Top 3 Schools for Comedian Wannabes :
Top
Comedy Colleges in the United States
Most people would refuse to take comedians seriously or even
recognize it as a decent profession. Although everyone would highly
appreciate a good laugh, being a comedian is simply not a viable way
to make a living by the standards of many.
Some who have resolutely set their sights on becoming a comedian
face a rather overwhelming competition. There are indeed many to
have set aspirations on making people laugh professionally, but only
a few have actually thrived in the cutthroat industry of comedy.
So,
are you one those promising comedians? If so, be forewarned that you
have a rather arduous undertaking ahead. Constant practice can
significantly help in honing your talent, but then is it adequate
enough?
With the ruthless competition to contend with, you would definitely
need some professional training to polish up your act. Individuals
with innate and raw talents would often need some workshops to
actually refine their style and fully maximize their potentials. In
fact, a lot of popular professional comedians have certainly gained
from excellent professional training.
Suffice it to say, the School of Life would not be sufficient to
provide you with the best materials to use in your routines. More
often that not, even the most hilarious jokes and comedy acts would
fall flat if you haven’t acquired the flair for properly delivering
it.
So
if you are seriously contemplating on making a career of being a
professional comedian, then it’s about time you entertain the
thought of getting some professional training. There are several
schools in the United States that are specifically created to teach
and train people who want to penetrate into the glittering world of
the entertainment industry, specifically in the field of comedy.
Here are 3 of the most popular comedy schools that you would want to
check out:
American Comedy Institute
This school is definitely where you can get the best professional
training money can afford. Based in New York, their faculty have
produced many great comics that have appeared in top TV shows and
sitcoms such as The David Lettermen Show, Apollo Comedy Hour,
MTV, Comedy Central Presents, The Conan O’Brien Show, Premium Blend
and HBO.
Past students have found their niche in various entertainment
outfits, which includes contract deals in motion pictures, one man
stand-up comedy shows, TV commercials and even Broadway Productions.
There are even some who have worked behind the limelight and wrote
some really good materials for Saturday Night Live, The
Dennis Miller Show and even The Chris Rock Show, and in
movies such as Nurse Betty and Urban Legend.
The
highly acclaimed film director Stephen Rosenfield is no less the
administrator of American Comedy Institute. The school’s philosophy
in conducting trainings and workshops are basically adhered in three
fundamental approaches:
§
Helping students discover their own
unique and original comic style based solely on the individual’s own
brand of humor
§
Teach their students how to confidently
and masterfully communicate to large audiences their unique comedy,
without the feeling of inadequacy.
§
Inculcate in students the respect and
genuine love for comedy and its wondrous gift of reflecting the
harsh realities of life, and finding laughter in it.
Courses Offered
Stand-Up Comedy
This course provides students intense training personally supervised
by the award winning film director himself, Stephen Rosenfield.
Here, students are honed to write their own material, and trained
how to actually perform a good stand-up comedy stunt. Part of their
training would require students to perform live at Stand-Up New
York, among other major clubs in New York.
Comedy Writing
This course basically covers the rudiments and essentials of writing
comedy, in relevance for doing scripts for movies, sitcoms in
television, talk shows and even monologues. Here, the students would
have a clear understanding on processing and developing comic
materials from the initial conceptualization of ideas to the writing
of the final draft.
The
main focus of this course is to train students how to pitch ideas,
how to write individually or as part of a team, and even how to get
an agent and land a job in writing comedy materials.
Improvisation
Students will be trained to create a comedy routine without a
script. Various exercises are designed to improve the individual’s
spontaneity, quick wit and creativity. As part of the training,
students will be asked to perform in improv games, songs and act out
comedy scenes.
Sketch Comedy
If
you are a great fan of the Saturday Night Live Show, with
this course you can learn how to make scripts for such type of TV
shows. You will be given a week to prepare your own material,
rehearse and perform in front of live audiences.
Sitcom Audition Techniques
This on-camera course, you will be provided with scripts that are
specially created for auditions for sitcoms. You will be taught how
to analyze the scripts that will help you make good and strong
acting choices in the future. You will also be trained techniques
that will help you make sure that your future auditions will have
the desired impact you want.
Commercial Audition Techniques
This course teaches students how to use their sense of humor at
their own advantage especially in booking for television
commercials.
The
American Comedy Institute offers Comedy Workshops 9 times a year and
also a One-year Professional Program that you can choose from. You
can check out there official website,
http://www.comedyinstitute.com/,
so you can read the testimonies of their students and the complete
contact details of the school.
San Francisco Comedy College
Another institution that enjoys quite a good
reputation when it comes to providing excellent trainings for
aspiring comedians is the San Francisco Comedy College. The schools
has actually been around since 1999, and only initially offered
workshops for stand-up comedy. Later they also introduced Improv and
Comedy Writing as part of their curriculum. They are the only comedy
school in the United States that offers a
money back guarantee
should you finish the school without improving your sense of humor.
Now, that’s definitely saying something.
The
school has received numerous awards and citations over the years,
aside from the important fact that it also belongs to the elite Top
3 Comedy Schools in the country. The school’s staff does not only
train budding comedians but generally people from all walks of life,
to enhance their social and interpersonal skills.
Stand Up Classes
This course is actually divided into three categories, which are:
Introductory Class, Technique Workshop for Beginners, and
Performance Workshops for Advanced Skills Development.
Every category is tailored to better assess and give training focus
based on the aptitude and skill of every individual. They provide
training for conquering stage frights and develop every student’s
potential as a total stand–up comedy performer.
Under this course, they also offer special workshops for working
comedians. The class size is limited to 8 people only and has a
monthly fee of $ 220. Another special accommodation is made for out
of town students, busy individuals and corporate employee. The
Intensive One of One or Group workshop would provide a weeklong
training for individuals who are not available to attend to the
regular five-week training. Intensive workshops will allow them to
take the classes at only a span of one week, without compromising
the quality of education they will get.
Improve Training
The
complete comprehensive session would cost, $225, which does not only
include the training costs but will also provide a guaranteed free
time on stage on Monday Night Make ‘Em Ups. You will have
five sessions for five weeks, with each session having duration of 2
and half hours with a highly competent instructor.
One on One Training
If
you prefer a more private sessions or your schedule would not allow
you to attend to regular class session, the schools also provide one
on one training. However, predictably, it will be more expensive,
with an estimated of $ 100 per session.
The
availability of technology can also allow trainers and student to
tailor their sessions based on whatever may work best for the
student. Materials can be provided through videotapes or via
‘Netmeeting’ at the convenience and comfort of one’s own home.
Manhattan Comedy School
The third most highly commended comedy school is also
based in New York, the Manhattan Comedy School. The faculty staff
for the said institution are celebrities in their own right such as
Linda Smith, a 3 time nominee in the Emmy’s as a prolific staff
writer for the Rosie O’Donnell Show and have written for a
number of other popular shows. Another great addition to their
roster of talented instructors is Tom Shillue, who have had TV
guestings on Late Night with Conan O’Brian,
and NBC’s Late Friday.
Most of their workshops are sold out early , so it would be
advisable to book early. They are offering three courses: Stand-Up
Comedy Workshop for Beginners, Stand-Up Comedy Workshop for
Teenagers and Comedy Improvisation Workshop.
Stand-Up Comedy
All
the stand up classes in Manhattan Comedy School would include
performing at Carolines Comedy Club that will be videotaped.
Students can actually use their performances as part of their
resume.
Topics that will be covered in the stand-up comedy workshop will
include:
§
Some important inside information you
won’t be able to find in any book
§
Tips and trainings on auditions for
clubs and agents
§
How to maximize your time on stage
§
Learn how to avoid mistakes often made
by neophytes
§
How to jump start your career as a
professional comedian
§
And what club bookers and agents
usually look for in a comedian
By
the end of the workshop, you will overcome your stage jitters, be
able to make your own materials, develop your potential as a live
performer and hone your very own unique comic voice or style.
Comedy Improvisation Workshop
First of all, comedy improvisation will train students to think
outside the box, so to speak. Your training will mainly focus on
developing your spontaneity and sharpen your wit. It would also
allow you to perform in front of large audiences and auditions
without any qualms and trepidations, whatsoever.
The
topics involved in improvisation class will take up following
topics:
§
Ensemble compatibility – you will
generally be taught how to collaborate and work well with other
performers onstage
§
Collaborative creative skills – you
will be given exercises to quickly develop ideas, concepts for
certain scenes and performances, while working with a team of other
performers
§
Spontaneity in reactions and
initiatives – you will be taught to be “in the moment”, and
quickly respond to any unanticipated situations without the aid of a
script and participate effectively in some really good
unstructured banters.
As
you might have gathered, all schools offer a variety of courses on
different venues covered by the complex world of comedy. Read
through the descriptions of each courses and decide with one would
best suit you. You would also need to assess your strengths so you
will have a clear idea which field of comedy would you pursue.
Hopefully, the workshops will better equipped you in your career,
and give you the much needed each to actually make a name and excel
in the industry.
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