Gizmodo: improv everywhere

Prank Musical Uses 7 Secret, Joystick-Controlled Cameras to Capture the Magic

Adam Frucci — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST

Famed internet pranksters Improv Everywhere just posted their latest "mission," a musical about the joys of lunch sung inside the atrium of Trump Tower. But this time, they got to record it using a boatload of NBC's high-tech gear.

Because the Today Show was doing a piece on pranks and wanted Ann Curry to be involved, they got involved and pulled out all the stops. They set up a huge tech control room in a storage area, with seven guys working seven joysticks connected to seven robotic HD cameras. The cameras were hidden throughout the atrium behind tinted glass and in plants.

It's gotta be hard to go back to using cameras hidden in duffel bags after this.

[Improv Everywhere]

2,000 People All Silently Take Instructions From the Same MP3

Adam Frucci — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:20:00 EDT

The wonderful Improv Everywhere just posted the report from its 6th MP3 Experiment, where 2,000 people all got together and listened to the same instructional MP3. It looked like a crazy amount of fun.

You may be familiar with some of Improv Everywhere's other pranks, such as Frozen Grand Central and the No Pants Subway Ride, but the annual MP3 Experiment is one that looks like it may be the most fun to participate in. I mean, come on, watch that video and tell me everyone doesn't look like they're having a blast. [Improv Everywhere]

Sony Blatantly Rips Off Improv Everywhere For Crappy 'Viral' Ad

Adam Frucci — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:34:59 EST

You've probably seen Improv Everywhere's amazing Frozen Grand Central video — it's gotten over 15,000,000 YouTube views. Apparently, so has Sony, because they totally ripped it off without asking permission or giving credit. Weasels.

In this spot, a bunch of easily-entertained commuters talk about how awesome it is to see models pretending to be mannequins holding Sony products in the middle of Grand Central. You see the models standing perfectly still, and then they show a fast-motion shot of the models in the middle of the hubbub. It's exactly like the Improv Everywhere video, just without any soul.

And this isn't the first time Sony has ripped off an artist for their advertisements. They ripped off LA-based kozyndan for their Bunnies Bravia ad, denying it later despite clear evidence of sleaziness. They apparently didn't learn their lesson, because this one is even worse. You suck, Sony. Come up with your own ideas.

Time for a mea culpa. Seriously, we're waiting. [Improv Everywhere and Creativity Online, Thanks, Zach Linder!]

Improv Everywhere Creates Epic Balloon Battles Using MP3 Players

Adam Frucci — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:15:00 EDT

Improv Everywhere, the pranksters behind such internet classics as the Grand Central freeze and the No Pants Subway Ride, recently did a tour of four North American cities to hold their MP3 experiments. These consisted of thousands of people getting together, each with a special MP3 loaded up on their portable audio players, and then following the instructions en masse. What resulted was a bunch of completely insane battles between huge groups of people wielding balloons, all listening to headphones. Only in the age of the internet could huge groups of strangers get together to participate in such well-organized lunacy. Be sure to sign up for IE's mailing list if you want to get on board for the next one. [Improv Everywhere]

ImprovEverywhere Uses 700 Cameras to Make a Flash Wave Across the Brooklyn Bridge

Adam Frucci — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:12:16 EDT

ImprovEverywhere has just released the photos and video from their latest event, The Camera Flash Experiment. To celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge, they sent 700 people all along the it with cameras. When they all fired their flashes off in the same direction, it allowed them to make a "wave" of light across the bridge. Some pretty amazing pictures and video resulted. (That Digg badge is for ImprovEverywhere's Digg, not ours.)

It's pretty awesome that a whopping 700 people showed up in the rain to pull this off, especially seeing how many of their cameras must have gotten fried. Definitely go to the IE site to check out more video, boatloads of high-res, desktop worthy photos and firsthand accounts. [ImprovEverywhere]

Best Buy Invaded By Legion Of Blue-Shirted Pranksters

gizmodo.com — Mon, 01 May 2006 12:41:37 EDT

Whether your gadget-buying experiences at Best Buy have been pleasure or pain (ours have tended towards the latter), you're probably familiar with the uniform their employees wear: royal blue shirt, khaki pants, black shoes. New York-based prankster group Improv Everywhere decided that for their latest mission, they'd get about fifty of their operatives to dress like Best Buy sales staff and invade the Chelsea branch. Customers were confused, some sales staff were supportive while others got upset, and predictably both management and security went apoplectic. IE Agent Firth's conversation with one agitated Best Buy staffer:

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"You're kicking me out?"
"No, I'm not saying that."
"Ok, then I can stay?"
"You're not buying anything."
"I'm waiting for my friend, just watching TV while I wait."
"I'm asking you to leave.""Are you kicking me out?"
"No."
This repeated in various versions until eventually he conceded with, "Fine, just do what you have to do." Agent Todd also overheard him add, "Have fun," as he walked away.

Lots of photos, videos and stories from the Best Buy mission operatives on their site, as well as links to previous pranks, our all-time favorite of which is Even Better Than The Real Thing.

Photo by Chad Nicholson

Mission: Best Buy [Improv Everywhere, via The Morning News]
Improv Everywhere Best Buy [crnphoto on Flickr]