Over the past several years, Twitter has played a huge part in a comedy renaissance still going strong. Entertainers use the platform to take advantage of trending topics immediately, turning them into brilliant and timely nuggets of standup that might not otherwise make it to the stage in time.
Yet even some of the most quick-witted writers will emphasize the difference between Twitter and their "true" comedy. Very few comics feel comfortable dubbing themselves "Twitter comedians."
"I think the term 'Twitter comedian' can seem like a pejorative because it's not a job, really, and there's such a low barrier for entry to get started," comedian Josh Gondelman tells Mashable.
Twitter has been a valuable resource for Gondelman, who co-created the popular parody account @SeinfeldToday, recognized by Time as one of this year's top 140 accounts to follow. But like many others in the industry, Twitter is not his ultimate comedy goal.
"It's less about wanting to disassociate with Twitter and more about wanting to be recognized for the whole body of work, including stuff in more conventional avenues," says Gondelman.
Enter Vine, Twitter's video-sharing app, which launched about three months ago — just enough time for early adopters to achieve their six seconds of fame. Though Vine's quick video clips might seem a blip on the comedy radar, compared to traditional standup shows, it's quick becoming a game-changer in live comedy.
Vine is fostering genres of comedy that no other platform has supported.
Vine is fostering genres of comedy that no other platform has supported. Where Twitter is virtually useless to aspiring impersonators, sketch comedians and styles of comedy that require performance, Vine is filling the void.
Arguably the star of Vine's comedy community is Will Sasso, a former MADtv castmember and "Curly" in the Three Stooges reboot.
One of Sasso's greatest talents is impressions. Although most know him as the "lemon guy" on Vine, he also impersonates Hulk Hogan, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert DeNiro.
This genre of comedy would never be possible on minimalistic, 140-character Twitter. And YouTube often requires a refined and lengthy production process, at which point many jokes lose their shelf-life.
Sasso and other comedians, like James Urbaniak and Steve Agee, have stretched six seconds into highly addictive comedy sketches.
Comeback Vine! (Private message to @willsasso: Where are you?) vine.co/v/bHVbzWQiUMr
— James Urbaniak (@JamesUrbaniak) March 7, 2013
The platform is still small enough that users are experimenting with all different kinds of content. Many are even riffing off other users' jokes for their own vines — like a digital version of improv comedy.
Like any new successful platform, Vine is producing its own brand of breakout stars unknown to the comedy world until now.
Nick Mastodon is an unemployed 27-year-old who has earned more than 15,000 followers on Vine. The Minnesota native is known for his Disney remixes and six-second satirical interviews.
Mastodon produces three to five vines per day, if not more. Unlike Twitter, where comedians shoot off dozens of tweets per day, Vine requires slightly more planning and self control. Mastodon admits that if he gets carried away, he tends to lose followers.
"You have six seconds to tell a story," he says. "If you can do something truly entertaining in such a short amount of time, you're doing something right. It's the same reason why long-winded jokes have the potential of losing the audience's attention."
Vine is also an ideal experimentation platform for sketch comedy, an area YouTube has dominated thus far. Although YouTube is certainly still necessary for longform sketch comedy, Vine users are finding new ways to produce killer quick hits and zingy one-liners.
Back to the Future vine.co/v/bDLFET09pHj
— MARLO meekins (@MarloMeekins) March 26, 2013
Despite their short six-second runtime, some vines require planning, careful timing and seamless execution. Add comedy to the mix and you've got quite a challenging recipe.
Marlo Meekins, an illustrator and cartoonist, creates whimsical vines as part of various series. From movie reenactments with her dogs to her klutzy character Rose, each vine requires props and significant direction.
While some funny vines benefit from scripts, Vine is certainly one of the more raw social networks out there. On Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and Intstagram, users can upload, edit and manipulate photos. Vine, on the other hand, requires challenging creativity to produce of comedy, specifically, when it involves optical illusions.
DENNIS SERIES 3/3 #6secfilms #series vine.co/v/bpDh6WrBQww
— Jordan Burt (@imfauxreal) April 6, 2013
Jordan Burt often plays the role of a submissive nerd bullied by an obsessive mannequin named Dennis. The mannequin moves in and out of the shots, requiring a mix of stop motion animation and perfect timing. And anyone who's fumbled with Vine knows each frame counts — messing one up means starting over completely.
Observational comics have more potential on Vine than, perhaps, Twitter. Filming the subject adds to the shock of the joke. Comedy is supposed to be bold and questionable, and video makes it more thrilling than straight text.
"Excuse Me, Sir" (Part 15) vine.co/v/bIFglUOnYqM
— Chris D'Elia (@chrisdelia) April 2, 2013
Chris D'Elia, known for his role on TV sitcom Whitney, constantly pushes the boundaries on Vine, pointing out unusual people he encounters day to day and daring his viewers to vine something even more outrageous.
Though often offensive, that six-second visual thrill is the punchline itself: D'Elia's man-on-the-street vines are comedy gold, and they don't actually involve the subject at all.
Target's great for napping! #HowTo Nap #VinePortraits of good rest #FavThings Sleep & Lunchables vine.co/v/bIx7l6nKt7l
— Brittany Furlan (@BrittanyFurlan) April 3, 2013
Finally, let's take a look at outlandish comedy on Vine, as opposed to a video platform like YouTube. Not only can the traditional video experience appear bulky; it's also more difficult for the person filming.
Los Angeles-based Brittany Furlan can pull several pranks in one vine without spending extra time editing. With Vine, she can pull stunts like the one above and upload the video before even leaving the store.
Vine is certainly not replacing Twitter, by any means. After all, Twitter's power lies in its numbers and distribution possibilities. However, Vine is the platform that many live comedians have been waiting for.
A full standup act or TV spot may be the ultimate goal for many of them, but Vine is a low-investment, highly creative tool for comedians, whether they're established artists or beginners. Many can craft a killer tweet, but choke offline. Vine forces these actors to be themselves — live.
Image via iStockphoto, KirbusEdvard
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