WHAT IS THE COMEDY ROLL?

HOW IT WORKS

We believe that creative freedom is the most important component to making a quality short film. That’s why we decided to force our contestants to roll a pair of dice to determines what type of comedy short film they’re going to make! Genius, right?

Roll Dice

All teams start the competition by rolling a set of dice. One die determines the genre they will get while the other die will manipulate the final result.

Roll Film

Once all of the genres are determined, teams will have four weeks to write, shoot, and edit an (maximum) original five minute comedy film.

Roll On the Floor Laughing

The top 25 teams selected from the films competed will be able to see their films showcased in a movie theater to compete for the grand prize (TBD)!

The GENRES

JOKER (META)

The joker is a wild card genre that changes every year depending on the community's choice. Before the event, four potential genres will be compete to be the joker for the coming year. Once selected, whoever lands on the joker will have to play that year's genre.

Meta Comedy is a form of humor that is self-aware and self-referential, in which the comedic work consciously acknowledges its own nature as comedy. It is also known as breaking the fourth wall, commenting on its own structure, tropes, or conventions, and drawing attention to the artifice of the joke or performance itself. It operates on two levels simultaneously: the surface content of the joke and the joke's awareness of being a joke. The humor often derives from the gap between what a comedy is "supposed to do" and what it actually does, or from the audience's recognition of being in on the meta-layer.

Common forms include:
- A comedian stopping mid-punchline to critique the setup they gave

- A sitcom character acknowledging they're in a sitcom

- A parody that satirizes the genre rather than a specific target

- Jokes about the act of joking — timing, format, delivery — as the punchline itself

- Self-defeating or anti-jokes, where the form subverts the expected function

Examples across media: Deadpool (superhero film that mocks superhero films), Arrested Development (sitcom that satirizes sitcom conventions), Andy Kaufman's stand-up (performance art that questioned what stand-up was), and much of Bo Burnham's work, which turns the comedian's own discomfort with performing comedy into the comedy itself.

SLAPSTICK

Exaggerated physical humor that is often accompanied by silly or absurd situations. It emphasizes physical actions, such as falls, collisions, and other forms of physical mishaps, which are typically portrayed in a highly exaggerated and humorous manner. Slapstick comedy often relies on visual gags, practical jokes, and physical stunts to elicit laughter from the audience. Some well-known examples of slapstick can be found in: "The Three Stooges", "Home Alone", "Anchorman", and "The Hangover."

SPOOF

A spoof is a form of parody or comedic imitation that exaggerates or satirizes a particular work, genre, or style for humorous effect. It involves creating a humorous or mocking version of something by imitating its key elements, style, or characteristics in an exaggerated or exaggeratedly comedic way. They can take the form of films, TV shows, documentaries, or sketches and are typically intended to generate laughter through their humorous reinterpretation or exaggeration of familiar tropes, themes, or conventions. Some well-known examples of spoof can be found in: "Tropic Thunder," "Austin Powers," and "The Other Guys." Spoofs must be original in nature, meaning they cannot heavily reference specific works. For example, you can poke fun at superhero movies in general, but you cannot parody a specific superhero movie like "The Avengers" or "Justice League." Doing so will lead to an automatic disqualification.

SILENT

In silent comedies, the humor is primarily conveyed through visual gags, physical comedy, and exaggerated gestures, without the use of spoken dialogue. However, ambient, bodily and general sound effects are permitted. Music of course is also permitted. The comedic situations and misadventures of the characters are typically amplified by the absence of sound, allowing the physical comedy to take center stage. Visual humor and comedic timing play crucial roles in generating laughs and engaging the audience. Some notable examples of silent comedies include "The Artist," "Mr. Bean," "Pixar Short Films."

ABSURDIST

Absurdist comedy is a genre that aims to subvert traditional narrative and logic by presenting situations, characters, and dialogue that defy rationality and challenge conventional expectations. It often explores the inherent meaninglessness and absurdity of human existence and society, using humor to highlight the absurdity of everyday life. In absurdist comedy, the humor arises from the juxtaposition of inconsistent elements, nonsensical situations, and illogical behavior. It can involve surreal or bizarre scenarios, unconventional storytelling techniques, and a disregard for traditional comedic structure. Absurdist comedy often incorporates elements of irony, wordplay, non-sequiturs, and unexpected twists to create humorous effects. It can involve absurd or exaggerated characters, nonsensical dialogue, and nonsensical or circular narratives. Notable examples of absurdist comedy include Monty Python's Flying Circus, "The Mighty Boosh," "Rick and Morty," "The Good Place," and "The Lobster."

DARK

Dark comedy is a genre of comedy that explores serious, taboo, or morbid subjects in a humorous or satirical manner. It involves the juxtaposition of comedic elements with themes, situations, or characters that are typically associated with darkness, tragedy, or taboo subjects. Dark comedies often tackle sensitive topics such as death, violence, disease, social taboos, or controversial issues. They employ irony, satire, sarcasm, and wit to examine these subjects from an unconventional and often absurd perspective. The humor in dark comedy can be thought-provoking, unsettling, or even uncomfortable, as it navigates the fine line between humor and tragedy. The purpose of dark comedy is not only to entertain but also to challenge societal norms, question authority, and provoke introspection. It often uses humor as a tool to cope with or shed light on the dark aspects of human nature and the absurdities of life. Content that incites hate/malice toward any groups or individuals will be disqualified. This is not the purpose of dark comedy. If you are not sure if it does, please contact us directly. Examples of dark comedies include films like "Dr. Strangelove," "Fargo," "American Psycho," and television shows such as "Breaking Bad," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," and "BoJack Horseman."

The Punchline

If you are not satisfied with the genre selected from your initial roll, you have the option to roll the punchline die. Whatever you roll on the punchline, cancels out the original die rolled. This die could completely change the outcome of your roll in the following ways:

Roller's choice

You get to choose what genre you get. Don’t let that other die push you around.

Audience Choice

The nearby audience gets to choose your genre for you. Make friends quickly.

MC's Choice

Your MC will make the choice for you. Bribes under $20 will not be accepted. Jk. Not Jk.

ROLL AGAIN

Pretty straightforward. If you roll this die, you must roll the dice once more.

Prize

If you manage to get lucky, you will receive a price from the MC.

Pun-ishment

Get ready to suffer from a really awful pun that could penalize you.