While I can certainly show individuals how to capture their own natural speaking rhythm on paper and identify aspects of comedy timing that folks can certainly work on off stage for better results on stage using the Killer Stand-up Online Course…
There’s one aspect of comedy timing that can only be learned on the stage, which is the adjustment of pause variations that happen naturally as a direct result of audience size.
Provided a comedian’s material is funny, here’s what every comedian should know about comedy timing…
The bigger the audience, the longer a comedian must pause after punchlines/tag lines to allow an audience to laugh. Bigger audiences will usually laugh longer than smaller audiences will.
Related Offsite Article: How Audience Dynamics Directly Impact Comedy Performance Levels
Audience size will also affect how much material a comedian will deliver.
The bigger the audience, the less material a comedian will deliver because more time is filled with longer lasting laughter.
In contrast, the reverse is true. The smaller an audience, usually the more material a comedian will usually deliver because the laughs won’t generally last as long.
It’s not that the comedian is necessarily delivering material faster with a smaller audience.
As a matter of fact, a comedian’s delivery speed should remain fairly constant (and natural) for the most part, regardless of the audience size.
It’s only through stage experience that a comedian can develop this pausing aspect of comedy timing during a stand-up comedy routine because there is no “standard” audience size.
Some audiences may have 15 people and others may have hundreds of people.
Audience size also directly affects performance measurements using Comedy Evaluator Pro — for what should be obvious reasons.
One thing I know for sure is this:
It is nearly impossible to make corrections to comedy timing issues that affect laughter generation without an audio or video recording of a show to review after the show for performance improvement.
Most new comedians don’t record their shows and subsequently…
They wonder in amazement — sometimes for years — why they continue to be “off” when it comes to their comedy timing and can’t seem to generate the laughs they want.
About Steve Roye
Leading stand-up comedy educator and trainer, providing proven 21st century strategies and techniques for individuals who wish to become comedians on a professional level. For a detailed stand-up comedy resume go to: Steve Roye's Stand-up Resume.
Last night, I performed my first ever stand up set (5 min). It was a blast. I am enrolled in the KillerStandUp course. I followed the formula outline by Steve. I was pretty scared, but the set went really well. My first joke got a great laugh, then everything else flowed nicely. Regarding timing, I listened to the audience. Practicing doesn’t tell you how long the laughter will go… so I listened. My best laugh came when I said nothing. I just let the look sell the punch line. It was very cool. Today, I listened to the audio. I noticed that I came in a little early a few times (still laughing) and learned that a few punch line left’em silent. Great content though in Killer Stand Up.
What’s the best method for recording our open mic performances? I’ve seen some videos on Youtube shot with a phone or camera that looked good, but the sound was horrible -- you could barely hear the performer, but the people close to the recording device were extremely loud.
A hand held video recorder is fine for open mic performances. But unless you can tap directly into the sound board, sound will usually be an issue (but still good enough for evaluation purposes).
I mentioned to my partner that, when I do my first set, I want him to video it. I told him it was so I could check where jokes aren’t working and whether I’m doing anything physically which distracts. He said it may be that some jokes don’t work with one audience but might with another. Probably a valid point, but I think that largely if a joke doesn’t work it will be because of my delivery -- or that it just isn’t funny!
Seeing yourself perform has to be the only way to refine your act.
You are correct in your assessment. But also keep this in mind…
If your stand-up comedy material is structured properly and delivered professionally in a genuine and natural way, it should work and work well virtually all the time (barring a few exceptions that can be audience related — ie: very few audience members, spread out audience, etc.).
thanks Steve
Timing is my biggest fear. Sometimes< I memorize a set, and run through it too fast because I trying so hard to make sure I say the joke correctly. This leads me to tense up and make a mistake. I need the true feel of a crowd to be able to practice my pace and timing. So much more goes into a successful routine than just "GOOD MATERIAL."
You say “It’s not that the comedian is necessarily delivering material faster with a smaller audience.” I think that is true but I also feel that comics tend to have “tags” or “throw away lines” for jokes that only work if the initial punchline gets a good laugh. Smaller audiences laugh less, so as the comic I tend to discard the tags and move on to the next premise. Similarly, this applies to call-backs. If, as the comic, I feel a joke didn’t get the response as it does with a bigger audience I may hesitate doing a callback joke, forcing myself to adapt and do other (and more) material.
Not utilizing video to record your performances from the start seems like learning to swim. Once you get out of the bag it’s much easier to find your way. Without feedback you are literally in the dark about your performance. The question then becomes “How long can you hold your breath?”.
Video shows that just verbal punchlines aren’t enough to pull together a killer set, unless you’re just gifted with the pen, Shakespeare. I started just audio recording my sets which helped with what got a laugh but once I watched my set and saw my reactions to the lulls and silence, it was eye opening. Watching myself makes me want to pay attention to all aspects of my comedy routine.