More tips on Auditiong for Last Comic Standing (podcast)
Current mood: artistic
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

Hello MySpace!

Auditions for NBC's Last Comic Standing began in Los Angeles this week and hundreds of hopeful comics lined up in the rain for a chance to appear on the show. Among them was Comedy Workshops alumni Patrick Ford, who gives us a heads up on what to expect during the audition process. Listen to the Podcast Here!

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Tips on Auditioning for Last Comic Standing w/ Michele Balan (podcast)
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Category: Happy Movies, TV, Celebrities

Hey everyone!

Recently I spoke with Michele Balan, who was one of the four finalists on Season Four of Last Comic Standing, about what it takes to be picked for the show.

If you're planning on auditioning - check out the podcast. If you're not - give it a listen anyway and maybe you'll change your mind. There are even tips on how to end up in the Promos for the show.

Listen to the Podcast Here!

And make sure to add Michele Balan as your friend on MySpace!
http://www.myspace.com/princessofcomedy

Take Care!

Judy Carter

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Creative Writing Tips with Judy Carter - 1
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

This is first entry in an occasional series of tips to keep your creativity moving forward.

When people find out that I make a living from doing comedy they inevitably say, "Wow that must be so much fun." Wrong. The time I'm onstage is fun, but 95 percent of all other time is spent doing really boring stuff; sending out press kits, making calls to clients, ordering airline tickets, buying crap, kicking faulty computer hardware and – my favorite -  sorting through 300 emails asking if I'm satisfied with my penis size.

No matter how much time you can do onstage we all need new material. But it's hard to get the time to get to writing. Sometimes I worry that if I perform the same material again I'll die from boredom. When that thought enters a comic's' mind usually the audience will beat him to it.

WRITING TIP: GET OUT OF THE HOUSE
I find writing can be very solemn so I like to write in public places. If I'm home, I get distracted - so I set a time to work on material and go to a fancy hotel with a nice lobby. I work mostly at the Hotel Del Mar. It's right on the beach. Maybe you've seen my Westside office: large leather couch, ornate gold leaf table, wireless high-speed Internet, ocean view and waitress service. I always order a Cappuccino and give the waitress a large tip. This way, the staff has a positive attitude about me setting up camp. Who says office space on the Westside is expensive? I enjoy a beachfront office for $15 a day.

What gets your juices going is probably something else. Know what it takes for you to create and set time aside for it. I wrote many books, but each one started in some hotel lobby. I'm probably just as big as a procrastinator as you are, but I know this is how I work best. Set aside some time and find your own creative solution. It makes the day worth living.

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Standup Comedy: Working "Blue" vs. Working "Clean"
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Category: Magical Movies, TV, Celebrities

A Common Question: Should I work clean? Will I get gigs if I'm performing "Blue" material?

It wasn't too long ago that using dirty words would not only lose a comic a gig, but also land his ass in jail. Don't forget that Lenny Bruce was the first person to be prosecuted for swearing in public, and George Carlin's seven dirty words can still get you in trouble within most mediums.

Now I'm not a fan of foulmouthed amateur comics who swear as a substitute for delivering good material. No punch line? Just add "Asshole" to every joke.

Man, is that boring. And gross. And – in most cases - unauthentic. I had a student once who was shooting off four-letter words during every one of his jokes in our workshop. I had to tell him, "Shut up! You're a Jew from the San Fernando Valley. You don't talk like that." You've got to speak onstage authentically. The audience can tell.

At its best, comedy is messy and dirty. It's edgy and shocking – it stirs the pot. When the people running a corporation hire a comedian for an event, they get very worried that the comic might offend someone, cause complaints and eventually involve the company in a lawsuit. And it's the same way with television.

A comedian says a dirty word or gets edgy about homosexuality, politics, race or religion and all of a sudden their sponsors bail. This dates back as late as 1969, when The Smothers Brothers lost their hit show because their material was critical of the Vietnam War. After 9-11, Bill Maher was fired from ABC for being just what the title of show would suggest: Politically Incorrect. Some viewers considered them Blue, but they were really just challenging the establishment.

We need to resist this notion of "Clean Comedy," because at its core - it's another form of censorship. As more and more "Values" are forced on us in attempts to sanitize our craft we need to ask ourselves, "What really is offensive, obscene and uncomfortable?"

So, do we give in and wash out our mouths out with soap? 

I say, "Fuck it!"

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