New Wave Entertainment is selling laughs directly to consumers for the first time. The Burbank media company’s New Wave Dynamics division, which produces and distributes comedy albums and live specials for comedians such as Nick Cannon and Nick Di Polo, is selling more than 85 titles on more than 100 Web sites, including iTunes and Amazon. “It helps talent connect with the public, even if they don’t have a huge following,” said Brian Volk-Weiss, head of New Wave’s Dynamics division. It also gives the company a new source of revenue, he said. Consumers can download content starting at $9.99 per title. New Wave Dynamics also will produce CD releases on select titles, such as Cannon’s “Mr. Showbiz,” which was a top-selling new comedy album on the Billboard charts in May. Early next year, the division will begin to release videos of its comedians, Volk-Weiss said, noting he envisions a day when the label will distribute other types of content, as well. New Wave for years has been a client-based company receiving work from the Hollywood studios and networks. The Dynamics division, started in 2009, was developed to give exposure to viewers who were perhaps not familiar with the New Wave name. By selling content directly to consumers, performers who work for the label get a sense of freedom, ownership of their material and a reliable distribution partner, Volk-Weiss said. A good album or live special also can be the foundation on which a comedian can gain national exposure and build a career. Distributors find comedy material attractive because they are easy to shoot, and the comedian is the writer, performer and director rolled into one, said Barbara Holliday, a veteran of the Los Angeles area comedy scene and co-owner of Flappers comedy club in Burbank. “You do not need huge production values,” Holliday said. “You do not need a soundstage and big lighting. It is a microphone on a stage.” She said Flappers is in discussions with New Wave about filming comedians performing there. For now, Volk-Weiss said he is focused on bringing the laughs — although the company won’t be accepting just any jokester in a comedy club. “We are picky about who we choose to work with,” he said. Being selective is part of building a trusted brand. When people hear New Wave Dynamics, Volk-Weiss said he wants them to immediately think of great comedic material. “If we say ‘We found this guy,’ people will be inclined to check them out,” Volk-Weiss said. The company has passed on some comedians when they didn’t fit the company’s standards, he said. The life of an emerging comedian — going out night after night working out their observations and jokes — is not an easy one, Volk-Weiss said. “We want people to trust us with their material,” he said. New Wave’s roster is a mix of veteran performers — Louie Anderson and one time “Saturday Night Live” cast member Joe Piscopo — and young rising stars like Whitney Cummings, Hasan Minhaj and Josh Blue. Blue self-released one comedy album before teaming up with New Wave Dynamics, following an introduction through his agent and manager. Phone calls with Volk-Weiss and others sealed the deal as the right fit and the “real deal,” Blue said. A comedy special starring Blue and an accompanying album are scheduled for release in 2012. Having a 90-minute routine pared down for a television special was “a painstaking process” for Blue, but New Wave was willing to listen to feedback, he said. “Anything we said we’d like back in, or other stuff to take out, they were totally cool with and compliant,” Blue said.
Laughs for Sale
