Cindy McCreery
Guest Writer Series, Part 3
Cindy McCreery, Hollywood Screenwriter. Cindy is a graduate of the Walt Disney/ABC Feature Writing Fellowship program for the 2002-2003 year. In 2006 National Geographic Films hired Cindy to rewrite ELEPHANT WILD and later in 2007 in partnership with Warner Brothers, they hired her again to develop and write FREE WILLY: ESCAPE FROM PIRATES COVE which will be released in March of 2010.
My most prize possession as a kid was my Steve Martin, “Wild and Crazy Guy” stand up comedy record. I’d listen to his standup over and over again even though, most likely, I was too young to understand why I was laughing. The idea that one guy could make so many people laugh just by telling stories amazed me. A few years later my older brothers exposed me to another great stand up, who I was still far too young to be watching, Eddie Murphy. I must have watched his stand up show, “Delirious” a hundred times. He told crazy stories about his childhood that were both so personal and so hilarious. Then, I discovered Gilda Radner, who became my hero. She was fearless. She didn’t care how ridiculous she looked; it was all about being funny. That was it for me she was who I wanted to be when I grew up. Period. Well, needless to say, I did not become Gilda Radner, but my love of comedy has stayed intact.
Recently, I was asked by Shoieb Yunus, Founder & CEO at Vpype to help promote their new Facebook application, vComedy, which allows users to record, post and send out their best comedy “bits”. What I love about this application is that it’s not about trying to capture a funny moment with your video camera of your cat doing something crazy or someone nailing someone else in the crotch for the millionth time, it’s back to the basics of what I love about comedy. It’s about a personal interaction, about simply telling a funny story. That’s what I love about stand up comedy; it’s so personal and so simple. Sometimes it works. Sometime it doesn’t. But I admire anyone with the nerve to try.
I recently sat down to use the app for the first time and it was terrifying. I’ve spent the last eight years as a professional screenwriter, constantly putting my work out there, but this was much more terrifying, I had to put myself out there! Let’s face it, my joke wasn’t that great, but I sent it out to my dad on Facebook, who I dedicated it to and he absolutely loved it. He loved that I took the time to record this joke just for him. It was better than any greeting card I had ever mailed to him. He laughed and was touched. My first bit was a success! Don’t worry I’m not going to quit my day job! Milton Berle once said, “Laughter is an instant vacation”. I think vComedy can be an “instant vacation” for someone right there on their Facebook Page. I know it was for my dad.
30th Annual San Francisco Comedy Day
This September 19th at the 30th annual San Francisco Comedy Day I’m thrilled to be working a vComedy booth where we’ll be recording patron’s best funny! It’s going to be a great day where over forty of the best stand ups in the country will be performing on one stage for the city where Steve Martin recorded “Wild and Crazy Guy”. The day begins at noon and runs until 5pm in the beautiful Sharon Meadows in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. It’s totally free and a family friendly day of food, drinks and comedy! Our vComedy booth will be armed with webcams ready to record patron’s best funny and we’ll post them on Facebook for everyone to share with their friends.
For more info on vComedy go to … http://apps.facebook.com/vcomedy
For more info on San Francisco Comedy Day go to … http://www.comedyday.com
To watch Vpype CEO’s latest interview, click here … http://www.vimeo.com/14661583
Tags: cindy mccreery, comedy on facebook, Facebook, hollywood, live video, san francisco comedy day, shoieb yunus, social media, social networking, social tv, social video, social web, Vpype, vpype live, Youtube
