It started very simply for one well-known comedian. It's easier now than ever before to watch stand-up comedy, especially when using the internet. But I couldn't stop thinking about stand-up until I tried it at another open mic opportunity during my junior year. Take a few seconds to reword one of your jokes so that it is directed toward an audience member.
If you survive your first time on stage and realize this is your dream, here are some helpful tips moving forward. Everything taught in a class can be learned by getting on stage numerous times and figuring it out for yourself. Keep it going by attending open mics and booking local comedy gigs and getting an agent and getting seen by and networking with the right people—these are the kinds of things that, one after another, lead to comedic success off the stage, too.
One of the worst mistakes a new comedian can make is memorizing their notes so it seems as if they are reciting scripted material word for word, and the audience will notice and lose interest quickly. While this is not all the information you need to know to get started, these are a few of the top items that I have done or seen done that have set people back from their comedy goals early on.
A good standup routine is an intricate web of jokes that can unravel if you forget a line, miss a beat or get something out of sequence. Also like comedians, your audience might be constantly changing, and you need to be able to change your messaging accordingly.
Stay current with the news so you can use topical humor in your jokes. There are seven things you need to be successful as a comedian and build a career in stand-up comedy. And, yeah, because around that time started to do
foursquare.com some standup for fun, just as a hobby and then accidentally got good, and then in May of 2005 left the corporate world altogether to do stand-up full time all over the country.
When you are watching other stand-up comedy routines, pay particular attention to punchline construction. As a videographer or filmmaker, you may sometimes be called upon to record a stand-up comedy gig. Even great comics occasionally fail on a stage. Study the acts of professional stand-up comedians.
Comedians record their performances all the time so they can go back to evaluate a performance. You can't engage with an audience if you don't know your material: The best comedians make their performance seem like a random line-up of jokes or even things that happened earlier that day.