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