The Upright Citizens Brigade's 14th Annual Del Close Marathon

Here's another rather large batch of pictures from one of my latest gigs - the UCB's 14th Annual Del Close Marathon (a bit of back story: The Upright Citizens Brigade, originally founded by Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh, created the Del Close Marathon after Del Close, one of the pioneers of improvisational comedy, passed away in 1999).

This was, by far the COOLEST photography gig I've gotten so far.  Three straight days of improv, performed by the best comedians in the business, and all I had to do was sit in the front row and take pictures.  I'd always assumed there was more to improv than Michael Scott continuously pulling out his "gun" (see: The Office), but I had no idea how much of a fine craft it really is.  Or how much hard work and training it takes to be a professional improv comedian.

I knew there were going to be some big names at the marathon (after all, one of the UCB's founding members is Amy Poehler, one of the most successful female comedians out there), but I was surprised at how many familiar faces I saw on the various stages.  From minor recurring TV characters, to frequent supporting roles, even my favorite YouTube sketch comedy groups, it was interesting to see how wide the UCB network spans.  Basically, if I ever decide to become a comedian, this would definitely be the place to start.

Anyhoo, without further ado, PICTURES!

Hopeless Romantic - Production Stills

Here are the production stills for Hopeless Romantic, a film my friends at Tanaka Bros. are working on.    This was quite a learning experience for me, not just from being on my first movie set, but also from jumping into the medium of production still photography from scratch.

© Andrew Bisdale 2012

Editing was quite a chore, narrowing a collective batch of about 1250 pictures down to a somewhat-comprehensive 136.  I like to think these pictures tell a relatively concise story, showing some behind-the-scenes action, some of the scenery, and a little bit of impromptu celebrating after we wrapped filming.

This was a pretty surreal experience, working well into the night for several nights in a row, witnessing the production of what I'm sure will be an impressive piece of filmmaking.  I'll say one more "Congrats" to the cast/crew of Hopeless Romantic - can't wait to see the final product!