“I started out with comedy in college, but had my major in Recreation Administration - which meant I wasn't going to get a real job - so I started doing a little standup.” LittlesRealJobsComedyCollegeMajorsAdministrationRecreationReal Jobs Author:Carlos Alazraqui
“The major caveat in all of comedy is that it's all instinctive. There's no true criteria. There is no right or wrong. Ultimately, often I'm surprised at what an audience will or will not laugh at. I have to stay very, very open to an audiences first exposure to that material and how they react to it.” FirstsAudienceLaughingComedyMaterialsMajorsExposureCriteria Author:Larry Charles
“To create a comedy major, I ended up starting a comedy night in the basement of my dorm, and I promoted and produced my final project, which meant I faxed press releases from an old Apple IIC, or whatever it was, to newspapers, not knowing if that would work or if that's how you do things.” IfsNightKnowingComedyProjectsMajorsPressesFinalsStartingNewspapersReleaseApplesNot KnowingBasementsDormsPress Release Author:Eugene Mirman
“Because of my comedic-influence growing up, Mel Brooks, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin… A lot of Jeff comedic-influences included Charlie Chaplin and physical comedians of the silent-era. What we were able to do together is to show all these major influences but make it into our own comedy. We've seen the stereotypical boy-meets-girl story a hundred thousand times…” StoriesShowsAbleTogetherGirlBoysGrowing UpComedyGrowingInfluenceThousandMajorsHundredSilentErasComedianCharlieBrooksComedicChaplinBoy Meets Girl Author:J. Robert Spencer
“I was a screenwriting major in college, and really wanted to do that after I graduated, but there are no job listings for that, as we all know. I had many classmates that made it in the business, but stand-up comedy was my way in, and my first film 'Sleepwalk with Me' was based on those autobiographical experiences.” KnowsWayFirstsMadeWantedJobsFilmComedyCollegeMajorsMade ItMy WayScreenwritingStand Up ComedyClassmatesWalk With Me Author:Mike Birbiglia
“We call ourselves a free nation, and yet we let ourselves be told what cabs we can and can't take by a man at a hotel door, simply because he has a drum major's uniform on.” MenNationsComedyDoorsMajorsHotelUniformsHospitalityCabDrum Major Book:Benchley Lost and Found: 39 Prodigal Pieces Source: Benchley Lost and Found: 39 Prodigal Pieces
“The American audience has really opened up to women being A.) funny and B.) kinda crude. 'Bridesmaids' is R-rated, and I think it was a major coup for women to have an R-rated comedy that did really well. Same as 'Bad Teacher.'” ThinkingWellsAudienceComedyTeacherMajorsCrudeCoupsBridesmaidsBad Teacher Author:Chris Pratt
“From the onset of the 'Live-Read' series, we wanted to hit all the major writers and Woody Allen is simply one of the greatest screenwriters of all time. He has ability to match pathos and comedy and drama and then turn it all on a dime. If you're going to make a series based on dialogue, you can't find much better than Woody Allen.” IfsWantedTurnsAbilityComedyDramaMajorsSeriesDialogueAll TimeScreenwritersDimesWoodyPathos Author:Jason Reitman