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Video: Learn The History Of Improv Everywhere In This New Documentary
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 8, 2014
Modified Jan 8, 2014
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 8, 2014
Modified Jan 8, 2014
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Charlie Todd and his ever-changing troupe of pranksters have now been immortalized on film. The Improv Everywhere documentary—called "We Cause Scenes"—was released yesterday online (available on iTunes and their own website), and captures Todd's vision and how it's grown over the years. Even the troupe's toughest critics have to admit that Improv Everywhere makes the world a more fun place, right? Check out the trailer for the doc here:
Todd started working on Improv Everywhere in the summer of 2001 when he moved to New York, and while interest grew rapidly, a major moment came in 2008 when he managed to "freeze" Grand Central.
Todd told us this afternoon that one of his favorite pranks is their very first, which involved impersonating Ben Folds in a bar. The prank was transcribed for the site, because this is four years before YouTube was even founded! The doc actually tells the story of how it transformed from a Geocities website to a YouTube channel—Todd tells us "the rise of the Internet is really the subplot. I was staging these projects for 5 years by the time YouTube was created."
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charlie todd
improv everywhere
we cause scenes
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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