The Not So Allied Forces of Social TV Comedy
The US and UK have joined forces enough over the years, so with tweet-powered comedy, we Brits are going it alone. Sorry Team CoCo and Fallon. This talk’s all about what’s happening in the Mother Country when Twitter and Facebook fuel the funny on the telly. Why listen to us? From Monty Python to The Office, the BBC produces more comedy than any broadcaster in the world. But the web changed everything. What happens when Auntie Beeb focuses on developing new comedy talent from the web up? Or when it teams with social TV consultants like Urgent Genius to make immersive second-screen experiences? The keys to the next generation of Britcom are in the hands of TV viewers tapping on iPads. But what kind of TV comedy will that create? Hecklers, come one, come all. Sit in the front row and let us pick on you as we tell you about some experiments we've been doing with live comedy and social media including a live Twitter-powered experiment just for SXSW.
Presenters
Jon's the Social Media Creative Director at iris Worldwide. He coined the term "Urgent Genius" and co-created the social media HQ of the same name in 2010 with Grant Hunter. The pair also spoke at SXSW interactive 2011 on the subject. He is now co-authoring the Urgent Genius book with Grant. He helps iris’ global clients like Sony Ericsson, Philips and adidas create shareable content and find ways to have a voice in the hot-topic conversations going on right now online. His work has featured on and offline in places like The Guardian, The Telegraph, Campaign and Rolling Stone. He also works with BBC Comedy as a social TV consultant. He tweets at @albinoriotman usually while commuting to work on his Kickped, the world’s fastest adults-only push-scooter.
Will is an Exec Producer in the BBC Comedy Department in London. As a programme maker he has produced or written on award winning TV and Radio shows with, Flight of The Conchords, Tim Minchin, Graham Norton and Craig Ferguson. The last three years have been spent online, devising and implementing a digital strategy for BBC Comedy. This has involved recruiting and managing a multi-platform comedy team, working with TV series and creating immersive experiences around shows like Psychoville, Come Fly With Me, and The Thick Of It. As well as relaunching the BBC Comedy Website in 2010 as a low risk playground for the next generation of UK comedy talent. He is currently working on a TV pilot with the writers of "The Blackberry Sketch" the BBCs most successful You Tube clip to date and working out what would happen if you crossed some of the most exciting new UK comedy talent with some of the best emerging social media technology. It's not a joke missing a punchline, I'm genuinely interested. That's why I'm here.
Email Me: will.saunders@bbc.co.uk
Twet Me: @willpsaunders
Monday, March 12
