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FCU's Site Director Comedy Tip of the Week
"Back to School"
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Paul Douglas Moomjean
Site Director, Flappers University
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Hello Students, Comedians, and Citizens of Earth alike!
As I'm typing this, the last of 19 Burbank Comedy Festival workshops, from the past two weeks, is winding down, and over 300 comics will have participated in a workshop dealing with everything from basic joke structure to writing for television to how not to get canceled from social media. A lot of comics got a wealth of information, and I received a lot of positive feedback about the information gathered and instructors.
Yet, as the old phrase goes, "There's no rest for the wicked." Next week we'll begin our Fall classes. While we will have some of our longstanding classes like Writing Your TV Pilot and basic Level 1 and 2 Stand Up classes, I decided to add a new workshop called Comedy Cinema: Watching Movies to Help With Stand Up. In my past life, before stand up comedy, I was a film teacher at the college level. I also was a writer for television and reality TV shows. I love movies. And every time I watch a film, I feel like I can learn something. And through the most unlikely of films, I've learned so much about myself and the art of stand up comedy.
What I'm hoping to try for the rest of the year is open up both myself and others to looking at improving their comedy (stand up and writing) by offering more "outside-the-box" workshops and classes. It was Robin Williams in Dead Poet's Society who said:
"Just when you think you know something,
you have to look at in another way.
Even though it may seem silly or wrong,
you must try."
We are going to be creating more writing classes that will help you create writing packets, samples, and teach you industry standards. We have started bringing in new instructors, as well as retaining our wonderful current instructors. This will be the first Fall we have Sketch 101, Showcasing for Late Night and Festivals, and Creating Comedy Content 101. Plus we are bringing back Business and Branding, where a professional comedy manager helps you pin down your identity and branding.
We are also offering our very popular FREE joke labs every Wednesday at 1:00pm - 4:00pm. All we ask is that you don't hog too many spots.
We want you to have all the opportunities possible, and we are keeping the prices down the rest of the year, because we know times are tough for everyone.
As the kids and college students head back to school (virtually), why not you as well? Even if you decide to skip our school offerings, there are wonderful online courses in numerous fields of study offered all over the world wide web. One could do worse than be a learner of new things.
Life is simply about taking advantage of the opportunities before us. We have a whole world at our fingertips, and this virtual world allows for us to create a whole community together. As a teacher, I love this time of year. Soon the Autumn leaves will be showing off and we'll be making fun of pumpkin spice in no time! But until then, let's all try to see the world from a different angle, if only to learn something new about ourselves.
Here is a clip of comedy legend Robin Williams in his Oscar nominated role using his comedy skills to present the importance of trying new things and education as a whole:
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| | Dead Poets Society "Look at It Another Way" |
Stay Safe with Your Masks and Clean Hands
Flappers Comedy Club and Restaurant is still running classes and virtual shows and hopefully live comedy will be back soon. We are doing our best to ride this COVID-19 season out. Stay safe, and know that we love and care about you!
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ONLINE Stand Up Classes and Television Writing Classes!
Fall Sessions Beginning in a Few Weeks!
If you are looking for ways to expand your comedy platform, here is what we are offering! All Stand Up Classes have an ONLINE showcase you can invite friends, family, and fans too at the end! Here's what comics from all walks of life say about FU School of Comedy:
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| | See What Flappers University Students are Saying About Their Time Here! |
Take a look at our classes and workshops on the Flapper's University website. We have classes in Stand Up, Writing for TV, and workshops on making money, building an audience, and promoting your brand.
Multi-Week Classes ($195)
WRITING CLASSES - Just Click the link!
In this fun six-week course, students will begin to craft their very own sitcom script in a classroom experience designed to mimic working in an actual TV writers' room. Through a combination of lectures, examples, worksheets and exercises - as well as actual writing! - this course will take students through the process of development by using their own original characters and ideas, show them how to apply proper technique and structure that will result in a finished professional sitcom pilot script. Taught by WGA Education Committee Member Steve Trautmann!
Have you always wanted to write hilarious sketches for TV? This crash course, created and taught by Hugh Fink, an Emmy Award-winning Saturday Night Live writer, will not only teach you the various templates of sketches (TV and movie parodies, character driven, fake commercials, etc) but you'll also acquire invaluable sketch writing do's and don'ts that will help your work stand out. In order to master sketch writing, you'll learn how to identify whether your premise is strong enough, as well as comprehend the best structural options for your material. By analyzing some of television's funniest sketches, you'll learn what it takes to create a successful submission packet that
shows off your comedic voice.
In this course students will learn basic late night comedy writing including monologue, desk pieces and remotes, with the goal of becoming technically proficient, confident and comfortable submitting material to various late night television programs. Taught by David Letterman's head monologue writer for 5 years, this class also has a showcase where Gabe reads your jokes in a a ten minute set, just like Late Night TV hosts do!
STAND UP COMEDY CLASSES - ALL LEVELS!
We offer Level 1 and Level 2 Stand Up Comedy Classes to help new and emerging comedians and people interested in starting stand up comedy. Classes are taught by professional working comedians who have been on television, worked in writer's rooms, and have opened and performed with the biggest names in comedy. Our classes are 5 weeks and designed to give basic fundamentals in the art form of stand up. We teach to write from a place of truth, the art of brevity, creating turns, tags, and callbacks, all in a supportive environment.
Level 1 is intended for beginners and complete newbies. Level 2 is for comedians with over 3 years experience or completed Level 1 at Flappers University.
Stand Up: Level 1 - Links Below
Taught by Site Director and professional comic Paul Douglas Moomjean, Level 1 looks at the basics of joke writing and performing. Have a few funny ideas? We can help you form them into timely well-crafted setups and punchlines. Don't have anything funny yet? That's fine too! We can help you "mine for material" and learn to write jokes with a strong point of view! Classes are fun, supportive, and end with a virtual showcase seen by people from all over the country! Paul will share with you the same techniques that got him to be on Laughs on Fox within his first year of comedy and a taped Dry Bar special last year! Click on the links below to sign up!
Stand Up: Level 2 - Link Below
Our Level 2 Class is designed for comics who have completed Level 1 or have at least three years of comedy experience. Comics will learn advance stand up techniques, as well as get to the heart of what they want to say. With a strong emphasis in authenticity and being true to your point of view, Level 2 takes comics to another level in their comedy journey. Taught by Flapper's booker Joshua Snyder, this 5 week class give you clear and guided feedback from the booker of one of Los Angeles' top comedy clubs. Click the link below to sign up!
BUSINESS & COMEDY CONTENT CLASSES
with Barbara Holliday 2 Spots Left!
Learning the branding and business side of comedy is crucial to your success. You can't sell what you don't know! You are a product and the CEO of your own branding. In this 5 week workshop you will learn how to set up your identity and branding to match your comedy, in a way to make your voice more clear and easier to understand. The class will cover tape reviews, booking etiquette, social media, and and much more! Barabar Holliday has managed some of the most successful comics for college and late night including Drew Lynch (AGT Finalist), DJ Demers (Conan), and Taylor Tomlinson (Conan, Last Comic Standing). Let her help you too! (NO CLASS 9/9/20)
You're already on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, but are you producing the type of comedy content that can build a following and stay on brand? In this exciting 6 week class, you will be taught how to write scripts, cast, and plan out sketches and videos that can help build your online presence and create a social media brand you can share with the whole world. Taught by David P. Kronmiller, a current content creator for Flappers Comedy Club, and former CNN and Cannes Film Festival content creator.
ONE DAY ONLINE Workshops
Joke Structure Workshops
ONE DAY Comedy Joke Writing Workshop $25.00
In this one day workshop, a Flappers University Instructor will walk through joke writing structure, mining for material, and how to deliver a punchline to maximize the laughter from the audience. Comedians make it look easy, but there is an art form behind stand up comedy, and this workshop focuses on those principals.
ONE DAY: Comedy Cinema: Watching Movies to Help with Stand Up $25
We love stand up! We love comedy movies! How did some of the greats convert their style of comedy into big Hollywood blockbusters? We'll look at comedy films to help explain what makes both stand up and comedy films work. Films covered include the City Slicker films, Jim Carrey and Charlie Chaplin physical comedy, Albert Brooks and alternative comedy genres, and much more!
FREE Joke Labs Are Back! Every Wednesday!
Already got your set down - but you could still use help fine-tuning a bit or getting a different perspective on a new joke? Jump in this workshop and get feedback and punch-up on your set from our top instructors at FCU, and possibly some surprise guests! We ask that you do not sign up more than once every few weeks so everyone can participate!
ONGOING PRIVATE COACHING
Private Coaching (Prices Vary $50 - $125/Hour)
If you are interested in just having one on one time with one of our highly trained and professional instructors, please visit our Instructors Page to pick the instructor you want to work with. Just email Classes@FlappersComedy.com to schedule a meeting. Prices are based on instructor's rate. Email classes@flapperscomedy.com to learn more. FCU is dedicated to creating a community of comedians that can help and support each other. Therefore, if you find these prices out of your range, PLEASE email us, and we will work with you!
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Flappers University Student Open Mic
Sundays 4:00pm-5:30pm
CLICK HERE FOR FREE LINK:
Flappers University School of Comedy wants to continue one our greatest traditions alive during the Apocalypse, our FREE Student mic open to current students and alumni. This supportive feedback mic is designed to help comics think of new angles and tags and set ups after they perform 5-6 minutes. Lead by PJ Baio, the mic will allow for 10 comics to sign up in advance. Considering all the students that are interested, we are asking that you try not to sign up every week, as to give others an opportunity. Upon registering, you will be sent a ZOOM link an hour before the show.
Looking forward to keeping this great mic going! |
information!
or... like Flappers University on Yelp!
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Flappers Comedy Club
Open Mics & Auditions
Open Mics are at 8:30PM
Flappers Comedy Club has a fun, supportive, and nightly Open Mic for comedians in all stages of their comedy journey. Sign up now!
Auditions For Live Virtual Shows!
If you want to be a part of our Live Virtual Comedy Shows, then drop into our auditions EVERY WEDNESDAY 6pm! Bring your best 2 minutes, and our Booker will find the right show for you! Just visit our Calendar and sign up!
AUDITIONS RESUME 8/26
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information!
or... like Flappers University on Yelp!
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Flapper's University Instructor Steve North's NEW BOOK!
How to KILL in Comedy
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Steve North the Comedy Coach, voted #1 Comedy Coach in the USA, starts by teaching you how to create your own unique comedic character for stand up, then offers the twenty best joke-writing formulas developed over 20 years in his workshops, and then helps you put it all together to work as a stand up comedian. Whether you're a beginner or advanced comedian, you need to learn the character method first. Then slay the audience, or just be funnier in life.
or... like Flappers University on Yelp!
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Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Stand Up and many more comedy classes available!
For a full list:
email: Classes@FlappersComedy.com
818-845-9721
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