Some of the best surprises of the SBS Comedy Runway entries came from the often forgotten state of Tasmania. All the way down there, not even attached to the mainland it’s sometimes easy to miss the amazing filmmakers and comedians living down there, but we’re very glad we went looking because it led us to the fantastic creators behind ‘Apocalypse Events’. We were blown away by the originality, wit and most importantly the fun we could see coming right out of every word in the initial script.
It was clear that this pitch was going to be great and we were very happy to fund, with equal help from Screen Tasmania, the $20,000 to make it happen. The results are fantastic and we’re thrilled to present it as the 4th Pilot of the Comedy Runway!
We talked to the creators of ‘Apocaylpse Events’ to see what working on the project was like for them and where they plan to take it in the future:
Where did the idea come from?
Andrew Quaile: In my day-job I had to make a series of mini-documentaries about successful business-people in Tassie. As I was filming, I was thinking, ‘this would be so much funnier if all these businesses were made-up.’ Working with Paul (co-writer), we came up with a long list of unusual business ideas and characters who run them. Paul thought an extreme corporate team-building thing might be interesting. I’d done some weird team-exercises in the past, so Apocalypse Events seemed liked a good fit. It also sounded like the most fun to make!
Paul Lee-Archer: I think everyone has had to do those team-building days and trust exercises. We liked the idea of taking those team-building days to a whole new level. Instead of a theoretical life-boat scenario why not actually put a group of people in a leaky life-boat and see what happens? I think that sort of dark humour appeals to both Andrew and me.
Any interesting things happen along the way?
AQ: For the shoot we needed props such as guns, balaclavas and bullet-proof vests. Most were purchased online and delivered to my home. My wife was concerned I'd pop up on ASIO's 'Watch' list and the next knock on the door would be the police… Anyway, the shoot was great. We filmed over 3 days between Launceston and Hobart, and the cast and crew were amazing. I think everyone enjoyed themselves – even the accountants we tied up.
PLA: When Andrew and I were thinking of different business ideas to include we tried to imagine the strangest possible things we could think of. But some of the crazy ideas we came up with turned out to be actual businesses! It just goes to show that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and that the businesses in our show might actually work in real life!
What are your plans for the series?
AQ: The series would be called Entrepreneurs, a mock-documentary series about unusual business-people around the country. Every time I hear of a bizarre yet successful venture I think, ‘What a great idea - I wish I’d thought of that’.
PLA: We've got some great stories of unusual businesses. There's a couple who you can hire to put the spark back in your relationship. They claim they can make your partner deliriously happy without you having to lift a finger. Their methods are a bit suspect and their own relationship isn't exactly perfect. Then there's the guy who lives with his elderly mother in a retirement home who decides he can make use of all the nursing home residents and starts a call centre in the home. There’s also the story of a man who starts selling the freshest air on the planet to the rest of the world.
Check out all the wonderful people that made this amazing pilot possible: Credits
For all the latest Comedy Runway updates as well our latest comedy articles and videos please join us on Facebook and Twitter!
