SMBC Theater was dreamed up by Zach Weiner and James Ashby as a low-fi punk rock style sketch show done on a skeleton budget over holidays and weekends.
Thanks to the encouragement of friends, it quickly became a carefully produced video production done on a skeleton budget over holidays and weekends.
SMBC Theater is updated every Monday with one new sketch, or two "ultrashorts."
Executive Producers:
Zach Weiner
Marty Weiner
James Ashby
Contributing Directors:
Jason Axinn
http://www.ucbcomedy.com/talent/view/756
http://www.funnyordie.com/jaxinn
Ultimate Staring Contest
Gateway Drug
Genie
Chason Chaffin
Lol Cat
The Mustache
Producers:
Angel Askins
Ultimate Staring Contest
Gateway Drug
Genie
Lol Cat
The Mustache
Special Thanks To:
Felicity Doyle
Kyle Kazarian
Mark Saffian and Content House
Stacey Tester
Equipment:
Canon XHA1 Camera
Panasonic HVX200 Camera + p2 cards
Used on: Genie, Gateway, LOL cat
Audio Technica Mic
TTL MXLight (3200 K)
Zach Weiner
Zachary Weiner is the cartoonist behind the popular webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (smbc-comics.com). He also collaborates with Chris Jones on Captain Excelsior (captainexcelsior.com) and collaborates with Chris Jones and James Ashby on Snowflakes (snowflakes-comic.com). Zach and his fiancee live in Davis, California, where he gardens, studies physics, and listens to online lectures.
James Ashby
James received his B.A. in Theatre/Literature from Reed College in 2004 and his MFA from theCarnegie Mellon Schoolof Drama's Screenwriting program in 2008. His thesis screenplay Henry received a $5k grant from the Family Friendly Programming Forum, and his next screenplay, Boltzmann's Demon, won a $25k award from the Sloan Screenplay Competition. Two teleplays, "Just For You" and "So You've Killed Yourself" have aired on WQED, Pittsburgh's PBS affiliate. He also taught Screenwriting while attending Carnegie Mellon as a graduate student. James is currently collaborating on several screenplays with his writing partner, Zachary Weiner, and plotting a children's webcomic:
www.snowflakescomic.com
twitter.com/jsandlinashby
J.P. Nickel
John-Paul Nickel is a Los Angeles based actor, writer and filmmaker. His films, Why We Had To Kill Bitch and "Grim," have screened at film festivals across the world, most notably Australia, India and Denmark. These screenings have won JP awards that include: Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Comedic Actor. On stage, JP's plays have been seen Off-Broadway and have had readings at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. More information can be found at:
www.fivecentproductions.com
Jon Brence
Jon is an actor and director originally from Pittsburgh, PA, now living in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama Directing program. His most notable works include viral videos and commercials for Mana Energy Potions (manapotions.com), short films "Forecast" and "The Art Teacher", and many benefit stage/musical productions across the nation. For more info on Jon, simply follow him on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/jonbrence
www.youtube.com/jonbrence
Angel Askins
Angel Askins has been encouraging Zach, James, and Chason's bad ideas for over 20 years. She currently has a day job in post-production, but aspires to running her own show with an iron fist, and lots of cookies.
Laura Birek
Laura Birek has a B.A. in Literature and Theatre from Reed College and a Master's in Professional Writing from USC. Several of her plays have been produced in Los Angeles, and her knitting book, "Picture Perfect Knits," was published by Chronicle Books in Fall 2008, and is currently available on Amazon.com and at a bookstore near you! When she's not writing or knitting, Laura works as a front-end web developer.
http://www.laurabirek.com
http://www.nocturnalknits.com
Chason Chaffin
Chason Chaffin has a BFA in Photography and Digital Media from the University of Houston. Chason Chaffin currently works in post production on television commercials and major motion pictures. Chason Chaffin will rule your world, if a healthy supply of caffeine and electronics are involved.
Marc Halsey
Marc Halsey has been breaking bad news to strangers all his life. He has worked at the New Victory Theater Off-Broadway, regionally at the Guthrie, McCarter, and Loookingglass Theaters, and was seen last season on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters."
Mark Saffian
Bio..
Jeff Thomas
Jeff Thomas the world's second greatest magician and America's 787th greatest actor.
Max Wagner
Max Wagner began his career in the entertainment industry in 2001 as an assistant engineer at Extasy Studio, formerly known as One on One Studio before migrating to the film industry. Rumor has it he once took on a grizzly bear armed only with a shrimp fork and a roll of Saran Wrap. Originally from Santa Barbara, he now lives in Los Angeles.