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FCU's Site Director Comedy Tip of the Week
"Flappers Turns 10 Years Old"
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| | Paul Douglas Moomjean Site Director, Flappers University |
Hello Students, Comedians, and Citizens of Earth alike!
As we celebrate Labor Day weekend by continuing to not work, there is another special occasion happening this weekend: Flappers Comedy Club & Restaurant is turning 10 years old this weekend. The club started in Claremont, CA and now is exclusively in Burbank, CA down the street from NBC Studios, The Burbank Airport, and of course next door to Cookie Dough Dreams. Guess which place I frequent the most? Just don't tell my doctor. With 2020 being the most challenging year for the club, the kitchen, the school, and the college market areas Flappers runs, I want to take a look back at what Flappers has done for me...and for you.
When I started out in comedy, I was a working at Nickelodeon in 2006. Stand up wasn't possible because of the long hours working in production and directly for the producers. Eventually, I got to the writer's room, but by then, I was still too busy to get on the stage yet. After the writer's strike and a stint as a story editor in reality TV for a dog show (don't ask!), I made the choice to put my stand up dreams on hold again. I emceed numerous events for schools, sport teams, and churches, using my comedy skills, but I always wanted to try stand up in a club.
Then one hot August evening I auditioned for Flappers. I got booked on a Friday night 7:30pm YooHoo Room show. Sound familiar? Most of us have had that same experience. Most comics who come to Los Angeles or start doing stand up can say Flappers wasn't just the first comedy club, but the first PLACE to book them. I know. Many of you readers and I have chatted, and you told me the very same thing happened to you.
For the past six years I've hosted for Tom Segura, Joey Diaz, Melissa Villasenor, Bert Kreischer, Whitney Cummings, and many other amazing comics. I've made friends with the writers of so many great shows, and I've been able to teach classes and mentor and help comics as young as 14 years old and as old at 90 years old. I've also been apart of 5 Burbank Comedy Festivals. All of those opportunities have helped me to become the comic and man I am today. After leaving teaching and corporate America, to find a comedy home is so special.
So as we celebrate the ten years of Flappers this weekend, I suggest all of us go back and think about the people that helped us along the way. We might have been the one who told the joke, but someone else usually gave us the literal stage to tell those jokes on.
Many comics talk about being broken people. The old cliche of the sad clown.And yes, many of us are broken, and comedy is the way we patch our souls together, and for over 25,000 comics, students, writers, and performers, Flappers Comedy Club has been that place. So if you choose to have a piece of cake this weekend with us, please lift a glass to celebrate the many stages Flappers has built for broke and unbroken comics alike.
Now take a look at Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood explaining that process of gratitude and remembering those who helped us along the way.
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| | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) - I Don't Think You Are Broken Scene (7/10) | Movieclips |
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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Flappers University
In Person Class
Survey Question
We are taking a survey to see how comics, students, writers, and everyone in between feel about taking an in person class. The CDC has approved for proper social distancing educational experiences, but we want to hear from you! With restaurants and other venues opening with proper restrictions, we know some of you are out and about. This survey is simply to get a finger on the pulse of our community, and we really do want to hear what you have to say. There is even a text box so you can add to this conversation. We like freedom of speech around here. So
CLICK the link below to answer the simple
ONE QUESTION survey.
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information!
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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 FCU 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! 2 Spots Left!
Have you always wanted to write hilarious sketches for TV? This crash course 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!
COMEDY CONTENT CLASSES ($195)
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 5 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
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 Charlie Chaplin physical comedy, Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell, Albert Brooks and alternative comedy genres, and much more! Taught by former film professor and TV writer Paul Douglas Moomjean, this class will help you analyze comedy from a new angle!
ONE DAY: Film and TV Acting Auditioning for Comics
Getting an acting gig is every comics dream. But do you know everything that is required and expected by you? In this one day workshop, lead by H2F Manager and special guest industry members, you'll learn how to nail the audition and beyond. The class will go over general interviews, reading sides, commercial and theatrical roles, the call back process, and so much more!
ONE DAY: Emcee Workshop: How To Be A Flappers Emcee $25 - Discount in Link!
A show emcee or host is an integral part of the success or failure of a stand up show. An emcee is responsible for keeping the energy up in the room, connecting with the crowd and getting them excited about each comic that comes to the stage. Come learn how to perfect your skills as an emcee so you can continue to get booked in this one day workshop for stand up comics. Taught by Flapper's Comedy Club Booker Joshua Snyder, this workshop is the fastest way to more time and more opportunities with Flappers! Whether you're a comedian looking to start emceeing, or an experienced emcee wanting to take your skill set up a notch, you won't want to miss this 3 hour intense Emcee workshop.
 ONE DAY: How to Self-Publish Your Book with Teresa Lo $25 One of the most crucial parts of comedy is writing; and many comedians like Steve Martin, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and more showcase their prose by releasing books. While printing with a traditional publisher is always an option, many writers have found success through self-publishing. Using avenues such as Amazon/Createspace, Smashwords, and Wattpad, writers often enjoy the freedom to control their content, how its marketed and sold, when its released, and etc. In this one day workshop, bestselling indie author Teresa Lo (Hell's Game, Red Lantern Scandals) explains in-depth how-to self-publish on three popular platforms, dos and don'ts of self-publishing, how to market yourself and your book, and more. The workshop is a tutorial followed by a Q&A, and it is a useful tool for comedians and writers of all levels.
 ONE DAY: Storytelling for Comedians with Christine Blackburn $25From nearly the time children are able to understand a language, storytelling becomes an important part of their lives. However, storytelling can then become a lifetime passion, and in many ways, can play an integral role in human kindness, especially when a story becomes a gift of inspiration and healing. But what are some ways you can become a more authentic storyteller? Most are actually more obvious than you think. This one day workshop will help you convert that favorite dinner party tale into a golden yarn! Date and Link:Thursday 9/24 1pm - 4pm
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!
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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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