There are only a 1,000 comedians living in NYC out of the 8 million people in the five boroughs. That means we each get 8,000 a piece. Personally, I only want 1,000 True Fans.
Why only 1,000? Here’s a quote from Kevin Kelly, the founder of Wired,
A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author – in other words, anyone producing works of art – needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.
I highly recommend everyone produce a monthly show instead of a weekly or bi-monthly/bi-weekly (what do they even mean?).
Pick a specific day of the week and time (ie…Third Thursday @ 8pm) and stick with it.
Define a hook and/or theme for the show and then name the show. (Great examples…The Liar Show, Stripped Stories, Dream Role, The Rejection Show, Moonwork’s Evenings of Original Works, etc…). For SACAPUNTAS!, we invite one comedian, one storyteller, one TV writer and one celebrity guest.
Find a venue that is receptive to your idea. If this is your first show and you are unsure of how many people you can draw, find a place that looks packed with 30 people. I find the best deal is when the owner of the venue agrees to give you the door and has a bar minimum that your are required to meet. If that requirement isn’t met, you owe the difference.
Book your acts. Honestly, living in NYC this is the easiest part. We are surrounded by incredibly talented performers. For the longevity of the show and your sanity, it would be wise to find a non-performing person to assist you in booking and promote the show (social media, mailing list and emailing the press). Three shows that have an unseen brain child behind it are: Whiplash, Tell Your Friends and Comedy Below Canal.
Obtain and learn Photoshop
If you feel confident, then design a logo and poster. If not, hire a designer. Obviously, I’m partial to my SuperMango Media designers. Email me and I can connect you to the perfect fit for your show.
Design and print postcards branded with the logo and broadcast the aforementioned “Second Thursday @ 8PM)
If you are going to print postcards (optional), I would suggest: 4over4.com
Create a website utilizing WordPress. If you don’t have a host company, I suggest BlueHost. They have one click WordPress installs with SimpleScript. Hands down the best theme to use is Chris Pearson’s premium theme Thesis. If it’s too overwhelming, hire someone.
Create a Facebook Group and/or Page
Here’s a video tutorial
Hire a photographer or ask a friend of the show with a kick ass camera to come to every show. Be sure to upload the photos into your Facebook Group/Page.
Create a mailing list and open an account with MailChimp. Be selective on who you put on the list. Be considerate and allow people to unsubscribe. Don’t judge. There are only a 1,000 of us but that’s a lot of newsletters flooding our inboxes.
Charge a cover charge. $5-$15 (Obviously more for a non-profit). Create and account on: EventBrite. Create an event with an online discount code to encourage people to pre-pay. Research affiliate codes as well. Be sure to compensate the performers for their time and talent.
Research Facebook advertising (you may want to spend $1/day). Learn the difference between CPC and CPI
Write a catchy little blurb (less is more)
Send out your blurb to various blogs and publications:
AM NY, Metro, L Magazine, TimeOut NY, etc…
It generally takes about 4-6 hours. If it seems too daunting, I have a wonderful person that will send it out to 30+ sites and publications for $125.
SUPPLIES:
Promise your mailing list that you will only send two emails (3 weeks out and 1 day before). Be sure to stick to that rule. Your goal should be to only send out one email or in a Utopian world…none.
Your role as the producer is to build trust between your audience and your show. You have to consistently provide a funny show that is different every single time they attend. At the same time, you have to build trust between the performers and your show. They need to know that every time they perform on your show it’s going to be fun and productive. I’m “stealing” that idea from a podcast interview my friend Jon Fisch and I had with the The Comedy Studio owner/booker in Cambridge. For a show to last, you need to create a show that draws people to it because of you and your hook not because of the performers you have on the show.
On that note, “stealing” reminds me of this Jim Jarmusch quote:
Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) with be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable: originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery-celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case remember Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from-it’s where you take them to.
As always, be nice, be funny and be everywhere. TM
