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FCU's Site Director Comedy Tip of the Week
"Finding Joy in Hard Times"
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Paul Douglas Moomjean
Site Director, Flappers University
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Hello Students, Comedians, and Citizens of Earth alike!
Live Stand Up Comedy is in a really odd place right now. While the art form has a few open venues scattered throughout the country, the comedy scene in California and primarily Los Angeles has been dark for almost the entire year so far. While Zoom shows, live streams, and other online platforms have given comics outlets, we are all looking forward to returning to the stage as soon as it is safe for both the artists and the audience.
Recently, some wonderful headliners have been in the news for catching COVID-19. We wish them nothing but the quickest of recoveries. Yet, all of this creates more uncertainty and fear concerning our livelihoods. Gone are church and cruise gigs, and corporate and college Zoom shows are all that organizations can offer their workers and students. It's a new world, and we are all trying to navigate through it.
There have also been losses in our community too. Life is hard, and when the stress of the past few months added upon an already unstable world, tragic results come about. Our prayers and thoughts are with those suffering and those who lost loved ones to sickness and depression.
With so much harrowing news and events, it's easy to get to a dark place, but I want to challenge you to use your humor to find joy even in such hard times. George Carlin had a great quote about optimism:
"Some people see the glass half full. Others see it half empty.
I see a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be."
Right there is the attitude a comic should have. To look for the punchline. To look for the turn. To look for the way to lose 50 friends on Facebook. We need to reconnect to comedy to help us see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know that I re-watched a few favorite films and have started writing more sketches, TV sitcom pilots, and I'm currently working on producing a high concept podcast. I have to remind myself that even when "life happens," I have to still be happening too.
So go find that joy that they can't take away from you. It might just be passively watching an old film or TV show, or it could be creating the next great pieces of entertainment.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that "new normals" are ever changing, things may not return in the way we want, and you have to be the cornerstone rock of your own foundation.
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. W
e 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!
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Students taking a break during class. Humor is key. |
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 invites friends, family, and fans too at the end!
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.
Not sure how it works? This is what our classes look like:
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Flappers University Online Comedy Class Demo
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Multi-Week Classes ($195)
WRITING CLASSES
The Sitcom Writers' Room: Writing YOUR TV Pilot
7/16/2020 - 8/27/2020 7:00PM - 10:00PM - Thursday Virtual Zoom Class
Through a series of lectures, prompts, and other exercises, you'll have your TV pilot script ready to be seen after 6 short weeks. Learn what TV writers do to create memorable characters, interesting plot hooks and devices, as well as how to contribute and support writers in this fun and engaging class taught by WGA Education Committee member Steve Trautmann.
Writing for Late Night with Gabe Abelson
7/20/2020 - 8/10/2020 7:00PM - 9:00PM - Monday Virtual Zoom Class
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. All with the emphasis of finding your unique voice as a comedy writer!
Sketch Comedy Taught by SNL Emmy Winner Hugh Fink
7/14/2020 - 8/25/2020 6:00pm - 9:00pm - Tuesday Virtual Zoom Class
Have you always wanted to write hilarious sketches for TV and live performance? This
course, created and taught by 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 You will also have the opportunity to pitch your original sketch premises/characters and receive professional feedback!
BUSINESS CLASSES
7/15/2020 - 8/26/2020 6:00PM - 9:00PM Wednesday Virtual Classroom
Our Business and Branding courses are intended for students with a strong grasp of basic comedy technique and ample performing experience who are looking to focus their attention to the business side. In our Business and Branding class focuses on social media, video review, branding correctly, and website reviews. Taught by H2F comedy manager, Barbara Holliday, you will get the expert experience you need to make sure you are ready for that next level. Her clients have played numerous colleges and charity shows, been on late night comedy shows like Conan, and perform nationally and internationally all year long. This could be the most important 5 week class you take.
STAND UP COMEDY CLASSES
STAND UP: Persona and Character Work - Virtual Zoom Class
Why are some comedians able to take on a stylized personality on stage, and how does it affect their material? What's the difference between a comedian and somebody who just tells jokes? In this monthly class, veteran comedy coach Steve North (comedy manager for Brook Forest Entertainment) teaches the idea of 'comedic characters' and how comedians are able to find their onstage persona through the discovery of flaws and applied exaggeration, as well as how the concept of character exaggeration can be used to strengthen comedy act-outs.
August Start Date: Thursday 8/27 7:30pm-9:30pm
STAND UP: Level 1 & Level 2 - Virtual Zoom Class
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.
August Start Dates: Saturday 8/29 12pm-3pm
FREE ONE DAY WORKSHOPS
Punch it Up Joke Labs (Wednesday 1pm - 4pm) FREE!
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 FREE workshop and get feedback and punch-up on your set from our top instructors at FCU and other working comics!
Date with Links: 8/12 - FREE COMEDY WORKSHOP!
Joke Structure Workshops
ONE DAY Comedy Joke Writing Workshop (Saturdays 11am - 2pm) $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.
PRODUCTION/BUSINESS WORKSHOPS $25.00
Creating Your Web Series
Creating content is an important part of the comedy and writing experience. With so many digital platforms, creating your own web series can get your unique voice out to the masses much faster than waiting for someone to read and produce your script. In this one day workshop, you will learn how to produce, write, and plan out each stage for YOUR web series. You have great ideas! Let's get them out there!
Creating Your Podcast
There's no better way to get your 'brand' out there in the world than producing your own podcast! Right now podcasts are hotter than ever! Comedians like Marc Maron, Adam Corrolla, Kevin Pollak, Chris Hardwick and Paul F. Tompkins are basically bypassing the 'Hollywood Machine' and creating their own content and building global audiences. Now it's time for you to see exactly how easy it is to create a podcast and build your audience.
Working Clean to Make Some Green
Ever heard the expression "Clean is green?" In this one day workshop, Site Director Paul Moomjean explains the tricks to writing clean jokes to get bigger pay checks. Learn how the casinos, colleges, churches, corporate events and even clubs reward clean comedy. This workshop will even help you take current "blue" material and find new ways to create cleans jokes. This course will even help with social media branding ideas, sketch content, and other ways to build a brand and get paid!
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
FREE if You Use This 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!
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information!
or... like Flappers University on Yelp!
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Looking For
Burbank Comedy Festival Volunteers!
From NOW until August 22nd!
Use This Link to Sign Up:
If you are looking for a way to be a part of the 2020 Burbank Comedy Festival, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities! We will need comics, non-comics, social media experts, and everything else it takes to run one of the biggest stand up comedy festivals in the country! We are taking applicants from all over the world, because the festival will be 100% virtual! You can do the comedy god's work right from home! Just fill out the link above to learn more and apply!
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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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