The search for the next big Irish comedy act starts today
Digital Comedy Lab is an incubation program for film projects in the comedy mockumentary genre for the new YouTube generation, providing support in the following areas: training, script development, production financing and distribution. It will select 6 new comedy creators or comedians in Ireland and provide them with the training and the tools to allow this pool of talent to produce and successfully distribute content on the new digital platforms.
The Digital Comedy Lab is produced by beActive (the digital studio behind Sofia’s Diary, Flatmates, 350 South and the Emmy nominated Final Punishment) in partnership with Filmbase, and Setanta Sports. It’s open to comedy writers, actors, comedians, producers and/or directors who believe that they have an idea that could be the next Borat, The Office or This is Spinal Tap – applications open from today until the 31st of January 2012 to be part of Digital Comedy Lab.
From the applications received, a judging panel will select 6 projects to enter the training and mentoring programme and one of these will get production funding to shoot a low cost digital feature film during Summer 2012 to be screened to an Irish audience by early 2013. The winning project will be announced at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Details for the lab are available on-line now at www.digitalcomedylab.com.
Speaking today in Dublin Nuno Bernardo, Managing Director of beActive said: ‘Digital Comedy Lab is a scouting and development program for new comedy talent in Ireland, through a new kind of training and production program that has been created with the industry’s current demands, economics and the audience tendencies in mind’.
Speaking on the launch of the Lab Alan Fitzpatrick, CEO of Filmbase said ‘the training, mentoring, production and distribution advice integral to this scheme, in addition to the funding on offer, will provide invaluable support to new and emerging Irish film talent who can engage an audience across a range of platforms. We are delighted to be supporting this innovative scheme and look forward to seeing an exciting range of projects emerge from new Irish filmmakers.’
Tony Whelan, Controller of Programming at Setanta Ireland said ‘There is an unrelenting appetite for innovative Irish comedy and this is a brilliant initiative to help feed that demand. Following our success with the mockumentary series Fran partnering with beActive for the Digital Comedy Lab is a natural step. We look forward to giving the winning project it’s Irish TV premiere’
Full details on the Digital Comedy Lab can be found at:
