American comic Joe Kwaczala discusses the key to capturing genuine stand-up performances on film.

      Joe Kwaczala, a comedian based in Los Angeles, is the writer and star of the mockumentary American Comic, which follows two stand-up comedians, both portrayed by Kwaczala, as they navigate the contemporary comedy landscape. The film, directed by Daniel J. Clark, will debut on Sunday at Dances With Films. In the following piece, Joe Kwaczala discusses his efforts to accurately depict the comedy world. —M.M.

      I created American Comic for several reasons, but it fundamentally stems from this:

      “HOW ARE THEY GETTING THIS SO WRONG?!” I find myself exclaiming this every time I watch a film or TV show that features stand-up comedy as part of its narrative. It's just one of the many things I yell: “That doesn’t resemble a comedy club!” “Audiences in a venue of that size wouldn’t react like that!” “That wouldn’t elicit a laugh!”

      Having been a comedian for over 15 years, I have always been intrigued by the failure of fictional narratives to accurately portray stand-up on screen. This realization hit me with even more intensity as I prepared to make my debut feature film, American Comic.

      In crafting the script, I drew from countless experiences throughout my career to create a satire of stand-up akin to This Is Spinal Tap. With that as the foundation, it was essential to not only showcase stand-up on screen but also to ensure it felt genuine. If history is any indication, I was setting myself up for difficulty.

      Joe Kwaczala on the Challenges of Getting American Comic Right

      Thus, there was significant pressure to make this work. My approach? Reverse-engineering it. By examining what doesn’t work, I hoped to clarify what to steer clear of, allowing me to chart a path to success.

      I identified my primary concerns regarding the depiction of stand-up comedy in three main areas: the setting, audience reactions, and the material. If any of these elements fell short, the overall impact would suffer. Therefore, I needed to focus on all three.

      Comedians might have varying opinions on the ideal setting for a stand-up performance, but most would agree that intimacy is crucial. This entails close quarters, low ceilings, and the audience being close to each other and the stage. Numerous comedy clubs are designed with these features.

      Conversely, what do film productions require? Ample space! They need room for lights, cameras, and all the equipment the crew requires. As a result, when a scene is set in a comedy club, they often seek (or even create) a location that provides the necessary space for filming, which leads to an environment lacking in intimacy. The clear solution to this dilemma was to shoot in actual venues.

      However, we faced the challenge of the crew. Some real stand-up rooms might not accommodate even a small film crew. Therefore, we opted for a minimal approach. I collaborated with director Daniel J. Clark, known for his excellent fly-on-the-wall documentary, Behind the Curve. We decided that for those particular scenes, the crew would consist solely of him and a camera, capturing the action from a corner of the room.

      American Comic director Daniel J. Clark (left) with writer-actor Joe Kwaczala on set. Photo by Caroline Clark.

      This allowed us to leverage not only the physical characteristics of these real spaces but also their intangible, lived-in qualities that would be unattainable elsewhere.

      Clearly, we weren't the first to think, “Let’s shoot our stand-up scene at an actual stand-up venue.” Yet, even when utilizing a real location, typical productions still tend to rely on artificial audience reactions. This is another aspect of film portrayals of stand-up that misses the mark. Productions often gather extras and attempt to direct them like an orchestra: “Laugh loudly here, chuckle at this joke, boo at this guy.”

      This process contradicts human nature: laughter is an involuntary reaction! Thus, this forced contrivance is bound to feel off. Daniel and I recognized that the only solution was to film during live stand-up performances.

      At this point, I’d like to clarify that American Comic is not a documentary. It’s a narrative film featuring fictional characters. I portray the two lead roles and designed them to be comedians with very different styles from my own. To avoid fake laughs, these characters needed to earn genuine ones.

      We also kept from informing the audiences that I was in character. For authenticity on screen, we required real reactions. Consequently, there were numerous stand-up performances in 2024 where audience members were unaware that one of the comedians they saw was actually me portraying a movie character. My apologies!

      In that sense, one might say the film resembles a documentary.

      This brings us to the last piece of the “Stand-Up Authenticity Puzzle:” the material. Anyone can take the stage at a comedy show and bomb with a poor joke. However, the comedians I’m depicting in this film are meant