About a week ago I had the chance to be an extra in a video for local comedy sketch group Aunty Donna. I debated whether or not to write a blog post about this, simply because there’s not a lot I’m actually able to say about the shoot, but since the group are avid creators of online video and have gained quite a following through YouTube as a platform, I thought it would be worth discussing as a kind of case study come reflection.
For those who don’t know, Aunty Donna are a three piece comedy group based in Melbourne, who’s YouTube channel has a total of 51,167 subscribers, and who’s most successful Bvideo has a total of 860,632 views (as of 19/3/15). Their success on YouTube led to ABC picking up their web series Aunty Donna’s Rumpus Room for television, and then later skits for the ABC2 series Fresh Blood. They are also live performers, and will be performing throughout the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, likely to an audience of fans generated through their YouTube account and social media.
Perhaps what makes Aunty Donna’s content so suited to online video is the lack of limitations or restraints. The platform allows for them to experiment with character, language, format, etc. and this is something that works in their favour as comedians, since they are always able to try out new things with little or no consequences. Creatively, that’s naturally a good way to work. Their content is also suited to being online due to the typically short duration of their material, and the rewatchability of their comedy. It is also worth considering that being online also means that their work can be shared, something that’s useful for a group working to grow their audience and attract a wider fan base. It is also what gained the attention of the ABC.
In terms of my own experience, being an extra for the boys meant that I got to see how things worked for them behind the scenes. Again, I can’t really say much about the video itself, but it was interesting to see how the energy was maintained hour after hour, and how well the boys click as a group. There were plenty of jokes made up on the spot, the script being treated relatively loosely as physical comedy was mostly improvised and some scenes were left to be choreographed on the day. It was also an insight as to how long things can potentially take to film. I was on set for around 6 hours, yet only two scenes were filmed that day. It’s a long process!
