Improv Everywhere (often abbreviated IE) is a comedic performance art group based in New York City, formed in 2001 by Charlie Todd. Its slogan is "We Cause Scenes".
Improv Everywhere
Founded
New York, 2001
Founder
Charlie Todd
Type
Organization
Focus
Comedic performance art group
Area served
US and worldwide
Method
Various missions and events organized locally and globally
Website
improveverywhere.com
The group carries out pranks, which they call "missions", in public places. The stated goal of these missions is to cause scenes of "chaos and joy." Some of the group's missions use hundreds or even thousands of performers and are similar to flash mobs, while other missions utilize only a handful of performers. Improv Everywhere has stated that they do not identify their work with the term flash mob, in part because the group was created two years prior to the flash mob trend, and the group has an apolitical nature.[1]
While Improv Everywhere was created years before YouTube, the group has grown in notoriety since joining the site in April 2006. To date, Improv Everywhere's videos have been viewed over 470 million times on YouTube.[2] They have over 1.9 million YouTube subscribers.[2] In 2007, the group shot a television pilot for NBC.[3] In May 2009, HarperCollins released a book about Improv Everywhere, Causing a Scene[4] The book, written by founder Charlie Todd and senior agent Alex Scordelis, is a behind-the-scenes look at some of the group's stunts. In 2013, a feature-length documentary about Improv Everywhere premiered at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. The film, titled We Cause Scenes, was released digitally on iTunes, Netflix and other platforms in 2014.[5]
In 2019, Improv Everywhere produced the Disney+ live-action series Pixar In Real Life, which premiered on 12 November 2019, with twelve episodes set to release monthly.[6][7]
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,[8] Todd started the group in August 2001 after playing a prank in a Manhattan bar with some friends that involved him pretending to be musician Ben Folds.[9] Later that year Todd started taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City where he first met most of the "Senior Agents" of Improv Everywhere. The owners of the theatre, The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), had a television series from 1998–2000 on Comedy Central. While primarily a sketch comedy show, the UCB often filmed their characters in public places with hidden cameras and showed the footage under the end credits. Both the UCB's show and their teachings on improv have been influential to Improv Everywhere.[1] Todd currently performs on a house team at the UCBT in New York, where he also taught for many years.[10]
Missions / eventsEdit
All the missions share a certain modus operandi: Members ("agents") play their roles entirely straight, not breaking character or betraying that they are acting. IE claims the missions are benevolent, aiming to give the observers a laugh and a positive experience.[11]
Frozen Grand CentralEdit
Improv Everywhere's most popular YouTube video is "Frozen Grand Central", which has received over 35 million views.[12] The two-minute video depicts 207 IE Agents freezing in place simultaneously for five minutes in New York's Grand Central Terminal. The video was listed as number 49 in Urlesque's 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos.[13]Martin Bashir declared on Nightline that the video was "one of the funniest moments ever captured on tape."[14] According to Charlie Todd, the prank has been recreated by fans in 100 cities around the world.[15]
Fake U2 ConcertEdit
On 21 May 2005, IE staged a fake U2street concert on a rooftop in New York hours before the real U2 were scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden.[16] Just like at the filming of the band's Where the Streets Have No Name video in 1987, the police eventually shut the performance down, but not before IE was able to exhaust their four-song repertoire and get most of the way through an encore repeat of "Vertigo". The crowd, even those who had realized that this was a prank, shouted "one more song!", and then "let them play!" when the police officers arrived. This mission was number 23 on the VH1 countdown of the "40 Greatest Pranks."[17]
^"Pixar In Real Life". Improv Everywhere. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
^Improv Everywhere [@ImprovEvery] (2019-11-15). "Yeah, they are releasing them one at a time. There are 12" (Tweet). Retrieved 2020-05-30 – via Twitter.
^Glazer, Eliot (August 24, 2009). "The 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos". urlesque. AOL, Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
^"Improv Everywhere on Nightline". YouTube.com Videos. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
^Morgan, Spencer (June 29, 2009). "The Art of the Prank". Maxim.com. Alpha Media Groups Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
^Robertson, Campbell (May 25, 2009). "Where the Streets Have No Shame". New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
^"Vh1's Greatest Pranks on Video". vimeo. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
Further readingEdit
Charlie Todd and Alex Scordelis, Causing a Scene, HarperCollins, 2009
External linksEdit
Official website
ImprovEverywhere YouTube channel
Feature-length documentary on Improv Everywhere
This American Life radio episode
October 21, 2023
improv, everywhere, often, abbreviated, comedic, performance, group, based, york, city, formed, 2001, charlie, todd, slogan, cause, scenes, foundednew, york, 2001foundercharlie, toddtypeorganizationfocuscomedic, performance, grouparea, servedus, worldwidemetho. Improv Everywhere often abbreviated IE is a comedic performance art group based in New York City formed in 2001 by Charlie Todd Its slogan is We Cause Scenes Improv EverywhereFoundedNew York 2001FounderCharlie ToddTypeOrganizationFocusComedic performance art groupArea servedUS and worldwideMethodVarious missions and events organized locally and globallyWebsiteimproveverywhere comThe group carries out pranks which they call missions in public places The stated goal of these missions is to cause scenes of chaos and joy Some of the group s missions use hundreds or even thousands of performers and are similar to flash mobs while other missions utilize only a handful of performers Improv Everywhere has stated that they do not identify their work with the term flash mob in part because the group was created two years prior to the flash mob trend and the group has an apolitical nature 1 While Improv Everywhere was created years before YouTube the group has grown in notoriety since joining the site in April 2006 To date Improv Everywhere s videos have been viewed over 470 million times on YouTube 2 They have over 1 9 million YouTube subscribers 2 In 2007 the group shot a television pilot for NBC 3 In May 2009 HarperCollins released a book about Improv Everywhere Causing a Scene 4 The book written by founder Charlie Todd and senior agent Alex Scordelis is a behind the scenes look at some of the group s stunts In 2013 a feature length documentary about Improv Everywhere premiered at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin Texas The film titled We Cause Scenes was released digitally on iTunes Netflix and other platforms in 2014 5 In 2019 Improv Everywhere produced the Disney live action series Pixar In Real Life which premiered on 12 November 2019 with twelve episodes set to release monthly 6 7 Contents 1 Background 2 Missions events 2 1 Frozen Grand Central 2 2 Fake U2 Concert 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksBackground Edit nbsp Charlie ToddAfter graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 8 Todd started the group in August 2001 after playing a prank in a Manhattan bar with some friends that involved him pretending to be musician Ben Folds 9 Later that year Todd started taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City where he first met most of the Senior Agents of Improv Everywhere The owners of the theatre The Upright Citizens Brigade UCB had a television series from 1998 2000 on Comedy Central While primarily a sketch comedy show the UCB often filmed their characters in public places with hidden cameras and showed the footage under the end credits Both the UCB s show and their teachings on improv have been influential to Improv Everywhere 1 Todd currently performs on a house team at the UCBT in New York where he also taught for many years 10 Missions events EditAll the missions share a certain modus operandi Members agents play their roles entirely straight not breaking character or betraying that they are acting IE claims the missions are benevolent aiming to give the observers a laugh and a positive experience 11 Frozen Grand Central Edit Improv Everywhere s most popular YouTube video is Frozen Grand Central which has received over 35 million views 12 The two minute video depicts 207 IE Agents freezing in place simultaneously for five minutes in New York s Grand Central Terminal The video was listed as number 49 in Urlesque s 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos 13 Martin Bashir declared on Nightline that the video was one of the funniest moments ever captured on tape 14 According to Charlie Todd the prank has been recreated by fans in 100 cities around the world 15 Fake U2 Concert Edit On 21 May 2005 IE staged a fake U2 street concert on a rooftop in New York hours before the real U2 were scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden 16 Just like at the filming of the band s Where the Streets Have No Name video in 1987 the police eventually shut the performance down but not before IE was able to exhaust their four song repertoire and get most of the way through an encore repeat of Vertigo The crowd even those who had realized that this was a prank shouted one more song and then let them play when the police officers arrived This mission was number 23 on the VH1 countdown of the 40 Greatest Pranks 17 References Edit a b FAQ Improv Everywhere Retrieved 2008 10 05 a b Improv Everywhere s channel on YouTube NBC Pickups Variety New York Reed Elseiver 29 January 2007 Retrieved 15 December 2009 Todd Charlie Scordelis Alex 19 May 2009 Causing scenes at amazon com ISBN 978 0061703638 We Cause Scenes wecausescenes com Pixar In Real Life Improv Everywhere 2019 12 02 Retrieved 2020 05 30 Improv Everywhere ImprovEvery 2019 11 15 Yeah they are releasing them one at a time There are 12 Tweet Retrieved 2020 05 30 via Twitter Charlie Todd Improv Everywhere Gallagher Brian Thomas June 12 2008 Prank You Kindly New York Magazine New York New York Media LLC Retrieved 15 December 2009 Charlie Todd Upright Citizens Brigade Theater Retrieved 15 December 2009 Hockamn David February 27 2005 When Chekhov Meets Whoopee Cushion The New York Times Retrieved 15 December 2009 Frozen Grand Central on YouTube Glazer Eliot August 24 2009 The 100 Most Iconic Internet Videos urlesque AOL Inc Retrieved 15 December 2009 Improv Everywhere on Nightline YouTube com Videos Retrieved 15 December 2009 Morgan Spencer June 29 2009 The Art of the Prank Maxim com Alpha Media Groups Inc Retrieved 15 December 2009 Robertson Campbell May 25 2009 Where the Streets Have No Shame New York Times Retrieved July 27 2009 Vh1 s Greatest Pranks on Video vimeo Retrieved 15 December 2009 Further reading EditCharlie Todd and Alex Scordelis Causing a Scene HarperCollins 2009External links EditOfficial website ImprovEverywhere YouTube channel Feature length documentary on Improv Everywhere This American Life radio episode Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Improv Everywhere amp oldid 1177612309, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
