“The Four Levels of Comedy: Make your friends laugh, Make strangers laugh, get paid to make strangers laugh, and make people talk like you because it’s so much fun”
Jerry Seinfeld
I think Seinfeld’s four levels of comedy provides a great succinct blueprint for any artist, not just comedians.
Because it touches upon the crucial stages of developing your craft.
Winning over strangers is important because let’s face it your family and friends are inclined to be nice to you and even with the biggest families it’s hard to make a living off their contributions.
Getting paid is another essential step.
I would enjoy listening to a few Rolling Stones songs but I wouldn’t like them enough to pay to see them in person.
Then finally creating your own style.
The perfect challenge for those who want to get out from under the constricting label of a poor man’s Tarantino or to outgrow the suffocating tag of ‘they’re like a lite version of Picasso.’
So if you’re enjoying developing your skills and looking for the next level, Jerry has illuminated the path.
Thomas Duggan 