Jon Levine :: Actor, Writer, Director
Cobra Kai, The Gifted, The Food That Built America
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Welcome to the Wake Up Late with Dougie Show
Join Dougie & today’s co-hosts Jon Levine & Talia Brahms. Listen in as they discuss such things as; eating dark chocolate, Dougie has jury duty, Jon gives us his impression of Superman vs. Batman & what happened to Marina 84, Dougie does some fundamental research on how Germans feel about the Syrian refugees, &we celebrate Talia’s Birthday!!
In Straight From the Headlines
“Woman a […]
I used to do TV commercials when I was a kid, around the ages of 4-7. I hadn’t even thought about doing them again until I got into standup comedy. So, I took some head shots, got an agent, and began auditioning.
A couple of months ago, I participated in a commercial shoot that was of ‘hidden camera’ type for an energy company. Well, the commercial just debuted and I’m in it!
I make a couple of appearances starting around the 1 minute mark. Check it out!
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I was just reading an article on the Guardian’s website about ‘bringer shows’ in London’s comedy scene (the Guardian is the UK’s biggest newspaper). I won’t rehash their writing (you can read it for yourself here), but it got me thinking about bringer shows in the local South Florida scene, including the New Faces show at the Fort Lauderdale Improv happening this week.
For any reader not steeped in comedy lingo, a bringer show is one in which the performer needs to ‘bring’ a certain amount of audience members to get stage time. This number can range from 1 person to 10, depending on the venue.
Here’s my opinion: I think there needs to be a change. However, the change I’m suggesting might not be the one you’re thinking of. I’m OK with the concept of the bringer show. I understand why it’s done and it’s a good way for a show to make some money and get promoted without having to spend money on marketing. What I think the bringer show is lacking is a second, monetary option other than bringing people. I’ll explain.
I’m 41, which is (at least) ten years older than the majority of comedians in the South Florida scene. My life is markedly different from that of someone who’s ten years (or more) my junior. My friends, all of them, have children. My friends, all of them, work standard, 9-to-5 type jobs. My friends rarely, if ever, go out on weeknights. We’re all just passed that. Well, they are. I can’t seem to let it go, but that’s a post for another time.
What this means is that for me to get 10 people to come out to a show in the middle of the week is nearly impossible. Plans need to be made, sitters need to be called, reservations, coordinations, and all kinds of other stuff needs to happen for just a single couple to get out, let alone five. Add to this that the ‘novelty’ of me doing comedy has long since passed. I perform a lot, so there will always be another, more convenient time goes the thinking.
Where does that leave me? Currently, unable to participate. Furthermore, it completely degrades my willingness to even try. I’ve already been in situations at a bringer show when one, two or even three couples show up to see me perform and there’s a chance that I won’t because I didn’t hit the magic number. While these three couples are still seeing the show, they are disappointed because they came to see me and I can’t participate because I didn’t qualify.
So, what’s the solution? I think there should be a second option. One that allows a person in a situation such as mine to participate. While I may not be able to bring the requisite amount of people, I’d be willing to pay my way on stage for a place that I wanted to be. I’m not saying this should be the first option or that it should even be encouraged or advertised, but there’s a reason venues let people in for free and make their money from the drink minimum. They need to generate a certain dollar amount to make the night worthwhile, to pay the staff, and to keep the place open and I get that. I’m willing to contribute to that cost, maybe not in people, but in dollars.
Here’s my thought: I’m going to use a bringer show that requires the performer to bring 10 people as my example as this, at least in the South Florida scene, is the most well-known. I’d be willing to put up $50 to get on stage, BUT, that amount goes down by $5 for every person I bring in. So, If I’m able to get my 10 people, no money is needed. If I can only get 3 people to come, I pay $35, but get to perform for those that I brought. This incentivizes me to still try to get the 10 people, but doesn’t punish me (or the ones who did come) if I don’t.
The concept of a bringer show has been around well before I got into comedy and I’m sure it will continue well after I’m gone. I don’t know if what I said will change anything (I doubt it), but it’s worth a shot. Especially because I’d love to participate.
I’ve just started what is now my second (or maybe third?) podcast, this one being recorded directly out of my home studio. Or, as it was formally called, my spare bedroom that I converted into my office. After a few weeks of trying out different pieces of equipment, I’ve finally settled on several items and have it setup to where everything sounds great and flows smoothly. I figured I’d share this info for anyone that has an interest and hopefully it’ll save you some time and effort.
Before I go on, I just want to add in a little disclaimer: I will be including links to the products that I purchased on Amazon and those links are affiliate links. This means that if you click on one and subsequently buy something, I will get a commission on that sale. I’m telling you this because I want full transparency. I’m not promoting these products because I will earn a commission, but because I actually purchased them myself and use them to produce my podcast.
There are several pieces that you need to buy, the most important of which is a microphone. I had previously purchased, and still own, a Yeti microphone from Blue. This is a fairly high-end USB microphone that produces fantastic sound. For my first few attempts at podcasting, this is the microphone that I used and it works very well. However, I soon realized that I needed more control over the sound that is coming into my computer (which I am using to record the podcast) then what the USB mic was giving me.
To have better control over the sound coming into my computer, I invested in a desktop mixer. I originally bought the Behringer Q802USB. This features two XLR inputs for microphones, but I quickly realized that I needed more. I returned the Behringer and purchased an Alesis Multimix8USBFX mixer which features four XLR inputs, all with phantom power, as well as two other stereo inputs. It also, as the name implies, features a USB port that connects to your computer that is used to channel the sound from the mixer into whatever software you’re using to record. More on that in a minute.
As the Alesis has XLR inputs, my Yeti Blue mic could not be channeled through the mixer. Blue does make a versions of this mic that features both a USB and XLR connection, but it’s considerably more expensive than just the USB version. Wanting full control of the sound being piped into the computer via the mixer, I invested in a CAD GXL2200 XLR mic. This is a fairly inexpensive XLR mic, but one that receives very high marks on Amazon for its sound quality. I have to say that I am very impressed with its quality both from a build and sound standpoint. I think the Yeti sounds a bit better in terms of richness, but not by much.
The podcast that I record here, Coming Up Short, features another local South Florida comedian, Eric Rosenblum. He decided to purchase his own equipment and ended up buying a ‘package’ deal from Amazon meant to simplify the process. The package he purchased contained an MXL 770 XLR mic, boom stand, pop filter and cable. While this definitely simplified the process and the MXL is a good mic (though not as good as the CAD or the Blue), the boom and filter are kind of cheaply made and I wouldn’t recommend either. I think you’re better off buying a mic and a boom separately. You might spend a little more, but it’s worth it.
The reason I upgraded the mixer is because in addition to Eric and I, we wanted to have in-studio guests. This means that we’d need a third mic (and headphones) for the guest. For this duty, I purchased a Behringer ULTRAVOICE XM8500 and Behringer HPM1000 headphones. Both were pretty inexpensive ($10 for the headphones and $20 for the mic), but they both received lots of positive feedback on Amazon. Furthermore, as this was just the ‘guest’ mic, I didn’t want to spend a ton of dough on something that wasn’t going to get used too often.
To hold the guest mic, I bought a Pyle-Pro PMKS3 Tripod Microphone Stand. It was less than $20, but the quality is FAR superior to that of the one Eric got with his package. I also grabbed a Hosa HMIC010 XLR cable and foam ‘ball’ windscreen, which completed the guest mic setup.
So, now we’ve got three microphones and the mixer, but we were still missing one crucial piece: a headphone amplifier/splitter. This little box plugs into the headphone-out port on the mixer and, like the name implies, splits and amplifies the signal so that up to four people can use headphones to monitor the sound live. These amp/splitters range in price from $15 to over $100. I originally bought a $15 one made by Pyle and almost immediately sent it right back (it was a pile, alright). The sound that came out of it was scratchy and distorted and it was just all around terrible. I took a step up for my next purchase, which was a Behringer MicroAmp HA400 and it’s perfect. It was only about $10 more than the Pyle and the sound that comes out of it is crisp, clean and clear.
The headphones I use the V-Moda Crossfade LP. I didn’t buy them specifically for the podcast (I bought them a few years ago), but I absolutely love them, especially in this application. The sound is warm and rich and they’re very comfortable to wear.
With our hardware set, I needed to figure out which software to use. Probably the most used recording software for podcasting is Audacity, mainly because it’s available on both Windows and Mac (I’m a Mac user) and it’s free. It’s a good bit of software that’s been around for a while and it’s pretty powerful. Having said that, it’s still pretty much a straight-up recorder/editor. There are some effects that it comes with and you can add plugins, but there’s not much else to it.
As a Mac user, I chose to go with Audio Hijack 3 from Rogue Amoeba. This has been a pretty amazing piece of software since the beginning as it allowed you to grab sound from any application on your machine (hijacking the audio, get it). With the 3.0 version, it’s gotten even more amazing.
Now, you’re able to build setups using drag and drop ‘blocks’ that you just connect to each other. You can create multiple setups, then save and reuse them. The beauty is, you don’t have to mess with the rest of your system settings. You just create these setups in Audio Hijack and they work while you’re recording. Once you close the program, everything goes back to the way it was on your system. So, for example, I use Spotify to pump music into the podcast. However, I don’t want Spotify (or my entire system’s sounds) running through my mixing board at all times. With Audio Hijack, I set it up so that when I’m recording the podcast, Spotify gets routed through the mixing board. Once I’m done, everything goes back to the way it was.
You can add it effects, record in multiple formats, get audio from literally any program on your computer (great for bringing on a guest via Skype) and so much more. I love it and recommend it to anyone using a Mac.
Finally, and while this really has nothing to do with my home studio, it’s still a part of the process, I use Podbean to host the podcast. For $36 a year (yes, a YEAR). You can upload your podcast episodes and Podbean will do the rest. They create an RSS feed for you (for subscribers), you can send your podcast to iTunes and it’ll even track statistics (plays, subscribers, etc.,). It super simple and is definitely worth the money.
Well, that’s it. I hope this helps if you’re trying to setup your own home studio. If you’ve ever been interested at all in having a podcast, I say go for it. It’s lots of fun and starting one is (fairly) cheap and easy.
I’m prepping for my trip to New York City next week and I just confirmed that I’m being given a spot in a comedy showcase in the East Village!
Like everything else, it pays to network in life. I connected with a local comedian here in South Florida who introduced me to a comic in NYC that’s originally from Florida. He now runs a room in NYC. I reached out to him on Facebook and introduced myself. After some back and forth and the viewing of my latest Improv performance video, he’s giving me a spot!
If you’re in the area and are in the mood to laugh, check me out Tuesday night, August 12th, at Bar None.