The Internet+

The Internet /Moving Mind Studio+

Internet-based sketches

  • video heavy

    • differ from Television

  • Use images, clipart, memes to help sell the joke

  • Some sketches shot like short films. Others look like a PowerPoint presentation

  • Internet-based comedy has BEEN around for quite a while (not as “New” as we think)

  • Content changes to fit new services (TikTok, etc.)

  • Earlier internet sketch comedy would unlikely ever make it to broadcast

    • Quality just wasn’t there at the time

    • both technical and YouTube’s encoding

Internet sketch comedy groups (more established groups to newcomers)

We see a mix of traditional sketch comedy groups/shows (SNL) and newcomers

  • Early days = lots of experimenting to see what works (a lot of it doesn’t

  • Established groups tended to view sketch comedy on the internet as an extension of television

    • would make video sketches that could be used for broadcast

    • Crews, good cameras, high (relatively speaking) production values

    • Backed by broadcasters

    • Ex: SNL’s “Lazy Sunday

  • Newcomers often came from no such background

    • Just threw something together for fun

    • Videos and clips go viral

    • Learning as they went

Period of Convergence

  • Larger media players start acquiring smaller YouTube channels

  • Even YouTube gets acquired by Google

  • More of a divide between “Amateur” and “Professional” productions

  • Mirrors what we see on all social media and not just for sketch comedy

Period of accessibility

  • technical Gear is even cheaper (Green Screen, HD/4K cameras, etc.)

  • User Generated (No need for network approval)

  • Anyone can watch or choose not to

Period of Refinement

  • Newcomers become seasoned professionals on social media

  • Influencers – sponsorships

  • $$$

Age of the Analytics - Internet Sketch Comedy Today

  • Many content-creators closely monitor the performance of their sketches'

  • cant gauge their reactions, this is the next best thing

  • Focus more on what gets views - more revenue

  • More homogenous content (cus thats what gets the view, can get really repetitive)

Current Internet based Sketch Comedy

  • Fewer “troupes” more individuals

    • With green screen and editing one person can become many

  • Lots of character work

  • Content reflects social media

    • Sketches about influencers, bitcoin, etc

  • Production values can still vary

    • Content more important

  • Meme-heavy

  • More niche-based comedy

LOADING READY RUN: The Beginning

  • a Canadian entertainment group that produces video and audio comedy. It often covers video games, internet trends, and popular culture.

  • Victoria-based troupe founded in 2003

  • Started doing video sketches to post online

    • Maintained a weekly schedule

  • Humour and style appealed to “internet geeks”

    • Their logo harkens to the Commodore 64

    • Name is a play on an application loading screen

    • Heavily influenced by video games

  • Expanded from weekly sketches

    • They’re not really a sketch comedy troupe anymore

  • Produced videos for others

    • Penny Arcade’s PATV

    • Wizards of the Coast

    • Cards Against Humanity

LOADING READY RUN: Branching Out

  • More livestreams

  • Let’s Plays on Twitch

  • LoadingReadyLIVE = variety show similar to old-school sketch shows

  • Podcasts

  • Desert Bus for Hope = A livestreamed gaming session of Penn & Teller Desert Bus mini- game with raises funds for Child’s Play charity

Original Group of “Moving Mind Studio”

  • Sketch comedy trio

    • Ryan George

    • Brandon Calder

    • Samuel Brisson

  • Started in 2010 on YouTube

  • Have pitched to CBC and Kevin Hart

  • They still perform

Ryan George

  • Montreal-based sketch comedy performer

    • Also a Concordia Communications grad (like me!)

  • Primary channel: Ryan George

    • Also does a video series called “Pitch Meeting” for Entertainment website Screen Rant

    • Lampoons popular movies/TV and the glaring plot holes

  • He plays all characters in his sketches

    • With occasional guests

  • Uses a Green Screen and editing to create snappy, fast-paced sketches

  • Humour is very upbeat and polite

    • Very Canadian

  • Member of Moving Mind Studio

Brandon Calder

  • Member of Moving Mind Studio

  • Director, writer, and producer from Montreal, Québec

  • His film “Dinner forThree” premiered at Fantasia Festival

  • Works in commercials, music videos, and streaming

  • Multiple side jobs (was a teacher)

Lilly Singh

  • Toronto born YouTuber

    • 14+ million subscribers

    • Pseudonym IISuperwomanII (until 2019)

  • Began making YouTube videos in 2010

  • Among the highest paid YouTubers by 2017

  • Has about 1.5 million followers on TikTok

  • Undergrad from York University

    • Would have gone to grad school if the YouTube thing didn’t pan out

Lilly Singh’s Sketch Comedy style

  • character heavy

  • Portrays fictional versions of herself and family

    • Manjeet Singh (father)

    • Paramjeet Singh (mother)

    • Lillinder (fictional brother)

    • Rani Singh (fictional auntie)

    • Tony Uncle (fictional uncle)

    • Other characters = Jessica (stereotypical “white girl”

Lilly Singhs Huge Success — “A Little Late With Lilly Singh”

  • NBC Commissioned late-night show in Fall 2019

    • Aired at 1:37am weeknights

    • Early positive reviews

  • First woman among current gen to lead a late-night show

  • Lots of YouTube tie-in (to get her fans from there)

  • Show was cancelled after two seasons

  • Reports of a primetime sketch comedy show – never panned out

  • Singh feels the table was stacked against her according to her Ted Talk

  • right when she changed her name from “Superwoman”