Monday, December 10, 2012

How To Produce Great Comedy For Your Corporate Holiday Party (Written by a professional corporate comedian)


HOW TO PRODUCE A GREAT COMEDY SHOW FOR YOUR CORPORATE HOLIDAY PARTY - Written by a professional corporate and standup comedian. 

A holiday party is usually a time for celebration and a good comedy show can be a great way to thank your employees for a job well done. But there are some rules to consider if you want to ensure that you get the best results for your company and from your talent.

FINDING YOUR TALENT
There are a lot of ways to search for comedians, and whether you go through a lecture agent, speaker bureau, comedy agent, or check out your local comedy club, here are a few things to consider.

First, corporate comedy is different. If you see someone at a local club and they’re funny and reasonably clean, there’s nothing wrong with putting them on your list. But make sure that they understand the rules, because a nightclub comedian is often comfortable using raw language and material that may not fit your crowd.

So check out their websites, or better still, see them live if possible, and call one of their references. When you watch their video, try to skim through the entire show to get a sense of how it all flows, rather then just assume that everything will be similar to what they put on their highlight reel.

Some comedians, including myself, work all kinds of different venues, and we are able to switch our material from show to show depending on the forum. But I’ve also been doing this for over 3 decades and know what’s right for each crowd. The danger with a young inexperienced comic is that he or she may go in with good intentions, but use inappropriate material if they feel they’re not getting enough laughs, so keep that in mind.

Once you’ve decided upon your talent, make sure that they agree to your rules. Most likely this means no cursing, no potty humor and avoiding material that is politically incorrect. It helps to review some of their jokes in advance to give specific examples of what’s okay and what would be considered crossing the line.

Now, it’s true some smaller companies have looser cultures. My wife works in an office where the bosses yell and curse all day long, so if they hired a comedian for a party, the boundaries would probably be a lot looser, but even then, a good corporate comedian knows to err on the side of safety. Whatever you decide, use due diligence and do your homework.

CONTRACTS
Once you’ve chosen your acts, make sure all parties have a signed contract and a deposit. I usually get 50% which locks in the date for the company, so they’re guaranteed I’m not going to take a last minute offer for better money (not that I would), but it also ensures that I won’t lose money if I’ve turned down work and the boss suddenly decides to hire his second cousin’s nephew.

COST        
It’s hard for me to give specifics because it really depends on the size of group and venue for your party. If your company is small, the budget is obviously going to be quite different then it would be for a Fortune 500. The bottom line is, give yourself a range to shop with and be prepared to be flexible if you find a particular act that you just have to have.

Keep in mind, the better acts are in greater demand, so they generally do charge more, but there are plenty of reasonably priced comedians who may not be household names, but will still do a great job for your group. But be careful about hiring a comedian that comes in at a price that’s too low. They may be just starting out or may not have much experience in the corporate market.
Remember that the comedy show is probably going to be the thing your co-workers remember most about the party, so be careful not to be penny wise and dollar foolish.

CREATING A GOOD COMEDY ATMOSPHERE AT THE VENUE.
I’ve done comedy in all kinds of situations and nothing is tougher for a comedian then to go in front of a rowdy crowd who wants to drink, talk and mingle, and couldn’t care less that there’s a show. So the number 1 rule is to treat the show with due respect. If the party planners behave as if it’s background noise, the audience will usually respond in kind and the comedians will be hard pressed to overcome that. But if you set it up right, it can be golden.

Wherever you hold the event, try to be sure your group has its own separate space so you avoid the chance of a loud bar or too much noise from other patrons.
Let your group know that there’s a show ahead of time and emphasize that if anyone just absolutely has to be talking for whatever reason, that they should take it outside. Then make sure cell-phones are all off and have someone from the company introduce the comedian so that everyone pays attention.

It’s also important that everyone is seated, because when too many people are standing, they’re restless, and it’s tougher for even the best comedian to hold their attention. And finally, don’t start the show during the meal because nobody really laughs too much when they’re chewing. So try to do the comedy either after the meal, get the wait-staff to stop moving and give everyone a 5 minute heads-up right before so they can use the facilities.

SOUND AND LIGHTS
Sound and lights are more important then you might think, so it’s always a good idea to have your performer test both before the show when the room is empty.
A lot of hotel conference rooms have tiny little round speakers built into the ceiling. Use these only as a last resort. Bad sound can really hurt a comedy show, because if the audience can’t clearly understand what the comedian is saying, the humor isn’t going to fly.

Many comedians have their own sound equipment. I have a portable sound system that’s good for about 250 people. If I’m doing a local show and I’m not sure of the venue conditions, I throw it in the car just in case. But keep in mind, if you need the comic to bring their own equipment, there is usually an extra charge.
One of the trickiest parts about setting the right tone for comedy is the lighting. 

Basically, the overall goal is to get the comedian well lit (but not blinded), and have the audience dim but not dark, which increases the intimacy factor and makes it more comfortable for everyone to laugh. It also helps because the comedian can still see the faces and body language of the audience throughout the show.

AUDIENCE PLACEMENT
If you’ve ever been to a comedy club you know that everyone is usually packed in like sardines. There are 2 reasons for this. First, the more people the club fits in their room, the more money they’re obviously making, but second, is that it exponentially increases laughter.

While, you may not want to squeeze your employees quite that tightly, do try to keep the tables fairly close together and near the comedian. Laughter truly is contagious and this is one of the most important elements to a successful show.

LENGTH OF SHOW
If you want a full comedy show with 3 comedians, about 90 minutes is about right, with the emcee usually doing 15-20, the middle about 30, and the headliner about 45. If you hire just 1 or 2 acts, anything from 30-75 minutes is fairly typical, but it really depends on whether you want comedy to be a spice ingredient for your party, or to serve as the main course.

TIME OF DAY
The best time for a comedian is generally at night, but I have worked corporate functions at every possible time of day. Almost any time can work, but if your party is in the early morning, I suggest that you try not to start off with comedy as the first course, because your crowd simply won’t be all that alert. I’ve performed at conventions as early as 8 am, and I’ve been successful, but it’s a very different reaction at 8 AM then it is even an hour later.

MAKE THE COMEDIAN(S) COMFORTABLE – IT REALLY DOES HELP THE SHOW
Try to make your comedian(s) be as comfortable as possible. If there’s food, and it’s not prohibitively expensive, we always appreciate a good meal.
It’s also helpful to have a place in the back of the room, or better still, in another room, for your comics to hang out before the show.

Most comedians are pretty low maintenance. We perform in so many different situations that we’re usually pretty flexible, but the more you make us feel welcome, the easier it is for us to concentrate on our job – which is to give you a great show.

In my own career, I’ve entertained at the NY Stock Exchange, opened for top name acts at major theaters in front of thousands of people, been on national TV shows, and appeared at some truly mindboggling corporate events. I’ve also been at bars, nightclubs, coffee houses, libraries and drug rehabs. No matter what the venue or event, the less extraneous stuff we have to worry about, the better it is for everything.

OTHER COMEDY OPTIONS – ROASTS AND PUT-ONS
Roasts are a fun way to let off some steam about office politics and company policies, but again, make sure you get someone  who knows what they’re doing.
This is one of the things I specialize in and I love doing it, but it’s a lot of writing so I do charge more. But what you’re getting in return is a much more personalized show.

When a comic is doing jokes about the corporate policies and some of your coworkers and execs, the audience is pretty much always riveted. If you do go for a roast, I suggest you review ALL the comedian’s material so there there are no surprises.

You might also consider the corporate put-on, where the comedian is introduced as a new vice president who’s joining the company after the holidays with some “fresh new ideas” for improving business. This gives it an added element of surprise, but again, this isn’t something that every comedian can pull off.

I hope these tips are helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at Surfcomic@aol.com or at 516-922-6831. You can also check out my website for demos of my own corporate comedy put-ons and standup comedy at www.Hfreedman.com (Harryfreedman.net (agent friendly)

(Harry Freedman performs customized corporate comedy and emcees, as well as stand-up comedy for all kinds of functions. He also makes humorous biographical videos.