How Not To Be "The Cowardly Lion" When It Comes To Public Speaking...
I have to be honest with you. No one was more scared of being in front of an audience than I was. But, then again, I was seventeen years old doing and doing stand-up comedy for the first time at New York's prestigious comedy showcase club, Catch A Rising Star. Imagine this: I am seventeen – looked thirteen years old (yes, I had good genes) and could hear audience members murmuring to themselves, "God, he's so young." I was so scared that before bounding on stage I actually wrote the jokes on the palm of my hand. A nervous wreck and sweating big time, the ink smeared across my hand and I couldn't read anything. Well, that was then and this is now.
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How To Fit The Right Humor To The Right Audience
A joke has two parts: a set-up (premise) and a punch-line (pay-off).
In comedy club humor you can push the envelope with subject material, your language, etc. People are drunk, looser, and give you the benefit of the doubt.
Of course, there's a different mindset when you are in a corporate environment --- presenting a comedy show or speaking to the rank and file staff. People are uptight... they're in work mode... and no company president wants to get sued by his employee for a rude racist remark made by a comedian or speaker during work hours. (See Michael Richards)
I think you know we live in a politically correct society...yes, albeit, a little anal retentive one. Okay, a lot! But there are rules...
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How To Break 'The Fourth Wall' To Connect With Your Audience
Persuasive public speaking is all about connecting with your audience.
One of the quickest ways to heighten your audience connection is to use a theatre acting technique called 'Breaking the Fourth Wall.'
One of the reasons you go to the theatre is to be transported to a different time and place and experience something magical. Of course you know it's a play (or a movie), you paid a ticket to see it, but once there you've suspended disbelief.
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High Self-Esteem and Public Speaking… Do You Need It?
According to a poll take by MSNBC men and women were asked what personal qualities had the greatest impact on the success of their careers.
Naturally, men and women differed when it came to the importance of intelligence, ability and 'looks.' (I know... what a surprise) BUT the one thing they did agree on was the importance of self-confidence.
As you can imagine self confidence is of 'mucho' importance when it comes to speaking.
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Why You Never Want To Turn Your Back On Your Audience When Giving A Speech
There is a major 'problemo' that a lot of speakers sometime fall into when using 'Power Point.' I call it upstaging yourself. 'Upstaging' is a 'technique' that stage actors have been using 'against' each other since Greek times. It happens when one actor moves up the stage which in turn makes the other actor turn his back to the audience so he can continue the conversation with the other actor.
Guess what happens? All the audience's eyes are focused on the 'other actor.'
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Five Commandments That'll Get You The Big Bucks Once You Get The Big Yuks (Humor Techniques For Keynote Speakers)
With over twenty-four years of performing stand-up comedy, writing comedy, and doing audience warm-up on sitcoms, I've learned that using humour in a corporate setting is a lot different than in a comedy club. For success here, you must tread carefully. To that end, I offer you my five writing commandments for delivering humourous keynote speeches.
Fogel's First Commandant: Thou shall know your audience. Are they young or old or mixed? Remember: Humour is subjective. A youngster of six might laugh at a good making-potty-in-your-pants joke.
Read the whole article here.
www.fwointl.com/artman/publish/article_690.shtml
How
Humor Can Heal You Through the Tough
Times
How
To Make Your Audience and Material Fit
Like a Glove So Your Speech is More
Powerful & Effective
Psss!
Here's The Secret To Why We Laugh!
WRITING JOKES FOR STAND-UP COMICS
By Peter “The Humorator” J. Fogel
If you're self-motivated and have a "funny bone" you can explore a career writing jokes, or "gags" for stand-up comics. Like fuel that runs a car, new and fresh jokes are the sustenance that keeps comics and their careers flourishing. They can never get enough of them. But they have to be great jokes. No filler or "bombs" allowed here…Not only do Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, and David Brenner write their own jokes - but they also purchase material from freelancers. They don't want the public to know this-but they do.
Read the whole story here
http://www.writersweekly.com/articles/090402-01.html
Ten Sure-Fire Themes To Effectively Use in Your Sitcom Spec Script by Peter "The Humorator" Fogel
If you're self-motivated and have a "funny bone" you can explore a career writing jokes, or "gags" for stand-up comics. Like fuel that runs a car, new and fresh jokes are the sustenance that keeps comics and their careers flourishing. They can never get enough of them. But they have to be great jokes. No filler or "bombs" allowed here…Not only do Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, and David Brenner write their own jokes - but they also purchase material from freelancers. They don't want the public to know this-but they do.
Read the whole story here
http://www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/001399_03172004.html
HOW TO BREAK INTO THE WORLD OF SITCOM WRITING
By Peter The Humorator" Fogel
Ever watch your favorite sitcom on television and think: "I can write that."
Better yet, ever watch a mediocre sitcom and yell back to the screen.. "This is so bad... I KNOW I can write better than that." Well, there's a chance you might be able to.
Television writing pays very well. Beginning writers can earn $2500 a week (13 to 26 week contracts). Additional scripts assigned to them can earn an additional $18,000, plus residuals (which vary).
Read the whole story here
http://www.writersweekly.com/articles/091102-01.html
Why It's A Good Idea To Find Work In Hollywood As A Writing Team -
by Peter "The Humorator" Fogel NSA Member (WGA)
For years, you've watched films and television, either one-hour dramas or sitcoms, and now you're ready to take the plunge. You want to chuck your 9-5 job with the great health and dental plan and go to Hollywood and make it as a writer.Beware: Hollywood is tough gig and it has no mercy. You need a leg up on the competition. And one way to do it is to enter into a writing team. I've been in both a sitcom and screenwriting team, and my advice is to do it because... Read the whole story here
http://www.saswa.org.za/archive/news_work_team.htm
