A quick online search of Soleh Solihun throws up the following terms: actor, stand-up comedian, journalist. Absolutely spot-on, as the 38-year old has done all those enthusiastically (not to mention his other professions, such as radio broadcaster). In contrast to Andy Warhol’s quotes “In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes”, Soleh’s career and fame progressed slowly but surely, filled with various surprises along the way.The Warhol quote was taken from his blog, from an entry in February 2005, when he had just started blogging. He has come a long way from there to now becoming a movie director as well and is currently preparing for his second movie ‘Reuni Z’.Soleh’s career trajectory is quite similar to that of ‘Sensasi’. He started out as an MTV Trax reporter, then known for his ‘cool’ music journalism writing. Even after leaving Trax, he was still fondly remembered. He moved to a ‘SENSASIonal’ magazine, a part of Playboy Indonesia. After Playboy Indonesia closed, Soleh began working at the Rolling Stone. However, according to his Wikipedia page, he was fired for a violation of company policies – working at two companies simultaneously. It is unsurprising to see he is not afraid of anything, like when he is asked whether people are offended by his acts during his stand-up routines. He replies that it is normal to expect little mockery in stand up, as that is a part of the routine, and most, if not all, people are aware about this.The Crafters asked Soleh for creative tips on making stand-up scripts more appealing to the masses. Here's what he shared:In economic terms, think of the opportunity cost. This is often defined as the benefits you forgo when choosing one alternative over another. When you commit to 10 freelance writing jobs, for example, ask yourself whether you’re missing out on the chance to whip up five kickass articles instead—articles you can truly be proud of and happy about.1. Research
Before creating the content, it is important to determine what theme should the content be based on, and whether the theme will be interesting or not, and being wary of the sensitive topics/issues in the audience’s community.2. Write honest content
The message(s) content creators want to convey to the audience must by written with honesty, based on what they feel or have actually experienced. Such content will be perceived as real by the audience, especially if they can relate to is something they feel, or something which happens in our day to day lives.3. Speak their language
Do not assume that people can easily understand what you are thinking. Use language which is clear, so that people can easily understand the message you are trying to convey. Be articulate (and use proper intonation for oral content), so that members of the audience comprehend you easily and do not need to ask the people around them “What did he say? It’s not clear!”4. Do market testing
Determining your target audience is critical in ensuring your content is well received. After establishing that and preparing the content, it is important to test it in front of an audience. For Soleh, he visits places which have an open mic policy, to perform his new scripts there. If the audience response is not favourable, he is not disheartened, but goes back and revising the script to be performed again in front of an audience of a few close people, and then trying again in another open mic session.5. It HAS to be funny
For Soleh, the content he creates is not an ordinary script, but content for his stand-up acts. Therefore, being funny is not an option, it is a requirement. “For me, being funny is the most important requirement. And making sure that it is something that majority, if not the entire, audience enjoys – as what I think funny may not necessarily be perceived as the same for the audience. Therefore, I need to be diligent during the script writing, and follow all the aforementioned point as well” said Soleh.
