Author: Charlie Todd

Charlie Todd is a New York based actor, comedian, and prankster. He is the founder of Improv Everywhere, a New York prank collective that has been profiled by The New York Times, SPIN Magazine, and Rolling Stone (where his work was named "Hot Comedy" in the Hot List Issue 2005). Charlie has given interviews about his pranks to news outlets around the world including The Guardian in London, German Public Radio, and NHK TV in Japan. He brought Improv Everywhere to Aspen, Colorado in 2006 as part of HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival. Charlie is a teacher at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, where he has written, performed, and directed comedy for the past five years. He has created many shows at the UCBT including PAID PROGRAMMING, FOUND ON CRAIGSLIST, and THE MP3 EXPERIMENT (all of which were Time Out New York critic's picks). He currently performs at the theatre every Saturday with the house team Reuben Williams and every Thursday with the UCBW, a ridiculous wrestling league he created. Charlie has made appearances on LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, BEST WEEK EVER and VH1's 40 GREATEST PRANKS. He has worked on pilots for ABC and TBS, and he will soon appear in the THIS AMERICAN LIFE pilot on Showtime. Charlie was named one of the "10 Funniest People You've Never Heard Of" by New York Magazine.
Posted on

The Mp3 Experiment Tour

From Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere:

Over 2,000 people press play at the same time on the same Mp3 and have an epic balloon battle in cities across North America. The Mp3 is a mix of original music and instructions from a voice. Participants were told to wear a red, blue, green, or yellow shirt and bring a balloon. After a series of activities, the experiment came to an end with a giant battle. Everyone was split into two teams and instructed to blow up their balloons and engage in battle. This trailer video shows footage from all 4 stops on the tour. Visit our website to see many more videos and photos. Thanks to Yahoo! for embracing our mission and making this tour possible.

Edited by Matt Adams. All music by Tyler Walker.

Check out the reports for each city and more videos and photos.

Related posts:

  1. More 3D Street Art
  2. Ztohoven Art Collective Launches “Citizen K” Identity Swap
  3. Rob’s Word Shop
  4. Streaming Books [English & Spanish]
Posted on

mp3 Experiment Tour Dates

Update from Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere, September 22, 2008:

Full details are now available on our site for the upcoming Mp3 Experiments in New York City and Toronto, both happening this weekend:

New York Details / NY Facebook Event
Toronto Details / Toronto Facebook Event

Details will be available soon for San Francisco (10/4) and Chicago (10/5). All events are free and open to the public.

From Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere, September 16, 2008:

We’re thrilled to announce the dates of the first ever Mp3 Experiment tour. We’re partnered with Yahoo! to take our annual New York event on the road. The tour will start in
New York and will make stops in Toronto, San Francisco, and Chicago. Each event is free and open to the public.

Tour details:

The Mp3 Experiment 5: New York City
Saturday, September 27 at 3:15 PM at Governor’s Island

The Mp3 Experiment Toronto
Sunday, September 28 (time and location TBA)

The Mp3 Experiment San Francisco
Saturday, October 4 (time and location TBA)

The Mp3 Experiment Chicago
Sunday, October 5 (time and location TBA)

On Monday, September 22 we will post detailed instructions for each city and provide a link to download the mp3. Subscribe to our RSS Feed and our Newsletter to stay informed.

If you”ve never heard of The Mp3 Experiment, check out our coverage of the past four years: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

ps: You might enjoy this prank video, Elevator Music: Tanda, I directed for Yahoo!

Related posts:

  1. The 30th Annual April Fools’ Day Parade Marches On!!
  2. Coyle & Sharpe: The Imposters Podcasts, Episodes 13, 14 & 15
  3. Coyle & Sharpe: The Imposters Podcasts, Episodes 10, 11 & 12
  4. Coyle & Sharpe: The Imposters, Episode 4
Posted on

Party Down ala Ferris Bueller at the Deitch Art Parade in NYC

From Charlie Todd, Urban Prankster, August 13, 2008:

Upcoming: Ferris Bueller Parade (NYC)

New York artist Mina Karimi sent us this cool sounding request for participants:

On September 6th, I am staging a large performance art piece that requires 6-8 hundred people recreating the parade scene from Ferris Bueller at the Deitch Art Parade in Soho. I am recruiting secret agents in the audience of the parade to mimic the extras in the movie as my Ferris float approaches. In order to fully reproduce the spirit of the scene I will need at least 100 agents on each block of the parade to get the Ferris joy-ball rolling.

This is what I want to happen:


(posted on YouTube by eliasnap)

If this looks like a nice Saturday afternoon activity for you, please email me at projectbueller@gmail.com for further details and instructions.

Subject line: “Ready and Willing” if you are ready and willing. “?” if you have questions. “!” if you have a comment. (I will only be opening the “?”s and the “!”s)

Related posts:

  1. “Trespass: A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art” Book Release Party Announced
  2. Look Out for Another Two Feet of Snow!
  3. How Not to Pull Off an Art Stunt…
  4. Free Photos! Fabien Breuvart’s Art Market Anarchy at Paris Photo 2009
Posted on

High School Authorities Teach Students to Not Trust Them

Submitted by Charlie Todd:

Calif. school defends DWI shock tactics
Students were told classmates had died in car wrecks “” they hadn’t
MSNBC.com
June, 12, 2008

080612-dwi-hoax-hmed-2phmedium-200.jpgOceanside, Calif. (AP) – On a Monday morning last month, highway patrol officers visited 20 classrooms at El Camino High School to announce some horrible news: Several students had been killed in car wrecks over the weekend.

Classmates wept. Some became hysterical.

A few hours and many tears later, though, the pain turned to fury when the teenagers learned that it was all a hoax “” a scared-straight exercise designed by school officials to dramatize the consequences of drinking and driving.

As seniors prepare for graduation parties Friday, school officials in the largely prosperous San Diego suburb are defending themselves against allegations they went too far.

At school assemblies, some students held up posters that read: “Death is real. Don’t play with our emotions.” Continue reading “High School Authorities Teach Students to Not Trust Them”

Related posts:

  1. Concealed Covert Advertising: The New Content
  2. Giuliani: Fast and Loose with the Facts
  3. Free Voice of America
  4. Hey, kids! Madison Avenue wants you!

Back to top