Should You Team Up in Comedy?

The scariest realization I made in childhood was that you couldn't spell the word friend without the word "end." I was in fourth grade. Then when I realized the first part was the word "fri" or aka "fry," this existential epiphany hit me hard. All friendships are bound to end. And potentially fry up in the heat of whatever caused the friendship fire. Clearly, I was a blast at pool parties with my Nietzsche-esque worldview on relationships. Yet, at 43, I can say there is a particular truth to this otherwise pessimistic prism of the world. Most of us have lost more friends than we have now. Some due to circumstance or geography; some due to selfishness or value changes. The same can be said of jobs, where one day we are positioning ourselves up the corporate ladder and the next we are resigning or being escorted out by security. In the great circle of life, as Mufasa taught us, the grass grows, something eats it, and then they die. I know it feels more spiritually comforting when James Earl Jones says it, but that was the basic idea. So when I tell you most comedy or content collaborations are the beginning of the end of a friendship, I'm saying this so you can proceed with caution. As someone who has worked with many people, I can tell you, that its best to work with strangers who become friends instead of friends who will eventually become strangers - and as hard as that is to hear - it comes from a place of observation and personal experience. 

Collaborating on Comedy Works Only If Egos Don't Exist 
Let's say you have a friend, and you want start a show together or create content sketches together, because two are better than one, keep in mind that while generating a lot of ideas can be a positive experience, in the end, you can only choose one idea at a time. And unless there is some form of understood hierarchy in place, personal agendas always come out, leading to eventual antagonism and break ups. 

Don't believe me? Ask Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, and Bill Murray and Harold Ramis.

Garfunkel chose a movie career over the duo's next album. Murray and Ramis couldn't see eye to eye during or after Groundhog's Day. And McKay choose John C. Reilly over Ferrell to play Dr. Jerry Buss in Winning Time, and their friendship since 1995 ended that day. 

There is a risk in trying to co-lead a project. Arguments will happen, especially when money or fame are thrown into the mix. There are collaborative situations that would work in other industries. Maybe building a car together or taking turns filming audition tapes is manageable. But when both parties have a strong point of view, a split in vision will occur. Ironically, even if someone is more passive and agreeable, they will get called out for not coming up with enough ideas, but then get damned if they push back on their own pitches. It's a lose-lose scenario, no matter the strength of the friendship. 

Idealists v. Opportunists 
With most duos the fighting occurs between the Idealists and Opportunists.  

Opportunists are the ones who like throwing money around. They're the party animals. They see the upsides first but also the upsides for themselves. They like running comedy shows to get to work with comics they want to build relationships with. They cast actors who they want to build intimate relationships with. They see people as serving the project and them. They want to cast their friends and build their individual brand. While it's not wrong to want to help friends, make or spend money, build a career, and maybe even find the love of your life on set, making that the priority of the project is going to rub other people the wrong way.

Idealists are different, and are purists in nature. They put the project over their own needs and brand. They want everyone to think about all the different possibilities, to focus on the budget, and create the best show, even if sacrifices have to be made. If a comic isn't that funny, you don't book them. If the script needs a rewrite, you work hard and maybe even postpone a week. Idealists are perfectionists and see where the problems down the road might be. They even sacrifice their own gains if the show or project benefits. It's not being a Debbie Downer or pessimist. It's an actual realist, who just wants the audience to enjoy themselves. 

Freud called these the Id and Super Ego. The Id is the more self-centered aspect of the self, whereas the Super Ego is the rule follower and rule maker. Both are needed, but unless both have a clear understanding of their specific agendas, disaster will ensue.

Best Practices When Creating a Comedy Show 
If you do co-produce a comedy show, there are a few best practices to make sure no one takes advantage of the other and that the show lasts as long as possible. First off, establish what you want the show to be. Is this a show for friends to be booked on? Do you want to have a headliner? Do you want to pay anyone, including yourselves? How many comics and how long do you want each person to do? While you might think these things "will work themselves out" - they don't unless you work them out. Some people work well in chaos, others don't. But everyone can follow a basic agenda. 

One rule should always be in booking comics that both of you have veto power. So if one of you doesn't like a comic and can explain that reason clearly, the other should respect your wishes. If they are always knocking down your comedy choices, then this might be a red flag. Keep in mind that each of you have a different background. One of you might owe a show to someone and they have to accept that. If you book multiple shows, booking out a few months in advance can help spread out the favors and favorites early. If you don't want to rotate hosting responsibilities, then I suggest you find one consistent host you both like. 

Other protocols might be one person books and deals with comics and the other makes flyers and organizes with the venues. You don't want to split up the same tasks, as that creates a lot of unneeded "I'll get back to you" conversations. In business we call that the Waterfall Method. Where a series of tasks have to get done first, and then people point fingers claiming responsibilities weren't done. You want people to be able to work as a team, but also alone. 

When Creating Online Content Be a Team
This can get really tricky. I know a lot of comics who got together, made a series of sketches, and ended the relationships faster than their last collab. Here's why: Too many cooks in the kitchen. When creating online content, you really need a singular voice. In television it's the show runner. In cinema it's the director. In reality TV, it's the executive producer. In most projects I've collaborated in, I was the writer. Sure, people can add ideas, but they understand if I don't like them, it's best to keep the script or sketch as is, and then you can shoot a few alt takes if needed. 

Try to have one person be the focal person in posting and running the social media accounts. If you want to have one person run TikTok and the other run Instagram, that's fine, but allow them the freedom to run it as they want. Being a micromanager to an "equal," won't work. The group can have access to all the socials, but it's best to have one person run them. 

When it comes to monetizing the content, it is best to create a separate account. This could include money you earn from IG or TikTok but also from potential investors, sponsors, and crowdfunding. If all the money goes into a mutual account, it will be far easier to track spending and allows access to both parties. Trust me, you don't want one person taking all the money, especially if taxes are factored in down the road. 

Maintaining the Friendship Over Producing the Shows 
While many people can work in a group, I've found most stories end badly. When I took the job at Flappers in 2019, I knew that it was really just the beginning of the end. Because every job ends with people quitting or getting fired. Rarely are there opportune times to split ways. My story ended with a bad faith financial arrangement from management, leading to a now burnt bridge. But, I knew that would be a possibility when I started. I saw how it ended for others. But I assumed I'd learn a lot, and I did. If anything, I took the job knowing we'd burn the bridge, which gave me a freedom to not have to deal with the nonsense I wasn't a fan of to begin with.   

I've ran shows with people, only to have them get burned out and no longer want to run them. Most of them don't do comedy anymore at all. I've also had great relationships where roles were defined and we kept it professional. I discourage "friends" from running shows together because "friends" will just assume they can behave less professionally. It's like a roommate situation. You really don't know a person until you share space with them. And I've had roommates not pay rent, change the rent price, and bring in other people without my consent. The headaches aren't worth it anymore. If you move in with your best friend, and they're a bad roommate, you've lost a roommate and a friend. Same goes with co-producing comedy content and shows.  

What you want to do is be supportive more than you are reliant. When I worked at Nickelodeon I met a writer who submitted their spec script as a duo but the network only liked him. So he dumped the buddy and wrote on the next three hit shows, whereas the partner moved back to the East Coast. Loyalty in this industry is rare. And money and fame and status only complicates it. 

Final Thoughts
If you are thinking of teaming up with someone, I encourage you to overthink everything in the beginning from length of the shows or content to the payment percentages to how you'll spend money up front. This will do two things:

1. You'll see how organizing makes them act and react. 
2. It will catch creative red flags early on.  

Complimenting each other should be the main goal. Maybe there is a writer and director. Maybe there is a booker and a venue producer. One person might have the money and the other has the people skills. 

And it's okay if one or both of you see value in building your brands, but be honest up front. If the comic wants to use the show to book their friends as opposed to swapping shows with stranger, then adjust the bookings accordingly or just back out immediately. 

Never make last minute changes without running it by them, even if it means it'll take an extra minute. Don't be offended if they call it "my show" to others just to simplify communication. It is their show too. And always allow an open door to ask questions. If there is a huge benefit in co-creating or co-producing, it's the potential to learn better business skills and patience. 

Even MORE Final Thoughts
In the end, keep in mind that comedy is not a team sport. That's improv. And if you don't play well with others, then team sports aren't for you. 

On the content side, keep in mind there are reasons for unions in Hollywood. Writers write parts so actors can act. Actors act because directors direct. And directors direct because producers produce. If it was all committee based, then it would become an alliance like reality show with certain members getting voted off. 

​If you set your objectives and expectations up front, you'll be way less bitter and upset in the end. I mean, you'll always be bitter and upset, you're a comic, but it will at least be less.