“Funny: The Documentary,” which includes interviews and performances from more than 50 stand-up comedians, had its first test audience at the University Student Union on Tuesday.
The film, directed by J.D. Cohen, features Ben Gleib, Jon Lovitz, Eugene Kim, Bo Burnham, Bobby Lee and Pauly Shore, among others. The comedians discussed topics like being on the road, the science of laughter, methods of improvisation, being a female comedian and playing to tough crowds.
The majority of the film portrayed one-on-one interviews with seasoned comedians who were quite revealing about the tips and tricks of stand-up.
“You’re never going to get stronger unless you get out of your comfort zone,” Gleib said. “Never walk out on small crowds.”
The next clip showed Gleib performing in front of an audience of only three people, two of whom ended up renewing their wedding vows on stage with him. Many of the featured comedians agreed that making friends with a roomful of strangers while on stage was the ultimate high.
The audience of 30 or so in the USU Theater laughed consistently during the film, mostly during the clips from actual comedic performances. The rest of the film served as an insider’s view into the world of stand-up comedy.
After the test screening, Cohen, Gleib and Kim were subject to a question-and-answer discussion.
Gleib and Kim confessed that they hate watching stand-up, after being in it so long. Gleib spoke about being able to break down the art of stand-up into a science and how it was robbed of its fun.
“When you turn your passion into your business, you better be willing for [a] trade off,” he said. “If you really want it to purely be fun, keep it as a hobby. But when you make it your business, it’s something you have to take seriously.”
When asked about the financial problems of being a comedian, Kim said: “When you’re a painter, you’re not getting paid to paint [a] painting, you’re not thinking [about] how much money [you’re] going to get. No, [comedy] is an art form and we work, live and breathe it. If at the end of the day somebody laughs or appreciates what we have to say, then that’s art. Art is about the passion.”
Cohen was then asked why he made the film. In response, he said, “I just wanted to make a funny film.”
After watching it so many times, he said he’s still not sure if he has.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.