Submitting Chorts 2023
Chorts! are comedy sketches or shorts that engage an audience, introduce an exciting new comedy character or concept, and talented new creators, all in 2 minutes or less.
They are also the gateway to join the Comedy Crowd Top Talent receiving exclusive opportunities.
Check out the best Chorts from the 2022 “Chortlist” to get an idea, and read about the 2022 competition winners here
THE SUBMISSION WINDOW FOR CHORTS 2023 HAS NOW CLOSED.
The Chorts Fest 2023 event is on Sunday 3rd December at the Phoenix Arts Club in London. Join us there to see the best entries from 2023, meet fellow comedy creators, and enjoy a celebration of making comedy:
How the submissions work
You can submit a Chort by completing the form on this page below 👇. Make sure you have read the full competition guidelines below before submitting your Chort.
What to submit
All submissions must be in the following format:
– YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok or Instagram Reel video link (not private or password protected)
– Videos must be max 2 minutes in length
– Submissions must be in English or subtitled (unless silent comedy)
– Include details of your creative team and their contact information (including writers, performers, and filmmakers)
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 shortlist (aka a “Chortlist”) of entries.
The Chortlist will then be reviewed by our exciting industry judging panel who will help select the overall winners.
Our 2023 industry judging panel will be announced here through September!
Prizes
– All Chortlist entries will be shared on Comedy Crowd YouTube and Facebook channels, and the creators will automatically be enrolled in the Comedy Crowd Top Talent group
– The overall winner as selected by our industry judges will receive a cash prize of ÂŁ250!
– There will also be a separate prize of ÂŁ250 for the Chort with the most views, likes and engagement on Comedy Crowd channels after the first week.
– The best entries will be screened at a special Comedy Crowd awards event late in 2023
Chorts is a fantastic gateway for new comedy talent. Check out how Harry Trevaldwyn, star of Netflix’s The Bubble and Amazon Prime’s Ten Percent, got started with an entry to Chorts in 2019 đź‘€
Submission Guidelines
Chorts videos must be:
– A maximum of 2 minutes long
– First published in 2022 or later (or not published publicly yet)
– Submitted via a YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok or Instagram Reel video link (not private or password protected)
– Work as a stand alone sketch or short, able to grab the audience in the first 3 seconds and be engaging throughout (not a long build up followed by a single punch line at the end)
– Original and stand out from the crowd (specifically from the Comedy Crowd in this case)
We recommend keeping in mind the type of topics that can be relatable to an audience using social platforms. Think nostalgia, famous faces, cultural icons and trends that people enjoy talking about, family, work, love and friendships, politics, health, sport, topics such as BLM, LGBTQ, the environment.
We also strongly recommend focussing on the character or characters in your Chort video. The best Chorts have introduced new comedy characters that you can immediately imagine being part of a funny world.
Timeline
The submission window is now open and will close on 15 October. You can submit right up until the closing date.
Chortlist announcements will be made in November following the judging.
What happened last year?
In 2022 we had hundreds of entries from around the world with industry judges from Sky Studios, NBC Universal, Merman Productions and Funny Women.
You can watch the 2022 Chortlist here and read more about it here
SUBMIT YOUR CHORT!
The submission window for Chorts 2023 has now closed.
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 I can submit?
Yes. You can submit one Chort for each unique comedy character / sketch concept. You can submit up to three Chorts in total.
Can you give me some help / guidance?
In the guidelines above we have mentioned a few topic examples and how focussing on characters can help. We are looking for high impact sketches / shorts that people relate to. They can come from very simple observations, but should be topics / characters that people relate to and are executed in an engaging way.
For guidance on coming up with ideas and developing them into a sketch structure, these two blog posts by expert comedy coach Chris Head are a great starting point:
How to Write a Comedy Sketch
Can I enter a Chort with no dialogue?
Yes. The sketch should be visually arresting, and this is certainly possible with no dialogue
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 2023.”
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.
Do I retain full creative ownership of my Chort video?
Yes absolutely. The intellectual property in the video is yours and we make no claim to it, so we won’t take the world or characters you develop without permission.
Please remember by taking part in Chorts 2023 and submitting your entity, 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.
Additionally, you grant us permission to edit or modify your entry (including its title) for any screening on our YouTube channel. Comedy Crowd shall credit you accordingly and include reference to you in any description.
Any more questions? Just send us an email to theccteam@thecomedycrowd.com