Hello Beautiful People!
Erika Cervantes is a professional funny gal. She’s the founder/CEO of Comediva, and a writer of all things comedic. She provides a platform and stage for female comedians/comedy writers, and that dear friends, is a beautiful (and funny) thing. We’re thrilled to have her as a feature on the Movers & Shakers Q&A Series, and we know you’ll love her as much as we do! So, read on, and laugh with the one and only, Erika Cervantes…
TWT: First things first, can you tell our readers more about Comediva?
EC: Absolutely! Comediva.com is the go-to place for all things female and funny. We pride ourselves on making the best, funniest, most premium videos on the web, which you can see at Comediva.com and at youtube.com/comediva. We make content for women, but all kinds of audiences love it.
TWT: What three pieces of advice would you give to high school students wanting to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
EC: Try to get on a film set as soon as you can, even if it’s a student film, or even if just as an extra. Watch the magic being made, and think about what you might want to learn more about, like camera or sound or producing. Or maybe you’ll realize that 12-hour days and running on coffee fumes are not for you, and you’d rather write, or edit, or work in development, or marketing. There are so many aspects of the entertainment industry that are fit for very different personalities, so explore all the possibilities.
And if you realize you do want to be a writer, start to find your voice. Your “voice” is your unique style and point-of-view that comes across on the page. The only way to find your voice is to start writing every chance you get. This will take many, many, years, so be patient. Don’t expect everything you write to be perfect. No matter how good it is, it will never be good enough for that voice in your head. I think I wrote six or seven feature screenplays before I had one that I could read and go, “yeah, this is what I wanted to do. This is what I pictured in my head.” So don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember that you’re doing this because you love it, and try to keep loving it. Lastly, get comfortable with not knowing all the answers. You never will. And that’s okay.
TWT: Is it more difficult for women to gain success as a professional comedian than it is for men?
EC: The short answer is no, because succeeding in comedy is equally tough for everyone.
But the long answer is…probably. Because there are fewer successful female standups, as well as in any field where you have limited role models that you can see following the path of, it becomes harder to imagine being successful.
And then there are a lot of dolts out there that still like to trot out the tired “women aren’t funny” conversation once in awhile, which is just boring at this point, so my MO is usually to ignore it and not perpetuate the myth. But it’s something that female standups starting out today probably still have to contend with.
But the good news is, more women in comedy are rising to prominence every day. Tina and Amy have done a lot for us in the last few years, and so has Bridesmaids, and the Melissa McCarthys and Lena Dunhams that have broken new ground.
The other good news is funny is funny, and if you’re a funny person, you work hard, and you’re true to your voice, people will respond to it.
TWT: Here at The Write Teacher(s), many of us work with “at-risk” youth. These students are recovering drug addicts; struggling drug addicts, teenage parents, and almost all of them come from broken homes. The struggles, demons, and anger that our students face is often a hindrance to their progress in school and life in general. Do you have any words of inspiration to offer these students?
EC: A phrase I live by is “it’s always darkest before the dawn.” I’ve been to some pretty dark places in my life. But every time I’ve reached my lowest low, there comes a moment when the clouds part. Suddenly I see that it’s going to be okay, or maybe even better than I could’ve ever imagined, and I can’t possibly give up hope now.
When times are hard, you have to believe that they won’t always be this hard. In the moment, it will be almost impossible to do this. But you have to believe in your power to change, to take control of your life and make it better. Trust that you’ll always find a way to survive, and come out stronger than you ever imagined you could be.
Writing and art have an incredible power to heal, and to help you process emotions that are hard to talk about. Let your creativity be your therapy. And if you’re an artist, the tough experiences you go through will shape who you are. Remember that your story is what makes you unique, and that’s priceless.
TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
EC: Arts programs are too easy to cut, because they seem like they don’t have a direct path to a job.
But creativity is a tremendous asset in any career, and so are the skills that students learn from arts programs – especially in collaborative arts like theater that teach you to communicate, to build something from nothing, and even to be a leader.
Art is also how we reflect upon the world we live in. Art history is a fascinating lens to look through when you study history, because art holds up a mirror to the times that we live in. Even the silly web parodies we make at Comediva are a reflection of our culture at this time. So maybe in 100 years, they’ll be studied in a history class. Or not. 😉
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie? Or, top five if you can’t pick just one.
Aw, man! Let me answer it this way: the three movies that I probably burned a hole through on my VHS growing up (throwback!) from watching so many times were Wayne’s World, Clueless, and the Star Wars original trilogy. OK, so technically that’s five movies.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
EC: Life! But for real, I have to give credit to my high school English teacher Mrs. Fulgham for making me realize I was a writer. And then, my film school directing teacher, the legendary Nina Foch, taught me so many things that turned out to be so true about filmmaking. I still quote her constantly.
Thank you, Erika!
Live, Love, Learn,
Megan &