How To Be A Working Comic

How To Be A Working Comic

Comedy is a serious business, with a lot of laughs. Stand-up comedy has become a giant industry and a major source of talent for television, movies, streaming services, theaters, night clubs, colleges and universities, corporate events, trade shows, conventions, military shows, benefits, special events, and many other venues where laughter is in demand. As a comedian, you will find the competition for jobs can be fierce, but because the entertainment industry is continually looking for new talent, there is always the opportunity to be “discovered.”

Successful comedians are made, not born; there’s more to what you see than just talent and luck. It takes preparation, practical experience, and knowledge of what the business expects of you. To share an important piece of insider advice about the comedy industry:

"They may call it amateur night - but no one is looking to hire an amateur."

This course is divided into five chapters that serve as your step-by-step guide into the world of stand-up comedy. We start by laying the groundwork for you as a creative artist (writer and performer) and continue your journey toward becoming a working comedian.

Chapters:

1. Setting the Stage

2. Writing Comedy

3. Writing Your Comedy Set

4. Preparing To Perform

5. On Stage and Beyond

* Bonus Lecture - Looking Ahead and Talking About… Different (performance) Markets

Each chapter contains:

1. Five video lectures (over two and a half hours followed by bonus lecture).

2. Articles pertaining to each lecture topic.

3. Assignments designed to take you to your next step toward being working comic.

It is important to note the insider advice in this course comes from experiences within the comedy / entertainment industry. In addition to Dave’s credits, each of the twenty-five lectures includes a real-life example related to the topic. In other words, there is a lot of name-dropping by sharing lessons and experiences from well-known (and some legendary) comedians about what methods worked for them, and sometimes - what didn’t. And since this is comedy (don’t forget) it is meant to be informative and entertaining at the same time. A good description would be infotainment.

Personal creativity, sense of humor, desire to make others laugh, and your ability to laugh and have fun are the key ingredients in this course. Your success as a working comic is the goal. Whether you’ve been looking for a way to break into comedy or to take your career to the next level, there are no more excuses. Let’s take that important next step together.

Dave Schwensen is a nationally recognized comedy coach, talent coordinator and consultant for television, talent coordinator for The Improv Comedy Clubs in New York and Hollywood, talent booking agent for colleges and universities, corporate events and festivals, university instructor in presentation skills and communications, keynote speaker and trainer, award-winning humor columnist, radio and podcast host, and last but not least, an entertainer. He has been featured on PBS Television and Radio, Chicago Tribune, Ohio Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, U.S. News & World Report, Backstage (industry) Newspaper and many others. He has been a featured guest and comedy expert on numerous national, international and regional television and radio broadcasts.

Dave has more than three decades experience facilitating comedy workshops for major comedy clubs and festivals throughout the US. He is the author of three books about the comedy industry featuring experienced advice from more than forty working comics and industry professionals. Past members of his comedy workshops and coaching have credits including television, comedy clubs, corporate events, colleges and universities, and cruise ships.

Books by Dave Schwensen:

• How To Be A Working Comic: An Insider’s Guide To A Career In Stand-Up Comedy

• Comedy FAQs And Answers: How The Stand-Up Biz Really Works

• How To Be A Working Corporate Comedian: A Step-By-Step Guide Into Launching & Building Your Career

Reviews:

“Schwensen certainly knows the ins and outs of making it in comedy. He has put his knowledge to work in How To Be A Working Comic, a book that shows aspiring comics everything from how to hire an agent to how to handle road gigs.” - Chicago Tribune

“A MUST for all in the comedy industry.” - The Comic Bible

“Full of proactive ideas and hands-on experience… a valuable resource no matter what career level you may have achieved.” - Back Stage, The Performing Arts Weekly

“To say Dave Schwensen knows the comedy business would be an understatement.” - Ohio Magazine

“The nice thing about Dave is he doesn’t tell you, ‘If you want to be funny, do this.’ He looks at what you’re trying to do and then he helps you fine-tune it.” - The Chronicle Telegram

“Sign up for Dave Schwensen’s workshops in comedy - he knows more about comedy than most comics I’ve worked with over the years.” - Bobby Collins, Comedian

“This man knows what he is talking about! If you want to be a comedian, public speaker, increase or find out what your sense of humor is, or if you’re a comedian who just needs a refresher course, this is the guy, this is the class! (And yes, he is classy guy!).” - Jeff Wayne, Comedian

An Insider's Guide To A Career In Stand-Up Comedy

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What you will learn

• Comedy is a creative art, and you are a creative artist
• Writing comedy that will make you stand out from the stand-up crowd
• Shared lessons and learned experience from working comics

Rating: 4.83333

Level: All Levels

Duration: 2.5 hours

Instructor: Dave Schwensen