Paid Training for a Career In Comedy

Rooftop Comedy gives the most promising student stand-up comedians the opportunity to help launch their comedy careers through a paid comedy summer internship and training program.

This intensive 4-week program enables emerging stand-up comics to further develop the performance, writing, production, marketing, and videography skills important to a successful comedy career. The program culminates with a commencement comedy performance entirely produced by the Talent Institute students. And, of course, participants get a couple of days off to play hooky and tour the sights of San Francisco.

This is a highly selective program. A maximum of six (6) candidates receive a slot in the Rooftop Comedy Talent Institute's Internship and Training Program.

Program Overview

A key component of the program is time and opportunity to focus on comedy writing, enabling each participant to further develop their own personal and unique stand-up comedy style. Additionally, participants receive:

• Daily hands-on mentorship and training from a range of instructors and professional comedians
• Weekly stage time in a variety of San Francisco Bay Area comedy clubs
• Deep understanding of stand-up comedy in new media
• Extensive interactive media training to learn the tools of Web 2.0 promotions
• Meetings with industry leaders
• Four-week residence in San Francisco, including free airfare, housing and a monthly stipend.
• On-going career support from Rooftop Comedy

Timing

The next Talent Institute is scheduled for Summer 2010. If you are interested in being considered for the 2010 Talent Institute, send an email to NCCC@RooftopComedy.com with the subject line 'Talent Institute' and tell us why you should be considered.

Candidate Eligibility:

• A strong desire to pursue a full-time career as a professional stand-up comedian, writer, or entertainer
• Be 18 years old or older
• Be university juniors, seniors, graduate students, or have graduated from college within 12 months of beginning the program
• If accepted, participants must be available to participate with no outside commitments for the duration of the program
• All participants will be subject to applicable Rooftop Comedy employee rules and policies

Application Process:

All student comics interested in participating in the Summer 2010 Talent Institute are required to complete and submit an application form along with a processing fee. Additional information will be provided as the Summer 2010 program nears.

2009 Talent Institute Participants

• Andy Erikson, University of Minnesota and the 2009 NCCC Stand-up MVP
• Reid Faylor, Xavier University, 2009 NCCC Funny Film Winner
• Max Fox, Emerson College
• Will Hatcher, Florida International University
• Dave Thomason, UC Berkeley

What is Rooftop Comedy?
Rooftop Comedy is the leading distributor of interactive comedy programming and original comedy productions.

Rooftop Comedy records live comedy performances every night of the week, 365 days a year from its network of comedy clubs throughout North America, Europe, and Australia.

Working with more than 3,500 professional comedians, Rooftop Comedy maintains a growing video library of tens of thousands of hours of stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, improvisational comedy and comedic short films. Rooftop Comedy produces a range of local and national events programming, including the annual National College Comedy Competition and the premier Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival.

For more information, contact us at talent@rooftopcomedy.com.