Top Writers from The Simpsons, Futurama and Family Guy Join Forces to Create the Machinima Comedy Lab

Writers from 15 television sitcoms, including animation hits The Simpsons, Futurama and Family Guy, have signed on with Machinima.com to 15 original episodic comedy pilots for the online network using video games. The idea is to create computer-generated online programming with professional Hollywood talent to incubate series that can migrate from the Internet to traditional platforms like broadcast and cable TV.

Machinima—a name derived from the combination of machine and cinema—is the term used to describe the creation of computer-generated video created in real time by leveraging video game engines and environments.

Machinima became widely known by the entertainment industry in 2006 when the creators of South Park released the Emmy Award winning episode “Make Love, Not Warcraft,” a large portion of which was created with machinima techniques inside the massively popular online game “World of Warcraft.”

The Machinima Comedy Lab pilots will air on Machinima.Com, but no date was announced for the first pilot.

Allen DeBevoise, Machinima.com chairman and chief executive officer states:

“As an emerging entertainment network, we’re dedicated to bringing aboard top creative talent. Machinima.com provides these writers with a new, evolving medium in which to reach the highly desired 18 to 34 male audience, showcase creativity and develop episodic pilots for multiple platforms.”

Bill Oakley, an Emmy-winning writer and past show runner of The Simpsons says:

“Machinima.com lets us put our work in front of an audience that already knows and loves our style of writing and is embracing new forms of digital entertainment. We get to do what we love the most—write and create fun content while Machinima.com handles all the production, marketing and distribution.”

The Machinima Comedy Lab pilots will be created by top Hollywood writers, including:

— Chris Cluess: Mad TV, The Simpsons, Beggars and Choosers, Cheers, SCTV
— Max Pross & Tom Gammill: The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Monk, The Critic, Saturday Night Live, The Late Show
— Mike Rowe: Family Guy, Futurama, Comedy Central Roasts, The Jaime Kennedy Experiment
— Loren Segan: Wildfire, The Dead Zone, Spyder Games
— Ken Keeler: Futurama, The Simpsons, Wings, The Naked Truth, The Critic, The Late Show
— Stacie Lipp: King of Queens, Roseanne, Married With Children
— Christina Lynch: Wildfire, The Dead Zone, Unhappily Ever After
— Patric M. Verrone: Futurama, Muppets Tonight!, The Simpsons, The Critic, Pinky and the Brain
— Maiya Williams: Mad TV, The PJs, The Wayans Bros., The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
— Bill Freiberger: Drawn Together, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Simpsons
— Eric Horsted: Boondocks, Knights of Prosperity, Futurama, Home Improvement, Coach
— Peggy Nicoll: WordGirl, Daria
— Bill Oakley: Mission Hill, The Simpsons, Futurama

Patric M. Verrone, an Emmy-winning writer and president of WGA West:

“This is the future of comedy in new media – a fast and low cost way for writers to create shows that attract an existing audience. We’re thrilled to break ground and forge a relationship that empowers independent production and gives writers both creative freedom and financial participation.”

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