In this day and age, it seems like everyone is getting into comedy. Not since the eighties and early nineties have we seen so many comedians out there absolutely killing it.
Comedy clubs alone are projected to have a market size of about $350 million in 2024, and the prospect of the world opening up sooner rather than later means that live shows aren’t far off on the horizon.
If you have a funny bone and a sense of humor that you’ve been anxious to cultivate, we go over a few tips below that will help you start out in the comedy world.
Contents
Watch a Ton of Comedy
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Whether you’ve already been to a ton of live comedy shows and watched every one hour special you could get your hands on or you’re starting from scratch, it’s important to study the greats.
Attending a good live comedy show will get your creative juices flowing — not to mention put you in the same airspace as comedians (both successful and amateur). Watching a good one-hour special can be equally inspiring.
Find Your POV
The most important thing a comedian has to offer is their original point of view. You’ll want to think about the things that make you peeved as well as the stuff that fascinates and bewilders you — this is all fertile material for the comedian. Write jokes — a lot of them. Try to set aside at least one hour per day to refine old material and work on new material. Try to build a ten-minute set, then a twenty and thirty-minute set. Before you know it, you’ll have an hour of material. But, the only thing is, are your jokes any good?
Do Live Sets
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If you want to be a stand-up comedian, you should be doing live sets on a weekly basis. Insiders call this “Working Out”. You’ll have to start out doing amateur nights and open mic nights at first, but, if you work on your craft and use your networking skills, you’ll be getting into better clubs and getting paid for your hilariousness.
Start a Podcast
Every comedian out there these days seems to have a podcast and it’s a good idea that you make one, too. Your podcast can be about all things life and comedy. You can make it a point to have guests on your show, that way you can get in touch with people in the comedy scene. They can do your podcast and you can do theirs! This will also help you build an audience and let them know about your shows.
Financing Your Comedy Career
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Since all you need is your mind, your mouth, and maybe a pen and tablet, you really don’t have to put up much stake money to get started in comedy. You will want to be able to set aside some time to work on your craft and make sure that you keep your evenings free — that way you can go work out whenever you want and capitalize on any gigs that come your way.
Work a part time job and focus on your act. If you get in a jam, try not to put any expenses on your credit cards. If you need a fresh pair of duds for the stage and you have a vehicle, you can search “title loan places near me” online and find ways to get your hands on some quick cash with INeedCashNow. If your gig work is steady you should be able to pay off this type of loan in no time while saving money that you’d otherwise spend on credit card interest.
If you follow some of these suggestions mentioned above you should be able to traverse the murky waters of professional comedy that much easier. Good luck and break a leg!
The study, learn and put what you’ve learned into practice
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To be a comedian, you don’t have to go to college or have a college degree. It also doesn’t harm, and it could be money & time well invested. It is really beneficial to practice your abilities with peers and receive feedback from lecturers.
Critiques push you to learn new things and improve your talents, and having a list of people and partners can help you think beyond the box. Some institutions provide improv acting lessons to help students become less stiff and more freed on stage, as well as overcome stage fright.
Even though there is no official diploma for comedians, non-credit courses on comic techniques and creating jokes might help you get started. You might even be able to locate classes that teach you how to negotiate the interview process.
Get Inspiration From Live Comedy Shows
Live comedy shows can serve as a source of inspiration. It’ll help you stay on top of what’s important and what’s not. To get a feel of who’s entertaining, what jokes appeal to the audience, and what to avoid, go to your neighborhood comedy club.
You can go to a variety of other comedy bars too. Those that are popular and conventional may differ from those that are underground or unusual.
You can receive ideas from a variety of comedians, but just never blatantly steal their lines. You’ll get a poor rep in the comedy world if you do that.
Perform at Open Mics
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Open mics are a great way to get your name out there. Getting in time at open mic evenings, regardless of you take a standup comedy program, is essential for any aspiring standup performer. Open mics allow you to speak before a crowd and fine-tune your performance.
They’re also a wonderful location to meet other individuals in the field, from other up-and-comers to promoters who may be able to help you land more formal engagements in the future.
Take away
Last but not least, save your finest joke for last. If you start your set with your most fascinating material, it will only go bad after this. If you feel you have a great joke, save it for last to leave your crowd on a strong note. You may start your performance with your second most successful joke to draw the crowd in and keep them hooked.
