plan your success

Why Wait? Plan your Own Success!

I believe that if you think an idea is funny, but it's not getting laughs, then most likely it's funny, but it's just missing an element that is needed to trigger the laugh.

In my classes, part of what we study is WHY people laugh. What triggers that?

When you understand that at its most intrinsic level you can begin to make changes to a joke to take it from a semi-chuckle (because it's a funny idea) to a triggered laugh because it a funny joke.

Here's an example:

Joe Dungan - Winner, Clean Comedy Challenge 2017

Revenge may be Best Cold, but Success is Best Always.

Joe Dungan, one of my hardest working students and one of my master teachers just won The Clean Comedy Challenge 2017 at the Ice House in Pasadena, CA! 

Joe competed against a litany of other comedians. And he must've done great because at the end of the performances one of the other comedians said to him, "Get ready to collect your prize money," implying that it was clear who won the Clean Comedy Challenge.

So how did Joe do it?

Funny around friends, but

I’m Funny around my Friends, but…

It's amazing to watch someone who's developing their skill at writing. They could crack a great joke right in front of you. And the moment you ask them to write it down, they fall back on their learning of writing in school, trying to use correct punctuation, grammar, etc., and they over write the joke.

That can kill the joke.

This is what you can do to fix it...

watch for big head

Stop Overthinking the Joke. Sometimes It’s Just ‘Funny’

Sometimes I'll write a joke and think to myself, 'that's too simple... that's not going to get a big laugh,' only to try the joke on stage and get an applause break. I wrote a joke the other day and opened with it that night at the Comedy Store: "The republicans are consulting with Caitlyn Jenner on how to best deal with Donald Trump...

Bill Burr Reveals His Approach To Success

Have you ever wondered what the secret to success in comedy is?  Ever feel like it's just this massively intimidating idea, like this enormous blob of ectoplasmic goop that has no
Comedian Bill Burr

How to Write Comedy Like Bill Burr

https://vimeo.com/360634463   Recently I got an e-mail from a guy who said, "Jerry, I've been reading your stuff and Bill Burr doesn't use any of the structures you talk about:" REALLY? Bill Burr has
Stand Up Comedy Clinic

“This Audience is Mostly Mormon”

[gn_spacer size="20"] So one of my favorite students Skyped with me today. He was upset about a comedy show he did. It was a show he produced. It was a show he emceed. And it