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It's Great to be Here! A documentary about life in comedy.

Stand up comics endure long commutes, late nights, low pay, hecklers and more. We explore what it takes to live a life in comedy and why these comics carry on.

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It's Great to be Here! A documentary about life in comedy.

It's Great to be Here! A documentary about life in comedy.

It's Great to be Here! A documentary about life in comedy.

It's Great to be Here! A documentary about life in comedy.

It's Great to be Here! A documentary about life in comedy.

Stand up comics endure long commutes, late nights, low pay, hecklers and more. We explore what it takes to live a life in comedy and why these comics carry on.

Stand up comics endure long commutes, late nights, low pay, hecklers and more. We explore what it takes to live a life in comedy and why these comics carry on.

Stand up comics endure long commutes, late nights, low pay, hecklers and more. We explore what it takes to live a life in comedy and why these comics carry on.

Stand up comics endure long commutes, late nights, low pay, hecklers and more. We explore what it takes to live a life in comedy and why these comics carry on.

Matthew Wohl
Matthew Wohl
Matthew Wohl
Matthew Wohl
1 Campaign |
Burlington, United States
$1,085 USD 27 backers
4% of $22,500 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
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Did You Say Niner?

$9 USD
2 claimed

Host

$25 USD
3 claimed

Showcase

$50 USD
8 claimed

Feature

$100 USD
3 claimed

Cinco de Benjamin

$500 USD
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Associate Producer

$1,000 USD
0 out of 4 of claimed

Executive Producer

$5,000 USD
0 out of 3 of claimed

Project Description

Dying is easy, comedy is hard. Countless performers have taken to the stage to make us laugh, but only a select few have been able to make it their life’s pursuit. Why do comedians endure low wages, a brutal life on the road, obnoxious hecklers and small crowds? What is the draw of comedy? Each night performers with complicated, sometimes dark, pasts put on a mask and make us forget about our problems for a few hours. This film explores how much someone will endure to do the thing they love. INn a business obsessed with "making it", what does that mean and how does that change as you move forward in life. Some of our subjects share how, after long careers, they debate whether to stay on the road or hang up their microphone. At the end of the day, the essence of comedy is still… timing. 

Our film focuses on Kris Shaw, a young comic with five kids; Jay Wendell Walker, an older comedian whose family has its roots in Vaudeville. (Jay has performed since the 60’s and is still going strong.), Max Alexander, a seasoned pro who's performed on every iteration of the Tonight Show, and Thom Tran a comic and vet who's part of the G.I.s of Comedy Tour,  which benefits children of fallen soldiers. Their stories, and the stories of so many others who we feature, will change the way you think about funny men and women.

Project Status

Filming began in December 2012, and since then we’ve interviewed over 20 comics (and filmed more than 40 at work). These comics have been finalists on Last Comic Standing, featured on Comedy Central, appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and toured as part of Howard Stern’s Killers of Comedy.

We’ve filmed in Vermont, New York, Florida, Michigan, Kansas,Texas, Idaho, Oregon, Seattle, Connecticut and more. Future travel planned includes more trips to New York, Indiana, California and Nevada. 

Each of these trips informs more about the lives of the comics we follow. Whether it's a series of one night engagements, a large comedy competition or a benefit for a Presidential Library. Every stop on the road is a story.



Oh, the places we will go.

Interviews to Date

Myq Kaplan
- Max Alexander
- Michael Winslow
- Jimmie Walker
- Adam Lee
- Jay Wendall Walker
- Thom Tran
Kris Shaw
Jose Sarduy
Tony Dijamco
Rusty DeWees
John Tole
Ian Stuart
Bob DiBuono
Kit Rivers
Austin LeFond
-Stu McAllister
- John Fugelsang
- Lee Camp
- Will Durst

....... and many more.  If you get the chance to see any of these performers, do it!  Support them, support their art, and support comedy!

Another Little Trailer


Project Filmmakers

Matt Wohl

Matt is a writer, film maker, performer, and adjunct professor with nearly two decades of experience in professional improv comedy. Trained at Sak Theatre in Orlando, Florida, Matt performed on the Sak Theatre Main Stage before starting his own improv troupe, Atomic Cocktail. Atomic Cocktail has performed in Orlando, Los Angeles and Vermont. Matt also performs with Kamikaze Comedy and The Chris and Matt Show.

Matt holds an MFA in Screenwriting from Spalding University. His original screenplay Funny Man has garnered accolades and awards from various screenwriting competitions. Additionally, Matt has optioned several scripts, including Agent Mom, a comedy in development with Krane Media, and Two Grooms, a comedy in development with Northern Exposure Films.  Matt’s short film $18 was juried into the Vermont International Film Festival and earned him a showcase on Vermont Public Television’s show Reel Independents.

Matt currently teaches screenwriting at Burlington College.

Mark Covino

Originally from Queens, NY, Mark fell in love with film at an early age. By the time he was a student at Eastern Suffolk B.O.C.E.S., he was honing the skills he would need to make the leap from High School student to filmmaker. Soon after graduating high school, Mark moved to VT to attend Burlington College, earning a BA in Cinema Studies and Film Production in 2006.

While Mark was working towards his undergraduate degree, he became heavily active in the VT film-making community, working on productions such as Unless a Death Occurs: Hazing Examined for PBS, Rally-Nation (a pilot optioned for ESPN 2), as well as the highly acclaimed Black Panther documentary What We Want, What We Believe.

In early 2009, because of Mark’s active role in the local film community, fellow VT filmmaker Jeff Howlett approached him with an idea for a documentary, which led to the production of A Band Called Death. Their documentary has been shown at film festivals around the world, and winning awards, including Audience Favorite at SXSW 2013.

What We Need

Comedians go on the road to make money.  It's how they support themselves and their families. We go on the road to follow them, to interview them in their environments, to experience the lives that they're living.

We’re fortunate enough to have most of the equipment we need to finish this project, but we still need a significant investment in time and travel. Some projects speculate on the scope of their expenses. We’ve already begun shooting. We’ve traveled meet all of the performers in our film. Approximately 40% of the money raised will help us complete all the travel we have left (airline tickets, meals, gas, car rentals, tolls and incidentals). Post-production will be about 30%. We currently have nearly 100 hours of footage, and we’re likely to have more than double that by the time we’re finished shooting. That’s a lot of editing. The remainder of the money will go toward hiring crew and purchasing a few pieces of equipment (better mics for interviews, more media storage, gaff tape and all the other little things that add up over the course of a shoot).

In our time shooting this film we’ve shared rooms, slept on floors, eaten frugally and done whatever we need to in order to stretch a limited budget. This will continue to be our  approach as we move forward with the funds generously donated to this production. If we are unable to meet our full funding goal, we will still use the money we raise to work on this film. This is an important film and we’re dedicated to completing this project.

Other Ways You Can Help

This is not just our project. This project belongs to all the comedians who’ve given their time and the countless others we haven’t gotten to know yet. We've posted links to websites and Facebook pages for the comedians that we've interviewed. Check them out, and if they're performing close to you, buy a ticket and go see them.

This project also belongs to you, our funders. That’s why we developed perks that keep you invested in the project. And, if you want to get more involved you can always reach us on Facebook and tell us so. You can find us at: https://www.facebook.com/ItsGreatToBeHere.

There are many ways you can help this project be a success. A contribution is a great way to make that happen, but we are also looking to meet with new comedians. If you have a comedian you think we should talk with, let us know. There are so many ways to share this campaign - help us spread the word, share this with your friends and family, say hi to us on Twitter, and join the conversation on Facebook. However you help, your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Director's Note

As a kid, I bought a Steve Martin tape with my own money. From that moment, I was hooked on comedy, and I’ve been a humor junky ever since. My fascination with the craft of comedy continues. As I became acquainted with various comedians, I was struck with how much they endured just to make others laugh. Many jobs are referred to as a “calling,” and for many of these comedians, it really is. This film is an attempt to shine a light on the lives behind the spotlight. 

Your contributions will enable us to tell this story in the manner it needs to be treated. If a comedian is sitting still, they’re not working, and if they’re not working, they’re not making money. Successfully reaching our financial target will allow our very small crew to visit the main comedians in our film on their terms, in their natural environment (dark, alcohol filled rooms with antagonistic patrons).

Thank you for your time and support.

Matt Wohl
Director/Producer


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