What You Need To Know First
Before I get into the detailed performance evaluation data that Comedy Evaluator Pro can generate for you for performance benchmarking and act improvement…
Here’s some information you should be aware of:
You need to have a video or audio recording of your stand-up comedy (or another comedian’s stand-up comedy) that you can listen to and hear the audience responses generated during the performance (or particular segment of a recorded performance) in order to conduct a CEP evaluation.
CEP is used to measure the audible frequency and duration of each episode of laughter, cheering or applause generated during any individual performance.
For performance improvement, it is best to have a printed copy of your stand-up comedy act transcribed or written down in order to correlate the performance data provided by CEP to the audience responses generated during any specific evaluated performance.
In order to obtain the most valuable performance data possible, only measure collective audience responses (laughter, cheering or applause) that are representative of the majority of the audience present during the performance — not the responses of only one or a few audience members.
Keep in mind that audience dynamics always have a direct impact on the maximum level of audience response any comedian can generate and should ALWAYS be considered when attempting to compare the performance data of one performance to another or establishing the stability or viability of stand-up comedy material.
Related Article: How Audience Dynamics Directly Impact Comedy Performance Levels
Your goal as a stand-up comedian is to generate a minimum average of 18 seconds of laughter for each performing minute on a consistent basis — regardless of the audience dynamics present during any performance.
What CEP Will Reveal About Your Stand-up Comedy
Here’s the performance evaluation data CEP can give you when evaluating video or audio recordings of your stand-up comedy:
1. Laughter Frequency (or PAR frequency) each minute
This will tell you how many episodes of laughter, cheering or applause that are generated each performing minute evaluated, providing a quick indication of:
-Adequate or insufficient punchline frequency
-Set-ups that are too long (and directly affect punchline frequency)
2. Laughter 
duration (or PAR duration) in seconds for each laugh or positive audience response generated
Relative to audience size and seating, this will tell you exactly how strong or weak any particular punchline is your act is.
This is one of the most powerful aspects of using CEP and can help pinpoint punchlines in a stand-up act that need immediate attention/improvement.
Note: Cheering and applause durations are also included in this aspect of the evaluation.
3. Total seconds of laughter (or PAR) each minute
Any particular minute of your stand-up comedy performance can be identified for “tightening” or improvement that is not producing a minimum of 18 seconds of laughter.
Note: Certain individual minutes of a stand-up act, such as the first minute and upon transition to a new topic can have less that 18 seconds of laughter and still provide the comedian with an overall average of 18+ seconds per minute for any particular performance.
Still, the goal is always to generate a minimum of 18 seconds of laughter per minute.
4. PAR (Positive Audience Response) Score – each minute and overall
PAR Score is nothing more than the percentage of time (by individual minute or for an entire evaluated performance) that was filled with audience laughter, cheering or applause.
An overall PAR Score of 30+ is a headliner level performance.
Comedy Evaluator Pro can also help you to easily determine which of your videos with the best audience response to put on your website or send to talent buyers:
Related Article: Getting Hired As A Comedian: How “Funny” Is Determined In Online Stand-up Comedy Videos
Conclusion
While audience dynamics will always directly impact the performance data you generate from any given performance, make no mistake:
CEP will help you easily identify just how powerful and “tight” your stand-up comedy material is or is not and help you pinpoint specific areas in your act that need immediate improvement.
If you perform multiple evaluations on the same stand-up comedy material, CEP can also help you identify which parts of your act are “hit or miss” and need tightening for better consistency.
Using CEP can set you years apart from most other comedians who exclusively use the “trial and error” approach when developing/delivering their stand-up comedy material.
Probably one of the most powerful aspects of using CEP is this:
CEP will also tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt if you are delivering headliner level stand-up comedy material BEFORE you hold the “title” of headliner.
Note: Rarely, if ever will you hear anyone say that you are delivering headliner level stand-up comedy material. CEP allows you to know just how well you are doing without the need for feedback from anyone else.
Keep this in mind as you are considering using CEP for performance improvement:
Stand-up comedy is a highly competitive performing art where stage time can be very limited, especially in the beginning of a stand-up comedy career.
Subsequently…
You need to be able to make the most of every performance and make swift and intelligent decisions when it comes to making adjustments, edits, revisions or deletions to your stand-up comedy material.
That’s what CEP can do to help you develop and deliver headliner level performances on a consistent basis, whether you choose to “write jokes” the hard way or use the Killer Stand-up Online Course.