A Yank From L.A. Who's NOT Pretentious!

Hey:

Just signed up to the BCG Forums and this is my first post. I discovered the British Comedy Guide after a simple Google search for "comedy forums". This site was the very first search result - Congrats!

I'm making myself known here for a couple reasons:

1. I launched a YouTube Channel a couple months ago, and have been posting short comedy videos (usually around 2 minutes long) every Monday. Since I now have about a dozen videos "qued" up (as you folks say), I thought I'd start letting people know about it:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ToddTrumpetVideos/videos

2. My latest video may have particular appeal to a British comedy audience, as it simultaneously pokes fun at both Pretension AND THE FRENCH. It's titled, "Exisfrenchalism", and can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwW8YV4YNbU

Bonus Reason: Like many Americans, I'm infatuated with the British. We even have a word for it: "Anglophile" In my case, this includes not only accent-envy, but a healthy regard for the drier climes of British wit.

What else about me?

Well, you can read more at:

www.toddtrumpet.com

And I think that's more than enough for an introduction!

Yank Thanks,

Todd

We only like pretentious people here, don't we Godot?

Hi Todd!

Can I join you in L.A please?

Welcome to the best forum about comedies you will find!

Quote: David Smith @ June 20 2013, 7:27 PM BST

Can I join you in L.A please?

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As of today, the population of L.A. county stands at 9,818,605.

Unfortunately, county rules mandate a maximum population of 9,818,604.

This means two things:

1. Logan will be returning a newly-minted 30-year-old to the city's main Carousel.

2. No, you can't join me.

Todd

P.S. On the bright side, someone's bound to die in L.A. fairly soon, so remain optimistic!

Hi Todd

I like your comedy style, the two I've watched so far, Balcony and Green Screen, very funny, nice and dry and subtle, will watch the rest when I get a minute (i.e. when not trawling through threads on here )

Quote: Todd Trumpet @ June 20 2013, 10:32 PM BST

2. No, you can't join me.

Todd

P.S. On the bright side, someone's bound to die in L.A. fairly soon, so remain optimistic!

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When David arrives in L.A. many people will die. He'll cause riots...especially among train passengers.

Quote: Todd Trumpet @ June 20 2013, 5:46 PM BST

2. My latest video may have particular appeal to a British comedy audience, as it simultaneously pokes fun at both Pretension AND THE FRENCH. It's titled, "Exisfrenchalism", and can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwW8YV4YNbU

View original

In France Jerry Lewis is revered as a comic genius of his age. Not sure if that is pretentious or just plain weird.

Hello Todd, I liked these videos, they were quirky; although the fact that it was mostly just one guy in an empty flat gave an air of melancholy to them, which I'm not sure helped.

Quote: Todd Trumpet @ June 20 2013, 5:46 PM BST

Since I now have about a dozen videos "qued" up (as you folks say)

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No one spells 'qued' like that, do they?

Queued or cued. I'd have thought.

Welcome to BCG, Todd!

Quote: Shandonbelle @ June 20 2013, 10:41 PM BST

I like your comedy style, the two I've watched so far, Balcony and Green Screen...

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Thanks, Shandonbelle. That's the very first feedback I've received on "Green Screen". I picked it up a few years ago when I was constructing a feature-length series of comedy shorts. It was a Craigslist purchase from a down-sizing portrait photographer, and required a drive into the nethery center of Los Angeles. In other words:

I risked my life for my art!

[Actually, more like "for my savings of about 100 "quid" or so.]

Todd

P.S. It measures 10'X20', which is much bigger than I need and makes every use an exercise in unwieldy deployment. In other words:

I suffer for my art!

[Actually, more like "for my frugality".]

Quote: youngian @ June 21 2013, 1:54 PM BST

In France Jerry Lewis is revered as a comic genius of his age. Not sure if that is pretentious or just plain weird.

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Just plain weird.

Todd

P.S. And another reason to mock the French.

Quote: Nogget @ June 21 2013, 2:17 PM BST

Hello Todd, I liked these videos, they were quirky; although the fact that it was mostly just one guy in an empty flat gave an air of melancholy to them, which I'm not sure helped.

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I've thought about this myself, and you are correct: Working by myself in a (mostly) empty apartment (we still don't say "flat" over here) is a definite limitation and drawback. The eventual goal is to expand and actually have OTHERS helping with some of these videos, particularly in front of the camera (I make no claim to any kind of acting talent). However, I am loath to entice people to work for free with false promises of (delayed) fame and fortune, so until I gain some traction (i.e., enough viewers to attract YouTube's attention) I'll have to continue to subscribe to my favourite Orson Welles quote:

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations."

Todd

P.S. BTW, I'm not saying these comedy shorts are "art", an overused word in the entertainment business that I largely reserve for oil on canvas. Then again, if I could ever figure out a way to make a short comedy video ABOUT oil on canvas...

Quote: zooo @ June 21 2013, 2:29 PM BST

Queued or cued. I'd have thought.

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The irony is, I actually looked it up before I posted, and STILL got it wrong!

Wow, spelling feedback - I guess I'll have to mind my "P's" and "Que's" here!

Todd

P.S. Groaning encouraged.

I was going to say that it's good to blow your own trumpet, but that might have an unfortunate double meaning.

Quote: Todd Trumpet @ June 21 2013, 5:50 PM BST

(I make no claim to any kind of acting talent)

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Actually, your understated style of performance is fine for your work, most of the time.