Comedy

Comedy is an anomaly. You can be the funniest guy any of your friends have ever known and completely suck at performing it onstage. But bombing at a comedy club doesn't mean you aren't funny, it just means you haven't properly translated yourself to the stage. I'm by no means trying to sound like some wise, comedy guru--it's just that the idea of one person going up in front of a hundred strangers and making them laugh so hard they inherit a six-pack goes completely against any instinctual habits of communication.

When I first started doing stand-up comedy, it was great to finally be trying what I always dreamed of. I had just graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance, so being up in front of people felt very natural. What didn't feel natural was being all alone, reciting my very own words to a silent crowd of drunks and intimidating comics without any family or friends there to support me. But once I had a show where people laughed like I'd heard them laugh in my head when practicing my jokes in the shower, I was hooked. From May 2009 to September 2010, I did as many shows and contests as I could while living with my parents in Denver, Colorado. In September of 2010 I moved to Los Angeles. I didn't want to dive head first into comedy like I did in Denver because I preferred to settle into a new city before I started losing sleep over jokes that failed at open mics. But the comedy bug is once again beginning to nibble...

Chad Neidt's Standup Comedy from Chad Neidt on Vimeo.

Music

When I was 4 or 5, my Mom got me a California Raisins Guitar for Christmas. I had no idea how to play it--I just violently strummed the nylon strings and repeatedly screamed "California Raisins!" I'm sure if the sight was caught on tape and screened for middle schoolers taking sex-ed it would have been an effective form of birth control. I was a loud, stupid ass-hole of a kid.

But in choir, you were encouraged to be a loud, stupid ass-hole, especially in sunday school choir. That was the bright spot in the church service. I could be completely obnoxious and people fully embraced it. But years later I discovered that I actually really enjoyed singing. Eventually, it became more about sounding good than sticking out. In 8th grade I began taking guitar lessons and hunting down guitar tabs of every fast, machine-gun lick I could find.

Since learning how to play guitar when I was 15, I've been writing songs. Some of them are funny, and some (intentionally and unintentionally) are not. Give a little look see below for a sample.

Chad is holding a Kickstarter through October 31st, 2012 to raise money for an album! Check out his dumb musical plea for money:


Chad's cover of "All He Does is Win" which was recently featured on the show ESPN First Take and Sportscenter.

Acting

I have been acting for over 15 years in stage productions, musicals, films, and commercials. In 2009 I graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a double degree BFA in Theatre Performance and Broadcast News. There I performed in numerous plays and musicals and was nominated for the Irene Ryan award for my performance as the scrooge-esque humbug Mr. Maraczek in “She Loves Me!” I was also a member of CU's premiere men's acappella group In The Buff. Currently, I'm acting in numerous self-produced comedy sketches that will be released regularly in the Spring of 2012.



Chad Neidt's acting reel from Chad Neidt on Vimeo.



Chad Neidt's on camera slate from Chad Neidt on Vimeo.

Filmmaking

Initially, I wanted to become a reporter/news anchor. Because of my ongoing interest in acting, I felt that this profession would fulfill my craving to perform. However, after shooting and editing numerous projects at CU's journalism school, I fell in love with being behind the camera much more than talking into it. After taking a class in Documentary filmmaking, I was hooked on telling intriguing stories and creating sequences on Final Cut Pro. During that class, I made a 12-minute documentary about a homeless newspaper that went on to be nominated for an Emmy award in student achievement. I do freelance shooting and editing at an hourly wage for promotional videos, documentaries, feature films--really anything related with production. Currently I work as an Editor for Clevver Media in Hollywood.

This Summer I will be embarking on editing my first feature film. It is set to be shot entirely in my home state of Colorado, all by a Colorado director, crew, and actors. We are currently fund-raising for the project this month. Check it out below!

Dutchman's Run Kickstarter


Chad's editing reel (2010)


My Documentary "The Denver Voice" which was nominated for an emmy.



The Denver Voice from Chad Neidt on Vimeo.