cameron esposito
July 26, 2008, 10:28 AM
let's restart this advice thread...can everyone play nice this time?
i think that the advice dan and ritter gave is great. especially ritter talking about his preference for seeing comics live versus a clip...i have found that that's the very truth...performing begets opportunity and you never know who might be in the audience. i have also found that in trying to get the word out about little ol' cameron esposito, there is something to be said to trying to reach out to folks who run rooms, blogs, or write for magazines via the internet. sometimes folks just won't be able to make it out to see you, and a face to face meet can be nicely followed up by an email. i know that dan and ritter both probably get approached by comics looking to be booked all the time, and having run some shows of my own and in helping to produce the lincoln lodge, i have too. it's a tricky line to walk between putting yourself out there and making your intentions know (i.e. i intend to be booked in your room) and allowing the booker room to come to you. i will say that when i moved to chicago i got some pretty got advice from (now l.a. comic) mike bridenstine when he told me to make sure to ask for what i want from the comedy scene. meaning that, folks have a ton of other things going on and if you want to, say produce a show, or collaborate with someone, or get booked somewhere, you do have to advocate on your own behalf.
i think of myself as an artist and i have the teeny, messy apartment to prove it. but i also think of myself as a product. i love performing...i love the skill and nuance of it...but at the end of the day i am aware that the reputation piece dan and ritter mentioned means that essentially i am creating a brand of comedy. i think that's kinda cool and businessy-and i like the idea that i am also a professional (or headed that direction, i hope). i am trying to create a comedy persona i want to send out into the world (be safe little persona!).
there is one point that was made in the previous thread to which i would like to offer some dissent. oftentimes i hear comics talk about doing as many sets as possible-4 a night, or 3 a week, or whatever seems like a lot to you. after a year and a half doing standup, i perform 2-4 nights week-sometimes more. most of these are booked shows of some type. i stress myself out a lot wondering if i should be out more-should i be doing 4 sets a night? what would my comedy look like after performing 4 sets a night? i get caught up in the expectation of a nightly appearance at whatever open mic. but the thing is, i'm a home body. i'm an introverted person (and i think that's kinda surprising if you know me) and it takes me about 2 or 3 hours after returning home after a show to decompress and get myself to a point where i can sleep. i believe in challenging myself-heck this summer i went on an east coast "tour" that had me doing 15 sets in 7 days-but i also believe in self care. i'm not a drinker (like really not a drinker), i'm a lady, i'm a gay lady...this puts me outside the standup norm. i respect and love and count among my closest friends many comics, and i enjoy performing with my peers, but going out every night is not my natural state. this whole long paragraph is really just to hammer this point home (and it's such a maternal, new agey point): my advice is take all advice about standup and really listen to it...mull it over and such...ask people you admire how they got there...set goals that are hard...set goals that are achievable...and then, after all that, look at yourself. find out what you need. this is a tough and solitary road...and one mired with rejection...so most of all, get yourself to the place where you can handle it. are there visions of Rocky training in the snowy, russian woods before his big fight with ivan drago swirling in your head? there should be. that's what your aiming for. training. getting your mind and heart into the place where they could lift fallen trees and such. you're in for a fight, so take care of yourself.
i think that the advice dan and ritter gave is great. especially ritter talking about his preference for seeing comics live versus a clip...i have found that that's the very truth...performing begets opportunity and you never know who might be in the audience. i have also found that in trying to get the word out about little ol' cameron esposito, there is something to be said to trying to reach out to folks who run rooms, blogs, or write for magazines via the internet. sometimes folks just won't be able to make it out to see you, and a face to face meet can be nicely followed up by an email. i know that dan and ritter both probably get approached by comics looking to be booked all the time, and having run some shows of my own and in helping to produce the lincoln lodge, i have too. it's a tricky line to walk between putting yourself out there and making your intentions know (i.e. i intend to be booked in your room) and allowing the booker room to come to you. i will say that when i moved to chicago i got some pretty got advice from (now l.a. comic) mike bridenstine when he told me to make sure to ask for what i want from the comedy scene. meaning that, folks have a ton of other things going on and if you want to, say produce a show, or collaborate with someone, or get booked somewhere, you do have to advocate on your own behalf.
i think of myself as an artist and i have the teeny, messy apartment to prove it. but i also think of myself as a product. i love performing...i love the skill and nuance of it...but at the end of the day i am aware that the reputation piece dan and ritter mentioned means that essentially i am creating a brand of comedy. i think that's kinda cool and businessy-and i like the idea that i am also a professional (or headed that direction, i hope). i am trying to create a comedy persona i want to send out into the world (be safe little persona!).
there is one point that was made in the previous thread to which i would like to offer some dissent. oftentimes i hear comics talk about doing as many sets as possible-4 a night, or 3 a week, or whatever seems like a lot to you. after a year and a half doing standup, i perform 2-4 nights week-sometimes more. most of these are booked shows of some type. i stress myself out a lot wondering if i should be out more-should i be doing 4 sets a night? what would my comedy look like after performing 4 sets a night? i get caught up in the expectation of a nightly appearance at whatever open mic. but the thing is, i'm a home body. i'm an introverted person (and i think that's kinda surprising if you know me) and it takes me about 2 or 3 hours after returning home after a show to decompress and get myself to a point where i can sleep. i believe in challenging myself-heck this summer i went on an east coast "tour" that had me doing 15 sets in 7 days-but i also believe in self care. i'm not a drinker (like really not a drinker), i'm a lady, i'm a gay lady...this puts me outside the standup norm. i respect and love and count among my closest friends many comics, and i enjoy performing with my peers, but going out every night is not my natural state. this whole long paragraph is really just to hammer this point home (and it's such a maternal, new agey point): my advice is take all advice about standup and really listen to it...mull it over and such...ask people you admire how they got there...set goals that are hard...set goals that are achievable...and then, after all that, look at yourself. find out what you need. this is a tough and solitary road...and one mired with rejection...so most of all, get yourself to the place where you can handle it. are there visions of Rocky training in the snowy, russian woods before his big fight with ivan drago swirling in your head? there should be. that's what your aiming for. training. getting your mind and heart into the place where they could lift fallen trees and such. you're in for a fight, so take care of yourself.