Looking for Stand-Up Comedy Tips Please

Hey guys, as many of you know, I'm currently in my second year of law school and getting scary close to actually having to get in a court room and litigate. The problem is, I'm only 24 and have quite a fear of public speaking. So I figured, the best way to beat my fear is to get in front of a crowd and do some stand-up comedy. It's fun and I like to think I'm funny, certainly clever, and I have some decent material written already (i think). So my next step is to find some open mic nights, somewhere I can get on stage for 30 seconds to 5 minutes and try stuff out. Just thinking about it makes me start to sweat haha oh man. So anyway, since we've got a lot of Rogan fans on here, and I believe Joe has mentioned that Eddie has attempted stand-up before, I was wondering if anyone has any tips for me, a completely new beginner to stand-up. I have literally never been in front of a live audience yet. Thanks in advance 10th Planeteers! Hopefully one day I can return the favor by making you laugh! :)

just getting comfortable is a big thing be yourself (if you like to swear be dirty as hell) thats what i think anyway as a fan of comedy.

where are you at? is there a local comedy club? open mics are cool but now they are usually new showcases and you have to take a class first. And like sly said...if you want to be blue (dirty) go all out...don't half ass it. If your talking about 5 minutes you can't be too cereberal, the setup will take too long. My suggestion would be go to a comedy club and by some of the comedians there a drink and shoot the shit with them. It's a fraternity, I did some amateur hour stuff and got a lot of advice from comedians. I also learned that the mess is hard and you can't have an ego, because sometimes the audience will NOT get you.

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Originally Posted by RaiderFunk

where are you at?

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I live in South Florida, there are a bunch of local comedy clubs and some bars with comedy nights where you can just sign up and anyone can get on stage... I've seen people go up who clearly have never done it before. It's a nice environment, not judgmental, even if they suck and it's totally uncomfortable, they won't boo you off or heckle you. As far as ego goes, I'm all good there, my ego is non-existent, rendered that way by the constant and perpetual tapping that I do as a white belt haha. I'll probably do a lot of stoner material, I'm sure I will swear because I do all the time in my everyday conversations, it's not a conscious thing. Thanks for the advice! Keep it comin guys :)

I'd say the best thing to do is when your in class crack a joke thats an audience in itself if your comfortable speaking infront of your peers then you can be comfortable infront of total strangers.

standup comedy ? .... anderson silva vs damian maia

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Hey Matt,

I applaud you for wanting to overcome your fear of public speaking. The more you practice in front of people the less intimidating it becomes. The best way to minimize the fear is through preparation. That is, know your shit. I'll repeat, KNOW YOUR SHIT! Know it in your sleep, cold, inside and out. Having just said that, also expect the unexpected. I still have to push the fear aside every time I speak in front of people. It isn't as bad as when I was your age but it's still there sometimes. Again, preparation helps lessen the fear. (At least for me.) Keep in mind that there are different styles of delivery in public speaking depending on your target audience. For example, speaking in front of people in a comedy club who paid money to be entertained is different than motivational-type speaking, or speaking in a court room or business a setting. But using comedy is best the way to soften up a crowd. If you chose the stand-up comedy route, go for it, "balls to the walls!" You only live once, right?

My sister went to NYC to pursue a career as a stand-up comic. One of the first things she did was to take a stand up comedy class offered by one of the local comedy troops. She said they had to write and perform a lot of mock stand-up exercises in front of the class. The class would give each other feedback to refine each others delivery, timing, etc. They also worked on handling different types of audiences. Then, for the final class assignment, they all had to go to a Comedy club together and perform individually in front of an audience. She said she had a great time, every class was a blast, and she met some really funny people, and made some great contacts to bounce ideas off of and get advice from. Now, she's done quite a few amateur stand-up nights. I don't know if she's done any paying gigs as of yet. She gave herself 2 years to try the comedy thing. She's probably gonna be a lawyer like you, except she chose to postpone law school to pursue comedy first. Best of luck in your pursuits.

i used to be shy timid but i think getting triangled alot made me crazy or its that Indonesian coffee im always drinking , but i feel i can speak in front of a crowd , i didnt use to tho , i remember being called up in some churches and speak and i was like uhhh i forgot what i was gonna say .
but i think if someone practices speaking to small groups first then step up or just jump in with both feet whatever you feel i guess

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Originally Posted by Mike Noronowicz

i used to be shy timid but i think getting triangled alot made me crazy or its that Indonesian coffee im always drinking , but i feel i can speak in front of a crowd , i didnt use to tho , i remember being called up in some churches and speak and i was like uhhh i forgot what i was gonna say .
but i think if someone practices speaking to small groups first then step up or just jump in with both feet whatever you feel i guess

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ya i hated in school having to read something i had written in front of the class.