About Eric Expertise I will give advice and try to answer any questions regarding humor, Timing, jokes, developing characters/acts. Or just talk about material.
Experience I have been around and had a passion for comedy my entire life. From performing to writing for others, there’s nothing I haven’t done (save TV & screen). Comedy has strange healing powers and possesses the ability to bring together people/countries. My heart belongs to comedy and I’d love to help with any dream or endeavor you might have vis-à-vis comedy.
Organizations Sketch Group: “These Comedians Must Die!”
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Arts in Drama/Theater
Question Hello, i was just wondering if you would be any chance have some good advice on how to learn to become A ventriloquist. there is no school for it ANYWHERE around here ...so i figured I'd ask you guys. also..in terms of stand up comedy....how do u go about writing it. like...i have alot of funny things to say and stuff i have made up, i have written them down too...but...i just don't know where to go from there...its all kinda just collecting dust in a notebook as jot notes and a few sentences. please help me with both of those.
Comedy on the other hand, we can discuss.
You stated that you have some material (stuff you’ve jotted down); don’t let it collect dust. Some of the best comedy is time sensitive, dealing with the issues and goings on of today. There is some comedy that never changes, for instance, home life and work.
If you have material I suggest you practice conveying it to a general audience; this is called “Delivery”.
I would study successful comedians, judge the different styles of their delivery. Don’t copy them; just use it as a base line to develop your own approach. You’ll find a wide range of comedians on Comedy Central. You won’t like all the comedy you see but remember you’re studying the approach of the material; think of it as school.
Ask yourself can I get up in front of dozens of strangers all of whom expect you to make them laugh?
Keep writing, whether you think it’s good or not, and constantly practice performing.
Try finding some open mic nights in your area and get in the mix. The first time you do it you’ll probably be a total wreck, maybe not. I do know the more you do it the better you get, like sex. Remember the first time you did that? If you could what you go back and do differently? (That was a rhetorical question.)
The first dozen times Jim Carrey was on stage he bombed horrifically, but never gave up. You may only know him as a star of television and film but he started with a career in stand-up. If you’ve never seen any of his early work I suggest you find some; he’s very good at physical comedy and impressions (most of his impressions are dated, but great none the less).
Having lots of material is important, because you never know what will work in front of that particular group. It’s also important because the average open mic time is two - five minutes. That might not seem long; just try telling that to someone on fire.
Five minutes is an eternity on stage, especially if you’re bombing. It’s also a lot of material; it takes tons of writing to come up with five solid minutes.
I’ll leave you with a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
The essence of all jokes, of all comedy, seems to be an honest or well intended halfness; a non performance of that which is pretended to be performed, at the same time that one is giving loud pledges of performance. The balking of the intellect, is comedy and it announces itself in the pleasant spasms we call laugther.
I hoped I’ve help and in some part answered your question. If you’d like to talk more about material or writing, drop me a line.
