Steve Martin MasterClass Review 2022: Is It Worth It?

This article on “Steve Martin MasterClass Review” will provide you with the opportunity to read an in-depth evaluation of Steve Martin’s Masterclass, including information on how the lessons are presented, who the course is best suited for, the cost, and what I liked about it, etc.

Martin says in the course trailer, “I guarantee you, I had no talent. None. Keep in mind that everything you see, hear, and experience is useful because you are a thought machine.

For a complete comedy novice like me, these opening words of support were consoling. I was curious to see if Martin could teach someone like me, who is quiet and uninteresting in real life, how to be hilarious before the MasterClass even began.

However, I had reasonable expectations going into the Steve Martin MasterClass. After listening to a comedian lecture for two hours, I realized I would never grasp comedy. I was curious to know:

Is it worthwhile to pay for admission to Steve Martin’s comedy masterclass? Will I be able to learn enough to start a career in comedy? Will this MasterClass make me funnier than before?

These and other questions are fully answered in this Steve Martin Masterclass Review. Let’s first talk a little about King Tut the individual, though.

Who Is Steve Martin?

If you’re reading this Steve Martin Masterclass Review, you probably already know a little bit about Steve Martin and his career. In light of this, I’ll omit the biography and summarise some of my major professional achievements:

• In the 1960s, Martin gained recognition as a stand-up comedian and writer. For his work on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, he won the 1969 Emmy Award.
• Martin won the Comedy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, and in 2013 he also received an Academy Honorary Award.
• Martin, an accomplished musician, and actor has established himself in both stand-up comedy and movies, and he has won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Roxanne)
• His first job was selling guidebooks at Disneyland, and he then worked at the Magic Shop where he developed an interest in theatre.
• He made “Air Quotes” popular by overusing them on Saturday Night Live.
• Martin enjoys collecting art.

Martin’s stand-up performances frequently sold out entire venues thanks to the rock concert-like crowds he attracted.

Martin is a well-known musician as well. He performs with the banjo frequently and even has an appearance in the movie Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

On top of that, you can find Steve Martin on Twitter, where he has more than 8 million followers, and he regularly shares interesting and thought-provoking anecdotes with his audience there.

What Is MasterClass?

MasterClass is an online learning platform that was established in 2015 and provides courses taught by famous authorities.

Over 150 video classes are available, all of which are presented by well-known experts in their respective professions.

For instance, James Cameron teaches filmmaking, Penn & Teller teaches magic, Neil Gaiman teaches writing, and Gordon Ramsay teaches cooking.

Slowly but surely, MasterClass has become the leader in online education. It’s being compared to the “Netflix of education” by some. It makes sense given their well-known teachers and production standards.

I can confidently assert that MasterClass isn’t for everyone despite having participated in numerous MasterClasses thus far.

In order to help you determine whether the Steve Martin MasterClass is right for you, I’ll assess the advantages and disadvantages in this Steve Martin Masterclass Review.

Course Overview – Steve Martin MasterClass Review

The 25 lessons in Steve Martin’s MasterClass are 4.6 hours in length. You also receive: in addition to the video content.

• The script for Meteor Shower is 74 pages long (excerpt)
• The whole script for Roxanne
• If you like to take notes as you watch videos, the WorkBook is a fantastic complement. You can print the PDF and review each part as frequently as you wish.

The five portions of Martin’s MasterClass are as follows:

1. Meet Your Instructor
2. Writing Jokes
3. Performing Comedy
4. Writing Comedy for the Stage and Screen
5. Finding Your Place in Comedy

Introduction

Steve Martin introduces himself and outlines his goals for his MasterClass in this section. He will discuss writing, performing, and “the specifics of standup,” as he puts it.

In light of this, before selecting your comedy MasterClass, it’s important to think about if live performing is the path you want to take.

Martin wants to help you develop your humorous voice and perfect your act overall.

You’ll discover:

• practical expertise in comedy
• How to look around you for inspiration
• Techniques for enhancing your talent
• The abilities you can anticipate learning in this course were effectively introduced in this session.

So everything gets off to a good start. But what happens after that?

Gathering Writing Material

In the Steve Martin Masterclass Review course, you learn:

• The value of educating yourself
• To become informed and intelligent
• How to gather and assess material
• Use comedy to reflect a wider context

Martin advises you to take a fresh look at the world in order to learn more about it and inform your actions. He’s right when he says that a lot of humor is about noticing and observing, therefore it’s crucial to pay attention to the little things.

This course teaches you how to gather information, evaluate it for your act, and tap into the wisdom of your peers.

Martin provides a wealth of anecdotes and supporting materials, particularly to demonstrate how comedians use the information to create a comic style.

To make your comedy relevant and meaningful, you’ll learn to critically evaluate comedy and probe the “state of the nation” with important questions.

Finding Your Comedic Voice

Martin describes how, after going through an “existential crisis” in college, he decided to pursue comedy. Martin, who has a background in philosophy, struggled with the idea of comedy and decided he needed to find his own voice.

There are techniques for creating your own style and revealing your individuality as a performer, as he explains.

You will discover:

• Tap into your cultural perspective
• Characterize yourself
• Establish a manifesto
• Define your taste

Martin is certain that you should develop your skills to make yourself a more fascinating and varied performer because his own musical abilities are a component of his acts. He further details how you can:

• Assess demographics to tailor your comedy
• Form yourself as a comedian
• Take influences from other disciplines
• Establish your standards as a performer

Here, Martin provides some food for thought, including inquiries you should direct toward yourself as you think about your persona. This easily transitions you to the following chapter:

Developing A Comedic Persona

Martin defines a comic persona and explains what factors into this picture. He even gives some instances of well-known comedians who have developed distinct personalities over time.

This lesson is fundamentally about deciding on the persona you want to project to your audience and how to establish yourself on stage. You’ll discover how to modify your image to reflect both your best and worst traits, right down to how to dress the role.

This course discusses how to become a comedian, with a focus on “identifying a vacuum you can fill.” Martin makes a comparison to his own comedic image, a goofy suit-wearing, balloon-hat-wearing fool who would always conclude his act looking ridiculous.

You’ll learn the reasons behind Martin’s creative choices when it came to developing his persona as well as what he considers to be the main learning objectives for this session (especially for young comedians).

Delivery

Martin focuses on “timing your… time” in this class.

Here are my key conclusions:

• The importance of timing and tempo to hook your audience
• Why you should use physical comedy in your delivery
• How to line up body and speech to hold your audience
• How to stay ahead of the audience with “rollover jokes”

It all comes down to audience preferences and how your presenting style fits with your identity, he says in his conclusion.

Story Techniques

Martin describes how he approaches writing for theatre versus screen. He specifically explains where he begins and how he develops his initial concept.

He places a lot of emphasis on conversation, free writing, and structure.

You will discover:

• Create and build upon a base structure
• Let your characters write dialogue
• Give your subconscious time to work
• Deal with writer’s block

He also makes reference to his play Meteor Shower, which is available as a PDF. It is useful to see how Martin organizes his work on the page in this way.

Getting Started in Comedy

This lesson teaches you how to

• Make the most out of starting with nothing
• Understand what comedy is to you
• Recognize the qualities for show business
• Get noticed in the comedy world
• Stay original and inspired

Martin offers advice on how to maximize your comedic potential and what behaviors you should develop along the route to be successful.

A Life In The Arts

“Constructive criticism is a badge of pride.”

Every profession in the spotlight comes with some level of difficulty. Martin discusses how he turned the unfavorable press and reviews to his advantage.

You’ll discover:

• How to embrace the difficulties of being a comedian
• Know when to leave artistry behind you
• How to stay upbeat and inspired in your career

Martin discusses popularity and art in general while also addressing the stand-up comedian in this passage. He talks in particular about the emotional cost of being extremely philosophical and analytical.

He discusses how he responds to unfavorable criticism as well as other things he has learned from other actors and comedians over the years.

Profanity And Morality

This alone made it clear that Martin didn’t enjoy using vulgar language or offensive humor. In fact, he seems to avoid anything that can be construed as political or vulgar in his MasterClass.

He teaches you how to: Despite acknowledging the importance of personal preference.

• Identify your morality
• Define your taste
• Tell comedy kindly

You get to see a student session one last time when Martin talks about a student’s behavior in relation to offensive material.

Martin doesn’t exactly advise you what to say or not say in your comedy act, but he does ask you some questions that may help you decide which words would have the biggest impact.

Steve’s Comedic Inspirations

Martin’s favorite comedians and comedic moments are covered in this course. Martin discusses the techniques that affected him as a performer and left a lasting imprint, from early inspirations to physical humor.

The variety of humor Martin offered, from Amy Schumer to Charlie Chaplin, really astonished me! Even better, he gave you a list of well-known comedy routines you ought to watch.

Steve’s Journey And Final Thoughts

This lesson explains Martin’s journey toward producing his own “variety show” after falling in love with performing.

The following were the main lessons I learned from this lesson:

• How to develop as a performer
• Using your other talents to bear on your comedy
• How to pitch ideas to others

Martin concludes by offering some parting words of wisdom and stating what he hopes you, the student, will remember. He makes sure you remember how to follow his instructions in order to succeed and how to uphold your integrity as a performer.

Why I Liked Steve Martin’s MasterClass

One of the most popular and prosperous American comedians in recent memory is Steve Martin. Given that he has continued to be successful since the 1960s, he is also a likable artist.

You have a fantastic opportunity to learn directly from the guy with his MasterClass. Included in this is the opportunity to “sit in” on a special session with aspiring comedians.

If you’re prepared to pay the money, MasterClass offers unmatched access to Martin’s skills and maybe the closest thing to a one-on-one experience you can find.

01 – Numerous Resources

There are some other resources that you can use to interact with the course material in addition to the video material.

This contains 2 of Martin’s original screenplays in addition to the 74-page Workbook, which has tasks and additional reading.

These PDFs are a gift if you study best by reading or annotating. MasterClass actually emphasizes self-directed learning and tries to accommodate a variety of learning methods.

Martin’s recommendations for additional reading actually allow you to move past the MasterClass and implement his first item of advice, which is to educate yourself.

02 – Awesome Workshops

I’ve taken a few MasterClasses with workshops, among them Aaron Sorkin’s Screenwriting MasterClass, and I’ve discovered that the student sessions truly offer something more to the MasterClass experience.

You get to take a break from the lecture-style material during a fairly lengthy 5-hour course and instead participate in a seminar session with Steve Martin and a group of students.

Since the pupils were in a similar situation as those at home, I felt as though this was the closest I would ever come to working one-on-one with Martin.

The workshop sessions, in particular, focus on the following topics:

• For the first time performing
• setting up your persona
• Designing your act
• Handling hecklers

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear Martin’s recommendations for MasterClass viewers who identify as “everyman.” These portions provided me with some excellent advice, and I don’t believe the course would have been as effective without them.

Who Is The Course For?

The Steve Martin MasterClass, in my opinion, is appropriate for someone who is:

• a fervent fan of traditional comedy
• wishing to gain knowledge from one of America’s best comedians
• Searching for a program that includes both live performance and film
• wishing to explore clean humor and “gentle” humor
• I’m interested in hearing how Steve Martin organizes his acts.
• a fan of comedy in general or Steve Martin

A person who is interested in humor and is beginning to perform in shows is the best candidate for this program. You’ll discover how to craft jokes and pieces, put together a cohesive performance, and capture the interest of your audience. Martin tells you how to make yourself successful as well.

If your manifesto is politically charged or you’re interested in more recent comedy trends, MasterClass may not be for you.

Plans & Pricing – Steve Martin MasterClass Review

Three alternatives are available if you want to enroll in Steve Martin’s MasterClass:

• $25 per month subscription
• $60 per 3-month subscription (saves you 20%)
• $180 per year subscription (saves you 40%)

Although the subscription fee may seem high, you will get access to all 90+ MasterClass classes, including those from other comedy masters like Judd Apatow, Ron Howard, and David Sedaris.

Additionally, keep in mind that each MasterClass represents the culmination of someone’s lifetime of labor into a collection of engaging videos. In other words, if the Steve Martin MasterClass turns out to not be for you, odds are good that you’ll find another MasterClass that you do.

Things I liked About The Steve Martin MasterClass

Martin teaches comedy in a very straightforward manner. He doesn’t hide the comic technique under the guise of mystery. Instead, he counsels such things as, “Learn to notice your thoughts,” and “If two individuals get into a dispute, leave them be.” That information is useful.

Each lesson also included a brief video clip from one of Martin’s past performances that highlighted a key point for me. This served to support his ideas on humor.

However, lesson five on jokes and bits is my go-to lesson from this course. Martin is known for not approaching comedy from a set-up/punchline perspective, and he uses this example to show us how to flip some of the conventional wisdom on its head. I distilled his strategy down to build tension, then let the audience come up with ways to release it.

The Class Workbook, which has summaries of each session as well as tasks and other resources to check out, is also really valuable, and I cannot overstate its importance. I’m not allowed to provide screenshots of the workbook, but here are some highlights that I found interesting but weren’t in the video lessons:

• The Futurist Manifesto – I like that Steve Martin reads these kinds of things
• How to Build a Joke – By one of my favorite comedians, Demetri Martin
• 13 Major Comedy Structures – Fantastic resource

Is The Course Content Unique?

The simple response is no.

Since comedy has a long history, Steve can’t possibly have entirely original material. Nevertheless, Steve does divulge his unique advice and personal secrets, such as his method of “laying things in.”

Additionally, he defines a few terminologies from the industry. One student acknowledged that the course covers a lot of material that is not covered in his memoirs.

I actually didn’t discover a lot of other content where Steve talks about his art, especially not in as much detail as in his MasterClass, except in interviews.

This is my breakdown, then:

From Steve Martin’s perspective, you’ll study humor, especially how he likes to create and act.

You must keep in mind, though, that Martin’s comedy does not exist in a vacuum. Martin freely acknowledges the many influences that have shaped his work.

On the other hand, I believe Martin’s analysis of comedy is primarily original. He freely admits to being partial and expresses his personal views on performance’s delivery, structure, and fashion.

You have the opportunity to listen to one of the best comedians of all time, all things considered. And I believe that is already quite valuable.

Steve Martin MasterClass Review: Is It Worth It?

Yes, if you enjoy traditional stand-up comedy.

This seminar goes into great detail and covers a lot of standup performance specifics. I saw that Steve Martin has never disclosed this much information about his work previously.

Accordingly, the usefulness of Steve Martin’s MasterClass depends on your personal interests and your objectives.

This course may not be for you if you approach comedy from a more modern or political perspective. Steve Martin closely resembles his early stand-up routines in terms of his humorous approach and methods.

This training won’t be very useful if you have little interest in live performing. This MasterClass focuses on live acts, with a few courses on playwriting and movies. He focuses most of his counsel on how we should communicate with the audience when performing live.

Overall:

This course is really valuable and highly informative if you enjoy Steve Martin’s kind of humor. He is a great performer who has endured the test of time, not just a comedy theory.

Additionally, during the duration of a year’s subscription, the all-access pass gives you unrestricted access to every MasterClass course. These professors, like Steve Martin, are all authorities in their disciplines.

In light of this, I believe MasterClass to be an excellent value.

Conclusion On Steve Martin MasterClass Review

Taking everything into account, the following reasons make this Steve Martin MasterClass highly recommended:

• the superiority of the product
• Shortness of the course (Martin is not long-winded)
• The given class workbook
• Steve Martin is a well-known comedian with many skills.
• The fact that I can access a tonne more classes with a MasterClass pass

Thank you for reading this article on “Steve Martin MasterClass Review” If you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions regarding this article, please write them in the comment section below. And don’t be hesitant about passing on this piece of knowledge to others.

Frequently Asked Questions