CALL: The Room

CALL: The Room

By Matthew L. Hart

Humor Writer/Comedian

Author of:

Uncle Matty's Halloween: Jokes, Bits & Anecdotes

If you could take a week out of your life to immerse yourself in learning something new, what would it be?

Two things!

I would get certified to SCUBA dive and learn underwater cinematography and photography.

I'm a documentary junky.

Documentaries are basically just travel guides for me. "What's that? Where's that? I want to to go to that place!"

But, knowing what's out there is only part of it. I like to document my trips when I can.

It can be so complicated to orchestrate the filming of fictional projects but, you don't have those headaches when filming documentaries.

So, I just sort of pick a subject I enjoy, learn enough about it to pick out the really interesting facts, and throw down a quick shot list and just go at it.

But, it doesn't even need to be that complicated.

You can take your video camera or cell phone camera somewhere and just film what's going on. Let the story direct your camera and put it all together later.

But, I've always been fascinated by SCUBA diving since I read 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, and when my wife and I discovered snorkeling on Maui, we've been addicted to the water ever since. 

Dive Atlas of the World: An Illustrated Reference to the Best Sites (IMM Lifestyle Books) A Global Tour of Wrecks, Walls, Caves, and Blue Holes from Lawson Reef to the Red Sea to the Great Barrier

"Comedians are sociologists. We're pointing out stuff that the general public doesn't even stop to think about, looking at life in slow-motion and questioning everything we see."

- Steven Wright

CALL: The Room

If a tray of glasses drops in a comedy club, does anyone hear it?

Absolutely! But, the Comedian gets to be the one who points it out.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TECHNIQUE IN THIS BOOK:

• Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker

Congratulations! You wrote some great material, you practiced your routine and you're finally on stage. Your into the middle of your act when, someone sneezes over your punchline...Nobody is laughing. What now?

When you're performing in front of a live audience, you quickly learn that anything can and usually will happen.

NO PROBLEM!

By using the technique of calling the room you will quickly get your show back on track and the laughs pouring back in.

Let's take a look at some of the most common distractions:

• People showing up late.
• People talking among themselves and not paying attention.
• Someone takes a phone call.
• Technical difficulties with the PA system or lighting.
• Spilled drinks at a table or dropped trays.
• A fight breaks out between two audience members.

How the Comedian reacts to these distractions will determine how the audience reacts to these distractions. 

Remember: We want to be in control of the room.

START SIMPLE:

Just acknowledge what happened then react naturally.

For example:

You're doing a bit when

SOMEONE SNEEZES... 

1) Pause, look at the person and say, "Gesundheit."

A simple pause and natural reaction will actually surprise the audience into laughter, because you turn whatever you were saying into the setup and use the distraction as your punchline.

Now, you have a couple of choices to pick from:

FIRST CHOICE: 

Continue your routine.

SECOND CHOICE: 

Get even more laughs by riffing or presenting a prepared response.

Either option will work and depends on your skill level, confidence, level of preparation and what kind of job you are doing.

I prefer to use the second choice at open mics, because you get an opportunity to discover new material by riffing. 

But, if it's a paying gig, I would use the first choice because I don't want to go too far off script of what my employer has agreed to.

Use the first choice to 

stay tried and true.

Use the second choice to 

find something new.

Let's pick the Second Choice:

You have regained control of the room by brining the attention back to the stage.

Also, you have setup a new topic: 

SNEEZING.

At this point, I would tag my response with an act out:

Pause, then wipe your hand across your face.

The audience will not expect this funny relationship but will laugh when they put the pieces together for themselves: "He's wiping the sneeze off his face!"

Pause for laughter.

Then, you get the to pick from the next two choices again.

You can pick FIRST CHOICE and say something like,

"As I was saying..." and continue your routine.

Or...

Pick SECOND CHOICE and do some improv riffing on the topic of sneezing.

You could say something like,

"I wasn't planning to shower until after the show."

Pause for laughter.

Depending on how you feel, you might do another couple of minutes by making a statement or asking a question of the disruptive topic, and make sure to incorporate  an attitude word.

ATTITUDE WORDS convey your feelings towards the topic and will guide your response towards it.

Think: love, hate, scary, weird, stupid, crazy, ect.

Let's say:

"Don't you hate having to sneeze in public?"

Now, just state that as YOUR response to it:

I hate sneezing in public.

This allows your brain some time to think.

Tip: Start thinking in opposites.

The opposite of, "I hate sneezing in public." 

is, "I love sneezing in public."

Now, just think to yourself, usually your subconscious will connect these dots for you, but you can also prepare something ahead of time.

Just ask yourself, "Why do I love sneezing?"

My answer would be, 

"Because if you sneeze seven times in a row, you'll have an orgasm."

So, now we say the punchline:

"But, if I can't stop myself, I'll try for seven in a row and have an orgasm."

Pause for laughter.

Now, you have just set yourself up for an easy Act Out.

ACT OUT: Holding back a sneeze, then sneeze seven times in quick succession, maybe count them out on your fingers, then have an orgasm.

Now, you can tag that.

"Anybody got a cigarette?"

Pause for laughter.

"No? That's okay. I was faking it."

Pause for laughter.

Follow up with a Call Back.

Call Backs are unanticipated references to something you said earlier. In this case a similarly framed question.

Say something like:

"Don't you hate having orgasms in public?"

Pause for laughter and repeat.

Say,

"I don't. I love orgasms!"

Pause for laughter.

Then, bring it to a close by CALLING BACK TO THE ROOM.

Say,

"Actually, I think they hate orgasms. (point to the person that sneezed). You only sneezed once."

Pause for laughter.

Get back on script:

"Okay. What were we talking about?...Oh, yeah..."


Do You Talk Funny?

Now you see how calling the room allows you to take back control after an interruption, build a sense of spontaneity and in-joking with your audience, and even discover some new material.

Here is a quick take of the example above so you can get a sense of timing:

COMEDIAN:
"So, then I told the Doctor I had-"

WOMAN SNEEZES!!

Pause for control.

NATURAL RESPONSE:

"Gesundheit."

Pause for laughter.

ACT OUT:

Wipe hand across face.

Pause for laughter.

TAG:

"I wasn't planning to shower until after the show."

Pause for laughter.

SET UP PREMISE TO

RIFF:

"Don't you hate having to sneeze in public?"

SET UP JOKE, MAKE IT PERSONAL:

"I hate sneezing in public!"

PUNCHLINE (opposite):

"But, if I can't stop myself, I'll try for seven in a row...and have an orgasm."

Pause for laughter.

ACT OUT:

Holding back a sneeze, then sneeze seven times in quick succession, counting them out on your fingers, then have an orgasm.

Pause for laughter.

TAG:

"Anybody have a cigarette?"

Pause for laughter.

TAG:

 "No? That's okay. I was faking it."

Pause for laughter.

CALL BACK with SET UP PREMISE TO RIFF:

"Don't you hate having orgasms in public?"

Pause for laughter.

SET UP JOKE, MAKE IT PERSONAL:

"I don't...I love having orgasms!"

Pause for laughter.

CALL BACK TO THE ROOM WITH PUNCHLINE,
OPPOSITE PREMISE:

"I don't think she does, though."

ACT OUT:

Point and look at the woman who sneezed.

Pause for laughter.

CALL BACK:

"You only sneezed once."

Pause for laughter.

GET BACK ON SCRIPT:

"What were we talking about?...Oh, yeah!"


This was just a little Riff off the distraction from someone sneezing, but I could have easily gone on for another five minutes, abandoning the show I had prepared.

But, the key to riffing is, keeping an eye on your time, reading the room, and using your discretion.

Eventually, the topic will get played out, and it's more important to leave them laughing on a peak than a valley.

This means dropping the topic sooner than you might want to.

Remember, the most important thing is to take control and
LEAVE THEM LAUGHING!

Calling the room grabs attention back to you from distractions.

What was the worst distraction that happened while you were on the stage?

Tell us how you handled it in the comments below!

Continue your journey:

Funny Friday:

My original comedy audio tracks!

KNOW: The Author!

TRY: Split-Reforms

My Audio-biography Playlist

Or, hop over to my YouTube Coin Channel:

Matthew The Great Coin Roll Hunter

Mystery Videos Playlist!

*I am an Amazon Affiliate
and this blog uses Amazon Affiliate links.

WATCH: Funny Friday

WATCH: Funny Friday

By Matthew L. Hart

Humor Writer/Comedian

Author of:

Uncle Matty's Halloween: Jokes, Bits & Anecdotes

"The world is full of horrible things that will eventually get you and everything you care about. Laughter is a universal way to lift your head up and say, 

'Not today, you bastards.'"

- Anthony Jeselnik

I invite you to check out Funny Friday!

Original, open mic style stand up comedy audio tracks, 

now available on my YouTube channel!

Check out the FUNNY FRIDAY Playlist!

Funny Friday features original jokes,
written and performed by me, Matthew L. Hart,
as, Matthew The Great Coin Roll Hunter.

Open mics are a great place to test your work.

Do you enjoy working open mics?

Tell us your best or worst open mic experience in the comments!

Or, continue your journey:

KNOW: The Author!

TRY: Split-Reforms

My Audio-biography Playlist

Or, explore the

Mystery Videos Playlist!

*I am an Amazon Affiliate
and this blog uses Amazon Affiliate links.

TRY: Split-Reforms

TRY: Split-Reforms

By Matthew L. Hart

Humor Writer/Comedian

Author of:

Uncle Matty's Halloween: Jokes, Bits & Anecdotes

Are you a picky eater or do you like to try new foods?

No. I don't think I've ever met a dish I didn't want to taste.

Actually, I'm very adventurous at mealtimes.

Eating is one of those things you have to do, everyday. Especially if you're lucky.

But, I'm adverse to ordinary.

Don't get me wrong, I thrive on routine, I just don't want eating to be...a wasted opportunity to live.

Different spurs my creativity, and food is my muse, I guess. I find food so amusing because it hits all our senses. Smell, Taste, Texture, sometimes it sizzles, and these professional chefs really plate their food nicely.

I feel a sense of wonder and gratitude for life when I can eat a piece of fine art that was made just for me. It's like a Buddhist sand painting that nourishes your mind and soul, as well as your body.

In that way, I get to take that creative energy with me and use it to generate laughter.

And, nothing generates more laughter than a FOOD FIGHT!

If you've never experienced an actual food fight, add it to your bucket list, and plan to have one at your next birthday party. Life and food should be celebrated!

Fill the menu with rolls, mashed potatoes, cherry tomatoes and olives in your salad, loose corn, finger foods are good but, something sloppy like spaghetti is even better.

And, when it's all over, tell your guests, "The only thing I wanted for my birthday was good food, great company and someone to clean the house for me today."

In addition to going out to eat, I also discovered the Joy of Cooking. Cooking for yourself is an amazingly empowering hobby.

But, one of my favorite things are those crazy cereals coming out. They're making cereal out of candies and cookies now!

So, I feed my inner child. "Sourpatch Kids cereal! I can eat candy for breakfast?...Well, it is breakfast cereal...It would be irresponsible not to."

Also, I live outside a large city. So, I just flip to the 'Restaurant' section of the yellow book...Yes, I said, 'book', because I'm going to cross off each one as I try it.

I judge the quality of a city by how long I can go without visiting the same restaurant twice...and once I've run out of dining options, it's time to move.

Cookin' with Coolio:

5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price

"'I'm bored' is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you've seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless; it goes on forever, inwardly, do you understand? The fact that you're alive is amazing, so you don't get to say 'I'm bored.'"

- Louis C. K.

TRY: Split-Reforms

When the pressure is on to find something funny and to do that quickly, it's helpful to have a box of tools and techniques that you can reach for to get the job done. But, just obtaining the tool isn't enough. It will be up to you to practice using it until you become a Master Craftsman.

Build your comedy library

DISCOVER THIS BOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SPLIT-REFORMS:

• Comedy Writing Secrets: The Best-Selling Guide to Writing Funny and Getting Paid for It

Split-reforms are created when you fracture a single word into two or more separate words, which will  typically be homonyms, that will create a surprising, and funny, new meaning.

Homonyms are words that are pronounced and spelled alike, but have different meanings. 

Using Split-reforms is a great comedy writing tool because of their ability to misdirect the audience.

Humor theory suggests that one of the main reasons people will laugh is because they are delightfully surprised.

Humor theory deserves its own blog, so I will only touch on this one Comedy Formula.

MISDIRECTION + SURPRISE = COMEDY

So, is this what people are referring to when they say, "Joke Formulas"?

No. Let me be clear, a Joke Formula is more akin to Mad Libs where you have a preconstructed joke that you can fill in with different associated words from a new topic. 

Think of Jeff Foxworthy's 'You might be a redneck if...'  This was a very successful Joke Formula Jeff created for himself, because he could finish that sentence with whichever new Topic he wanted to poke fun at.

"You might be a redneck if...your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand."

- Jeff Foxworthy

Or, the reverse of this formula:

"If your dad walks you to school because you're in the same grade, you might be a redneck."

- Jeff Foxworthy

But, what we're talking about here is Humor Theory, which simply describes why Jeff's formula got laughs.

By using Humor Theory and the Comedy Formula: Misdirection + Surprise = Comedy, we will be able to identify which Split-reforms have the most likelihood of getting a laugh before throwing them out to an audience.

The Comedy Formula gives us a quality control measure to pick out the best jokes we come up with after using the Split-reform technique.

So, the great news is that using Split-reforms can create a lot of material, quickly.

LET'S GET STARTED!

You will need some material to work with.

First, build a list of words which are associated with your Topic.

It's important to come up with as many as you can.

Think of People, Places, Things, Quotes, and Cliches.

Second, cherry-pick out the words you can split.

Look for any compound words.

Compound Words are single words made up of multiple words. 

For example: 

sunflower, classroom, moonlight

You can split a compound word and reform it into the separate words.

For example: 

sunflower = sun + flower, classroom = class + room, moonlight = moon + light

Look for a-words.

Pick out any words that start with the letter a.

For example: 

alone, apiece, abreast

You will split the a from the rest of the word to reform it.

For example: 

alone = a + lone, apiece = a + piece, abreast = a + breast

Look for words with a prefix.

Pick out any words that have an-, pre-, un-, or in-.

For example:

anarchy, predetermine, unhappy, independent

Reform words by splitting off the prefix and adding, deleting or separating the it to reform other words.

For example:

Add a prefix to words that don't use them:

an + tire = antire

pre + sleep = presleep

un + pleasure = unpleasure

in + work = inwork

Subtract prefix:

anarchy - an = archy

predetermine - pre = determine
unhappy - un = happy

independent - in = dependent

Separate the prefix:

anarchy = an & archy

predetermine = pre & determine

unhappy = un & happy

independent = in & dependent

Look for words with a suffix.

Pick out any words that have an -ize, -ment, -log.

For example:

modernize, movement, monolog

Follow the same Split-reform method used for Prefixes.

For example:

Add a suffix to words that don't use them:

can + ize = canize

dog + ment = dogment

grip + log = griplog

Subtract the suffix:

modernize - ize = modern

movement - ment = move

monolog - log = mono

Separate the suffix:

modernize = modern & ize

movement = move & ment

monolog = mono & log

Look for words with -er and er sounds.

The -er and er sounds can be reformed into the homonym: her.

For example:

batter, catcher, manager

Split -er and reform to her:

batter = bat her

catcher = catch her

manager = manage her

Try to identify as many compound words, a-words, prefixes, suffixes, and words with -er as you can for your topic.

Third, use homonyms to reform your words into phrases and try to incorporate those phrases into statements and cliches.

Homonyms are your friends when using the Split-reform method. 

Don't be afraid to say your words out loud, and it also helps to try different tones and pacing. 

You can even sneeze, cough or mumble through a word to see if you can get it to sound like something else.

Fourth, and finally, use your phrases and statements as setups and punchlines for your jokes.

The type of material generated by the Split-reform method lends itself best to written media T-shirts, Mugs, Greeting Cards, and signs. However, with careful crafting, Split-reform material can also be spoken. 

Here are the four steps to working the Split-reform method.

First, build a list of words which are associated with your Topic.

Second, cherry-pick out the words you can split.

Third, use homonyms to reform your words into phrases and try to incorporate those phrases into statements and cliches.

Fourth, and finally, use your phrases and statements as setups and punchlines for your jokes.

Practice Split-reforms:

Pull a word from your list and write down as many soundalike words and phrases you can think of. Try hard to generate as many as you can per word or phrase.

Use Split-reforms to create funny greeting cards.

How was your experience using Split-reforms?

Share your experience using Split-reforms in the Comments!

Discover the books featured in this blog:

Continue your journey:

KNOW: The Author!

WORK: The Crowd!

My Audio-biography Playlist

Or, hop over to my YouTube Coin Channel:

Matthew The Great Coin Roll Hunter

Mystery Videos Playlist!

*I am an Amazon Affiliate
and this blog uses Amazon Affiliate links.

WORK: The Crowd

WORK: The Crowd

By Matthew L. Hart

Humor Writer/Comedian

Author of:

Uncle Matty's Halloween: Jokes, Bits & Anecdotes

What's on your 'Bucket List'?

Great question!

I've been accumulating this list of amazing places I hear about from talking to people and from watching documentaries.

I call it my, 'Real Magic' tour.

The theme of this list showcases some natural wonders that seem like real magic in the real world.

I'll give you a few on the list, but you'll get the idea.

1) The Great Smoky Mountains National Park 

From late May to early June, this is the best place in the world to see Synchronous Fireflies. 

There are at least nineteen different species of fireflies that live in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. But, the Synchronous Fireflies are the only ones which will synchronize their flashes with each other.

The visual effect is like flipping the switch on and off for a bunch of Christmas lights hanging throughout the forest.

2) Sand Mountain - about sixteen miles southeast of Fallon, Nevada. 

This is one of the best places in the western United States to observe Booming Dunes. 

Climb to the 390 foot summit of these two massive 'seif' dunes and slide down the steep slip face. The grains of sand in these dunes are all about the same size and density. The goal is to create an avalanche to get the sand grains to vibrate.

This creates an acoustic effect that sound like a low-flying B-29 bomber.

3) The Maldives

Located in the Indian Ocean, these coral islands are one of the best spots in the world to see Glittering Beaches.

The shrimps in these waters maintain their glow for longer than most other bioluminescent animals. They not only fill the crashing waves with beautiful blue light, they will also scatter on the beach. You can also swim in these waters at night.

The visual effect is like walking through the constellations of the stars or swimming through the galaxy.

Please, if you know of a place with some 'real magic', please, please, please! Throw it in the Comments. I'm always up for an adventure!

ASA IPAD MINI 2 / 3 KNEEBOARD 

WITH FRONT HOLDING CLIP

"I did stand-up comedy for 18 years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four years were spent in wild success. I was seeking comic originality, and fame fell on me as a byproduct. The course was more plodding than heroic."

- Steve Martin

WORK: The Crowd

In this blog, we're shaking off the stigma of crowd work!

WE'LL BE ADDRESSING A TECHNIQUE I FOUND IN THIS BOOK:

• Mastering Stand-Up

Some people say that Crowd Work is a crutch for Comics with bad timing. I hope to prove to you that by using Crowd Work strategically, it will become an essential skill for you, and worth mastering.

In the blog, FIND: Your Truth and Pain we briefly touched upon dealing with hecklers.

While dealing with hecklers is considered a form of Crowd Work, you can read the blurb there so I won't have to repeat myself as the subject of hecklers will also require it's own dedicated blog.

For now, a quick definition of Crowd Work will help us.

Crowd Work is what happens when a performer, i.e. a Comedian/Comic, appears to go 'off script' and engages in a conversation with an audience member, to create a spontaneous and entertaining effect.

Granted, this is my definition, because there's a couple of things I'd like to point out:

• "appears to go 'off script' - Never forget you are doing a show. As a Comedian, your job should be to entertain and delight with laughter. But, you are the one with the microphone, so it's your responsibility.

Does this mean you have to wing-it when it comes to doing your Crowd Work?

Absolutely not!

In fact, you might be surprised that during those big, expensive, one hour specials, that audience member the Comic is talking to, has actually been planted there and their conversation is scripted. 

With so much at stake, as little as possible is left to chance.

This type of Crowd Work is more advanced, as you will need a trustworthy partner that's in on the gig. But, when it's done well, the audience will never know for sure.

• "create a spontaneous and entertaining effect." - This refers to the risk associated with Crowd Work. The audience came for a reason. If you can't get them to laugh, you'd better be entertaining. 

Nobody wants to sit through a boring conversation they could easily have on their own at the bar. So, challenge yourself to make your Crowd Work funny or at least entertaining.

When you're first using this technique, you'll use broad questions. 

"What's your name?"

"Where are you from?"

"What do you do for work?"

But, these types of questions are done to death. Unless the guy has a funny name, lives in a unique place, or has a strange job, you might land flat for a response. 

Asking these kinds of questions are novice.

But, if you've never done Crowd Work before, there's a reason they're novice! Try them out and get some experience. And, if you're really lucky, you'll get some experience falling flat, and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

When I'm building a show to be recorded, I like to make my jokes general enough that they will be evergreen. 

This means, they will be based on some truth that's going to be true 20 years from now, as well as today.

But, it doesn't mean I don't do current topical humor. It means, Crowd Work is where I prefer to use it.

So, with some experience under your belt, you can start asking more advanced questions, like in this example:

Works for 'Yes' or 'No' answer.
He's most likely not going to say anything,
just laugh uncomfortably.

In this advanced example I wrote, you might be saying, "How is this Crowd Work?" 

First, it's prepared and Second, it doesn't seem to matter if the audience member says, 'yes' or 'no' if anything at all?

To that, I say, "Exactly!" All I need is a man in an ugly sweater. It doesn't even matter if he has a date. I'll just assume it's the person next to him. 

The audience can't see, so they're dependent on you for information. I can give them whatever I want! 

I might even have the MC give out an ugly sweater, as a gift before the show. My kind of 'Thank you' for being part of the show.

Speaking of which, if you do any Crowd Work in a club, you can tell the waitress you'll buy a drink for whomever you talk with. It's a great way to develop a personal relationship with your audience. 

Personally, I'd rather have an audience member approach me after the show to say, 'Thank you' than confront me for embarrassing them during the show. 

So, in this way, no matter what the random audience member says, I am guaranteed to be entertaining, because it appears spontaneous, and it gets laughs, because the topic was all over the news at the time, which means the audience is in on the joke. 

There is a place for improv, like when you're building and testing your show. And, this will provide great material for you. But, when the audience is buying a ticket to see a performance, I prefer to leave nothing to chance.

Now, let's take a look at the technique I found in this book: 

Stephen Rosenfield gives us a great four-step strategy for performing Improv Crowd Work.

1. Ask a simple question that can be answered in a word or two.

2. Listen to the reply.

3. Repeat or paraphrase the answer.

4. Then,...(Sorry, I can't give away the farm. It's best to leave that up to Stephen.)

Since this is only a simple review, I can't go into detail about the theory or the why and how of each step. But, I will tell you, out of all the resources I've read on the topic, I think that he covers it the best. 

He provides enough detail to get you motivated and want to get started right away!

After reading his chapter on Crowd Work, you will probably lose your fear of interacting with the audience and start looking for excuses to use this technique.

DISCOVER CROWD WORK PLAYLIST

Crowd Work is far from being a crutch.

Have you tried Crowd Work yet?

RECOUNT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMENTS!

Dress on point for the show with
 ********* 90's Retro! *********

GAFF YOUR LOGOS!

CRYSTAL CLEAR

 

Find my book:

Discover the book featured in this blog:

Continue your journey:

KNOW: The Author!

FIND: Your Truth and Pain

My Audio-biography Playlist

BIRD OF THE WEEK:

Varied Thrush

Or, hop over to my YouTube Channel:

Matthew The Great Coin Roll Hunter

COIN OF THE WEEK:

Peace Dollar

Mystery Videos Playlist!

*I am an Amazon Affiliate
and this blog uses Amazon Affiliate links.