Submitting Chorts – 2019

Full submission details and FAQs

Chorts! are 2 minute comedy productions that show potential to be developed into a series of superb episodes or sketches. You can see the best Chorts from previous years right here.

How the submissions work:

The Chorts 2019 submission window is now open!

The submission deadline is Friday 20th September 2019 at 23:59 BST.

You can submit a Chort video by completing the form on the right hand side of this page (desktop) or underneath these terms (mobile and tablet). Make sure you have read the full competition guidelines below before submitting your Chort.

#Chorts2019 is supported by BCG Pro – the leading new online platform for emerging and established UK comedy professionals.

BCG Pro provides tools and services for those looking to advance their career in comedy on stage, screen, radio or behind the scenes, including new Pro-exclusive opportunities. Find out more here

What to submit:

All submissions must be in the following format:

  • YouTube, Vimeo or Comedy Crowd TV url link (not private or password protected)
  • Videos must be max 2 minutes in length
  • Submissions must be in English or subtitled
  • Include a description of how your Chort could develop into a series of episodes or sketches
  • Include details of your creative team
  • Describe who is the target audience for this and how you engage them (be specific, not just “comedy fans”)
  • Let us know who has given you feedback on your Chort. It’s not a problem if you don’t have any to share with us, but we highly recommend getting feedback from peers, fans and industry contacts as soon as you can.

Optional but recommended:

  • To help prove the potential of your Chort, you can create a project page for it on Comedy Crowd TV and build momentum with creators and fans following you.

If your submission is shortlisted (or “Chortlisted” as we like to call it round these parts), we will ask for the original .mp4 or .mov video file for the Chorts Fest screening.

Judging:

Team Comedy Crowd and a committee of comedy creators will select a “Chortlist” based on those that are best at getting across their humour in 2 minutes, and have greatest potential to be developed further.

The Chortlist will be reviewed by our fantastic industry judging panel, after which a winner will be chosen along with 2 runners up.

All Chortlisted entries will be screened at Chorts Fest 2019 at the Bill Murray Comedy Club in Angel, London, along with the best longlisted entries in November 2019.

Prizes:

The winning Chorts will be taken on a unique journey to help turn the Chort into a series of episodes or sketches. If you already have a series, we will help enhance it, grow your audience, or plan the next stage of development.

Steve Hodgetts and Michael Boccalini were one of the 2018 Chorts winners with “Pierre & Jean-Paul“. They said:

Winning the Chorts competition meant that our content was seen and chosen by industry judges and screened at the Chorts festival event. It also meant that we were commissioned by the Comedy Crowd to film a mini online series of 6 episodes that featured as one of the exclusive shows on the Comedy Crowd TV channel. It was a brilliant experience and the Chorts competition worked as the perfect springboard to get our material seen by the wider comedy community.

For the 2019 Chorts comp, 1st prize will receive:

  • £500 towards developing further sketches or episodes of the Chort
  • Guidance from our expert partners to help develop the show into a short series and plan the next stage of development
  • Access to our community of creators to supplement skills in the existing team
  • Screening on our Comedy Crowd TV channel and with our distribution partners

2nd and 3rd prize will receive:

  • Guidance from our expert partners to help develop the show into a short series and plan the next stage of development
  • Access to our community of creators to supplement skills in the existing team
  • Screening on our Comedy Crowd TV channel and with our distribution partners

All shortlisted Chorts will be screened at Chorts Fest 2019. And be able to boast about being a Chorts 2019 finalist of course. Not to mention being seen by our industry judging panel. Lots of very good things.

Want to know more about Chorts? Here’s some FAQs to help you out:

Is this open to anyone anywhere in the world?

Yes. Yes it is.

How do I get my Chort to stand out?

First thing is rather obvious – make it funny. We watch all of them so entertain us. Chorts 2018 had 270 entries so we have a lot to watch.

It needs to demonstrate the comedy and character(s) straight away. 2 minutes isn’t long, but if it has 1 minute 45 seconds of build up most people won’t make it that far. So avoid filler! You don’t have to use the full 2 minutes. A brilliant 30 second Chort is just fine by us.

Another way to help keep up the pace is in the editing. If your Chort is a single monologue, break it up with cuts in the right places. Don’t be afraid to be creative folks.

What should I focus on in my Chort?

Characters are hugely important in comedy, so this is your chance to try them out and let them shine.

We recommend focussing on one or two main characters and use the 2 minutes to demonstrate how they interact with others and the world around them.

This does not mean you need to film lots of characters to show interaction. Be creative. Even having someone shout off camera, or an interaction told as part of a story helps showcase your main character.

We also love well crafted, repeatable sketches. Can the concept or character in your sketch be repeated with different circumstances and still provide the same level of humour? Think about how this is done in all of the best sketch shows you have seen.

And focus on what is the “thing” of the sketch. Understand what really makes it funny, heighten that thing and don’t get confused or worry about everything else. Can this joke or “thing” that makes it funny be repeated?

Remember we are looking for something that has potential to be a series of short episodes or sketches.

Think about your audience too. Can you do something relatable and original that a particular group of people would recognise and love? If it’s a sketch or character with no relatable references or behaviours, it’s less likely that anyone will engage with it.

Why max 2 minutes?

We’ve spent years working with comedy creators, speaking to producers, and sharing content with fans. It comes down to this:

  • Creators – 2 minute videos are very accessible. You don’t need filming and editing expertise. You need a short script, an actor (or animator), and a computer or smart phone. Anyone can do it. In 2 minutes you have the chance to quickly convey who your character is and why they are funny, a vital skill for getting the attention of your audience
  • Producers and fans – short attention span. No one wants to watch a long video from someone they don’t know. BUT if people like a short video, they will watch more. If they are only committing to 2 minutes, there is less resistance to watching
I’m a writer and don’t want to get in front of the camera

Performing isn’t for everyone, and there are many examples of highly successful comedy writers who have never been seen on camera. If this is you then fear not. You can now find actors to play your Chort on our Facebook group here

Is there a limit to the number of Chorts I can submit?

Yes. You can submit one video per Chort idea or character. If you are working on 2 or 3 different characters, then you can submit one Chort video per character / idea.

If I have entered a previous Chorts comp, can I enter again with the same character / idea?

Yes but we would like to see a different video, not the same one entered previously.

If you have entered before and not been selected as a finalist, consider how you could improve your character(s) and idea before submitting it again.

Can you give me some help?

Yes. Comedy Crowd members can check out the Comedy Academy links below for info on:

And don’t miss our viral blog post by comedy director Chris Head on how to write a comedy sketch. This is great if you want some help coming up with ideas and turning them into a sketch:

Finally watch your favourite comedy show before writing, performing, and editing. See how sharp it is, how punchy and strong the comedy is. Your Chort should be aiming to do the same thing. Hit us with the humour and concept straight away.

Can I enter if I’m under 18?

Yes, we just ask that a parent or guardian accept responsibility for you and agree to the challenge rules.

Please ask your parent to submit on your behalf adding the following text to the submission in the large text field Names and roles of the creative team:

“I submit on behalf of [insert name], as their parent / guardian and give my permission for them to enter Chorts 2019.”

What about stock footage / music in my Chort?

You can use music and stock footage that is cleared for use in your Chort. Make sure you have cleared the copyright for anything you use. If you don’t hold the complete rights for the music / stock footage, don’t use it.

Do I retain full creative ownership of my content?

Yes absolutely! The intellectual property in the work is yours and we do not make any claim on this, so we won’t take the world or characters you develop without permission. However, please remember by taking part you grant us an in-perpetuity, world-wide, royalty free, non exclusive license to promote, publish, sample, and sub-license the work. This allows us to promote Chorts and help share your comedy in a way that reaches an audience of engaged fans.

Any more questions? Just send us an email to theccteam@thecomedycrowd.com