Jokes and Jokes and... |OT| A Thread for "Comedians"
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You're welcome, and count me in!
I don't care for Jerry Seinfeld, but here's an interesting video about his writing process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itWxXyCfW5s
I especially like Louis's Hitler/Ray Charles bit in that regard. He does that opening where he compares the two, and then much later on, when talking about divorce, he goes "Ray Charles has killed more Jews than happy marriages have ended in divorce!" That's just brilliant.
Good question. From what I gather many comedians just artificially create links and transitions between their jokes, and anything that can make it look more like a natural transition is just gravy. So I assume they just write a given joke and at some point through the writing/rewriting process they think of a link with an earlier joke.
It's definitely tough to get the right "energy". One thing I've learned to do is just tell myself, "I don't care how this goes". Right now I just try to get a lot out of my system. Write only new material (always recording it so I can rewrite it and build a longer set).
Call backs and transitions are 100% intentional, but the bits aren't written just so Call Backs can exist. It's just something where a comedian writes a bit, and realizes he can plug another joke from earlier in.
Will definitely watch later today!
For those interested, here's my set from last night. Very weak, and it shows that I wrote it in about a day. I really wish I had more time to work on this set, as I think there is some genuinely funny topics to play with, but I just didn't have enough time to hammer it out. Being in College makes it tough to really balance all of this, and writing / rehearsing isn't a fast process by any means. Anyway, as always, comments and feedback!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvtJAkgX3cs
Thanks guys!
Edit: Also, for those wondering, I sat down during this set for two reasons. One, the stage is extremely small, as you can see, but more importantly...I was dog tired. I had an intense leg workout at the gym with some crazy interval training during a spin class and I just would have looked uncomfortable walking around stage. This sucked for me, because I can immediately tell from watching that I just didn't have the same "energy" as I otherwise would have.
Will watch later, but when you say you spent a day working on it, how many hours is that? And how many of those hours did you spend learning the material?
Less than 24, hahaha. Honestly I was bummed that I couldn't invest the time into this set that I did into my last. I probably spent maybe 2 or 3 hours writing some of the bits, and maybe 30 minutes doing a quick rehearsal. The good news is, while I sat in the parlor listening to other comedians, I wrote a few more bits that I'm going to flesh out and work on before the next open mic.
For me learning the material is easy, what I need to work on is saying it over and over again and learning how to *deliver* it, instead of just knowing it.
Doing a 3 minute set tonight at a local bar. They and a local radio station are hosting a "Last Laugh Comedy Competition". Really having a tough time trying to pin down 3 minutes that I want to use, or write new jokes to fill 3 minutes. It seems like such a condensed period of time to make an impression and get good jokes in.
Here's to hoping I can pull a rabbit out of a hat!
Here's to hoping I can pull a rabbit out of a hat!
Man, that's really limited. Good luck
Yea, there's 11 other guys going tonight, then 12 next weekend. Of the 24, 12 will be moved on to the second round, and then 6 of those will go to the finals. Winner get's $1,000. Kind of hoping I won't get to the last round though, since I've got a free trip to San Francisco lined up during that same period of time. We'll see how it turns out though, will be a tough choice to make if it comes down to that!
Definitely! Honestly, there is a bit of a difference between being funny in a rehearsed manner, and being funny off the cuff. I say a lot of things with groups of friends that are funny, but probably wouldn't be funny in a rehearsed set. There's always some cross over though.
I have noticed that since I've started writing jokes and jotting things down, I've become a bit more involved with joking with friends, and things come to me more naturally. I've just started to see some things in a different light.
One of the bits I'm doing tonight stemmed from a conversation I had with some friends. We ran into a gorgeous girl who was really tall, and one guy asked if I'd ever date anyone that tall. I told him sure, so long as she'd let me sit on her shoulders at concerts. All of us lost it, and I wrote it down.
If you want to be funnier in casual conversation, it can't hurt to start practicing writing jokes, quips, and little things here and there. It helps your perspective and definitely makes you think of things much faster
I've been incorporating a lot of my routine into common conversations to make my standup seem more conversational. I've been getting good results and this thread's suggestions have helped a lot.
BTW did anyone read the Patton Oswalt piece about joke stealing and heckling? Really good read.
http://www.pattonoswalt.com/index.cfm?page=spew&id=167
BTW did anyone read the Patton Oswalt piece about joke stealing and heckling? Really good read.
http://www.pattonoswalt.com/index.cfm?page=spew&id=167
Will definitely read this!
Trying to find a local place in town that will allow me to host an Open Mic night once a month, we used to have two, but now we've only got one. It sucks.
Have you hosted a show, previously?
I've done it twice before as a fill in at our small open mic night, so it's a tough sell. One local owner is going to come to the next open mic night to see if it'll be worth his time. Gotta write some good stuff by then.
It's a small college town in Kansas, so pretty small. No comedy clubs in town, but there is one about 120 miles away (which is killer for gas money).
I've never produced anything, just emcee'd a few times.
Wow, how have I not found this thread? I'm surprised more gaffers haven't tried comedy. I live and perform mostly in Michigan now, but spent last year hitting mics all the time in Chicago and taking writing/improv classes at iO and Second City.
I loved that. Patton doe such a good job of fully analyzing things, both inside and outside of comedy.
I loved that. Patton doe such a good job of fully analyzing things, both inside and outside of comedy.
I am trying to get into stand-up next year on campus and have found a good club to join. I haven't really performed in front of anybody so I guess I should try that soon. If I had to define my style, it's less about one liners and more about narrative because a lot of my friends say that I can put a pretty decent spin on telling a story. I also tweet a lot of random jokes that pop into my head and usually people like them.
EDIT: I guess I should say the type that I like to do is Louis C.K. where it's less about the actual jokes and more about the delivery of the story involved and where I put the emphasis.
EDIT: I guess I should say the type that I like to do is Louis C.K. where it's less about the actual jokes and more about the delivery of the story involved and where I put the emphasis.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
That was funny for a moment.
Here's a simple one:
How do you throw a party in space?
You planet!
I'm seriously debating whether or not I should go and do a few minutes in a standup place just to say I've done it. In the past I did some storytelling so I'm comfy in front of a crowd. My main concern is that it takes forever to get your "voice" and honestly I'm 36, have a good job, and a wife and kids. I wont have the time to really find that "voice".
Right now I have a few minutes of a set of jokes I call "I am not a smart man." Which is essentially jokes about dumb stuff I've done. But outside of that I'm having a hard time finding what I want to do. I could tell stories from my professional life, but I don't wanna be an "Office space" comic. I could do politics but that takes a ton of work. I've always wanted to do like a history lesson/comedy routine where I tell jokes but people learn about history. But that might not be all that entertaining.
Right now I have a few minutes of a set of jokes I call "I am not a smart man." Which is essentially jokes about dumb stuff I've done. But outside of that I'm having a hard time finding what I want to do. I could tell stories from my professional life, but I don't wanna be an "Office space" comic. I could do politics but that takes a ton of work. I've always wanted to do like a history lesson/comedy routine where I tell jokes but people learn about history. But that might not be all that entertaining.
Messypandas
Member
What do you need to know to be an auctioneer?
Lots
Lots
Not sure how small the college is but, have you tried doing anything with the college bar/students' union?
I find the best shows are the ones where there's someone besides the comics having a stake in the performance's success.
When I was in university I started a comedy club on campus so I could get free equipment rentals/advertising/bookings with the SU.
Do it, don't worry about how old you are - just be realistic that this isn't going to be a career change and you aren't going to be successful/famous.
Have fun.
In terms of your material, try not to over think it. Talk about what you think is funny, don't concern yourself with being labelled as "office-space," "political," etc. No one will label you as anything but an open-micer for the first year or so anyway.
I love the Chicago Comedy scene. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to go to a mic every night of the week. It's a great place to start out since you don't have to worry about industry seeing you as an awful open micer.
Found a different job though, so I left Chicago last year, but I still visit and perform with a group of comics I met while living there.
MCtalkfunny
Member
Hey cool thread! I've been doing stand up for 3 1/2 years in Portland OR, really love doing it, been doing it qusi for a living for about a year. Will watch you video when I get home later an post some of my own. Just wanted to say congrats on doing it. I think everyone should at least once. Will have a bunch of tip and thinks I've learned when I have more time to post them.
Cool ok got home, heres a like to a set I did last year for a sold out crowd at Helium here in Portland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEcy8NcPWLM
Watched your first set, pretty good for a second time, keep at it. You seem really comfortable on stage which is good. If you have any questions let me know I'm down to answer anything.
Cool ok got home, heres a like to a set I did last year for a sold out crowd at Helium here in Portland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEcy8NcPWLM
Watched your first set, pretty good for a second time, keep at it. You seem really comfortable on stage which is good. If you have any questions let me know I'm down to answer anything.
Lord British
Member
Cool thread idea. I've always wanted to try stand-up or open mic, but it's that first hurdle, I guess.
Wow, glad to see this thread pick up steam! I'll watch all these new clips when I get home, excited to see them.
For folks who want to tell stories with a funny twist, my advice is this:
Wrote your story first, then Trim it down, and take some liberties no one is going to know, or care. Don't take too long to set up the laugh. I've seen a lot of first timers tell a single story that takes two to three minutes to hit the punch line, and by then the audience has abandoned ship. Try to cut it down to one minute or less, and then work from there. If it loses luster, add more material that's funny to flesh it out.
For folks who want to tell stories with a funny twist, my advice is this:
Wrote your story first, then Trim it down, and take some liberties no one is going to know, or care. Don't take too long to set up the laugh. I've seen a lot of first timers tell a single story that takes two to three minutes to hit the punch line, and by then the audience has abandoned ship. Try to cut it down to one minute or less, and then work from there. If it loses luster, add more material that's funny to flesh it out.
This was one of the reasons I did storytelling instead of comedy. I knew that it was too long for me to get to the punchline to be comedy. It's fine if you're in a story telling group and it takes 5 minutes to get to the funny bits, they're in it for the story. But no way is that going to work in comedy. That's why I gave up on comedy for a long time, I wasn't sure I could just do the quick stuff. But I'm finding while I can't tell my funniest stories I can do short little jabs.
MCtalkfunny
Member
Cool. One of my friends performed there this year and had a blast. I want to submit to more fests, but I'm not fully confident in any of my clips.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/su9j4j636n6k0to/VIDEO0004.mp4
This is the video of the first time i tried stand up. It was back in Feb. Ive done it four times so far, three at open mics and one at a paid gig that i got from one of the comedians that saw me at one of the open mics. My nerves always seem to get the best of me and it takes me a few minutes to get into the grove, so thats something im working on, also im trying to write more one liners which seem to be the hardest thing to do. Ive also learned to sprinkle more jokes into my stories, something that would have helped my MLK jr story in this clip. I know the whole thing is a learning process, one that im willing to learn. Here is an example of something i wrote recently:
I live in the South and people here LOVE NASCAR, they just love it. I can't get into it. However i probably would if they could ever find a way to incorporate red shells and bananna peels into the race. If they ever do a NASCAR themed Mario Kart game, I feel Boo is the obvious driver of the Dale EarnHart #3 car...
This is the video of the first time i tried stand up. It was back in Feb. Ive done it four times so far, three at open mics and one at a paid gig that i got from one of the comedians that saw me at one of the open mics. My nerves always seem to get the best of me and it takes me a few minutes to get into the grove, so thats something im working on, also im trying to write more one liners which seem to be the hardest thing to do. Ive also learned to sprinkle more jokes into my stories, something that would have helped my MLK jr story in this clip. I know the whole thing is a learning process, one that im willing to learn. Here is an example of something i wrote recently:
I live in the South and people here LOVE NASCAR, they just love it. I can't get into it. However i probably would if they could ever find a way to incorporate red shells and bananna peels into the race. If they ever do a NASCAR themed Mario Kart game, I feel Boo is the obvious driver of the Dale EarnHart #3 car...
elry09 - Solid set man! Love the first bit, I'd lose it with all that alliteration, lol. Good stuff!
For anyone interested, here's a set I did last month. A little better than my others, but I'm still talking way too fast, probably having too many drinks before my set, and not getting enough practice (for a 15 minute set, at least). I need to rehearse more so I can work on delivery, timing, and REMEMBERING my material. About 10 minutes in I lose my place because of hecklers, get confused, and just go to the crutch to start talking about jokes. There's some repeat stuff in here that people have already seen if you follow the thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH5VAUAkw8U&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy (and PLEASE, give me some feedback!)
For anyone interested, here's a set I did last month. A little better than my others, but I'm still talking way too fast, probably having too many drinks before my set, and not getting enough practice (for a 15 minute set, at least). I need to rehearse more so I can work on delivery, timing, and REMEMBERING my material. About 10 minutes in I lose my place because of hecklers, get confused, and just go to the crutch to start talking about jokes. There's some repeat stuff in here that people have already seen if you follow the thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH5VAUAkw8U&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy (and PLEASE, give me some feedback!)
More average jokes for anyone interested!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zi967g24xrh05jm/Jeremy Ricci.mp4
Again, critique is welcomed and necessary. Thanks!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zi967g24xrh05jm/Jeremy Ricci.mp4
Again, critique is welcomed and necessary. Thanks!
My latest set for a comedy competition. We only got 3 minutes.
http://youtu.be/AtrT7pNSxrU
Critiques please! Thanks!
http://youtu.be/AtrT7pNSxrU
Critiques please! Thanks!
Okay, I'll try to revive this one more time, lol. I did a 20 minute set, looking for feedback, etc. Let me know guys!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECtQwoGH9PU&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECtQwoGH9PU&feature=youtu.be
So I've decided to update the OP, and I'm *hoping* more people are interested in talking about comedy, specifically writing and performing. Maybe I should get a title change so it can get some traffic...don't know how much more I can bump this thread without getting banned! Yikes.
Cool thread idea! I've never done standup but I love studying performing arts and seeing what kind of techniques and dedication goes on backstage. I'm surprised nobody else is biting on this.
I got about halfway through your video (mostly cuz the audio on my phone is pretty shitty) and got some good laughs. I thought your bit on God as a single dad was great. It did occur to me that your body language is a bit muted...you pace a lot and don't keep eye contact with the crowd much, and it's easy to lose a joke or punchline when you're not punctuating the joke with your movements, and unfortunately with your face turned from the audience so much it does give the impression that you don't totally care if it goes well or not.
It might also work for you to work the water glass into your jokes, since you admit that you rely on it. That said you do get a couple good laugh-pauses out of it.
Ever tried improv comedy? I could see you being good at it. I've tried it a little and it's awkward as hell but man does it make you self aware of your presence/energy.
Hope I'm not too critical given you'd stomp me in a stand-up-off, like I said you're pretty
funny and you've got some dang good material. I guess dem's my two cents
I got about halfway through your video (mostly cuz the audio on my phone is pretty shitty) and got some good laughs. I thought your bit on God as a single dad was great. It did occur to me that your body language is a bit muted...you pace a lot and don't keep eye contact with the crowd much, and it's easy to lose a joke or punchline when you're not punctuating the joke with your movements, and unfortunately with your face turned from the audience so much it does give the impression that you don't totally care if it goes well or not.
It might also work for you to work the water glass into your jokes, since you admit that you rely on it. That said you do get a couple good laugh-pauses out of it.
Ever tried improv comedy? I could see you being good at it. I've tried it a little and it's awkward as hell but man does it make you self aware of your presence/energy.
Hope I'm not too critical given you'd stomp me in a stand-up-off, like I said you're pretty
funny and you've got some dang good material.
I guess dem's my two cents Cool thread idea! I've never done standup but I love studying performing arts and seeing what kind of techniques and dedication goes on backstage. I'm surprised nobody else is biting on this.
I got about halfway through your video (mostly cuz the audio on my phone is pretty shitty) and got some good laughs. I thought your bit on God as a single dad was great. It did occur to me that your body language is a bit muted...you pace a lot and don't keep eye contact with the crowd much, and it's easy to lose a joke or punchline when you're not punctuating the joke with your movements, and unfortunately with your face turned from the audience so much it does give the impression that you don't totally care if it goes well or not.
It might also work for you to work the water glass into your jokes, since you admit that you rely on it. That said you do get a couple good laugh-pauses out of it.
Ever tried improv comedy? I could see you being good at it. I've tried it a little and it's awkward as hell but man does it make you self aware of your presence/energy.
Hope I'm not too critical given you'd stomp me in a stand-up-off, like I said you're pretty
funny and you've got some dang good material.
I missed this! Sorry for the super late reply.
Yes, all of those things are pieces of the puzzle I'm really trying to work on. It's tough, for sure, especially since I don't have a lot of places to "practice". We have a handful of venues each month, so it's tough to really hammer out the craft. I'm working on it though, all great tips!
Here's a set I did a few days ago. Most of it was all off the cuff, I just knew I had topics I wanted to talk about. I think it went over fairly well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lhrMUGx2NA&list=UU0AszvkCN8I0g6XBGCna95Q
Anyone else who posted in this thread do any stand up? Stinks there isn't a bigger community here for comedians.
That's how the first half of this year was for me.
I've stepped it up a bit, and have focused more on having fun and writing less. I've been pretty lucky to fall into my own hosting gig here, even though I'm not in a big city. The experience hosting is great, even though I'm still working on getting all the details hammered out.
Are you in a bigger city? I'm in a small college town so it's pretty tough to really sell comedy to people here.
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