Make 'em Laugh - and Get Paid for it
Sure you’re funny. Everybody says so. But there’s a big difference between making people laugh until they pee and actually making a living as a stand-up comedian.Good jokes aren’t enough. To have a successful career in stand-up comedy, you have to be tenacious and persistent, sometimes for years, before you start getting the right breaks.
Jay Davis, from HBO’s Tourgasm show, says on the HBO Web site, “You don’t even realize you’re growing, but I think it takes 10 years to become a comedian. It’s something you have to do consistently, and it takes so many times on stage. But after 10 years on stage, that’s when you graduate. That’s when you can say you’re a professional comedian.”
Here are some tips to get you started.
Learn from others
Writers have a saying – if you want to write, you have to read. The same is true for stand-up comedy. If you want to perform, you have to watch the performances of other comedians.
The idea isn’t to copy them. You need your own style and your own presence on stage. But you can watch other stand-up comedians to learn what they do wrong and what they do right.
Choose the comedians who have a style similar to yours, the ones you admire. See how they reconnect with the audience after a joke bombs. Watch how they handle hecklers. Try to pick up on the rhythm of their delivery.
A good place to start is Comedy Central. The network regularly airs “Comedy Central Presents” stand-up specials. Check out “Stand-up Nation with Greg Giraldo” on Friday nights to see comics who are still on their way up. And go to Netflix or your local video store to rent DVDs of some of your favorite stand-up comics.
Do your homework
Comments
Henrik
(Guest)
(Guest)
01/05/2010
Good to see that so many people are getting involved in my favourite hobby :) A tip for you guys wanting to become a comedian is to check out a full course on the topic at www.becomeacomedianguide.com. Contains both basic information but also in-depth and real-life examples that will help you to become a comedian.
steve s
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/27/2009
Please checkout www.doglesswolfey.com
Thank you
Finn
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/12/2009
Since ive started HS i have really gotten into comedy and such, my Drama class has helped alot i want to be a stand up comedian.
Ryan
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/07/2009
im 12 years old and have always dreamed of being a comedian!! i make people laugh alot and i enjoy it and i need some tips on what to talk about when im doing an act or something like that i have ideas i just dont know if there good enough
Marlo Franson
(Guest)
(Guest)
03/11/2009
The first thing is to get up on stage and start telling your jokes and getting them memorized and to see if they are funny. The nervousness will eventually go away for the stages you do your stuff on and will come back when you go to a new place. Once you start doing shows everywhere in your city, you will eventually lose the nervousness. After 5 years, you should be good enough to get regular gigs, and yes by year 10 you should have it down, a dvd on you, maybe some audio on satellite comedy channels and an appearance on a late night show. Just remember keep going out as often as you can as it takes practice and respect before you get paid for doing comedy. If you want to be a comic then start as soon you can, no point in writing comedy for years without even testing it out I am sure there is an open mic out there for 15 years olds.
Senad
(Guest)
(Guest)
06/30/2008
Good one!!! Ha, ha!!!
Senad
(Guest)
(Guest)
06/30/2008
An Irish man walks into a bar. The bartender looks at him and notices he has a steering wheel stuck down the front of his pants. "Hey," he says, "What's with the steering wheel down your pants?" "Ach," says the Irish man, "it's drivin' me nuts!"
mc laff
(Guest)
(Guest)
03/10/2008
hello csn some body tell me the solution to my problem
when ever i get on stage i forget most of my materia i wanted to say
Billy wright
(Guest)
(Guest)
02/16/2008
Being a comedian is somethng that I have dreamed about doing for a long time. Im 21 years old and im ready to take the step into becoming a standup comedian. I have tons of material to get me started. I love to watch Dane Cook, Larry the cable guy, jeff foxworthy, bill engvall, ron white, rodney carrington, and chris rock.
phycopathic killer
(Guest)
(Guest)
01/31/2008
I'm only 13 years old and I want to be a comedian so bad. I have a lot of inspirations. Some of them are Conan O'brien, Ellen Degeneres, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfield, Monique, Bill Burr, Martin Lawrence, and Craig Ferguson. They are only a few of my inspirations. I have written a lot of material on many subjects and someday I wish to do stand-up and then have my own show or talk show like my idols (listed above). I know some of the things I have to do in order to make my dream come true. Sometimes I watch my inspirations do their stand-up. I also watch their shows. My favorite stand-up skit is when Ellen Degeneres did the famous skit "The Phone Call to God". That was absolutely genius. Sometimes I think I won't be able to do it. This web-site has helped me. Thank you. Thanks for the article! hi im 32 years old and want to be a comedian so bad i know i could do it but cant get past the fear of being on stage and i know that once i get past this i will be one of the greatest ever im trying
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