How To Deal With Different Comedy Crowds And Still Get Laughs

The Burbank Comedy Festival was earlier this month and Zach spent the week absorbing as much info as he could from the other comedians and festival organizers. Overall, I'd give him an "A" or "B+" for his week as each show presented some challenges.

The festival kicked off two Sundays ago and Zach's first show was that night. It was also one of those nights where the audience was not on his side at the start of the show. It's not that the crowd was hostile or not there to be entertained. The reason he had to win them over became apparent a few comics into the show. The host for the evening came out and did 5 minutes that were okay but was well received by the audience. The host brought out the next comic which turned out to be his wife. She did a stronger set and the crowd was with her. As the crowd was laughing, Dana and I looked at each other as we realized a good portion of the audience was made up of their family members. The next few comics were greeted with polite laughter but nothing major. The host then brought out his son to do a set. The crowd was alive and into the show again! Once the son finished his set, Zach came out to do his material. The response was lukewarm at first but he won them over by making fun of tourists on Hollywood Blvd. By the end of the set, I wouldn't  say he killed but he did get more genuine laughter than the other comics who simply scored polite laughter. (BTW...the only comic after Zach that was loved by the crowd was yet another host family member.)

Zach's second show of the festival was the next night and there were no family members involved in the show. The Monday night show was probably his best show of the week. The comic who received the least applause from the audience was the host of the show. His "killer bit" was introducing each comic as an old friend and randomly announcing their city of origin. It got to the point that the other comics would come on stage and let the audience know they had never met the host in their life and they were not from whatever city he announced to the crowd. Zach seemed to connect with the audience as he was the youngest performer on the bill. I think the audience was genuinely curious to see what the kid was going to talk about on stage.

He was supposed to do a show on Thursday night. However, the organizers moved him to a Saturday afternoon show along with the other teen performers of the festival. The Saturday afternoon show at the comedy club is specifically designed for a younger crowd so it only made sense to have the teen comics do the show. Plus, the show was in the main room which is always more fun for the audience and the comics. Dana and I arrived a little bit early so we were able to watch the crowd enter the room. We quickly realized that "a younger crowd" meant a really young crowd. The room filled with parents and their children who were anywhere from 7 to 12-years-old. Little kids are great because they will laugh when they find something funny and don't politely laugh like adults do on a regular basis. However, a good portion of Zach's set for the day involved college and girls. How would that play to the crowd? The show host got the kids in a great mood by doing silly tricks and jokes designed for their age group. The first two comics before Zach did okay but were not loved by the kids. It was finally Zach's turn and he came on stage and started talking directly to the kids. I could tell he was adjusting his set as he was going along to discuss school and superheroes (two big topics for young kids). He definitely held his own and was one of the best received younger comics during the show. The MC killed but Zach was able to read his audience quickly and adjust to fit the crowd. It's a skill that should serve him well in the future on stage and in the business side of acting and comedy.

Zach also took advantage of the fact that being part of the festival allowed him to attend panel discussions and other shows. He watched Andy Dick's set which he said was "strange and entertaining but not laugh out loud funny." Zach was also able to attend industry panels and seminars about getting booked on the college circuit and how to use social media to help get noticed by others in the comedy field.

I'm definitely proud of him for getting into the festival. There were over 800 comics that sent in a submission and Zach was one of the comics that made the cut. He was able to meet comedians from all over the country and get advice from industry professionals. The chance to witness so many different styles of comedy in one week made a big impact on him. He's working on new material right now and it will be interesting to see what he writes after this experience. Hopefully it will be funny and not "strange and entertaining" like his review of Andy Dick.

This comedian starts the new college school year tomorrow.

Are You Ready For Episodic Season?

Zach has been busy the last few weeks getting ready for his shows during the Burbank Comedy Festival which begins tonight. Even with writing new material for three stand-up sets, he has also been busy with auditions. He had an audition last week for a meaty part in a popular TV show. More auditions are coming in for TV shows as episodic season is underway in Hollywood.

Not sure what episodic season is all about? No worries!

Here's the rundown on one of the busiest times in the TV production cycle:

Episodic season begins when the majority of TV series go into production for the upcoming season. The major roles in shows were cast earlier in the year during pilot season.  This is the time of year when casting directors look for actors to fill large guest star roles as well as smaller roles in upcoming episodes.

One of the best things about casting for episodes of TV is that the process for casting and filming moves at a quicker pace than movies. TV shows work on a tighter schedule and the work has to be accomplished within a certain amount of time before the next episode gets underway.

Even though a good amount of work is available during episodic season, there are not as many actors that relocate here for an extended period of time. My theory is that actors come here for pilot season because they hope to land a role that has the possibility of being a long-term acting job. While there are good roles available during this time of year, the roles are rarely long-term which might be one of the reasons less actors relocate here for episodic season.

As an actor, you need to make a checklist so you have everything in order for episodic season. Here are 6 key items for your checklist:

1. Make sure your latest headshot, acting reel and resume are easily available via your social media profiles.
2. Have plenty of headshots ready. Keep a few extra with you in your car!
3. Touch base with any contacts you have in casting offices as well as any producers, directors or production people you know on shows. It never hurts to reconnect with your network of contacts.
4. Take an acting class to keep your skills up to date. (I previously discussed how to find the right acting class.) Let your acting coach know what you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses and work on refining your skills.
5. Have a flexible work schedule, You never know when a last minute audition or callback will come your way. You don't want to be stuck at work and miss your opportunity.
6. Answer the phone! There are few things that frustrate your agent or manager more than not being able to get in touch with you. If you're in a location where you can't answer the phone, send them a text or an email. Make sure they know you got their message and will be at the audition on time.

The above list might seem simple but you would be surprised how many actors don't take care of the basics. Being professional and taking care of the basics can make the difference in your success in Hollywood.

This Actor Has Three Shows This Week During The Burbank Comedy Festival.