Archive for the ‘For Comics Only’ Category
Remember, if ain’t in the contract, it ain’t happenin’
A word to all you up and coming comics….
Contracts are very important in the comedy business especially when you are dealing with comedy clubs. No comedy club is the same. You have some owners that are involved in the club or managers that run the club but no matter what, if you don’t have a request in your contract, they probably will not meet your request.
A rider is a document that is negotiated between you and the club. The rider has things in it that the club must provide to you to make you feel comfortable. Well, I try to be a team player. I try to work with each club and not be a comedy diva by requesting alot of items and in return I expect to be treated fairly and professionally. Now that I am doing many more clubs year after year, I am finding that different clubs managers handle their clubs differently. Some basic requests are:
I don’t stay in comedy condos, I feel that ANY headliner should be allowed to stay in a hotel with standard service ..If you have to stay somewhere for a week, it should be a place that is comfortable. Some clubs will put you in the cheapest, flea bag and dangerous places. Soooo make sure to specify the hotel.
Request ground transportation to and from airport…some clubs make sure to pick you up but after the run..they leave you hanging in the wind…
Request and get the numbers from the ticket sales from your show…yes, the club will fix the numbers but you need to see how you are progressing so the next year you can ask for more money..
Make sure that all your food and drinks are comped and you need to have some comps allotted for your guests if you have any during the week…You spend alot of money on the road on food, the least a club can do is provide one decent meal to you.
Request to have control of guest spots, and feature acts…if you don’t like your feature act, you should have the right to change them out if possible. If you want to give someone or not give someone a guest spot and you are the headliner, the club should ask you if it is okay. Remember, the overall show is just as important as you closing the show.
Request to get any publicity, radio that the club can provide to promo your week. People need to know you are at the club.
Now if you want only green M&Ms, that’s your call…
Posted in For Comics Only, General |
How to become a Stand Up comic
I get several emails asking how to become a stand up comic so here are a few suggestions:
In order to be a stand up comic you need to have material or jokes. I suggest that you start by writing five minutes worth of material. You can write about anything. Just have a twist to it.
Once you have the 5 minutes of material. Find an open mic night in your area. Comedy clubs and bars usually have at least one open mic night. It is usually not a lot of people in the audience but that is a great place to try out your 5 minutes.
Keep adding material to your 5 minutes…I suggest, that you start with a joke that describes yourself, then you can joke about anything you want to. Just make it interesting and funny.
Work on getting 20 minutes of funny material. If you have stage fright, the only way to get over the fright is to keep getting on stage. Also have a couple of jokes for hecklers ready to shut them up. Don’t let a heckler scare you. You always keep control of your show. If all you do is say, shut the hell up. You keep control.
Once you have a good twenty minutes, start taping and videoing yourself. Watch yourself and learn about how you sound and look. Make improvements on your showmanship.
Once you get a funny 20 minutes start looking at getting into comedy contests and festivals. Search on the internet and try to get in them.
Also, start looking for agents and managers to help you but most of all keep writing and performing.
Study other comics not for their jokes, but look at their style…youtube is great for this. Also there are some great books on comic writing that are worth reading so check those out.
The most important thing is to be you. What you present may not be funny now but if you believe in it, keep doing it… There is a video of Richard Pryor called “Up In Smoke”. It was taped at the Improv in the 70′s. On that video, Richard is bombing!! But that material is seen on later tapes and the material is great. Richard worked on the jokes and they are now classics! Joan Rivers once told me to try a joke at least 12 times before throwing it away…It was the best advice for me!
Good Luck…people want to laugh and you can make them!!!
Posted in For Comics Only |
How to be a good feature act
To all of you up and coming comics, I have a bit of advice on how to be a good feature comic. First of all, a feature comic is a comic that goes on before the headliner. I had featured for many comics before headlining clubs. I learned alot from Tommy Davidson, Charlie Murphy, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, Chris Tucker to name a few. First of all, stay out the the headliner’s way, they are too worried about their set to put up with you. Second, stick to your time, if you are given 15 minutes, do 15 minutes. The audience is there to see the headliner not you. Third, don’t step on the headliners subjects in other words, if the headliner is talking about his baby’s momma, don’t you talk about your baby’s momma. ( I am girl so I don’t have that problem). Fourth, don’t try to blow the headliner out. Meaning, if you are having a good set, enjoy yourself, but remember your 15-20 minutes should be a warm up for the headliner not the command performance.
Why am I giving out this advice? Simple, I am tired of some headliners giving jobs to comics that are really open mike comics that are so bad, the headliner THINKS that it makes him/her look good. Headliners have to realize that a good opening act can only make their show better. We up and coming comics are trying to make it and we need the work, the money, and the stage time.
Posted in For Comics Only |
How to showcase
Posted in For Comics Only |
How to start performing at colleges and universities
For all of you up and coming (UAC) comics, money can be tight. Most UAC comics can not head line at clubs due to the fact that they can’t sell tickets. How can a UAC comic make money to survive while working on the fame? COLLEGES. Now a lot of comics don’t like performing for colleges because the comic may have an act that is not responsive to students. Well, for you the struggle will continue, but for those that have an hour of clean, decent material, the college route can help you survive until you get to the next level. First off, you need a good college agent. They take anywhere from 10-20 percent commission, but most of the good colleges only work with agencies so it is no way around them. Next, the agent will probably get you to showcase for the college board NACA. NACA have showcases for different regions all around the country. You have to pay about $800 dollars to showcase but the thing about NACA is that they will book you for the year (I had one comic friend book 42 shows at a NACA showcace) so the $800 is worth it. Colleges pay anywhere from $1500 and up for a one nighter. Most of the time you book your own travel and hotel but hey, you will be getting more for one night at a college that a week featuring at a club. You may perform in a lunch room, student basement, a hallway, but who cares, you are getting paid. I have found the students to be very refreshing and fun. They come to laugh and have a good time so just keep your act clean and simple. Good luck!
Posted in For Comics Only |
How to Pitch a show
Pitching a show is when you have a meeting scheduled with a network or studio for a potential idea. First of all, have an idea that is orginal, entertaining and funny. Look inside your self as a comic and ask, what would I want to see on the internet, tv or big screen. Next, try to soft pitch it to your friends or management. Soft pitch, means not a real pitch, just have a conversation with them and slip it in to see if there is some interest. Next, look at the idea and decide what network or channel it would work for. For all you guys, you have plenty of choices, Spike, G4. For all you country music lovers, you have GMC, CMT. For you gay people you have Logo and Bravo. Blacks you have BET, TV1, and my white brothers and sisters have all the channels!!! Any way, decide on the idea and then try to get a meeting with the channel or network. Usually it is with the vice president of development, the president of the network…anybody else, well it is just a nice meeting. Now when you get the meeting, be prepared. Have a beginnng, middle and end. Have jokes( you are a comic), light up the room with your personality and be able to answer any questions. Have eye contact with the boss, every body else will just agree with the boss. But most of all, be yourself. Don’t plead and beg, your idea is yours and it is great, it just may not be for that network at that time, so just find the right place for it. Right now it is hard times on America, it is our duty as entertainers to help people forget about losing there jobs, homes, bank closings, iraq war…..we have a lot of work to do!!!
Posted in For Comics Only |
