I often tell comedians that the path to success in stand-up is: start anywhere to get good, move to New York to get great and move to Los Angeles to get famous — in that order. That way you can develop in a city where there are no stakes, refine your act in a city where there’s a ton of stage time and show off in a city where every other person works in television (and the ones that don’t, work in film).
Unfortunately, some of us happen to already live in New York or Los Angeles. I was 22 when I started as a comedian in Manhattan with no driver’s license or knowledge of the outside world. If your situation has you starting comedy in Los Angeles, here are seven ways to move up that long ladder of funny.
1. Go to open mics. Open mics take on various forms—you’ll typically have anywhere from three to five minutes to perform to a crowd that is not paying attention. LA open mics rarely have anyone in attendance other than aspiring comedians. Some open mics can be full of bitterness and crazy, others can be very supportive (but possibly still crazy). The point of an open mic is mainly to get more comfortable on stage and to just get used to saying your material out loud. These are super important to a new comedian’s development (and networking with other rising comedians).
2. Avoid bringer shows. This is a vile practice where new comedians are forced to bring friends out to see them and other new comedians in exchange for stage time. Avoid them—you’ll be playing to a crowd that’s rooting for you (which doesn’t help you develop), and you’ll also be ruining all your friendships by making them go to these shows.
3. Get on produced shows (eventually). This is your first big goal. Once you’re doing well in the open mic scene, you’ll start making friends who produce small shows, or know someone else who does. These shows are usually in a bar on an off-night, in the back room of a pizza place, etc. They are, for the most part, a booked open mic, but that’s better than a non-booked one. Don’t expect to be invited to these immediately. It may take six to twelve months before you’re good enough to be the worst comic on an “eh” show. How’s that for motivation?
4. Record every show. The only way to improve is to understand what you’ve done wrong. Even just recording your audio will help. Listen to it on the drive home. That’s the benefit of starting in LA...even if the show is a few blocks from your apartment, you’ll still have an hour in the car.
5. Write more than you need. Most of what you write will suck. It’s just how comedy works, no matter how seasoned you are. So throw it away. Trying to get five minutes of material? Write fifteen, and take the best five. Then edit all the wasted words in that five minutes into two and a half, and do it all over again. Word economy is super important. Write like words cost you money.
6. Re-write when it sucks. Don’t be married to a joke. If it isn’t working, get rid of it. If you think it could still work, edit it and try to find the funny. But the people who tell the same bad joke over and over again hoping to get a different response are the Wile E. Coyotes of comedy.
7. Dress for the job you’re convincing people you have. Sure, some comics are schlubs. But pay attention to what you’re wearing. You don’t need to dress fancy, but you should dress purposeful. Don’t roll out of bed and go to a show without thinking. Even at the open mic level, respect the stage. And it will respect you back.
I hope that helps. You’ve got a long, highly trafficked road in front of you. But you’re from LA, so you’re used to that.
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