Festivals and How To Approach Them Like Less of a Dummy
Disclaimer ***Yes I know it’s a long comedy blog. I wrote it cause I have severe insomnia and I feel that I am not wrong. If you think I am wrong, I don’t care. Do not try to start some debate about this shit. Just my 2 cents and you can take it or leave it. I don’t claim to be an expert or hot shit in any way. I just see a lot of hemming and hawing about festivals from what I believe to be a false sense of reality. If you think I’m an idiot, just ignore it and keep being your awesome self.***
I dunno if a lotta comics feel they are being bullshitted by festivals because they have to pay to submit, or maybe because a lot of fests kinda vaguely hint that the industry is there to find you, the savior of comedy…i understand having a bad taste in yer mouth if those are the expectations. As a person who has done the majority of festivals out there at one time or another, maybe I can help to explain why they can be a great experience if you understand what they actually do for you. To do that, I feel it’s necessary to explain what they don’t do for you.
Festivals are not put on so that the industry can pick the next big thing. In reality, the talent scouting side of industry operate how they do without much consideration to festivals. They are there to bring prestige to the fest and agree to watch the shows. They aren’t necessarily trying to fill a spot or anything. In all honesty, stand up itself does not blow most industry’s skirts up. There’s much less opportunity for other people to make money getting a small percentage from the earnings of a straight up standup comic. They are often looking at you through the eyes of a casting director. For many, the difference between you being a great comic and a pretty good comic is pretty much null and void. If you’ve ever been approached by management, you’ll know that they are basically asking you about how many different projects or ideas you have for as many different mediums as possible. They don’t want to hear that you want your standup to be on tv and you havent thought much past that. They are not interested in representing someone who isn’t very self-motivated with a bunch of irons in various fires. They are looking for people who are already pursuing various projects on their own, and only need someone to setup the right meetings and build up their hype, which you can’t really do for yourself. You can’t expect a manager or agent to kick your career into gear and tell you what to do. They don’t do that. In the same way, you can’t expect a festival to make your career, or even help it in a direct way.
Are you depressed now? Don’t be…or go ahead. I don’t really care. But here’s how festivals DO help you, and why they are worth doing. First off, not all festivals are the same. Some actually are a waste of time, and a scam. No, I’m not gonna name names and invite a buncha shade in my forecast. Just research whatever festival you submit to. If they are promising the world and asking for ridiculous amounts of money, just know that you can’t buy yourself an edge over a funnier comedian. If a festival doesn’t seem dedicated to creating a great experience for the comics, and acts as if you’re lucky to be there and they’re not happy to have you…it’s bullshit. If you don’t know of anyone you respect having done a certain festival, that should be a big red flag(with exception of course to first year fests). If the festival is a contest at a local comedy club and they only talk about about how the winner *gets* to work a couple feature dates at that same club: that is just a way for the club to make money off of comics and underpay one lucky comic who is supposed to be overjoyed to “win” work. That being said, contest festivals are not a red flag on their own. Granted, the comics are judged and there is a winner, but if the main focus is to get everybody seen and provide an environment for everyone to chat with everyone else; then the competition aspect is more to help sell tickets. The best thing you can do is talk to comics who’ve done the festival you’re thinking about submitting to. Don’t ask what they “got out of it” in regards to concrete opportunities. Ask them what their overall impression was and if they met a bunch of good comics they didn’t know of before.
Why Festivals are Worth Doing.
Festivals can help you start to carve out a notch in the comedy world. And for the most part, I am referring to other comics. If you think of every other comic as competition that’s gunnin for your spot, you are really hurting yourself and your future career. These are your peers. Some of them will fall off. Some of them are better than you. Some of them are from scenes and cities you’d like to visit and work in. You don’t need to go ham on a mission to “network” (fer christ’s sake throw away the fuckin business cards)…just get to know the people who’re more or less where you’re at. Talk shop. Nerd out about joke writing and how fun that show was or whatever. Let your act speak for itself and don’t try to act like you’re a bigger deal than anyone else. If you’re a crusher, please believe that word will get around. Watch a buncha sets when you’re not preforming and recognize that there are people working as hard or harder than you. You will get a much better perspective of the comedy world beyond your pond, and get to know the people who will establish themselves before you. Those types of comics help raise your own bar and stop you from being content with your progress. Also, the industry there IS watching your set, and even if they never speak to you, you have planted your name and some kind of impression in them which will make you less of a joe schmo the next time your name is mentioned to them.
Another way festivals help you is providing a sense of pressure to be at your best on the spot. If you haven’t been pushing yourself, it will certainly show when you’re the one stammering through your set after watching a buncha monsters who know what they’re doin.
Almost no one thing in comedy will be your big break…not a festival,not getting passed at a club, not even a tv credit. Getting to a very high level usually requires actually being at that level comedically for a while. Anyone can have a great set. You can’t expect a heavy rep without consistently bringing it over so much time that there’s no other impression for others to have. So lower those expectations of a single festival providing big returns(not that it can’t ever happen). Do them for the experience and the exposure to a bigger slice of the comedy world.
Stop reading now it’s over.
-Toodles
Andy
