There are plenty of anecdotes — and even a feature film — about how hard it is to land a “Saturday Night Live” audition, but Lorne Michaels just made it a bit easier for comedy hopefuls to catch a break.
Above Average, the digital comedy studio spun out of Michaels’ production company Broadway Video, announced a new residency program on Tuesday — an 18-month paid “development experience” designed for upstarts in the field.
The program is open across disciplines to applicants nationwide — including directing, editing, branded and editorial writing, performing, graphics and social production — and will begin in April.
“We’re thrilled to announce this program, which affords incoming residents the platform and resources to build strong portfolios and industry relationships, while simultaneously supplying our studio’s creative engine with a diverse, rotational pool of talent,” Above Average President Jen Danielson said.
Perhaps more importantly than landing the gig, residents will “share in the equity of any self-generated intellectual property that the company monetizes either during or after their residency,” a statement read.
Above Average counts alumni on shows like “SNL,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “Mozart In The Jungle,” “Wrecked,” “Sweet/Vicious,” and “Adam Ruins Everything.”
The company estimates more than half of their in-house creators are called up to network shows each year. Resident hopefuls can apply here.