Deconstructing Jim Gaffigan’s First Tight Five
One of my students asked for a template on how to put together a tight five. I didn't have one so I looked for a comedian who already had one, then I did a video on it...
“Can I Call Myself a Comedian?”
Intro When I was starting out in stand-up comedy, I knew that comedy was all I wanted to do. But when people asked me, “So what do you do?”I would say
What Makes a Good Stand Up Comedy Premise?
An effective standup comedy premise should contain two elements: a topic + a condition, but in order to truly hook the audience you need two more essential dynamics to be present in your set up or the joke risks receiving a diminished laugh or worse, nothing at all...
How Can You Be Funny On the Spot Without Pre-Written Jokes?
If you take time to investigate someone who appears to be "naturally" funny, you will find that they developed their ability to be funny through exposure and experience. You can learn to take a shortcut to developing that skill by following these few simple steps.
This One Fact May be the Answer to Your Comedic Timing
Learning Comedian timing is more of a science than a "feeling." Understanding this one fact will help you realize that an audience logically processes what you say before they can respond with laughter.
Quickest Joke Writing Tip Known to Mankind
Don't get stuck. Sometimes writing a joke is as simple as adding a condition to a statement and turning the irrelevant condition relevant...
Marc Maron’s Secret to Captivating the Audience Sitting or Standing
Ever wonder what keeps an audience's attention? In this video Marc Maron reveals his secret to keeping an audience captivated whether he's standing or sitting.
Does it Take 10 Years to Find Your Comedic Persona?
Some people on social media have said with absolute certainty that it takes “10 years for you to find your persona,” like that’s some magical number or something. There is a more streamlined approach to finding your persona and it’s easier than you might think.
When Do You Think it’s Too Late to Break Into This Business of Comedy?
I think most people have a this vision that getting into comedy means that you have to go to open mics, where you may or may not get on stage, but before you do get on stage, you have to wade through a sea of jokes about dicks, or jokes about smoking too much weed, or jokes about dicks who smoke too much weed.
If you're over 40, the thought of having to slog out to do that several nights a week is not pleasant.
But there's another way...