Archived Comments

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1. I would hope that every comic “believes” their act is funny before getting on stage, just as the awful singers think they deserve record deals and packed houses on a concert tour. Your friends might lie about your performance, so it’s always better for a live test. That being said, i’ve been writing 3 years and haven’t hit an open mic yet. There is a method to my madness tho. I wanted enough material for a minimum of 2 hours before i got started. I came up with some good stuff (I hope) early on, but i was afraid of theft. Now i can prove if someone is staealing my bits because i made recordings of my complete practice sets.

2. I’m one of the guys trying to “write” my way to stardom. However, all my written material also has physical cues, expressions, and movements intergrated into the written joke. My biggest fear is losing that notebook because it’s a 1-2-3 step by step script of my acts. Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond, like headling in North Dakota, or one of the fish in the vast sea of New York or Los Angeles?

   • This depends on your stand-up comedy goals. In perfect world, you would want a stand-up act that would allow you work outside the comedy club market for the pay advantages and work in the comedy club market as well.

3. I’ve been writing my stand up for 3 years. I have over 3 hours of original stand up that i’ve practiced enough to be smooth flowing through it all, almost from memory. I believe i have headliner material, (Don’t we all!?) but i’m worried about thieves. I spoke with a couple open mic guys, one of which got an $85 gig out of his 2 minute act. I questioned him and was astounded by his experiences with stolen material. He has seen guys do parts of his act on stage the same night he was performing ON THE SAME STAGE! Can i copyright my material? I made some specific stuff for a short set, tried a couple of my one-liners on the $85 comic, and he complimented me a little too much on it. I’m sure i’ll hear him use my stuff. That being said, what is the best way to get noticed without giving away your best material? I watched “I Am Comic”, and if Carlos Mencia steals, i’m sure a bunch do. Is there an avenue I can float my 2 full 1.5 hour tapings of me doing my entire acts WITHOUT an audience? I was able to film in a school auditorium after hours. Do you think bookers would watch the full length videos or toss them like a publisher getting an unsolicited script?

   • You can register your comedy material with the Writers Guild of America in a one person play format for $20 per submission. But then you have the legal expense and hassle of going after any comedian who does your material.

     The more viable approach is to be able to “out run” other comedians when it comes to production of new material that works. And the more personal your stand-up comedy material is to you and your delivery style, the more difficult it becomes to steal.

     Talent buyers will usually only look at a few minutes of a stand-up set initially. If they like what they see, they may request a longer set — but it needs to be a genuine set in front of a live audience.

   • John, every profession has some bad people in it. It is usually best to avoid those who would steal from you. If you do not you are condoning their bad behavior. Go where you are appreciated. I prefer music venues where I am usually the only comedian and I usually get 15 minutes of stage time instead of the 5 minutes I would get at the good-ol-boy-hack-network venue.

     People eventually tire of users like Carlos Mencia–whose career is going downhill. He has had shows pulled from networks and many people refuse to work with him. I personally refuse to patronize a local comedy club that employed Mencia and was vocal about it.

     Put yourself in the company of people who respect what you have to offer instead of hurting yourself by being around users. You will then do better in the long run.