Format
1. This program begins with a humorous opening demonstrating that humor can be found in every day experiences.
2. Meet the author. Dave discusses how his business degree took him from Ohio to a "show" business career as a comedy talent coordinator in Hollywood and New York. This is done in a humorous and fun manner since Dave is also a professional comedy coach, speaker and humorist.
3. Discussion of careers in the entertainment industry as a comedian, talent agent, manager, publicist and talent booker.
4. How to develop a career as a stand-up comedian.
5. Workbook exercise to define each student's personal sense of humor.
6. Workbook exercise in comedy writing technique.
7. Grand finale. Students volunteer to perform a short comedy routine based on the workbook exercise. Number of participants depends on time restraints.
8. Students may ask questions at any time during the session.
Objectives
1. Discover career opportunities in the entertainment and comedy industries.
2. Learn about job responsibilities that go on behind the scenes as a talent agent, manager, publicist and talent coordinator.
3. Gain insight into the process of pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian.
4. Explore writing techniques with the focus on humor.
5. Gain experience in public speaking with an opportunity to volunteer for a brief in-class presentation.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
Visual Arts: Careers and Community
* Recognize a variety of entertainment related professions and careers in our society.
* Students identify methods for connecting creative skills, ideas, and processes to entertainment related careers as well as other professions.
* Understand how creative experiences affect daily life and identify opportunities for involvement in the arts.
NL-ENG.K - 12.11 Participating In Society* Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communications Skills* Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language, (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies* Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
NS.K-12.4 Language Arts* Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
NS.K-12.5 Language Arts* Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purpose.
NS.K-12.12 Language Arts* Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).