Founders of Funny or Die to screen film

Mike and Chris Farah are making nearly seven short films a week. They’re cooperating with some of the biggest names in comedy, and millions see their work each day.
You might not know their names, but you know their brand.

The Farah brothers are the key contributors behind the website Funny or Die and are bringing an exclusive body of work to the IU Cinema on Sunday and Monday, showcasing a behind-the-scenes look at their website and success story.

Mike, an IU alumnus and Funny or Die’s president of production, is also the producer behind Chris’s film “Answer This!,” which is screening at 7:00 p.m. Monday.

In addition to this film, a presentation of “An Evening with Funny or Die” will occur at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. This screening will feature a combination of digital shorts and insight into the creative process.

The pair will also speak at 3 p.m. Monday as part of the Jorgensen Lecture Series.

IDS What can people expect from your lecture?
Mike When I was at IU, Hollywood felt like this very faraway place. I didn’t know how to get started, and I didn’t even know you could have a career in Hollywood. I want to talk to how I got where I’m at and the steps that I took. Both my brother and I didn’t really have any formal training in any of this. I want to convey that to people and use it as a constructive way to find the confidence to go out of their comfort zone and do those things.

IDS Where did the idea for this group screening come from?
Mike It is special for us because so much of what we make is just seen by people at work or at home, and we never really have a chance to show it in front of live audiences. We’re going to show a lot of videos. We’re going to show things that people have never seen before, and each kind of video that we show is going to illuminate a different part of Funny or Die and how we make videos. It’s not just a screening. You get an inside look into the company, how we operate, how we choose to make different things and be a whole case study of Funny or Die driven by the videos that we make.

IDS How would you say Funny or Die has changed the way people seek out comedy?
Mike We’ve created a destination site that has a great sandbox of things people can play with, be they celebrities, up-and-coming comedians or just people on college campuses like IU. The whole media landscape has changed. How students consume that is a big part of what we do. I feel like Funny or Die is doing a good job staying ahead of that curve, and that’s why screenings like this help.

IDS What does it feel like to be part of that changing process?
Mike It’s really exciting. To be able to make so much content and have people see it — they always say how tough it is in Hollywood to even get anything made, so from a creative and production standpoint, it’s very gratifying to make things that people are seeing and responding to. But it’s also just exciting and challenging to be ahead of that curve. This is not the time when Funny or Die should be getting complacent. We’ve done the hardest part, which is creating a brand and an identity. Now, we have to evolve and take advantage of all the different things out there and how the world is changing, so we can take it to the next level.

IDS Tell us a little about “Answer This!” What attracted you to this project?
Chris It’s a comedy coming-of-age story. Especially for IU people, it’ll resonate like a University of Michigan version of “Breaking Away.” “Answer This!” is about a kid who spent his entire life in Ann Arbor (Mich.) and a lot of his adult life at the University of Michigan trying to deal with the big question of whether he would be better off finally leaving. It’s not the punchier humor you might find on Funny or Die, but it’s got a humor that is more grounded in drama and real situations.

IDS How did the idea of the movie originate from Funny or Die?
Chris Compared to a movie studio where a project can take years to develop, Funny or Die is always making miniature movies — four, five, six or seven of them every single week.
Our whole crew took away from that a fantastic preparation for doing a full-length feature. We’re always in a constant state of preproduction, postproduction and production all the time. Making a movie that is longer and more drawn out is a refreshing change from the manic pace at Funny or Die.

IDS What advice do you have for students breaking into your same career path?
Chris The standard advice that we give boils down to two words: make stuff. You’re always better off creating things than you are thinking up plans and then not following through.
Mike No one hands you a career in entertainment, but it’s not as scary as it seems. I would encourage people to go after those things, say yes to the different opportunities that are out there and don’t settle.
It’s not easy, but at the same time, if you love what you’re doing, it’s a great way to spend the day.