The comedy industry is changing. In its current flux, comedians across the UK and US are seeing dramatic differences in how they can find their place in the world of funny.
Whilst a heap of promising new opportunities are rising, professionals in the comedy industry across the world are encouraging individuals to come forward and find their place now; whilst the time is right. Steve Roe, a teacher at UK comedy school Hoopla, said: “The comedy industry is changing; it used to be all about getting spotted at Edinburgh and then hopefully getting a TV deal or agent.
“Now loads of people are totally bypassing that; sticking their finger up to Edinburgh and TV, and just doing it themselves by making stuff for YouTube instead.
“The power is back with the performers, so they can focus on their audience and their act.”
It seems that comedians are getting more and more determined to break into the industry as they find their own creative way of getting heard. This is hardly surprising; after all, they’re creative people, right?
For those looking to break into the industry, one website that may be able to help you is The Comedy Business Digest. It describes itself as a ‘10-minute newsletter for a really tiny fee and can be so helpful’ and ‘a weekly email that delivers vital comedy industry information and new opportunities to your inbox.’ Keeping track of insider knowledge can really give you an edge in the industry.
Comedy DVD sales have been extraordinarily high in recent years- with standup comedians reaching the top ten in the charts at Christmas time. In 2011, Sarah Millican’s DVD ‘Chatterbox Live’ became the highest selling British DVD from a female comedian of all time.
Newspapers and magazines have even started publishing a list of the ‘top DVD’s as presents in the months leading up to the big C. Comedy finds its way into the lists, of course.
However, when the festivities are over, the comedians see in the New Year knowing that their time to shine is over for another year. Most comedy DVDs are released in November, as earlier in the year they will rarely reach the top 40 in the charts. However, the same cannot be said for comedy programmes and films; which remain largely popular 365 days a year, year in, year out.
‘Now loads of people are totally bypassing that, sticking their finger up to Edinburgh and TV’
Funny books have also started flying off the shelves in high numbers in the last few years. Bookseller websites offer a ‘best-selling in humour’ list for shoppers and comedian biographies are often found in the top 20 best sellers. Does it also seem that more and more comedians are sharing their life stories lately? If they are, we can hardly complain can we?
Comedy in music has still not seen the success that DVDs and books currently enjoy… and will it ever? The future looks tough for funny singers as even Chris Moyles, who is adored by millions, couldn’t find much success. December 2012 saw the release of his ‘Difficult Second Album’ and all Mr Moyles received for his hard work was a big fat pile of criticisms and complaints. One critic wrote that the album was ‘the musical equivalent of a rotting fish left behind a radiator by a twisted departing tenant’. Maybe it will just take the right kind of funny to wise crack the music industry.
So, despite its growing popularity and huge success since 2010, the comedy industry still has some room left for you bright talented stars that fancy yourself a bit of the stagelight. The future is bright. The future is funny.