Learning the comedy business is starting to get very expensive

June 19, 2009 by vongsundara · 1 Comment 

I’m very fortunate to be living in Toronto right now. There are so many resources available here that were not available to me in either Calgary or Winnipeg. Because of this, I have concentrated on getting better at my craft rather than trying to propel my career forward before I am ready. The only trouble I’m running into right now are expenses.

There are many, many great classes and courses to take in Toronto, especially with Second City in town along with many great acting studios like Sears and Switzer. I definitely believe in taking classes, and I have gotten a lot out of each and every class I have taken, though I do have to watch out for how much money I have been spending lately. It’s definitely a difficult balance at times.

The Second City classes have definitely helped me improve my comedic range. Coming from a stand-up background, my character skills were definitely lacking. At least now I feel more comfortable going forward with different types of comedy outside of stand-up such as improv and sketch, making me much more well rounded and marketable.

My next seminar revolves around personal publicity. This is definitely the most important seminar for me in a while. If there’s one thing I need to learn before opening my one-man show early next year, it’s going to be how to promote the show and get people in the seats. Otherwise, I’ll just be performing in front of an empty audience.

I think I can manage my expenses for the time being, and hopefully the dollars coming in from performing will start to balance the expenses going out. Luckily for me, I’ve kept my day job, which is allowing me to overspend a little bit on the comedy side.

Filed under: Performing
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Facebook to fame, how free ads have resulted in good traffic

November 7, 2008 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment 

I received $50 of Facebook advertising credits when I recently switched my web host to GoDaddy.com. I never really thought about advertising on Facebook before, but now I am totally hooked. In fact, I’m already starting to budget some money toward Facebook advertising each month after my free credits run out.

The great part about Facebook advertising is that I can target specifically the audience I want to reach. It’s amazing how much detail people will give in their Facebook profiles. This information then helps advertisers like me target our audiences specifically. For instance, I can have my ads served only to people who have listed “Stand-Up Comedy” as one of their interests. This way, I know that I am not wasting my advertising dollars on people who aren’t comedy fans.

To coincide with this new campaign, I have also started a Facebook page at the below URL. The Facebook page allows my fans to follow my career by clicking “Become a Fan.” If you haven’t done so, please visit my Facebook page and “Become a Fan.” The more fans I have, the more chance that my page can spread virally throughout Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vong-Sundara/38315545624

My first target is to reach 100 fans. After 100, I’ll re-evaluate my goals and hope to move up in the listings. The great part about having fans is that I can send messages directly my those who sign up regarding upcoming performances and television appearances. This way, I know that the people who are supporting my career are going to be the first to know about important information regarding my career.

Filed under: Performing
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