Olde English - Blog

Hey everyone! Thanks to our incredible distribution partner...

adamconover — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:13:20 -0400

Hey everyone! Thanks to our incredible distribution partner Splitsider, our feature film, The Exquisite Corpse Project, is now available to download or stream online for just five dollars!

This is a big day for us, and we couldn’t be happier to finally share the film we’re so proud of with all of you. If you’d still like to see the movie live, in theatres, come out to one of our many upcoming screenings!

Below are some of the nice things people have been saying about the film:

samreich:

popculturebrain:

Watch This: Splitsider Presents ‘The Exquisite Corpse Project’ | Splitsider

Comedy website Splitsider just launched a new digital distribution label ‘Splitsider Presents’ and their first release is the hilarious feature film ‘The Exquisite Corpse Project.’ Available for $5 over at their website.

Director Ben Popik gathered together his former comrades from the legendary sketch group Olde English and tasked them with writing a movie. The catch: each of the five writers wrote 15 pages and only saw the previous five pages of the script. He then shot the movie they wrote, as well as documentary footage of the writing process and all the drama that it entailed, and put them all together into a unique comedy.

I had an opportunity to see the move last night and it is really something special. Besides being extremely funny and charming, it speaks volumes about the creative process, collaboration and friendship. The way the documentary aspect mirrors the narrative they wrote is fascinating. The film becomes much more than a silly project, but rather evolves into a statement about human nature and relationships. You definitely haven’t seen anything like it.

Go get it. For real. You won’t regret spending the $5.

Anyone who has ever been in a comedy group, or wants to know what it means to be in a comedy group, should watch this movie. It’s the single most moving and accurate depiction of the joy and horror of creative compromise that has ever been made. It’s also a rare dose of sincerity in an oftentimes too snarky comedy world.

Congratulations to comedy brand Splitsider on the cool business move.

Click here to get the movie now!

We’ve been looking forward to visiting Boston on our tour,...

boringoldraphael — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:53:00 -0400

We’ve been looking forward to visiting Boston on our tour, and yesterday’s tragic events haven’t changed that.

Our Boston Premiere is scheduled for next Wednesday, but we need to sell 15 more tickets in the next 20 hours or else the event won’t happen! All proceeds from ticket sales to this screening will go to the Boston branch of the American Red Cross.

Our hearts go out to everyone in Boston. We hope to see you next week.

As for other cities, check our website to see when we’ll be coming to you. (Tickets are now available for New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.)

When the hell are you putting this is legit theaters, coming near New Jersey, putting this on DVD, or at least streaming this?? I've been waiting months to see it!

boringoldraphael — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:50:59 -0500

Great question, McCrushington! Answer: Soon!

You can keep up-to-date on all the latest How To See Our Movie news by visiting the brand new How To See Our Movie section of our website. You can also sign up for our mailing list so you can be the first to find out when the movie is available to download/stream. And don’t be afraid to like The Exquisite Corpse Project on Facebook! Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean you can’t “like” it. I checked Facebook’s terms of service and you’re definitely allowed to do that.

We’re coming to San Francisco! Spread the word! Tell...

boringoldraphael — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:18:31 -0500

We’re coming to San Francisco! Spread the word! Tell everyone!

adamconover:

boringoldraphael:

Hey, San Francisco Bay Area!

The Exquisite Corpse Project (Olde English’s new movie) is playing the historic Roxie Theater on February 2nd as part of the 12th annual San Francisco Sketchfest. This screening is a real homecoming for us as a group (San Francisco was one of the first festivals we ever played, and our favorite — we returned twice) and for me personally, since I grew up in the Bay Area and still have lots of friends and family there. I really want to fill this screening up with as many of my favorite people as I can, and maybe also meet some new favorite people there as well.

I think this is a really special movie and I’m awfully proud of it. Won’t you come see it?

The Exquisite Corpse Project in San Francisco
February 2, 2013
10pm at the Roxie Theater
w/ Colin Mahan’s Preview: The Movie

BUY TICKETS HERE. BUY TICKETS NOW.

The Exquisite Corpse Project is coming to San Fran! I’ll also be performing standup on the Rooftop Comedy Showcase earlier that night at StageWerx. It’s gonna be a blast.

And for everyone asking when they’ll get to see the film outside of a film festival — and there’s been a lot of you! — it’s all happening in 2013.

Bard Screening of The Exquisite Corpse Project tonight

boringoldraphael — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:20:59 -0400

Bard Screening of The Exquisite Corpse Project tonight:

adamconover:

If anyone reading this is a current Bard College student, we’re screening our movie The Exquisite Corpse Project tonight at 8pm in Weiss Theatre, followed by a Q&A. Come see how your alumni done good!

"This is a film that was engineered to be the best possible product, not the easiest sell or to fit..."

boringoldraphael — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:23:30 -0400

“This is a film that was engineered to be the best possible product, not the easiest sell or to fit perfectly into a known genre. The product is stellar, and in an ideal world, that should carry the most weight. The reality is that the film faces some obvious marketing challenges: The film doesn’t feature any known stars (at least yet), and it’s not the easiest concept to communicate to closed minds in limited time. The sad and scary truth is that such marketing challenges could potentially prohibit a film this excellent from reaching the audience it deserves. But, fuck that nonsense. The Exquisite Corpse Project is a smart, funny film made by smart, funny people. I see no reason why smart, funny people shouldn’t embrace it as long as they’re made aware of its existence.”

- Abe Schwartz: The Exquisite Corpse Project: Fresh New Docu-Comedy Seeks Audience

Last night, our movie THE EXQUISITE CORPSE PROJECT won the...

boringoldraphael — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:52:13 -0400

Last night, our movie THE EXQUISITE CORPSE PROJECT won the Audience Award at the Dances With Films Festival here in Los Angeles. Obviously, we’re thrilled.

All week, people have been telling us how much they loved the movie. A pregnant woman said her husband asked her to leave the screening partway-through, because he was afraid her laughing so hard would be bad for the baby somehow. One filmmaker brought his mother to see every movie in the festival and after watching ours, she asked him, “Why don’t you make movies like that?”

If you live in LA and you didn’t see our movie last weekend, there’s a SECOND CHANCE SCREENING this Saturday (tomorrow) afternoon at the LA New Wave International Film Festival. You can buy tickets here. We’re in BLOCK TWO.

If you don’t live in LA and want to see The Exquisite Corpse Project, like our Facebook page to stay up to date on when we’ll be screening in a city near you, or when you can buy the movie for yourself. We have a lot of exciting news, just around the corner!

Tickets on sale now!

adamconover — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:55:00 -0400

Tickets on sale now!

TICKETS FOR THE L.A. PREMIERE OF THE EXQUISITE CORPSE PROJECT...

boringoldraphael — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:32:58 -0400

TICKETS FOR THE L.A. PREMIERE OF THE EXQUISITE CORPSE PROJECT AVAILABLE NOW!!!!!!!!!!

The Exquisite Corpse Project: Director Ben Popik brings together five comedy writers, and surprises them with a challenge: to each write fifteen pages of a movie, having read only the previous five pages of the script. They agree with one stipulation: if they write the movie, he has to make it. It’s a comedy, a love story, a psycho-sexual thriller, and an inside-look into the often-hilarious creative process and the group dynamics that make collaboration between friends difficult.

Here’s the trailer:

We are thrilled to be premiering the film as part of the Dances With Films Festival, at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, at 2:45pm on Saturday, June 2nd. Tickets are now on sale, and we’re looking to sell out, so grab them quick! You know that if you made a movie, we’d totally come see yours. BUY TICKETS.

Olde English Comedy presents: The Exquisite Corpse...

boringoldraphael — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:28:03 -0400

Olde English Comedy presents:

The Exquisite Corpse Project

Directed by Ben Popik
Written by Chioke Nassor, Joel Clark, Adam Conover, Dave Segal, and Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Starring Caleb Bark, Megan Raye Manzi, Julia Frey, Trevor Williams, Tavon Bolourchi, and Geoff Lee

Premiering in LA at the Dances With Films Festival Saturday, June 2nd.

Like us on Facebook for more info.

boringoldraphael: In Burbank, sound mixing our movie, like some...

boringoldraphael — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:57:38 -0500

boringoldraphael:

In Burbank, sound mixing our movie, like some big shot Hollywood movie guy.

(To be clear, when I say “sound mixing,” I mean “sitting in a comfortable chair eating junk food and watching a guy Ben hired to sound mix our movie sound mix our movie.” Again, like some big shot Hollywood movie guy.)

(Also, when I say “Burbank,” I think we might technically be in Glendale. Pure movie magic!)

We’re super-excited to premiere World of Bob, a new...

adamconover — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:00:05 -0500

We’re super-excited to premiere World of Bob, a new cartoon short we made with our friends at PUNY (the Akon Calls T-Pain guys). It’s about a guy named Jim whose dumb friend Bob has sex with a cavewoman, so now everyone in the future is a descendent of Bob. It’s weird, and gross, and we hope you enjoy it!

A ton of awesome people donated their time to this project — our friend Pete Berkman of Anamanaguchi did title theme, Farsheed Hamidi-Toosi did the music video theme, and our sound editor Craig Hillelson did a bang up job on the mix; and PUNY’s animation is, of course, as gorgeous as always. (Seriously, watch this in HD or at Vimeo if you possibly can — the art is amazing.) This project was a true labor of love for all of us, and we hope you dig watching it as much as we dug making it.

Olde English sketch pilot. In 2008, Olde English decided we were...

boringoldraphael — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:37:00 -0500

Olde English sketch pilot.

In 2008, Olde English decided we were ready to have a TV show, and we started pitching ideas to cable channels. Most of our ideas were for themed sketch shows — my (Raphael’s) favorite was for basically a comedy version of TRL, full of original music videos, interviews with real and made-up celebrities, and youth-skewing commercials (we were about ten years too late for the format to have any cultural relevance, but we still thought it would be a lot of fun); we also pitched a road trip show where every week we film a batch of sketches in a new city as we drive across the country in a big van.

We put together the above reel as a sample of what we called our “vanilla sketch show” — just a bunch of sketches with no framing device. If you’ve seen all our videos, you’re not going to discover anything new here, other than the new intro and themed bumpers we filmed, but if you want to revisit a bunch of our favorite stuff all in a row, here’s a good place to do it. If someone had given us a TV show in 2008, this is more or less what it would have looked like.

Hey, New York City Olde English fans! We’re scattered...

adamconover — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:58:14 -0400

Hey, New York City Olde English fans! We’re scattered across the country right now, but sometimes we still get together for fun stuff! To take just a single example, this Sunday Raphael is in New York, so he’ll be joining me to co-host October’s installment of my standup show, Fresh Out at UCBeast! As you can see, we have an awesome lineup, so this mini-OE-mini-reunion is just the icing on the cake. Click here to make reservations!

In honor of Mother’s Day, here’s an e-mail my mom...

adamconover — Mon, 09 May 2011 01:21:00 -0400

In honor of Mother’s Day, here’s an e-mail my mom wrote me last week:

Did I just see Caleb bark on a commercial for free credit.com? On comedy central?
You need to post something on the OE website, or FB or somewhere. Dad is trying to see the commercial but doesn’t know where to look…..

You sure did, Mom! Here you go — Happy Mother’s Day!

- Adam

Olde English TV Tropes

adamconover — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:54:00 -0400

Olde English TV Tropes:

If you’re not familiar with the TV Tropes Wiki, it’s where obsessive media fans name and catalogue every phenomenon that occurs on their favorite shows, movies, and web series. It is, in other words, the antithesis of creativity, in that it seeks to pin and label creative work down like so many chloroformed butterflies. Now, finally, some crazed TV Tropes editor has caught us in her net, and made a somewhat-comprehensive list of “tropes” that appear in Olde English sketches. I can’t claim to understand a fucking word of it, but hey — I appreciate the effort.

- Adam

Adam Conover's Personal Brand: In other words, "Writers write."

boringoldraphael — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:30:47 -0400

Adam Conover's Personal Brand: In other words, "Writers write.":

adamconover:

An aspiring comedy writer who’s taking a “Writing for SNL” class and saw this thread on packets on Matt Ruby’s blog wrote me asking for tips on writing a Daily Show packet; she also asked if I had any general advice on writing comedy for television. I replied:

Here’s my advice: A lot of people get hung up on the idea of getting a job writing for the Daily Show, Colbert, SNL, or late night talk shows. The unfortunate truth is that these shows almost exclusively hire working, established comedians and writers; and even if you are one of those comedians, your chances of getting one of those jobs are exceedingly small. It’s my opinion, therefore, that focusing narrowly on “writing for the Daily Show” or “writing for SNL” is just setting yourself up for failure. It’s like studying to be an astronaut without learning how to fly a plane.

Instead, focus on mastering the fundamentals of comedy. Most importantly, focus on doing your own work first. The people who get hired aren’t the people who obsessively study the Daily Show for five years — they’re the people who produce their own work, put it up somewhere visible (whether through standup, live sketch, the Internet, or another medium), and who got enough attention and recognition doing so that they eventually got on the radar of people looking to hire funny writers. The last three New Yorkers I know of hired to write on SNL were John Mulaney and Hannibal Burress, two of the funniest standups in the city, and Christine Nangle, one of the top writers at UCB. They got those jobs because they were being so utterly and visibly hilarious for so long that a producer at SNL finally said “Hey, they’re fucking funny! I want that funny on my show!” — not because they jumped through some arbitrary hoops of “this is what SNL is looking for in a writing packet” or “this is what a Daily Show packet should look like.” (And yeah, they probably wrote good packets too, but the fact is that the funny came first and the packets second.)

So: If you want to write comedy, stop worrying about getting a job and start just fucking writing comedy. Then put it somewhere that people can see it. Then repeat. Success will follow. Good luck!

Now, here’s a big proviso: I haven’t worked on any of these shows, and have barely written for television at all. Still, I don’t think I’m wrong about this; it is, at least, how I’ve chosen to live my life and how I’ve chosen to approach my career. If anyone has a differing perspective, I’d love to hear about and discuss it.

This very funny video was directed by Margaret Laney, good...

boringoldraphael — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:09:38 -0500

This very funny video was directed by Margaret Laney, good friend of Olde English and producer of our upcoming film The Exquisite Corpse Project.

Enjooooooooooooy!

-Raphael

"Principato asked a young manager about a client named Raphael Bob-Waksberg. “What do you think the..."

adamconover — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 14:32:00 -0500

“

Principato asked a young manager about a client named Raphael Bob-Waksberg. “What do you think the pitch is on him, other than having people read his scripts?”

The manager answered: “I really feel like he’s a young Charlie Kaufman. He’s somebody who has a limitless mind, who is getting his start, but will eventually be an Oscar-winning writer.”

”

- Raphael got this pretty amazing mention in last week’s New York Times Magazine article about our manager, Peter Principato. The entire piece is a pretty great look into how your comedy sausage is made, so if you’re a comedy fan, check it out.

- Adam

adamconover: caitoradecomedy: This week I talk to writer,...

boringoldraphael — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:45:44 -0500

adamconover:

caitoradecomedy:

This week I talk to writer, director and stand-up comedian Adam Conover about writing a screenplay telephone-style, learning from your students and I hit him up for open mic tips.

I’m a big admirer of Caitlin Tegart’s work (which includes Vag Magazine, as well as a ton of terrific shows at UCB), so I was delighted to be a guest on her podcast and talk shop. Caitlin and I have both started doing standup in the last year, so we mostly discussed comedy theory and how it applies to sketch and standup differently — interesting stuff. Enjoy!

God damn it, Adam, if you don’t post stuff like this in the Olde English group blog, what’s even the point of having an Olde English blog?

-Raphael