Standup comedians and public speakers may share the same mistakes. This could be because they stand up on stage and face a huge crowd. Public speakers address the audience, whereas standup comedians make viewers laugh. When you learn standup comedy, it would be ideal if you would also learn about the usual mistakes new standup comedians and public speakers commit. Strive hard not to commit these mistakes on your own.
Standup comedians believe laughter could be invoked only through a good written material. Comedians write and follow scripts. You may not believe it but in standup comedy, it is very rare that comedians get spontaneous. Thus, many beginners have the impression and the wrong impression that success solely depends on a good material. What you should realize is that presentation and delivery counts more. A bad comedy material may be hilarious if delivered well by a skilled comedian. At the same way, a funny material may suddenly turn boring and lackluster if delivered inappropriately. Remember that the crowd would not read your presentation. Instead, they would experience it visually and audibly.
Some standup comedians discount the power of body language, voice variations, and facial expressions. Such factors constitute delivery. They are also serving as the actual secret for generation of laughter from the audience. Unlike public speakers, standup comedians have more liberty to optionally use the entire stage or use specific body movements when delivering materials. You could jump, sit, roll on the floor, or run around the stage during your act. There are so many things you could do just to be genuinely funny.
Many standup comedians fail to sufficiently and adequately rehearse prior to any standup comedy act or presentation. Even seasoned and veteran standup comedians take time to rehearse delivery of comedy materials. You should strive to do the same. You could not possibly rehearse your piece in your own head. If you opt to do so, do not expect to attain great and targeted results. You would deliver the material in front of a punishing audience. Any negative feedback you instantly get could certainly make you lose focus. If you rehearse your material well, delivery would be smoother and you would be able to more likely react with the audiences’ reaction.
Standup comedians could lack genuine interest about the material. This happens to standup comedians who do not write their own routines. If you make your own materials, try to write about subjects that truly interest you and that you are comfortable talking about. Try to attain or revive your passion for standup comedy. If you have the right interest and passion, you would see yourself not just mouthing words.
Practice makes perfect, as the cliché goes. When you learn standup comedy, have the proper resolve to do what it takes to excel in the craft. Focus on your delivery as it would be the key to attaining success or failure. Always aim to deliver your jokes and antics in the most interesting and lively manner.
Do you want to be a standup comedian? Before you go on to learn standup comedy and make it a career of your own, you should realize that being a standup comedian is one of the loneliest jobs in the world. There would be times when you are totally down in emotions but you have no choice but to keep on going, as the show must go on no matter what happens. Prepare yourself for instances when you are up on stage facing the nastiest audience with practically nothing but a microphone and a pounding heart.
If you are a new entrant, you should be particularly careful in planning and preparing for your first night. The ‘baptism of fire’ could either make or break you. Because it is your first time to air your jokes and antics, you could not help but feel nervous. This feeling of nervousness could possibly affect your overall performance if you would let it rule over you.
So how could you possibly get fully and adequately prepared for your first big night? As you learn standup comedy, be particularly careful and mindful when preparing for your first ever performance night. Seasoned standup comedians always advise newbies to start small. You should not aim to perform in front of a huge paying crowd before you get the constructive chance to perform in front of a free audience. Start by performing in front of your friends, family, or colleagues. Ask for their feedback and listen intently on criticisms, which should be taken constructively so you could further improve on your craft.
You could begin by going to an open mic night at a comedy club. Some seasoned standup comedians instantly call up people from the audience to come up to the stage and do their shtick. Treat such an opportunity as a gauge for your possible success. If you are called and you fail to entertain and sustain the crowd, take it as a sign that you still have so much to learn. Work harder to improve your standup comedic craft. It may take you some more time to do so.
On the day of the performance, prepare cue cards, in case you would forget some lines and adlibs. Make the cards as comprehensive and as legible as possible. It would not help if you would not be able to read your own handwriting especially when nervousness is taking your control. On the performance itself, try not to appear as if you are reading everything from your cue card. It would be better if you would not have any of those cards in your hand, but because it is your first time, it would be at your advantage if you have them.
As you learn standup comedy, prepare to react responsively and humorously to audience’s reactions. Standup comedy acts are unique in that you could get your feedback while you are still out there performing your act. Remember this golden rule: If anyone heckles you, strive to play along with it. Thus, if somebody from the audience screams, “You stink!” reply with something like “I have showered last week.” Such a humorous reply need not be truthful but it could be an obvious attempt to inject fun and laughter into the act. The absurdity would surely make many people in the audience laugh.
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