Amazon Is Working On It’s “Comedy Short Game” By Partnering With Funny Or Die
In one of our recent Nerd Collaborative Podcast episodes, Clayton and I discussed some of the strange short videos that we’ve stumbled upon on the Amazon Prime streaming service. Videos like the two minute short titled “Elf On The Shelf Caught Pooping” seem to be far too numerous, which can make it difficult to find good content. This strange accumulation of videos seems to be attributed to Amazon’s Video Direct Program. This is their way of giving smaller creators a platform to grow and share their creations. Recently, Amazon announced a partnership with Funny Or Die in which they commissioned three comedy shorts to expand their library of quality, short videos. This marks the first time that Amazon Direct Video has invested in developing their own original, exclusive content.
“The Jury” - While a roomful of bored strangers called for jury duty await their assignments, a mysterious, foul odor unites - and then threatens to divide - them in a quest to find the source. Starring: Kiran Deol, Baron Vaughn (Grace and Frankie,) Vivian Bang. Directed by Anna Kerrigan.
“Lovebirds” - A lonely young man buys a bird feeder to attract birds to the window of his lonely studio apartment. When they don't come, he is forced to fall in love with a woman in his apartment complex. Ahamed Weinberg wrote, directed and stars in this one, along with fellow comedian Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up.)
“Soojung Dreams of Fiji” - In this documentary satire, first generation Korean-American Soojung Yoon, a renowned nail salon owner, elevates her craft to an art form - an unexpected profession that puts her into conflict with her immigrant mother. Starring: SJ Son, Noella Son, Jes Tom. Directed by Hye Yun Park.
While this is not the first Funny Or Die content to be released on Amazon Prime, it is a bright and hilarious look at what could be the future of Amazon shorts. Hopefully the success of these three videos will be enough of a proof of concept for Amazon to keep pushing to produce quality, original content, and avoid things like "A Day In The Life: Toilet Paper."