Poll: Could this work?

[dfcrackhead]

I love comedy, like I really like it and I admire stand-up comedians, to me a good stand-up comic, even just a half hour set is better than a full length comedy movie. So, naturally, I've wanted to try my hand at stand-up for most of my life, the main problem is, I cannot do public speaking. I'm terrible in front of crowds, they scare the everloving shit out of me so I've never done stand up, or anything close to it, except write a couple short bit's and try them out in passing conversation with friends disguising it as a rant to see if it was funny.

My idea is, since I fear crowds, what if I just was at home, got a mic and a camera, filmed myself doing stand-up, without an audience or anything and put it up on youtube in order to see if the stuff was funny and build my confidence. Do you think something like that could work?

Any tips or anything would be helpful as well.

 

[Skorpyo]

Try it in front of a small audience first.

Or just tape in front of a few people.

 

[delet]

That wouldn't have the same feel. If you pay attention to stand up on, say, Comedy Central, you'll notice that they have to wait through people's laughter, gauge the audience and how well they're doing, and stuff like that.

You should just gradually tell your jokes to more people in a crowd. Start with, say, 5 friends, then add onto that.

 

[Griphphin]

I'd go for on-stage, maybe a few public speaking classes or seminars first. Unless you've got a decently well-subscribed channel, your videos probably won't get too many views, and there's also the gap between the people who watch the video and the people who bother to rate it, which is a black-and-white "love it or hate it" kind of system now with the thumbs anyway.

 

[Blackadder51]

It could work, but it would be weaker then if you did it in front of people.

Try some friends or family. Although if you do record your self and go to youtube ill watch and see how good it is.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

It won't have the same feel. Stand-ups are better done face to face(or faces).

Just start out small, like with some friends or something.

 

[dfcrackhead]

That wouldn't have the same feel. If you pay attention to stand up on, say, Comedy Central, you'll notice that they have to wait through people's laughter, gauge the audience and how well they're doing, and stuff like that.

You should just gradually tell your jokes to more people in a crowd. Start with, say, 5 friends, then add onto that.

Yeah I know all about the laughter and applause breaks, which would make my set or whatever flow very strangely without any, so I was thinking of either just doing one or two bits per recording, having a few friends around, or going the cheesey-70's-sitcom route and having canned laughter and hoping people thought it was funny and not lame

 

[ajofflight]

I think that is would NOT be a good idea, because stand-ups work with the flow of the audience. If you're recording yourself, there's no instant feedback, and you may not be sure which jokes will work, and which ones won't.

 

[delet]

That wouldn't have the same feel. If you pay attention to stand up on, say, Comedy Central, you'll notice that they have to wait through people's laughter, gauge the audience and how well they're doing, and stuff like that.

You should just gradually tell your jokes to more people in a crowd. Start with, say, 5 friends, then add onto that.

Yeah I know all about the laughter and applause breaks, which would make my set or whatever flow very strangely without any, so I was thinking of either just doing one or two bits per recording, having a few friends around, or going the cheesey-70's-sitcom route and having canned laughter and hoping people thought it was funny and not lame

Well, some of the best comedians will act on the fly with their audience. You can't really do that if you're just recording things.

 

[dfcrackhead]

That wouldn't have the same feel. If you pay attention to stand up on, say, Comedy Central, you'll notice that they have to wait through people's laughter, gauge the audience and how well they're doing, and stuff like that.

You should just gradually tell your jokes to more people in a crowd. Start with, say, 5 friends, then add onto that.

Yeah I know all about the laughter and applause breaks, which would make my set or whatever flow very strangely without any, so I was thinking of either just doing one or two bits per recording, having a few friends around, or going the cheesey-70's-sitcom route and having canned laughter and hoping people thought it was funny and not lame

Well, some of the best comedians will act on the fly with their audience. You can't really do that if you're just recording things.

Yeah, the only other idea I had for doing this and not having to face crowds is to put a giant mirror in front of the stage, you know the kind where they could see me, but I couldn't see them, but then hecklers would be even harder to make fun of since I couldn't poke fun at their humongous pimples or ugly hawaiian shirts or whatever.

 

[Capt. Crankypants]

*shrug* If being a standup comedian is something you really aspire to, there isn't a shortage of public speaking courses and/or specific standup courses to attend. Investigate.



-L

 

[delet]

That wouldn't have the same feel. If you pay attention to stand up on, say, Comedy Central, you'll notice that they have to wait through people's laughter, gauge the audience and how well they're doing, and stuff like that.

You should just gradually tell your jokes to more people in a crowd. Start with, say, 5 friends, then add onto that.

Yeah I know all about the laughter and applause breaks, which would make my set or whatever flow very strangely without any, so I was thinking of either just doing one or two bits per recording, having a few friends around, or going the cheesey-70's-sitcom route and having canned laughter and hoping people thought it was funny and not lame

Well, some of the best comedians will act on the fly with their audience. You can't really do that if you're just recording things.

Yeah, the only other idea I had for doing this and not having to face crowds is to put a giant mirror in front of the stage, you know the kind where they could see me, but I couldn't see them, but then hecklers would be even harder to make fun of since I couldn't poke fun at their humongous pimples or ugly hawaiian shirts or whatever.

That would also look incredibly weird, if not stupid. You could get a few jokes out of it, though.

 

[Krythe]

Others have tried this same idea. All of them put together dodn't have a fraction of the veiws and adoration boxxy did.

The internet is... whimsical about what it accepts as enterntainment, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't work out. If it makes you feel better, then go for it. Nothing to lose.

 

[Cain_Zeros]

I wouldn't recommend putting it on YouTube. People there will rip on you just because you're alive, so, not the best way to boost your confidence. But the general idea of taping it and showing it to people is good.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

Hey I'm an amateur comic too. Here's how to fight stage fright: start off by telling them the most offensive joke you know. After you offend everyone in the room, it can only get better. Also tel jokes about your stage fright. Jim Gaffagan is the master of self depreciating humor and it seems to work for him.

 

[Tuddle]

If you do it, they will laugh.

What is your YouTube account? I want to subscribe.

 

[dfcrackhead]

*shrug* If being a standup comedian is something you really aspire to, there isn't a shortage of public speaking courses and/or specific standup courses to attend. Investigate.



-L

It's one of my aspirations, I've got like 3 or 4 different "Life-long dreams" depending on how I'm feeling that day, so far all of them are hobbies more or less.

 

[dfcrackhead]

If you do it, they will laugh.

What is your YouTube account? I want to subscribe.

Subscribe? You've got a fuckin bazooka!

Sorry I had to, if I did it, I would make an all new YT account for it and just as a warning, I have a very nerdy/dirty/retarded sense of humor, like two of the bits I've written, one is about condoms and the other is about pac-man.

 

[darkfire613]

Try to integrate your fear of speaking to crowds as part of your stand-up routine. Over-exaggerate it.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I would say yes, but then again... Youtube...