Professional Practical Joke Help

December 7, 2006 8:48 AM

I've seen lots of posts on practical jokes, but everyone so far has been looking for ideas. I'm looking to take on a master, and am looking for professional help. Anybody know of a company that will stage REALLY elaborate practical jokes a la Punk'd et al? There are 50 or so people out to get this guy, and it needs to be HUGE.
posted by richmondparker to human relations (7 comments total)

How much help do you need? Do you want something planned from start to finish, or do you just need a few accomplices? Budget is going to be a concern, I'm sure.

Either way, you might want to check with party entertainment agencies in your area. I'll bet the same people who know where to get clowns, strip-o-grams and celebrity impersonators can help hook you up with the talent you need.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:40 AM on December 7, 2006

It almost sounds like you need help setting up a flash mob.
posted by grateful at 11:05 AM on December 7, 2006

Maybe Improv Everywhere?
posted by hooray at 11:30 AM on December 7, 2006

I'd say that if you're taking on a master of pranks, be prepared to come up with something wicked smart and watertight. You have to be extra careful around a prankmaster, because if you give them a chance they can see it coming.

Also, don't let everyone run the show if you have a prank the size of 50 people. Have a few people in key positions only - do not give widespread responsibility, especially for complicated items, because it increases the likelihood of failure. One person can ruin it for the other 49. Have many people conquer very simple parts of things - maybe they have a story/truth that they're backing up (which would be the lynchpin of the entire prank, something that's not really true but that 50 people assure the target that it is), or maybe everyone's got a small role in the overall prank (placing items, setting up things, doing research, contributing a bit of money, etc.). But keep the brains and the key responsibilities/management with a few people, as you would with any kind of formal production. The simpler the delegation, the better.

Yes, Improv Everywhere has a bunch of awesome general-purpose stunts that they've pulled. The first one that they did, "Ben Folds", was an example of a great prank on an individual.
posted by brianvan at 11:56 AM on December 7, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Whatever else you do, please blog it and let us know.
posted by theora55 at 4:59 PM on December 7, 2006

Probably not feasible:
Is that 50 all a concrete group (ie nearly everyone at your job?) If so, I recommend hiring a troupe to have the building quarentined by para-military force due to possible militarised smallpox exposure (of course, it's not admitted up front. There is a truck of guys in Hazmat because of a "sewer leak". As time goes on and it's increasingly clear it's way more than a sewer leak, have someone with a legit reason to be desperate to go home do so, then have some commotion or even gunshots out of view, etc. But most people all assume it's just a sewer leak, and the dude you're setting up isn't going to be the first to come out and say it, and sound like the paranoid nutcase, but those dots really do connect in a compelling way...
posted by -harlequin- at 6:26 PM on December 7, 2006

Another vote for letting us know how it went.

Please.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 6:26 PM on January 1, 2007