The Business of Comedy

I interviewed Donovan Goliath, founder of entertainment company Goliath and Goliath and two years running Loeries Creative Voice, to find out what one could expect to learn from his masterclass on ‘The Business of Comedy’. His team, Kate Goliath and Nicholas Goliath are joining him on stage for a more comprehensive discussion around how to run a creative business and turn comedic ideas into monetary gains.

Loeries Creative Week

#Loeries2016: Unmasking the unifying power of creativity

Leigh Andrews  8 Apr 2016

Everyone from students, junior to mid-level creatives, young entrepreneurs, brand managers and marketing managers are encouraged to attend.

Donovan Goliath

Comment on your role as ‘Loeries Creative Voice’.
Last year my job entailed breaking down the Loeries, what it meant, what each entry category stood for and making the concept of it easy for anyone who is not in the industry to digest. I'm all about keeping conversation around creativity going. Last year we used radio as a platform to have these discussions and share with young people who otherwise would never have had the experience.

Why the shift from radio to social media this year?

Social media has become such a powerful force, not only to share content but to get conversations and engagement going. The platform made sense because of who we were trying to target.

What is your involvement in the Loeries this year?
Apart from being the Loeries Creative Voice again, I'll also be doing a masterclass with my business partners, talking about ‘the business of comedy’.

Tell us a bit more about this masterclass.

It's going to be about how to monetize comedy. We'll speak about stand-up comedy, endorsements, brand alignments, personal brand value and why humour is currency.

Comment on the power of humour in the creative industry.
It's imperative. Apart from being a key pillar in selling products, it's also a powerful tool in idea generation. Creating a playful, foolish environment where creatives don't feel judged when coming up with silly, ridiculous ideas allows for a state of flow and magic to happen.

What do you love most about being in ‘the business of comedy’?
The spontaneity of it. It changes every minute. There's always a new young guy with fresher stories and insights. There's always something 'breaking' on the news. You just never know what's going to happen. It's all about adapt or die.

In your case, you were first a creative, then a comic. Now it’s first and foremost about comedy, through which you’ve learnt to deliver palatable content to educate, motivate and inspire. Explain this shift in perspective and practice.

To be honest it wasn't a major jump for me. At heart, I've always been a performer, always loved the attention. Comedy still allows me to be a creative and generate ideas, it's just the medium that's different.

What’s the key takeout?
You'll learn the power of communication, teamwork and authenticity.

The bottom line?
Be yourself. You are enough.

The masterclasses are currently under way at the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel in Durban. For more info on these, go to Loeries.com.