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Parallel Thinking | Falling Together (EP: 10)
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Parallel Thinking | Falling Together (EP: 10)
May 4, 2020

Did Saturday Night Live copy our 2015 indie short film, or is it just parallel thinking?

In 2015, we created "Sincerely, Kevin"—a comedy short centered around a relationship with an invisible partner. Five years later, an almost identical sketch concept aired on SNL featuring Melissa Villaseñor. In this short documentary discussion, we break down the uncanny similarities, creator frustrations, and the thin line between coincidence and imitation.

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Discussion

Thread: Parallel Thinking | Falling Together (EP: 10)

You've been Melissa'd

You’ve been Melissa’d

It's really hard to tell what tone you are going for. I have no idea whether to take this serious or not like if the camera man is legitimately mad about this or if this is a bit. Maybe that's why you guys didn't make money off of the Sincerely Kevin vid

I think this is the best comment we’ve ever received.

@Upside Down Creative Media why?

Logan Simmons It’s a great compliment. That’s all. We want people to think exactly what you thought. Leave it up to the viewer to decide. It is the intent of the entire series.

Cameraman walks out and title comes up with perfect timing

“Is this real?”

It’s really hard to tell what tone you are going for. I have no idea whether to take this serious or not like if the camera man is legitimately mad about this or if this is a bit. Maybe that’s why you guys didn’t make money off of the Sincerely Kevin vid

I think this is the best comment we’ve ever received.

@UDCMComedy why?

Logan Simmons It’s a great compliment. That’s all. We want people to think exactly what you thought. Leave it up to the viewer to decide. It is the intent of the entire series.

*Cameraman walks out and title comes up with perfect timing*

“Is this real?”

Falling Together is a documentary in process. We put several updates to the documentary on Instagram and some here on YouTube.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/fallingtogetherdoc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIfws5rZgDUMRXE2HedvxOvvuktjBae0T

Falling Together is a documentary in process. We put several updates to the documentary on Instagram and some here on YouTube.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/fallingtogetherdoc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIfws5rZgDUMRXE2HedvxOvvuktjBae0T

Fuck the haters.

Damn

Damn

Without commenting on which ("Melissa Seals the Deal" vs. "Sincerely Kevin") I found funnier, I think "stealing" is way too strong and provocative a word to describe the connection between the two works. They share the same conceptual jump-off point–protagonist interacting with invisible love interest–but in terms of everything else–tone, style, scripting, and jokes–they seem completely different to me.

If you take away the "conceptual jump-off point" from the SNL version, is it still funny?

Haha, it's hard to say, but I would probably still find it funny because the jokes in the SNL sketch are so unexpected and silly in in a way that hits my weak points, humor wise. The tiny tongue joke makes me laugh thinking about it. Also Melissa brings a lot of charm to it and that helps lift the jokes and make them feel good. If there was an actual person, it would probably lose some humor, though.

I respect that and don’t disagree with you at all. I hate that this came across as directed at her. I think I am a little “butt hurt” because I’m at the age (37) where my time has already passed to work on SNL. For the past 12 years, I have had a lot of my work directly ripped off from big companies (60 Second Mocks vs Mini Mocks) and see a lot of parallels in the concepts in SNL and my own work. Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful comment.

Without commenting on which (“Melissa Seals the Deal” vs. “Sincerely Kevin”) I found funnier, I think “stealing” is way too strong and provocative a word to describe the connection between the two works. They share the same conceptual jump-off point–protagonist interacting with invisible love interest–but in terms of everything else–tone, style, scripting, and jokes–they seem completely different to me.

If you take away the “conceptual jump-off point” from the SNL version, is it still funny?

Haha, it’s hard to say, but I would probably still find it funny because the jokes in the SNL sketch are so unexpected and silly in in a way that hits my weak points, humor wise. The tiny tongue joke makes me laugh thinking about it. Also Melissa brings a lot of charm to it and that helps lift the jokes and make them feel good. If there was an actual person, it would probably lose some humor, though.

I respect that and don’t disagree with you at all. I hate that this came across as directed at her. I think I am a little “butt hurt” because I’m at the age (37) where my time has already passed to work on SNL. For the past 12 years, I have had a lot of my work directly ripped off from big companies (60 Second Mocks vs Mini Mocks) and see a lot of parallels in the concepts in SNL and my own work. Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful comment.

You're not asking the right question: Which episode of The Simpsons are UDCM and Melissa ripping off?

Which episode is it?

You’re not asking the right question: Which episode of The Simpsons are UDCM and Melissa ripping off?

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