How-to win a comedy competition?

[Phil]

Got any tips? Or should I just go have fun?

I was invited to the annual "Finland's Newcomer of the Year". 10 contestants. 10 minutes. 5 judges.

The thoughts going through my head are:
- Should I do my old faithful old stuff, or newer stuff?
- Should I do blue stuff?
- Should I do riskier stuff, or stuff for the masses?
- Should I do a set of similar stuff, or a wider range of topics?
- How much do these judges know about comedy? Will they just listen to whomever gets the most applause?
- How much better will it be to go on towards the end, than towards the beginning?
- Am I overthinking all of this?

[h_lehto]

The thoughts going through my head are:
- Should I do my old faithful old stuff, or newer stuff?

I am no position to give advice, I'm just stating what I'm doing tomorrow. (Yes, we're in the same competition.)

I'm going mostly with my good old faithful stuff. Whatever I know works for certain, is in. There's one newish bit, because it's related to the place we're doing our sets in.

- Should I do blue stuff?

I'm doing bluish stuff, but not anything dramatic. I cut one great bit away, because it was too blue and the topic might put off some judges. I also cut out a bit about kitchen knife murders, because there was a widely publicized kitchen knife murder in Helsinki last Saturday. "Too soon!"

- Should I do riskier stuff, or stuff for the masses?

I'm not doing any hit-or-miss stuff to avoid losing my momentum.

- Should I do a set of similar stuff, or a wider range of topics?

I'm ranting about this and that, because the main idea is to put in stuff that works most of the time.

- How much do these judges know about comedy? Will they just listen to whomever gets the most applause?

I have no idea apart from one judge who I (and you) know personally.

- How much better will it be to go on towards the end, than towards the beginning?

I'm structuring it as it were any other set. Begin with a couple of short bits, end on the same bit I've been closing for a couple of months already.

- Am I overthinking all of this?

Yes. My idea: best possible set with the sure shot stuff.

[Cupid Stunt]

This is my advice for a contest set (but it's also just advice any time you're given a 10 minute set)

Start off with shorter jokes that are consistent with your onstage character.
Don't do a long bit until you've established a rhythm (see above).
Save risky/dirtier stuff until the end, but really sell it when you get there. Swing for the fence.

Dirty/ballsy (lol) stuff can make or break you. Make sure the audience is ready to follow you down ANY road before going down that road.

[pg13]

Am I overthinking all of this?

Yes.

pg--But everyone does.--obviousburgh

[pg13]

should I just go have fun?

Yes.

pg--But competition is a mindfuck.--beentheredonethatville

[pg13]

The thoughts going through my head are:
- Should I do my old faithful old stuff, or newer stuff?
- Should I do blue stuff?
- Should I do riskier stuff, or stuff for the masses?
- Should I do a set of similar stuff, or a wider range of topics?
- How much do these judges know about comedy? Will they just listen to whomever gets the most applause?
- How much better will it be to go on towards the end, than towards the beginning?
- Am I overthinking all of this?

The thoughts you SHOULD having going through your head are...

1) What are the rules? How is the competition judged? What are the criteria for determining the value of one person's take on a subjective art form over another's?

2) Who are the judges? Are they comedy-savvy? Are they representative of the audience? Are they people who can impact your career beyond just this one performance?

3) Who are your fellow competitors? Comparing your self--your style and your experience level--to them, can you feel confident that you're really in a position to compete? If so, what are unique elements that you have compared to them...elements that you should then find ways to highlight in your competition performance. If not, how can you still leave the best impression so you stay on whatever list you're on that gets you invited to do things like this again in the future.

4) Where will you be performing? What type of audiences can you expect? Compare the rules and the judges against the venue--you'd hate to play to the audience when the judges don't represent them and the rules don't incorporate audience reaction in your score...but you'd hate to ignore the audience and try to impress the judges when the rules have them scoring you based on how hard you killed the room.

The choice of whether to do familiar/new, blue/clean, risky/crowd-pleasing, thematic/varied...those questions are in your head and they will twist your melon until it explodes. The best answer is...do what you do best--don't change what you do just for the competition... The best question is...do you KNOW what you do best? If you don't, you'll fall into the trap of never being able to commit to a decision. I see it every year in the Seattle International Comedy Competition.

The question of "is it better to go early or late?" is out of your control--so, don't worry about it. If you have to "bite the bullet" and go up first--then you've got to rock it right out of the gate. If you have to close the show, and possibly deal with audience fatigue--then you've got to re-energize them with what you do. Makes no sense to worry about it, if you can't control it. (Of course, if you end up going up 3rd to 6th...you're in the sweet spot. Enjoy it and hope you don't follow someone much more energetic, successful than you are...or someone who dies or poisons the room...right before you.)

Best of luck...and remind yourself that, win or lose, comedy competitions are promotions--not proof. Doing well in a competition only proves that given those set of variables that you did well in that competition--it doesn't mean you're the best comic in Finland. Doing poorly in a competition only proves that those set of variables didn't favor you--it doesn't mean that you're not a good comic.

Do it. Have fun doing it. Learn all you can by doing it--about competitions, about yourself. Meet other comics and have fun with them. Do your best and let the chips (and scores) fall where they may.

pg--And then apply to be in the Seattle International Comedy Competition next year.--pacific northwest

[Vercetti]

I've learned this last year that competition isn't all that enjoyable for me, personally. I've encountered too many people with negative attitudes about it and that just ruins it for me. Plus the politics of the ones I was specifically involved in...yeah no thanks. I'll stick with the mics and gigs.

It's good to see other guys do well because that pushes you to step up your own game. But you don't need a contest to do that. Competition situations are a whole different animal for me that takes the fun out of it.

[h_lehto]

The competition went down yesterday. 10 participants, only one winner and one honourable mention. The guy who got the biggest laughs won. The guy who got the second biggest laughs got the honourable mention. I and Phil did OK. Everybody is friends, no politics and the crowd saw 10 pretty good sets.

It didn't feel like a competition at all, after all. I liked it.