I wrote this article for Chortle. Ironically, it won their correspondent’s prize – it’s about why everything’s going wrong for comedy criticism. Let me know if you like it, and maybe I’ll write some more stuff like this!
Back to doing the second draft of my screenplay!
Following the Channel 4 screening last week, you have 19 days left to watch my film on 4od. You’d be a fool not to – it’s excellent. Here’s a link:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-shooting-gallery/4od#3731878
Meanwhile, I’m up at the Edinburgh festival doing my new stand-up show. It’s the best one I’ve ever done. You should come.
After an absence of 8 years, I’m returning to the Edinburgh festival with a brand new stand up show. It’s not a “best of”, so unless you’ve watched me over the last 4 months you won’t have seen any of it before. Exciting huh?
It’s different to my old stuff. Over the last 6 months or so, I’ve been undergoing a bit of a reinvention. I’m really proud of all my old stand-up – the album, the specials and the 1000s of shows I’ve done, but I feel it has sort of run its course. My aim was always to be as fake as possible on stage to highlight the contrivance of the act of stand-up (What? And I didn’t break the mainstream with that!!!?!). I was trying to walk a fine line between being funny and being a guy who thought he was funny, which I think is pretty funny. Of course, with the harsh realites of the stand-up circuit edges get knocked off, and maybe its not so clear to the world what you’re trying to do and people make comments like – he’s good and everything, but it’s like he thinks he’s really funny. Which maybe should have put me off doing it. But it was pretty funny.
Anyway – I’ve started again – and now I’m onstage just as me. Interestingly, I’ve found this “me” bears a pretty striking resemblance to the persona I was previously adopting – same voice, face, many similar mannerisms. But the nice thing is I can let go now and not worry about an “aesthetic” and just go all out to make people laugh. Anyway – why don’t you come along and see if you still like it? I’m really proud of the new show. I think it’s meaningful and funny and occasionally a little bit emotional. Hope you can make it. Don’t worry – I do still make stupid faces. And now I do them with a beard.
You’re probably wondering if my short film I made two years ago ever happened. It did, and you can see it on Channel 4 next Monday July 21st at 12 midnight.
Apologies for not being up to date with news – I’ve been busy trying to make stuff and absolutely didn’t lose the password to this website or anything as ridiculous as that. The film has been going really well and won quite a few awards – the Melies D’argent at its premiere at Razor Reel in Bruges, Best Short at Misfits Film Festival, and the Oscar qualifying Best of Fest at St Louis International Film Festival. We’ve also been selected for festivals around the world including short shorts in Japan, which is pretty cool. If you want to get a taste of the film – here’s a link to a work-in-progress trailer. It’s got me doing the voice over – the proper one has Steven Berkoff – but this will hopefully wet your appetite for Monday:
The good news is I’ve also got a production company for my feature Shut Eye, which we’re hoping to shoot next summer. That’s what I’ve been doing for a year and a half I guess – I wrote that – finished making this. Oh, and I’ve written a new stand-up show. More of that to follow .
There: 21 months done in a single post. Why do people bother doing these regularly?
Just to let you know my new short film, The Boy With A Camera For a Face, now has shooting dates! It’s a 10 minute comedy about a boy that is born with a camera for a head, and shows his full life story from awkward child to reality TV star. It’s based on a poem I’ve done on stage a few times, so you may know even more! We’ve got a great team on board – Chris Moon is DP (here’s his vimeo channel) and Ollie Tiong (from The Devil Went Down to Islington/Tower Block) is the Art Director. It’s shooting 3rd-7th November, and we’re currently getting the rest of our crew together, so if you are or know a film professional who would like to get involved send your cv to cameraboy@spencerbrown.net and we’ll make sure someone has a look at it. If you just want to watch it, hopefully there should be a trailer/news on screenings later in the year.
The first teaser trailer for the British comedy horror film I’m starring in is out now. Check it out:
Here’s the Facebook link . If you want to see it in cinemas asap – “like” it and speed up the process!
in case you’re wondering if this is Spencer’s site – it is. It’s just currently being set-up under your very noses, because Spencer laughs in the face of professionalism. Check back in a few days to see how it will actually look.
