
Show HN: Live Stand-Up Comedy from Home - karamazov
https://www.comedyfromhome.com/
======
rgoodwintx
Warning for plug below my main comment :) Not trying to piggyback this post,
but share my experiences doing something in the same area.

We've been doing something similar to support comics who lost some or all of
their paying gigs; but using the alternate model of free-to-watch, donations-
welcomed. We're also still working through the best format; some performers
work great in a "vacuum" (and/or create new styles for the medium).
Interaction through the chat is also fun, but as mentioned, not suited for
real time.

We've also got some other ideas to increase the interaction being tinkered
with. We've been able to really help some folks, whether through monetary
means or just to give them a place to perform they wouldn't otherwise have.
(Honestly, the most feedback we get from performers is how thankful they were
to just get to _perform_ again, a feeling of normalcy, such as we have these
days.)

Second warning, plug below :) This is completely a labor of love, so feel free
to drop by, or not. Even if you just watch clips and have suggestions, we'd
appreciate it. All proceeds go directly to the performers, this not a business
venture in anyway. Up/downvote away, no hard feelings!

[https://twitch.tv/comedywham](https://twitch.tv/comedywham) (or
isolationcomedyshow.com will redirect there)

------
lpolovets
I love stand-up and this is a great idea. One feature that I'd love is to have
1-2 embedded "highlight" clips on each performer's ticket page. Otherwise it's
hard to know what kind of comedy they do.

------
jonshariat
I actually just attended a remote standup comedy show last Friday. Its tough
for the comedian but it can work if:

1\. The audience is encouraged to turn on video (so the comedian and others
can see them) Unmuted if possible (but most wont its like giving everyone in
the audience a live mic)

2\. For those not willing, encourage them to use chat. Emoji, me-too,
reactions

3\. The comedian should keep bringing the audience in. Read off chat, talk
about people with cameras on, etc

4\. Dont just use your regular material, lean into the current situation, use
the audience and tech.

~~~
rgoodwintx
Agreed. It's most fun when someone explores something that they couldn't
normally pull off on stage. We've had spouses, pets, elaborate visual aids. I
look forward to being surprised each time.

------
Vinnl
My brother's a professional comedian, and he's been doing shows from home now.
That said, he's not performing his regular sets, both because they can be
recorded, and because the interaction with the crowds is no longer the same.
However, he's doing more streaming improv now, where the crowd can give input
through chat. It's working pretty well for him, but also isn't bringing in
much money yet.

------
GurnB
I haven't been to a comedy club in 15 years but in my opinion a large part of
the fun is actually being at the club. (And the over priced, 2 drink minimums)

I do applaud these performers trying to find a alternative in these trying
times.

------
johnmoonyy
Love standup comedy! $10 for a 30m is really expensive. Stanard shows I've
gone to were like $15 for ~3 comedians for a show lasting about an hr.

What about lineups? (3 comedians for $10)

Also does the comedians interact with watchers? Can I leave a comment and chat
with other people (not sure if this will distract the comedian or not)

~~~
ftvy
From what I've seen of comedians, they don't appreciate someone talking
throughout their set. It is distracting, and it is also insulting to them.
(They are paid to perform, and they want to perform.)

With that said, some handle it with grace, and some not.

~~~
lostphilosopher
"Talking throughout their set" is just rude, that's not even heckling, which I
don't support/appreciate, but is considered "part of the experience" by some.
"Crowd work" however is a very normal part of lots of stand up acts. I could
imagine comedians wanting some way to do that in a digital setting and I
suspect that's what is being referred to here.

If anyone haven't seen it done or don't know what I'm talking about Todd Barry
has a whole special where it's all he does - appropriately titled "Crowd
Work"! :-)

------
anticsapp
This is cool. I might try one, even at the $10 price point. Although, that's
the price of one drink at a real comedy club, so it is kind of a bargain. I
would love to see something like this on Oculus.

------
jedberg
I just sent this to my friend who is a professional comedian. She’s been doing
a weekly “pay what you want” show the last few Saturdays.

I’d love to see this take off because I don’t want stand up comedy to go away.

Thanks for making this!

~~~
karamazov
Thank you for sharing!

------
zavulon
Good idea.

Maybe put a Youtube video of the comedian's performance on the detail page, so
we get a little preview?

------
gexla
Let's be honest, this isn't even close to stand-up. If there isn't a live
crowd, it's not stand-up. You need that feedback and the regular drilling to
find your voice. Stand-up comedians find their "voice" by doing the same set,
same jokes as often as they can get up on stage. If you're serious about this
as a career, you're getting up on stage multiple times a day if you can figure
out a way to do it. You're constantly working and re-working your set to a
different crowd.

There's no way you're going to get high-end comedians on this platform, which
means you're going to get people who are relatively new. Doug Stanhope
(greatest comedian alive today IMHO) said that you don't want to be putting
videos of your earliest crap performances on the web. You also don't want to
be putting video of your best jokes on the internet because you get more
exposure for people stealing them with little return.

Stand-up comedians have already had an alternative for getting up on stage for
a long time. It's called podcasting, and many of the greatest comedians do
podcasts.

~~~
thaumasiotes
> you don't want to be putting videos of your earliest crap performances on
> the web. You also don't want to be putting video of your best jokes on the
> internet because you get more exposure for people stealing them with little
> return.

> Stand-up comedians have already had an alternative for getting up on stage
> for a long time. It's called podcasting

I'm not seeing the crucial distinction between putting up video of yourself
doing jokes, and putting up audio of yourself doing jokes. The value isn't
coming from the visual part of the video.

~~~
hobs
Podcasts are not standup, they are ways to riff and show you are funny in a
different way - akin to radio spots back in the day.

~~~
thaumasiotes
A podcast is a prerecorded album. These are common in standup. I have comedy
tapes and comedy CDs; a podcast is not different in any way. If you ripped a
CD and concatenated all the tracks, you'd have a "podcast".

~~~
hobs
A podcast is generally a discussion between 2 or more people - not a comedy
album.

------
A4ET8a8uTh0
I hate to be the complainer for the Show HN projects, but all I can see is
white screen regardless of what browser I use. Why can't websites fail
gracefully?

edit: It worked on browser with no extensions installed so I guess one of the
extension in other browsers broke it. I like the idea since it seems timely.
People do need real entertainment now and it might fit that niche nicely.

~~~
redlollipop
Loads for me, try again?

------
mattl
Shared in a couple private Facebook groups with a few hundred comedians.

~~~
karamazov
Thanks! Much appreciated

------
_curious_
Goodstuff, thanks for sharing! Humor and laughter are very important elements
to life. I do Love the choice of stock photography and the premise here, but
unsure about the pricing I see there ($10?). probably some room for pricing
model experimentation and innovation. Godspeed!

------
jhymn
My concern is that a lot of stand-up comedy is really "blue" and NSFW. Are
there warnings or ratings for each set (I don't see any).

Do you provide clean content?

------
flaque
This, but it should be interactive, like a twitch stream.

~~~
lixtra
Life streams are usually delayed by half a minute. So it spoils the
interaction.

~~~
seganddr
On Twitch normal latency is ~10 seconds and with their low latency modes it
can be 2s or less.

