The Sweeney - The Life & Work of Jim Sweeney

We're trying to find a distributor for this documentary. Your comments can help. Please watch the trailer on YouTube and let us know if you want to see this film in the comments.

The life and work of Jim Sweeney (The Comedy Store Players, Who's Line Is It Anyway). Jim has been presented with The Granada Media Comedy Writing Award and the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First for his play Danny's Wake. His latest work My MS and Me played to audiences in London and New York and was adapted for Radio.

With appearances by Stephen Frost, Eddie Izzard, Josie Lawrence, Paul Merton, Mike McShane, Neil Mullarkey, Greg Proops, Lee Simpson, Andy Smart, Steve Steen, Richard Vranch, Don Ward, and much more.

Watch the trailer on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA43e6V-J1c

Thank you!

The first question many people will ask before viewing this trailer (sadly) is, 'who is Jim Sweeney?'. You and I know Jim has been one of the most influential live comedy performers of the last 30 years, but I'm not sure that's clear from your trailer. It's true that without Paul Merton British improv would probably not have survived commercially, but Jim was always the Comedy Store Players' most consistently brilliant performer.

I'd cut the trailer down to half the length, lose the sketches from the top (Jim's work on Rory Bremner's early shows, though brilliant, isn't really relevant to your main thrust), and find two or three top notch clips from the Store. (They record every show). The clip of him quitting is good, the ones with Josie don't translate so well, a couple of dialogue clips of him with Paul will help to establish his improv credentials.

And the only other thing I'd say is watch how you introduce Jim's illness. The clip of his last performance stands alone, and then you can cut in other comics telling their stories without having to ask the 'when did you realise he was ill' question.

Good luck, Chris. Anyone who can sell Jim to a wider audience is fine by me. And every comedy indy will know who Jim is so I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding a distributor.

Quote: Anorak @ October 5 2009, 8:41 PM BST

The first question many people will ask before viewing this trailer (sadly) is, 'who is Jim Sweeney?'. You and I know Jim has been one of the most influential live comedy performers of the last 30 years, but I'm not sure that's clear from your trailer. It's true that without Paul Merton British improv would probably not have survived commercially, but Jim was always the Comedy Store Players' most consistently brilliant performer.

I'd cut the trailer down to half the length, lose the sketches from the top (Jim's work on Rory Bremner's early shows, though brilliant, isn't really relevant to your main thrust), and find two or three top notch clips from the Store. (They record every show). The clip of him quitting is good, the ones with Josie don't translate so well, a couple of dialogue clips of him with Paul will help to establish his improv credentials.

And the only other thing I'd say is watch how you introduce Jim's illness. The clip of his last performance stands alone, and then you can cut in other comics telling their stories without having to ask the 'when did you realise he was ill' question.

Good luck, Chris. Anyone who can sell Jim to a wider audience is fine by me. And every comedy indy will know who Jim is so I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding a distributor.

View original

I agree with most of Anorak's post, but I also just wanted to bump this because this is a documentary I would love to see.

Adding to Anorak's bit, maybe you need to tell a story a bit more in the trailer - it might seem a bit ham to do so, but it could help. For example, the talking heads come up and I'm not sure any of them appear with Jim in the clips section earlier. No clip = no talking head. And the captions only give names, rather than who they are. I love most of these performers, but I think they need to have a caption relating them to Jim's story.

Anyway, trailer critique over - my most enjoyable live comedy nights have been seeing the Comedy Store Players, and after the first couple of times I went in 2003/4 I realised - having expected the big TV names to have blown me away - that, hang on old fella, the most consistent deliverer of big laughs and great performances is Jim Sweeney. I only saw him after MS was affecting him, but I can't imagine him being any funnier without a walking stick, and then a wheelchair, than he was with them.

Good luck with the film!

Best not to call it The Sweeney to avoid confusion with the popular 70s police drama and also if you made a sequel about similarly underused 80s comic talent Phil Pope, its best not to call the documentary The Pope, to avoid confusion with the popular head of the Roman Catholic church.

Joking aside I think you might be pleasantly surprised with how many people have fond memories of Jim Sweeney and would like to know what he is up to.

I always Liked the Sweeney & the Pope for that matter.
I wondered why we never saw more of Jim Sweeney on telly, but I had no idea he was ill.