Submitting Chorts 2020
Chorts! are comedy sketches that engage an audience, introducing an exciting new comedy character or concept. You can see the best Chorts from the 2019 “Chortlist” right here.
How the submissions work
You can submit a Chort 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.
The submission deadline of Friday 4th December 2020 has now passed.
Join us on 12 May 2021 as we premiere the shortlisted entries and hear from our guest judges at the Chorts Live stream event:
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NEW FOR CHORTS 2020
We are looking for script submissions rather than finished videos, and we have extended the maximum length from 2 to 3 whole minutes!
Shortlisted scripts will be reviewed by our exciting guest sketch script editors, before being developed into videos for the live screening and industry judging.
There are 2 types of Chort entry:
- Writers who want to produce and perform the Chort themselves
- Writers who don’t want to perform
If you want to perform the Chort yourself, once the shortlist is announced you will have 4 weeks to produce the video (see timeline below). Alongside your script we will also ask for links to your previous performed sketches with the initial submission.
If you are only looking to write the sketch but not perform it, we will arrange production of the video with your input if it is shortlisted.
Full details of the submission guidelines are included in the aptly named “submission guidelines” section below.
Judging
Team Comedy Crowd and a committee of comedy creators will select a “Chortlist” (shortlist) of entries.
These scripts will then be reviewed by our team of expert sketch script editors with feedback comments provided to the writers.
Scripts will then be updated and produced, with all shortlisted videos screened in a live premiere on the Comedy Crowd TV online channels (follow the YouTube and Facebook channels to see what we are sharing).
Our industry judging panel will be watching and voting for their favourite Chort live.
Check out the 2020 Industry Judging Panel here
Prizes
- All shortlisted scripts will receive expert feedback from sketch script editors, and be seen by our industry judging panel.
- Our industry judging panel will select a top 3 videos on the premiere day, with the winner receiving a cash prize of £250.*
- There will also be a separate prize of £250 for the Chort with the most views, likes and engagement on Comedy Crowd TV social platforms after the first week.*
- All shortlisted Chorts creators will receive a share of any ad revenue generated by their Chort on the Comedy Crowd TV social platforms.
*Where the Chort has been written and performed / animated by separate people, the prize will be divided equally between the creators and performers. See more in the FAQ on ownership below.
Submission Guidelines
Chorts should be:
- Simple to produce, using inventive use of a single person performance to camera or quick animation. They should feature only one or two performers and shouldn’t require filming in multiple locations. Remember we are living in Covid times (how could we forget!), so make sure your script is viable to be made with limited or no budget.
- A maximum of 3 minutes long.
- Written in English, in Courier / Courier New font and size 12 text. 1 page should be approx 1 minute of the Chort sketch, so 3 pages should be approx 3 minutes
- A brand new sketch, not previously published online (it can be a new sketch about a previously published character or idea – see FAQs below for more)
- Able to grab the audience in the first 3 seconds, and be engaging throughout. Don’t structure a sketch around one punchline at the end.
- Visually arresting using expressions and actions. Show don’t tell!
- Relatable to an audience using social platforms. Think nostalgia, famous faces, cultural icons and trends that people enjoy talking about, work, love and friendships, politics, health, sport, topics such as BLM, LGBTQ, the environment.
- Original and stand out from the crowd (specifically from the Comedy Crowd in this case). One way to do this is not to date your Chort by focussing too much on Covid (the situation changes every day and the screening for this is on 1st March 2021). If you do include a Covid reference make sure its a truly original take that won’t date quickly.
Timeline
4 December 2020 – Chort script submission deadline
6 Jan 2021 – Shortlisted scripts confirmed
15 Jan 2021 – Script notes provided to all shortlisted writers. Deadline for applying to perform a shortlisted script where the writer is not performing it themselves
17 Feb 2021 – Final shortlisted Chorts videos produced and submitted to team Comedy Crowd
1 March 2021 – Live screening and judging event with winner announced!
8 March 2021 – Prize for most viewed Chort is awarded
Covid disclaimer (another new feature for 2020): The dates in 2021 are subject to change if covid issues cause delays to production of sketches.
Here’s some FAQS
Is this open to anyone anywhere in the world?
Yes.
Is it free to enter?
Yes.
Is there a limit to the number of Chorts scripts I can submit?
Yes. You can submit one Chort script per creator / sketch group.
Can I submit the script for a video I have already produced and published?
Unfortunately not as we will be premiering the shortlisted Chorts as part of the judging event.
You can submit a new script for a character / concept that you have worked on and published before though. If you do this please consider the submission guidelines above and see whether it hits all of these points.
Can you give me some help / guidance?
In the guidelines above we have mentioned a few topic examples. We are looking for high impact sketches that people relate to. They can be very simple observations, but should be things that many people relate to and are executed in an engaging way.
For guidance on coming up with ideas and developing them into a sketch structure, this blog post by one of our expert sketch script editors Chris Head is a great starting point:
Can I enter a Chort with no dialogue?
Yes. The sketch should be visually arresting, and this is certainly possible with no dialogue. In this case you should make sure the script submission describes the sketch and visual humour in sufficient detail.
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 Name:
“I submit on behalf of [insert name], as their parent / guardian and give my permission for them to enter Chorts 2020.”
What about using stock music / footage 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.
If I do not want to perform my own script, how will the production process work?
If your script is selected for the shortlist, then performers and sketch teams will apply to produce your Chort by sending you examples of their work. You will be able to choose your favourite from those that apply, and they will be selected to produce your Chort for the screening.
Do I retain full creative ownership of my script?
Yes absolutely. The intellectual property in the script is yours and we make no claim to it, so we won’t take the world or characters you develop without permission.
If my script is shortlisted, how about the completed video?
- If you film the winning script yourself/with your team:
All rights in the video remain yours (and collaborators if applicable).
- If you have written the script but are unable or do not wish to produce the video yourself:
Ownership of the final Chort video will be shared equally between you as the writer and the performer(s) / production team that help you to film your script. Don’t worry; we’ll be on hand to help guide you through the process and answer any questions in this scenario.
In each case however, please remember by taking part in the final screening 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. You will also grant us a premiere right to feature the your completed Chort on the Comedy Crowd TV social channels before it is published elsewhere as part of the judging process.
Any more questions? Just send us an email to theccteam@thecomedycrowd.com