On the Cheap
With the accessibility of inexpensive but high-quality video cameras and editing and special effects software, you can make your mini-masterpieces for next to nothing. In most cases, you don't have to pay actors and grips or deal with unions and regulations. You're on your own. You can make a decent, quality film that looks almost as good as it does on the big screen.
However, even though you can get big screen quality, remember that in most cases your video will be watched on YouTube on a tiny screen, or even a really tiny cell phone screen. Make sure your comedy is made to fit on the small screen when you produce it. Keep the important elements visible to make sure that your audience isn't missing something vital.
Judson Laipply's “Evolution of Dance” routine has been seen by more than 100 million viewers (that's around the same number of people who watched the Super Bowl) and is the top YouTube video of all time. Judson is a “motivational comedian” and he made an Internet sensation out of his energetic six-minute video showing how dance has changed since the 1950s.
Anyone can make a technically expert video, but you need great content. That's what the studios are looking for — truly original ideas they haven't seen before. That's what gets you noticed. Don't worry if your film-making skills aren't perfect. As long as your content is funny and original, you'll be just fine.
On video sites like YouTube, it's getting harder to stick out. So many videos are uploaded every day, and most of them are predictable — guys getting hit in the groin, babies laughing, or babies laughing at guys getting hit in the groin. But truly funny videos and performances still move to the top very quickly.
Another Internet advantage: You can create material quickly. As soon as a news story breaks, you can make a funny response and upload it within hours, and it can travel around the world in seconds. That can be a blessing and a curse. Uploading a ton of stuff to see if something sticks might cause your audience to think that you had only one good video in you. Take pride in what you do and work your ideas until you know they're funny. Chances are the world will agree with you.
Because your videos can get lost in the junk that fills up YouTube, you might want to consider submitting them to sites that are more selective like
Studios are trying to sponsor and profit from Internet media. It's possible that more outlets will start paying you for content, so you may be able to profit from your video's popularity.
