If you're an aspiring stand-up comedian, you can learn a lot by watching stand-up comedy documentaries. There are lots of them to choose from, and many cover the lives of stand-up comedians in great detail. You can use stand-up comedy documentaries as study guides to learn the ins and outs of the business and to use them to improve your own career.

Get a feel for what the career is really like

Before you're actively involved in the stand-up comedy world, your idea of what a career in stand-up comedy might be like is based only on your imagination. Stand-up comedy documentaries give you an inside look at what stand-up careers are really like. Typically, stand-up comedy is presented to us as a polished, finished product. We rarely get to see what happens before these moments, but the process is important to see if you plan on pursuing a career in stand-up comedy.

Comedy-culture knowledge

Just as painters research the great painters of the past, aspiring stand-up comedians should study comedy history. When you watch stand-up comedy documentaries, you will come across important references and facts related to comedy culture and history. Some of those things will spark your interest, and you will naturally want to learn more. 

Study stand-up techniques

Many stand-up comedy documentaries will include footage from real stand-up sets. You can watch these sets and study the writing and performance techniques that the comedians use. You might see something that you can apply to your own stand-up sets to improve them. Stand-up documentaries will often also have footage of comedians showing their writing processes and other performance preparation techniques. This information is very important for new comedians who don't have much experience.

Inspiration

When you're pursuing a difficult career, such as stand-up comedy, inspiration is necessary in order for you to continue forward. Stand-up comedy documentaries are a great source of inspiration for aspiring stand-up comedians. You will see stand-up comedians who are living your dream, which makes it seem much more possible for you to succeed. If they can do it, why can't you? It's one thing to imagine being a successful stand-up comedian, but it's actually witnessing it happen that breeds true inspiration.

Learn about the business side of comedy

Stand-up comedy is an art, but there's a business side to it as well. In order to thrive in the comedy industry, you'll need to learn about how comedians earn their money. Stand-up comedy documentaries are often loaded with knowledge about how the business works and how to successfully navigate it.

To learn more, try watching stand-up comedy documentaries.