A muppet-styled puppet of Kevin Nealon at his office desk on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers

PROJECT

CLIENT

FORMAT

Crank Yankers

Comedy Central

TV Series

 

ABOUT

 

I directed on several episodes of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers revival under showrunner Jonathan Kimmel. My previous background as an editor on the show proved invaluable, and I was fortunate to have the trust and creative freedom to bring my own sense of humor to these prank calls featuring brilliant deadpan comedian and SNL alumnus, Kevin Nealon, calling a flower shop, as well as Crank Yankers mainstay Jim Florentine trying to secure funds to cover his gambling debts.

One of the highlights of directing the show was the chance to collaborate with lead puppeteer Victor Yarrid and the many talented puppeteers who brought our characters to life. Working out blocking and performance with them made me feel like a kid who’s discovered the Muppets for the first time.

Performing to a pre-recorded audio track posed another layer of complexity which required precise choreography of character movements to ensure that the visual jokes landed seamlessly for the audience. Crank Yankers not only provided me unique challenges but also incredible opportunities to hone my skills as a director and storyteller.

PROJECT

Crank Yankers

CLIENT

Comedy Central

FORMAT

TV Series

ABOUT

I had the incredible opportunity to direct several segments for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers. My background as an editor on the show proved invaluable, as it allowed me to leverage my experience in crafting numerous sketches. What's more, I was fortunate to have the trust and creative freedom from our producers to shape scenes and infuse them with visual detail and humor.

One of the highlights of my time directing on the show was the chance to collaborate with our puppets and the talented puppeteers who bring them to life. Filming puppets poses unique obstacles, particularly in concealing the performers. I meticulously planned the placement of set dressing and props, often rearranging the sets entirely from their initial designs. This approach ensured the puppeteers had maximum flexibility while remaining hidden from the camera's view.

Working with a pre-recorded audio track posed another layer of complexity. We had to consider the pre-established timing of the dialogue, which couldn't be altered. This required precise choreography of character movements to ensure that the jokes landed seamlessly for the audience. Working on Crank Yankers not only provided unique challenges but also incredible opportunities to hone my skills as a director and storyteller.

I directed on several episodes of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers revival under showrunner Jonathan Kimmel. My previous background as an editor on the show proved invaluable, and I was fortunate to have the trust and creative freedom to bring my own sense of humor to these prank calls featuring brilliant deadpan comedian and SNL alumnus, Kevin Nealon, calling a flower shop, as well as Crank Yankers mainstay Jim Florentine trying to secure funds to cover his gambling debts.

One of the highlights of directing the show was the chance to collaborate with lead puppeteer Victor Yarrid and the many talented puppeteers who brought our characters to life. Working out blocking and performance with them made me feel like a kid who’s discovered the Muppets for the first time.

Performing to a pre-recorded audio track posed another layer of complexity which required precise choreography of character movements to ensure that the visual jokes landed seamlessly for the audience. Crank Yankers not only provided me unique challenges but also incredible opportunities to hone my skills as a director and storyteller.

I directed on several episodes of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers revival under showrunner Jonathan Kimmel. My previous background as an editor on the show proved invaluable, and I was fortunate to have the trust and creative freedom to bring my own sense of humor to these prank calls featuring brilliant deadpan comedian and SNL alumnus, Kevin Nealon, calling a flower shop, as well as Crank Yankers mainstay Jim Florentine trying to secure funds to cover his gambling debts.

One of the highlights of directing the show was the chance to collaborate with lead puppeteer Victor Yarrid and the many talented puppeteers who brought our characters to life. Working out blocking and performance with them made me feel like a kid who’s discovered the Muppets for the first time.

Performing to a pre-recorded audio track posed another layer of complexity which required precise choreography of character movements to ensure that the visual jokes landed seamlessly for the audience. Crank Yankers not only provided me unique challenges but also incredible opportunities to hone my skills as a director and storyteller.

I directed on several episodes of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers revival under showrunner Jonathan Kimmel. My previous background as an editor on the show proved invaluable, and I was fortunate to have the trust and creative freedom to bring my own sense of humor to these prank calls featuring brilliant deadpan comedian and SNL alumnus, Kevin Nealon, calling a flower shop, as well as Crank Yankers mainstay Jim Florentine trying to secure funds to cover his gambling debts.

One of the highlights of directing the show was the chance to collaborate with lead puppeteer Victor Yarrid and the many talented puppeteers who brought our characters to life. Working out blocking and performance with them made me feel like a kid who’s discovered the Muppets for the first time.

Performing to a pre-recorded audio track posed another layer of complexity which required precise choreography of character movements to ensure that the visual jokes landed seamlessly for the audience. Crank Yankers not only provided me unique challenges but also incredible opportunities to hone my skills as a director and storyteller.

I directed on several episodes of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers revival under showrunner Jonathan Kimmel. My previous background as an editor on the show proved invaluable, and I was fortunate to have the trust and creative freedom to bring my own sense of humor to these prank calls featuring brilliant deadpan comedian and SNL alumnus, Kevin Nealon, calling a flower shop, as well as Crank Yankers mainstay Jim Florentine trying to secure funds to cover his gambling debts.

One of the highlights of directing the show was the chance to collaborate with lead puppeteer Victor Yarrid and the many talented puppeteers who brought our characters to life. Working out blocking and performance with them made me feel like a kid who’s discovered the Muppets for the first time.

Performing to a pre-recorded audio track posed another layer of complexity which required precise choreography of character movements to ensure that the visual jokes landed seamlessly for the audience. Crank Yankers not only provided me unique challenges but also incredible opportunities to hone my skills as a director and storyteller.

STILLS

Crank Yankers

STILLS

Crank Yankers

Kevin Nealon prank calls a flower shop in a sketch directed by Todd Bishop for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers
Bobby Fletcher, voiced by Jim Florentine, prank calls a debt collector in a sketch directed by Todd Bishop for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers.
Female debt collector answers the phone on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers
Female debt collector talks to Bobby Fletcher from a scene from Crank Yankers directed by Todd Bishop
Kevin Nealon taunts his cubicle mate Randal on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers directed by Todd Bishop
Bobby Fletcher looks out the window on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers in a call directed by Todd Bishop
Linda the debt consolidating goat from a scene directed by Todd Bishop for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers
Bobby Fletcher gets a visit from his bookie in a scene from Comedy Central's Crank Yankers directed by Todd Bishop
Kevin Nealon's puppet prank calls a flower shop in a scene for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers directed by Todd Bishop
A flower shop worker answers a call from Kevin Nealon in a sketch directed by Todd Bishop for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers
Spoonie Love (Tracy Morgan) visits a flower shop in a Crank Yankers scene directed by Todd Bishop
A female debt collector answers a prank call in a scene directed by Todd Bishop for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers
An angry flower stomps into a flower shop on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers
Kevin Nealon's puppet gets hot coffee poured on him in a sketch directed by Todd Bishop for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers
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