, both onstage and off.
I had an opportunity to catch Chris's show aboard a cruise ship and was impressed not only by his performance, but by his winning way of interacting with people offstage. He made every single person he spoke with (whether they were a staff member or a guest) feel seen, heard and valued. His jovial and inquisitive persona makes him a delight to be around which is, I'm sure, all part of his success. I think you'll find much to inspire you in the pages of Chris's book. Cheers!"
- Bruce Gold
"Give thought to even part of the contents and you'll emerge a better performer for it... you will return to dip into this little treasure-trove time after time, coming away having your collar felt at each and every visit...whatever the next stage up from a no-brainer may be...pretty much an essential read"
- Bob Gill - THE MAGIC CIRCULAR - MAY 2023.
