Beat the Challenges of A Stand Up Comedian
American humorist and writer Mark Twain has rightly quoted- “Humanity has unquestionably one really effective weapon -laughter” and what could possibly be more of an example of passion and vocation merging into one than using your gift of humour to earn your daily bread. Choosing the profession of a stand up comic gives you the scope to monetise your passion on a full time scale so that survival doesn’t become a drudgery separated from art. However, you need to be doubly sure before taking the unconventional plunge. Being a stand up comic isn’t the same as being the funny girl/guy in your friends’ group and brightening up every hang-out session with your jolly repertoire of wit and mimicry. Making humour a profession involves going up on stage in front of an audience of hundreds belonging to varied sociological demographics. You need your skit to be perfect to the crack them up all at the same time.
Qualities You are Required to Have
If you have an exceptional perception of the world and the things around you, if you are a story-teller and enjoy triggering laughter then you can take that first step. Along with your storytelling skills you need to be animated enough to hold the audience as long as your act isn’t over. Further you need to be a good observer of people and their antics and society and it’s daily dose of eccentricity.You need to be spontaneous in your humour and performance. But most importantly, you need to be a charmer on stage.
Challenges to Come Your Way
The profession of stand-up comedy has its own challenges and if you are to walk the way then you need to prepare yourself to surmount those hardships. As a stand-up comedian the toughest part is to engage your audience and make them laugh. It is a must to strategise your act depending on your knowledge of the audience’s cultural sensibilities. Beware of not landing yourself in trouble by saying the wrong thing to the wrong set. Timing is also a crucial aspect; you need to understand the nerves of the audience and deliver the right joke at right time with right expression.
How to Do It
Though there is no exact rule , keeping in mind a few things would make your journey easier.
- Make your own set of jokes, do not copy or revise jokes of other comedians. Be original in your work, though you can definitely take inspirations from them.
- Watch, read and listen to famous comedians.
- Try using reverse emotions, like say the sad things in happy way.
- What is social media for? Take the advantage and reach out more people through YouTube, Twitter and other platforms and make contacts.
From Stand-up to Acting
Though many dream of it but there are few who succeed. Many stand up comics look forward to a career in acting since the requirements of both are vibrant ,charming individuals with an animated air about themselves.Well, stand-up comedy definitely gives you the platform but you need to be the best in your job for that or must have the right contacts. But it’s fine if you don’t end up being an actor, the stage of stand-up comedy can also earn you just the same amount of fame, if not more. Just stick to your passion and work hard and the rest will happen on its own.
