Half Year Progress
Holy crap, it's been 3 months since the last post on this site! I've been thinking a lot about comedy and it's place in my life and I thought it'd be a good time to revisit where I'm at with the New Year's goals I set for myself.
- Write 3 sitcom spec scripts i.e. write a fake episode for a sitcom series in order to show your take on it
- 2 Sitcom spec scripts and an original pilot. I have an idea for Kimmy Schmidt and Veep specs so that should keep my going.
- Write a new 4 minutes I'm not ashamed of every month
- I've been nowhere near that. While I can use being heads down getting applications in for some tv fellowhships as an excuse, I've really been battling how I feel about open mics (the whole topic of another post). But I've been realizing that while people put a premium on stage time no one really talks about editing: taking the time to actually listen to your set, hear what what worked and what didn't, and rolling that feedback into what you'll do next. While, it's something I did a lot of in my first year of standup, I've let that slip past me and I'm getting back to it (and already seeing results).
- Start/take part of a sketch group
- I was really glad Danny Liss who I've taken two sketch classes with invited me to perform in a set of all his material. He's hilairous and if you ever get a chance to see a show with stuff he's writting (Comedy America!?) check it out.
- Take an improv class
- Sketch did take a back seat to improv though. I finished Improv 101 and loved it. I don't think I'm going to perform for reals anytime soon, but it was great to be in supper supportive environment where you don't have to put up a wall of invulnerability. My main problem is learning to think a bit on my feet more. I signed up for 201 and I'm excited for it.
- Write something for this blog at least twice a month (The Blind Person's Web Comic seems like a possibility)
- Yeah, Definitely dropped of with the twice a month thing. Hoping to start that back up again. I thought the Movies list would be a great place for me generate content, but I was actually turned off by not liking some of them. Also, I want to find a form of reviewing them that requires a lot less editing. I'm also hoping that some stuff I've dealt with in my personal life will help me concentrate enough to keep up with these things.
- Write a Cracked.com article (they have a surprisingly open submissions process)
- I completely forgot about writing a Cracked.com article. Have no idea what it would be about. Plus I'm pretty sure this isn't really relevant anymore.
- 200 Daily jokes (3.8 a week)
- Daily Jokes have completely fallen off. I was completely in spec writing mode and focusing all of those muscle that way. But I have a good system setup at work now for lunchtime hahas so hopefully I'll add that back in. 200 is not a hittable number anymore though. Also, I had to realize that quality of joke and social media response or only lightly correlated. It's been interesting seeing jokes that didn't go anywhere do a lot better when I send a TimeHop of them.
- Watching two movies a month from Bill Hader's list of 200 Movies Every Comedy Writer Should See (and possibly write reviews...)
- I'll continue watching movies, but I'm open to expanding to movies off this list. I actually do watch a fair amount of movies (seeing them in theaters is something I treat myself to) so being willing to go off that list might make sense.
New Set of Goals for the Rest of the Year
My main impetus for returning to this post was being a little frustrated with comedy. Frankly comes down to my unhealthy attitude that most everything I do is to prove something to someone. And then realized it's because while I was working my butt off I've never really thought about what success should look like. As much as I told myself not to tie it bookings, that's always been in the back of mind but it's clear that that's a fools errands. Had to remind myself to focus on things I can control. Which is what this list hopefully contains.
- A 10 minute set with a laugh every 15 seconds except for the closer.
- Another spec script and another original pilot
- Exploring Improv a lot more.
- (Semi-)Daily Jokes
- By the end of the year have a 30 minute set I wouldn't be ashamed to make my friends come to see.
- Every night I do comedy, have a 5 minute conversation with a person I don't know that well.
- Save up for a car.
- Go to a city, independent of a festival and introduce myself to their scene.
What else do you think I should at to the list?