Met brothers Sandeep and Rajiv at a social occasion the other day – they are the brains behind EffinFunny, a web site that offers professionally created video clips from up and coming as well as established comedians. While the site and content are really cool (I highly recommend you check it out for yourself), what is very interesting is how the company is aiming to change the business of stand-up comedy. I think it is another great example of what Web 2.0 is really all about.
EffinFunny uses professional resources to videotape comic performances at live shows they organize once a month (currently in L.A. only). The company then applies a rigorous editorial process to distill the best content from these performances and releases this content on its site. Anyone who wants to is able to try out at their shows – there is no pre-qualification.
What EffinFunny is doing is creating an open and efficient marketplace for comic talent. Folks visiting their site get high quality content from the best up and coming comedians – they don’t have to sift through digital garbage like they need to at sites like YouTube. The up and coming comedians get to show off their wares without really worrying about issues unrelated to their core competence like making slick videos. Anyone looking to hire/use new comic talent gets to see the comics in action and compare them with their peers in a cost and time effective manner. All in all, Web 2.0 at its best.