To be a comedian...

[Ming]

Hey guys. I'm a big fan of comedy and stand-up, and I've been thinking about trying it out for a long time now. Last night I saw and met one of my favorite comedians, and it really made me want to seriously give it a shot. Anyone have any advice they can throw my way?

(Mods...if this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it. I didn't know where I should put it.)

~Ming

[Minosheep]

Heh, I say go for it, man. Who knows, maybe you'll hit it big!

[Therin]

My advice: For all the planning and collecting in the world, I've always believed that it's better if you alter it as you go instead of sticking rigidly to the routine. Granted, I know nothing of stand up. I make the crap up all day, but I never draw any laughs from my customers, so I suppose that should tell you something :p

[Ming]

I'm starting to write down some ideas for jokes. When I get some coherent stuff down, I'll post them.

[reaper]

Be original, be funny, and be able to improve.

[Big_Panda]

I did stand-up for a VERY short time in college. Here's a few tips that hold true:

Remember the rule of three: never use more than three jokes on any given topic. That's from Buddy Hackett.

Prepare about a third more material than you'll really need becasue you'll forget about that much when you get up on stage, at least for the first time.

If you forget one joke from the abovementioned three-in-a-row, and remember it halfway through, DO NOT AMEND YOUR ROUTINE just to go back and do it. Smooth transitions are important in comedy, and stopping said smooth transition just to tell the one about the rabbi, the chicken and the Oilers will KILL your presence on stage.

Know your audience.

That is all.

[Ming]

Panda, thanks for the info and advice. I'm gonna take it to heart and give this whole thing a shot. It's not even that I want to be that successful, I just like to make people laugh. But being famous would definitely be cool though.

Dude...not to get off topic, but Reaper...I just looked at your post count at the time I was reading it, and it was at 666. Just thought that it was relevant...

~Ming

[Reverend]

Rev-><-Ming

OFF TOPIC!! heh heh

It also helps to be very good at story telling. Take some public speaking classes and some basic improv. It will get you comfortable on stage and loosened up in case anything happens that you can riff on

[Daijaga]

Looking at standup comedians I see that they all have some sort of presence that is constant. Be energetic, be casual, be relaxed, but be one all the time so the listeners can listen to your jokes instead of worrying about your body language (unless its part of the joke).

But Im like Lews and I know nothing of stand up besides personal impressions.

It seems comedians tend to talk about ust the normal things, at least the funniest ones in my recollection. They just point out all the wierd shit that goes on behind the scenes in a humorous way

But anyway, let us know how you do, and take Panda's advice and not mine and Lews' ^_^

P.S. Suggestion, If you havnt already seen it, pick up the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour".

[Lygato]

I suppose that, most importantly, you must remember that you are a performer, that you are there for the audience's appreciation. Obviously you're also doing this because you want to, but ultimately it is to give a show and serve the craft.
That being said, my advice to you is this: study your craft. It is the least well known (and most consistently true) fact that studying your craft makes you better. Most people believe that it is talent that gets people where they are today. That is wrong. It is hard work that seperates those successful indivduals from the crowd, and a passion for their craft. So, watch more stand-up, get as many audio and video records of stand-up as you can. Watch them CAREFULLY. Pay attention to what the good ones do. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. On a final note:
1. Comedy, like music, is about timing. Stay relaxed and take your time.
2. Stand-up is visual and audial. Dress appropriately.
3. HAVE FUN!