Chorts! are short comedy sketches (max 2 minutes long) that engage an audience, introducing an exciting new comedy character or concept, and talented new creators.

Chorts videos must be:

- A maximum of 2 minutes long
- First published in 2022 or later (or not published publicly yet)
- Submitted via a YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok video link (not private or password protected)
- Work as a stand alone sketch or short, able to grab the audience in the first 3 seconds and be engaging throughout (not a long build up followed by a single punch line at the end)
- Original and stand out from the crowd (specifically from the Comedy Crowd in this case)

We recommend keeping in mind the type of topics that can be relatable to an audience using social platforms. Think nostalgia, famous faces, cultural icons and trends that people enjoy talking about, family, work, love and friendships, politics, health, sport, topics such as BLM, LGBTQ, the environment.

We also strongly recommend focussing on the character or characters in your Chort video. The best Chorts have introduced new comedy characters that you can immediately imagine being part of a funny world.

The submission deadline is 23:59 GMT on Sunday 15th October 2023.

Judging

Team Comedy Crowd and a committee of comedy creators will select a “Chortlist” (shortlist) of entries. All shortlisted videos will be screened in an upcoming awards event.

Industry Judges will vote on their favourite and videos will then be showcased on socials to determine the winner of the Audience Award.

Awards & Prizes

– The overall winner as selected by our panel of Industry Judges will receive a cash prize of £250. Our industry judges include major global channel commissioners and producers.

– There will also be a separate prize of £250 for the Chort with the most views, likes and engagement on Comedy Crowd channels after the first week.

– The best entries will be screened at a special Comedy Crowd awards event late in 2023

– All "Chortlist" entries will be shared on Comedy Crowd YouTube and Facebook channels, and the creators will automatically be enrolled in the Comedy Crowd Top Talent group receiving commercial comedy briefs

Rules & Terms

Is this open to anyone anywhere in the world?
Yes.

Is it free to enter?
Yes.

Is there a limit to the number of Chorts I can submit?
Yes. You can submit one Chort for each unique comedy character / sketch concept. You can submit up to three Chorts in total.

Can you give me some help / guidance?
In the guidelines above we have mentioned a few topic examples and how focussing on characters can help. We are looking for high impact sketches that people relate to. They can come from very simple observations, but should be topics / characters that people relate to and are executed in an engaging way.

For guidance on coming up with ideas and developing them into a sketch structure, this blog post by one of our expert sketch script editors Chris Head is a great starting point:

https://thecomedycrowd.com/how-to-write-a-comedy-sketch/

https://thecomedycrowd.com/how-to-create-a-comedy-character/

Can I enter a Chort with no dialogue?
Yes. The sketch should be visually arresting, and this is certainly possible with no dialogue

Can I enter if I’m under 18?
Yes, we just ask that a parent or guardian accept responsibility for you and agree to the challenge rules.

Please ask your parent to submit on your behalf adding the following text to the submission in the large text field Name:

“I submit on behalf of [insert name], as their parent / guardian and give my permission for them to enter Chorts 2023.”

What about using stock music / footage in my Chort?
You can use music and stock footage that is cleared for use in your Chort. Make sure you have cleared the copyright for anything you use. If you don’t hold the complete rights for the music / stock footage, don’t use it.

Do I retain full creative ownership of my Chort video?
Yes absolutely. The intellectual property in the video is yours and we make no claim to it, so we won’t take the world or characters you develop without permission.

Please remember by taking part in Chorts 2023 and submitting your entity, you grant us an in-perpetuity, world-wide, royalty free, non-exclusive license to promote, publish, sample, and sub-license the work. This allows us to promote Chorts and help share your comedy in a way that reaches an audience of engaged fans.

Additionally, you grant us permission to edit or modify your entry (including its title) for any screening on our YouTube channel. Comedy Crowd shall credit you accordingly and include reference to you in any description.

Any more questions? Just send us an email to theccteam@thecomedycrowd.com