COVID-19 UPDATE - The BFI is currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions so the screening event with LOCO is now expected take place later in the year (The event date listed is likely to change once the rearranged date is confirmed) . We have extended the submission deadline to 15 May 2020 as a result.
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In May 2020 The Comedy Crowd teams up with LOCO Comedy Film Festival and British Comedy Guide Pro to present a special screening event at the BFI Southbank, London. We’ll be showing the best of new independent comedy to an audience including invited industry guests.
There are 4 categories to enter, and you can submit as many different entries as you wish (but only one of each comedy character / theme / idea. So if you have 5 sketches of the same type, just submit the best one). Your submission should be a sketch, short or episode that works on its own and gets to the funny of an idea you’d like to develop further. It must be a maximum of 5 minutes and needs to fall into at least one of these categories:
1. Animation
Show us some great animated comedy. Push the boundaries - we know that 5 weeks to make an animation is challenging so keep it simple - focus on quality of the comedy rather than intricacies of the animation.
2. Music
We want to see what you can do with music and comedy. The music may only form part of the submission, and it can include original songs or parody.
3. How to...
The internet is awash with instructional videos. Give us a comedy take that introduces a great character or a brilliant concept.
4. Famous Faces
Create a comedy piece that links to a well known celebrity in some way… but be ready to create something original. There’s no space for a tired Trump impression or for copyrighted content here… try something new.
How long should my video be?
The maximum length of video is 5 mins. We’re interested in whether it’s funny, and we love content that grabs audience attention from the start. So if it does those two things it could even be 30 seconds.
Judging
The entries will be judged by a panel of the Comedy Crowd community. We are the largest worldwide community of independent creators which enable us to assemble a diverse and balanced cross section of comedic tastes.
***BCG Pro is the UK's leading online platform for new, emerging and established comedy professionals. It provides tools and services for those looking to advance their career in comedy on stage, screen, radio or behind the scenes. Find out more at https://www.comedy.co.uk/pro/ ***
A shortlist of the best entries will be screened and an overall winner will receive £250.
The Comedy Crowd BFI Showcase will take place in front of an audience of invited industry guests and creators. Alongside seeing their comedy screened, winning creators will have a chance to meet and greet our invited guests at the iconic BFI venue.
The winning videos will also be shown on Comedy Crowd TV, where creators earn a fair share of subscription revenue and have the chance of onward distribution. Plus we’ll promote your work within the Comedy Crowd community and to our partners. If your video really delivers you could get offers to develop it further!