(View it larger on YouTube)

For our latest mission, 30 people throw a birthday party for a random stranger in a bar. The mission was filmed with cameras hidden behind two way mirrors, and the audio comes from hidden wireless microphones (both on our agents and hidden around the bar.) Watch the video first, and then check out our behind-the-scenes report.

This mission is a remake of the original Ted’s Birthday mission from 2003. Back then we had no access to hidden video camera equipment, so we decided not to film the mission. It just wouldn’t work with an exposed camera. We figured as soon as “Ted” saw people filming, the moment would be ruined. So for the original mission only a handful of photos exist to document it. Years later when we were working on a television pilot, we had a budget to work with professional equipment and decided to give this idea another shot.

A newly installed two way mirror in a closet door

The morning before the mission, our crew made some serious modifications to the Gaslight Bar in Manhattan.

Another crew member installs mirrors up top

A video monitor is installed for the cameraman who will be hiding up high

The Gaslight bar had a second, private bar attached to it called G2, and we were able to rent it out and set up our production there.

Explaining the mission to the agents

The mission plan was the same as the original Ted’s Birthday. I had emailed all of the agents a back story for a fictional guy named “Ted” that included basic information about where he worked, where he went to college, and what his hobbies were. The agents were instructed to make their own personal choices about how they knew him. Some chose to be his work friends, some chose to be his family members, and Agent Reeves chose to be his ex-girlfriend.

The mission begins, as Agent Carbone watches the monitors

Agent Rodgers and I chose to play the role of “Ted’s college buddies,” and we had the task of starting the mission. As the cast and crew looked on from the video monitors at G2, we entered Gaslight and approached a random stranger who was sitting with a friend at the bar. Agent Rodgers and I greeted “Ted” and apologized for being a little early to his party. His friend informed us that we had the wrong guy, that “Ted” was actually Chris (coincidentally the same name as the guy we picked from the first Ted’s Birthday.) We just laughed it off and acted like the friend was the one who was misinformed and left them to go get a drink.

Agent Barrison gives Ted a gift

Other agents started entering the bar pretty quickly. The first bunch to arrive were Ted’s work friends, with Agent Fountain playing his boss. Everyone had a card and a present for him. Most folks gave him gift cards, but a few had more personalized gifts.

Agent Sklaren gave a gag gift, a DVD of Basic Instinct

Ted gave her a hug anyway

Though certainly confused as to what was going on, Ted very quickly decided to play along and have fun. Why not? He was getting a new present every few minutes and Agent Good started a tab for him.

Agent Fairey poses with Ted

More and more party-goers started asking Ted about his ex-girlfriend Lauren, and if he knew if she was going to make it. Everyone was shocked to see her name on the “e-vite” since he had recently broken up with her.

Agent Reeves and Ted

Lauren, played by Agent Reeves, finally arrived and Ted was very friendly to his ex. She gave him a hat for his birthday and they chatted politely.

Agent Kaz and Ted

Agents Rose and Keech brought their 10-month old son to the party. They were excited for their friend Ted to get to hold him for the first time. Kaz was a little scared of Ted at first.

Agent Lindquist presents Ted’s cake

A birthday toast for Ted

Agent Wimpy enjoys some cake

Agent Wimpy played Ted’s grandfather. He bought Ted an iPod Shuffle for his birthday.

Agents Purnell and Arnheiter say goodbye

After about an hour, agents started leaving the party one by one, saying goodbye to Ted on the way out.

Agent Nicholson snapped one last photo of Ted and Lauren before he left as well

Lauren was the last to leave the party, giving her some alone time with Ted. Ted played along hilariously and the two ended up having a very tender scene together, even though they had obviously never met. She then told him goodbye and left Ted alone to discuss what the hell had just happened with his (real) friend.

Over a year later I ended up running into Ted (real name Chris Conway) at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in the middle of the night during an improv marathon. As it turns out, he’s a comedian himself. Small world.

Since this mission was for a TV pilot, we ended up doing it two more times on the same night. (When you’ve spent money on all that equipment, you have to make sure you get the footage you need!) The second two were both successful, but the footage wasn’t quite as good as the first try.

Ted #2

We staged the mission for the second guy about an hour later (long after the first Ted had left the bar.) The guy we picked had lots of fun, but we probably shouldn’t have picked someone 10 to 15 years older than most of us. It made it a little too unbelievable.

Ted #3

The third Ted was a guy named Mandar, who as it turned out was a regular at the Gaslight bar. His party went incredibly well. In fact, it went so well that the video footage seemed fake. He was just too excited and agreeable about the whole thing. Mandar was known around the bar as someone who often broke out into a dance (even though the bar was definitely not a dance club.) Midway through his birthday party he did just that.

Our agents joined him and the bar was temporarily converted into a dance party. It was ridiculous.

It was a new experience for us doing the same mission three times in a row. We were exhausted by the end, but it was a ton of fun.

Mission Accomplished

It was exciting to get another chance to do this mission, as the first one from 2003 was covered by This American Life in a very negative way. While that mission itself was a total blast, and it seemed like the “Ted” that we picked had a great time (hugging us goodbye and thanking us at the end of the party), he told This American Life a year later that the experience had upset him greatly. In the end, I think we just got unlucky and picked the wrong person. This American Life did not give me an opportunity to respond to the news that “Ted” did not enjoy the experience and instead edited in an earlier interview with me that made it seem like I was heartless and unapologetic. For the record, of course I was upset to learn that he had a negative reaction to the mission. You can read a little more about my thoughts on the TAL coverage on a Reddit Q&A I did here and here.

Admittedly, this mission was a little bit different than the first Ted’s Birthday, so it’s not entirely fair to compare them. Since this was for television, we had to get all three Teds to sign a release form when it was over, which let them in on the joke. I really didn’t like having to break character for an IE mission, but the fact is you need someone’s permission to put them on primetime television. So the Teds from this mission didn’t have quite the same experience as the original Ted, who was never told exactly who we were.

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(No Pants Subway Ride 2010 in HD on YouTube)
edited by Matt Adams / song by Tyler Walker

On Sunday, January 10th, 2010 over 5,000 people took off their pants on subways in 44 cities around the world. In New York, our 9th Annual No Pants! Subway Ride had over 3,000 participants, spread out over six meeting points and ten subway lines. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our mission report and photos.

Train Generals: Agents Ace$Thugg, Fiedler, Good, Lathan, Lindquist, Reeves, Scordelis, Shafeek, Shafer
Digital Video: Agents Adams, Gross, Hambly, Haskel, Joseff, Marinconz, Mendoza, Nimkin, Nussbaum, Singh, Smolkin
Digital Photography: Agents Chigirev, Fountain, Hambly, Rosmarin, Scott, Sermoneta, Sokoler, Zapata

If you’re unfamiliar with No Pants, you might want to first read our history of The No Pants Subway Ride.

The crowd at Foley Square

After having 1,200 show up in a snow storm last year, we knew this year’s attendance would be huge. When Justin Timberlake is tweeting about it, you know it’s going to be big.

As each year passes, No Pants becomes more and more like a parade– a celebration of silliness. It’s more of an international holiday than a top secret prank, but we still do our best to divide up the masses so that the prank at least starts slow and subtle. To accomplish this we expanded No Pants this year from one meeting point to six.

I ran the downtown Manhattan meeting point along with three other megaphone wielding No Pants “Generals.” We divided our crowd up into four train lines (the 6, N, E, and 1.) Before we started I polled the audience to see who had been participating the longest, making people crouch as the years counted up. Agent McFluffster was the last standing (besides me), having participated for five years. He was randomly on the train as an “audience member” for No Pants 2005 and has been participating ever since!

Agent Good ran the Central Park location up near Harlem and divided his crowd between the A and 1 trains.

Central Park participants

Agent Ace$Thugg ran the Prospect Park Brooklyn location (F train.)

A family participating together at the Prospect Park spot

Agent Scordelis ran the Bushwick location (L train.)

Agent (Rob) Lathan ran the Astoria Queens location (N train.)

Agents Pavlovich and Purnell organize participants into car numbers

Agent Shafer ran the Flushing Queens location (7 train.) They met out at the old World’s Fairgrounds, in front of the Unisphere.

The first stop on the 6 train

The mission started the same way on each of the 100 cars we took over. One person stood up, removed their pants, and exited the train to wait on the platform for the next one. This left lots of nice moments with people by themselves in their underwear.

This was the first year that we used train lines that had outdoor sections. Participants in parts of Brooklyn and Queens had to wait out in the 28 degree cold for the next train to arrive.

As No Pants grows, the thing I am most proud of is the increased diversity. When No Pants started in 2002, it was seven white males in their early to mid twenties. As each year has passed, we’ve seen increased diversity in gender, age, and ethnicity. This was the first year that the participants looked like a true representation of New York City. Sure, it still skews young, with lots of student participation, but I saw several sets of mother/daughter teams, families, babies, and grandparents. We had dozens of high school kids from the Bronx participating as well as people who traveled from places like Mexico and The Netherlands just to experience No Pants in New York (and both of those countries had their own local rides!) Folks will probably still continue to dismiss No Pants as a “hipster” event, but they’re dead wrong.

Making a transfer

The individual choices and differences amongst participants are always fun.

Superman FTW

An agent in formal attire

Agent Corey, pregnant

A laptop user

Reading “Wrestling for Beginners”
(though he can’t be that much of a novice if he’s already won a belt!)

This guy was awesome

As usual we got a wide variety of reactions from the New Yorkers we encountered. Certainly more than a few had heard about it or even seen it before, but in a city of eight million (plus tourists), there will always be people having their first run-in with pantless train riders.

Masses of people transferring at Times Square

All of the train lines converged on Union Square at the end of the mission, which means that within a short stretch of time 3,000 pantless people passed through the station’s exit turnstiles. Although the mission really ends when you exit the train, for some participants the party has just begun. As in years past, many (if not most) participants chose to remain pantless in Union Square for hours. All sorts of random fun was created on the spot: dance battles, conga lines, duck duck goose, etc! Some folks kept their pants off for the rest of the night, taking the train home in their underwear after a night of pantless drinking and dining.

The masses above ground at Union Square

Posing for photos in the station post mission

You may remember that we had trouble with the police in 2006, but since then the NYPD has been wonderful towards us. This year they were in especially good spirits, laughing and posing for photos with participants at Union Square.

With thousands of people standing in Union Square in their underwear, some participants got the bright idea to get everyone to Look Up.

For the third year in a row, there was a counter-contingent. The “Pro Pants” group was back once again to try to convert us to their pants-based religion. They went all out this year with pamphlets, sandwich boards, and free pairs of pants. You can read Agent Eppink’s documentation of Pro Pants on his site.

Agent Eppink prosthelytizing

Do you need pants?

All of the No Pants Generals got together to take a group photo at the end. I can’t believe we had nine megaphones.

The prank lives on into the night, returning to the subtle nature of the beginning with people walking around all alone in their underwear.

While we were having our fun in New York, No Pants Subway (or Light Rail or Bus) Rides were also happening in 43 other cities in 16 different countries. I uploaded a highlight photo of each regional ride to flickr. Justine Bateman appears in the Los Angeles photo. I think that makes her our first celebrity No Pants participant, though several past participants have gone on to television fame. Their faces in photos of past years are like Easter eggs now. Anyway, it’s fun to see photos from people doing the same silly thing all over the world:

No Pants Regional Rides Photo Set

Finally, I’m not sure if Pete Wentz, the bassist for Fall Out Boy, ran into us in New York or Los Angeles, but either way, this cracked me up:

Mission Accomplished.

For links to more photos, videos, and news articles for all of the No Pants Subway Rides check out the posts below. The comments sections are filled with first-hand agent reports and links to more media.

NYC Agent Reports

Regional Agent Reports

Also check out our complete history of The No Pants Subway Ride.

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(View it in 1080p HD on YouTube)
edited by Matt Adams / idea by Jason Eppink

For our latest mission, a 13-member handbell choir provided some unexpected accompaniment for a Salvation Army bell ringer on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below.

Still Photos: Katie Sokoler and Chad Nicholson.
Video: Chad Nicholson, Erik Martin, Keith Haskel, Steve Marinconz, Drue Pennella & Erik Paulsen
Sound: Paul Reed
Idea by: Jason Eppink

Agent Eppink came up with the idea for Guerrilla Handbell Strikeforce several years ago but couldn’t find a handbell choir to pull it off. When he approached me about doing it with Improv Everywhere I immediately loved the idea. It sort of felt like a Christmas version of our old Best Buy mission.

Agent Eppink got in touch with Cory Davis, the bell choir conductor for Christ Church United Methodist in Manhattan, and he quickly agreed to have his choir help out. The church was located right in the heart of Midtown, which made their rehearsal room a perfect staging point for the mission.

The bells

Agent Davis arranged a version of “Joy to the World” that could start with one bell and gradually grow to include the entire choir. We wanted the mission to have a slow build.

The choir rehearsing before the mission

Since this mission was all about sound, we brought Agent Reed on board to make sure we got the best possible audio. He put wireless mics on three of the bell ringers.

Agent Reed puts a mic on Agent Davis

After the choir finished rehearsing we spent some time staging the choreography of the handbell ringers’ entrances and coordinating our video strategy. Most of the cameras used to document this mission were DSLRs. Because they look like still cameras, our agents were able to blend in with the other tourists on the street snapping photos of New York.

On the move

Agents Eppink, Adams, and I spent a couple of nights scouting the neighborhood to figure out where the Salvation Army bell ringers normally set up shop. During the day you’re likely to find them all over the place, but at night there was only one spot where they stayed late– Bloomingdale’s.

Bloomingdale’s

The choir hiding around the corner

As we hoped, there was a bell ringer stationed in front of the entrance to the store. The Salvation Army often uses volunteers for this job, but in New York almost all of the bell ringers are paid, seasonal employees. Our goal with this mission wasn’t to make any sort of statement about the Salvation Army (an organization that I’m sure does lots of great charitable work, but also is not without controversy), but to create an awesome moment for one bell ringer and the random New Yorkers and tourists who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

The bell ringer, moments before

The bell ringer was set up right by the curb, facing the store entrance. In order to stand behind him, some members of the choir would have to stand on the edge of the street. I was worried about the busy traffic on Lexington Avenue, so as a safety precaution I stood in the street to make sure cars stayed clear. The lane was mostly used by cabs picking up customers, so we wouldn’t gum up traffic too much for the two minutes we were there. All I needed was an orange vest and a traffic cone to look official.

Agent Davis walked out and stood next to the bell ringer with his enormous bass bell and red apron. “How you doing?” he asked, and then started playing. The juxtaposition of his huge bell and the bell ringer’s tiny one was really a prank all by itself. The bell ringer immediately started laughing.

The second agent arrives

More arrive

8 more choir members create a back row

The Salvation Army ringer becomes part of an ensemble

Once everyone was in place, the choir began their rendition of “Joy to the World.” Christmas shoppers on the street starting stopping to watch and take photos.

An employee ducks his head out to see what’s going on

My guess is that most of the people who witnessed the mission figured it was either an official Salvation Army performance or perhaps a promotion that was produced by Bloomingdale’s.

After the song ended, the handbell choir starting leaving in the reverse order in which they came, working back down to just Agent Davis and the Salvation Army worker.

Just a few minutes after it had begun, the bell ringer was again by himself on the street and the choir was nowhere to be found.

Shortly after the mission, Agent Eppink and I had conversations with the bell ringer, posing as random curious people. He didn’t speak much English, but fortunately a friend of one of the choir members who happened to be standing nearby was fluent in Spanish. We recorded a little interview with him in Spanish and then translated it:

Well, first I thought they had come from the store here, that they were part of the business. “That’s fine,” I said to myself. I saw that they all had red aprons like me… When the first guy came, I wanted to say, “Hey! Give me that bell, and I’ll give you this one!” Then I saw that they were all coming up surrounding me and I said to myself, “OK, what’s going on?” It’s Christmastime, so we’ve got to be merry… If we’re not merry here amongst ourselves, then what do we have to be merry about? But yeah, the whole thing was really nice.

Mission Accomplished

- Agent Sokoler’s Flickr Set

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edited by Matt Adams / song by Tyler Walker

For our latest mission, Agent Lathan pretended to get lost during a Knicks game. Throughout the second half he kept appearing further and further away from his assigned seat with a confused look on his face. Of course Knicks fans went crazy trying to help him find his way back. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below.

Still Photos: Katie Sokoler and Chad Nicholson.
Video: Agent Adams, Agent Nicholson, Hello World
Rob: Agent Lathan

Agent Lathan first pulled this stunt for Improv Everywhere back in the summer of 2006. Getting lost at a ball game was a prank he had done spontaneously a couple of times in the past, and we decided to try to organize one for IE at a Yankee game. The mission turned out to be a total blast, but we weren’t able to capture much of it on film. Yankee Stadium did not allow video cameras, so we were limited to using “movie mode” on a couple of point-and-shoot still cameras.

Madison Square Garden

We decided to try the mission again at a Knicks game for two reasons: 1) We wanted to try to get better video footage of the prank and 2) Agent Lathan found a deal on $10 tickets. MSG has a similar camera policy, but technology has advanced quite a bit in the past three years. Flip video cameras are the same size as point-and-shoot still cameras, and some DSLR cameras shoot gorgeous HD video. MSG doesn’t allow professional cameras with detachable lenses, so we had to get a little creative to smuggle in our nicer gear. Agent Sokoler had the best method– she hid her equipment in her bag underneath underwear and tampons. The security guy flinched when he opened her bag and waved her right on through.

Agent Sokoler’s bag

There was a reason the tickets were on special for $10– the seats had an obstructed view and were WAY up at the top of the 400 level. This didn’t matter as we didn’t plan on sitting in them for long. The Knicks have a pretty bad record, so there were plenty of empty seats down below. Right before halftime Agent Lathan and his five friends headed down to a row of $89 seats in the 300 level.

The five IE agents minus Agent Lathan in our upgraded seats

The camera agents sat in the sections next to, below, and above ours, so they’d be able to document from a distance without tipping anyone off.

Agent Lathan:

At halftime I got up out of my seat and headed for the concession stand. I bought a beer, a large popcorn, and a giant bag of cotton candy – the perfect accessory to add to my visibility and helplessness. Even better, the cotton candy came with an orange Knicks stocking cap – something that could add a little pizazz to my “lost sports fan” ensemble later on.

Agent Lathan:

At the next break in action, I stumbled through the gate looking for my seat. I wandered up some steps one aisle over from my original seat when Agent Todd began casually waving his arms and saying my name: “Rob, hey Rob, we’re over here.” A few more agents got into it and yelled out my name as I glanced around in a confused state. Eventually I walked back down the aisle and disappeared back under the gate. By this time several rows of unsuspecting fans were now tipped off that some idiot named Rob couldn’t find his seat.

Rob, upper left. His friends, bottom right.

Agents Todd and Scordelis stand and shout at Rob

A Knicks fan tries to point Rob in the right direction

Laughing at Rob

Agent Scordelis:

He proceeded to walk directly in front of us while we frantically waved our arms and shouted his name to no avail. After Rob disappeared back under the stands, a concerned lady seated in front of me asked, “Is your buddy OK?” It seemed pretty insane that he couldn’t see or hear us from a distance of about 15 feet.

Rob gives up and leaves

Agent Lathan:

By my second appearance, a few rows over, several crowd members now joined in and yelled my name, “Rob! Hey Rob! Your friends are over there!” Some misunderstood my actual name and screamed, “Bob! Bob! Over here, Bob!” – thus creating a perfect blend of chaos and mass hysteria.

Rob’s 2nd appearance, now on the other side of his friends

More people get up and yell “Rob!”

Rob disappeared again through the gate and continued wandering around the arena to more and more absurd places – from the opposite side of the court to the upper deck.

Rob on the opposite side of the arena

I kept an eye out for him throughout the game, leaping to my feet to point and scream whenever I saw him appear. Often other fans in the section found him before I did. Of course spotting Rob across the way was all the more hilarious since his red and white shirt made him look at bit like Waldo. With each appearance there were tons of people screaming, “Rob!” and waving their hands, trying to get his attention from across the arena.

Agent Lathan:

After receiving a text from Agent Todd, I made a move towards my next appearance – a few sections directly under my original seat – an ideal spot to get maximum exposure. It was time to put on the orange Knicks stocking cap.

Rob in front of section 112

Rob’s next entrance was perfect. He was directly below all of the sections who were looking for him and he entered right when a time-out started. The crowd went absolutely nuts screaming for him.

Agent Janowitz:

What was at once the most remarkable and puzzling aspect of the stunt was the sustained patience of the crowd. We spent the last 3/8ths of the game distracting everyone within ear- and eye-shot by trying to get the attention of our aimlessly wandering friend. From both a cost and a value standpoint, the price of Knicks tickets is unconscionable. But no one got mad. No one took matters into their own hands (except one good-spirited fellow in a Cowboys jacket, who walked down two sections to point out to Rob where his friends were sitting, and then remained jolly when Rob still walked the wrong way). Rather, our section—and the section next to us, and the section in front of us—embraced Rob, and our efforts to get him back. If only the Knicks displayed that kind of teamwork.

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At the height of this hysteria, Knicks cheerleaders started shooting t-shirts into the crowd. Amazingly, one landed right at Rob’s feet. Everyone laughed their asses off as he immediately put it on.

Agent Scordelis:

Seeing Rob catch a cannon-propelled t-shirt during a fourth quarter timeout was easily the funniest moment of the mission. I’ve been to dozens of sporting events where t-shirt cannons launch shirts into the crowd, but I’ve never come close to catching one. The fact that Rob caught a t-shirt while holding a massive concessions tray only adds to his legend.

Laughing at Rob’s new shirt

At this point Rob had been standing in the same spot for over a minute, and people sitting near us started shouting at me, “Just go get him! He’s right there! Go get him!” I hadn’t anticipated this happening, but I knew I had to do something. Why wouldn’t I just go get him? I got up and slowly started walking down the steps to get from the 300 level to the 100 level, making sure Rob saw me coming. I knew there was no way he would let me reach him.

Rob disappeared again just before I could get to him, and I returned to my seat, defeated. “I tried chasing him in the hallway, but he must have walked the opposite direction!”

Agent Lathan:

I figured the only way to heighten my next appearance was by getting as close to the floor as possible – on the exact opposite side of the court. I figured I’d get stopped by the ushers, but amazingly they let me through. I made it all the way down to the floor – right behind the Hawks bench – and close enough to make a brief appearance on TV.

Rob on the television broadcast

Yelling at Rob as he walks behind the Hawk’s bench

A fan pointing out Rob to her friend

At this point the crowd around us was way more interested in Rob than the Knicks. Although they were ahead at halftime, by the fourth quarter the Hawks had a large lead. A group of kids seated behind us kept yelling about Rob, and eventually got a pretty big “Where is Rob?” chant going. The kids would also try to trick me, by screaming that they saw him across the court. I’d jump up and say, “Where?” and they’d laugh at me. “Your friend is an idiot,” they kept yelling at me. I just kept agreeing. “Yeah, he’s an idiot.”

The downside of the Knicks getting blown out was that fans started leaving the game early. The plan was for Rob to return right as the game ended, but this wouldn’t work if everyone in our area was already gone.

Agent Lathan:

My seats were on the opposite side of the arena and I had to travel up two escalators. I broke into a jog. At one point I made a wrong turn and went up a staircase the led to a locked door. So while I was trying to get “fake” lost, I actually got really lost.

Finally I made my triumphant return. The entire section greeted me with a loud cheer.

High fiving Rob as he finally returned to his seat

Agent Lathan:

Finally I made it back just before the end of the game. The entire section erupted in applause. Some youngsters seated directly behind the agents were especially excited to see my return, “Rob! Where were you?” I just shook my head and responded, “Aw man, I’ve been looking all over for you guys.” The entire section chanted, “We found Rob!” CLAP-CLAP CLAP-CLAP-CLAP. “We found Rob!”

Cheering for Rob in the back

Agent Scordelis:

Rob received a thunderous standing ovation when he finally found his seat, and the scene that ensued was total bedlam. More than one hundred Knicks fans mobbed Rob after the game clock wound down. They hugged him, high-fived him, and asked for his autograph. It was like something out of A Hard Day’s Night. Rob posed for dozens of pictures while fans chanted his name. I guess rooting for Rob to find his seat is a lot like rooting for the Knicks to win – it’s a hopeless cause, but you can’t help cheering for the underdog anyway.

There was a group of European exchange students in the section right next to ours. Of everyone in the area, they loved Rob the most. It was their first sporting event in America, and they were simply amazed somebody could get that lost. One kid from Spain with a hoarse voice kept yelling, “Listen to my voice Rob! My voice is not for the Knicks. My voice is for you!” (I think he meant he was hoarse from yelling at Rob the whole game.) The group’s teacher asked Rob if he would pose for a photo with all of them.

The mission was tons of fun for everyone involved. It really did seem like everyone cheering for Rob legitimately thought he was lost. Of course the point wasn’t to fool people, the point was to make people laugh and smile at something ridiculous. It’s so awesome to see a crowd unite and experience something crazy together. Whether these Knicks fans ever see this page or not, hopefully they’ll always remember the night they helped some idiot find his seat.

Mission Accomplished

Here’s the MSG seating chart matched up with Rob’s six main appearances:

- Many more photos in higher resolution:
- Agent Sokoler’s Flickr Set
- Agent Nicholson’s Flickr Set
- Rob at Yankee Stadium
- Rob Wants To Give You a High Five

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(View it larger on YouTube)
Song by Anthony King and Scott Brown (Gutenberg! The Musical!)

For our latest mission, seven undercover agents staged a spontaneous musical during lunch at the Trump Tower atrium. The mission was filmed for a segment on The Today Show and includes a cameo from Ann Curry. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below.

Still Photos: Katie Sokoler and Chad Nicholson.
Additional video work by: Matt Adams

The Today Show has featured Improv Everywhere a few times in the past, and this fall they asked if we could create a mission for them that Ann Curry could have a part in. Specifically, they were big fans of Food Court Musical and wanted to work with us to stage something similar. (In the time between the show approaching us and the segment airing, we had the opportunity to produce Grocery Store Musical as well.) The Today Show crew would produce the mission (providing hidden cameras, microphones, and a PA system), and we would be in charge of the creative side.

Agent Brown rehearses with the cast

Once again longtime agents and Gutenberg! The Musical! authors Scott Brown & Anthony King served as our songwriting team. They also both appeared as actors in the musical, along with some senior IE Agents and comedians from The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. We had a rehearsal at a Manhattan studio where Agent Brown taught the song, and Agent King worked on the choreography.

Rehearsing in the space

The night before the mission, we were able to rehearse in our location. The Today Show was able to get permission from Trump Tower to stage the musical in the seating area of their atrium, a popular lunch spot for tourists and people who work in the building.

The incredible tech set up

The Today Show pulled out all the stops, tech wise. The crew set up in a huge storage room just off the atrium. There were seven robotic HD cameras set up in the space, each controlled by a dedicated operator via joystick. An eighth camera filmed the control room for behind-the-scenes shots.

Our camera angles

Zooming in on Agent King

The cameras were extremely well hidden in the space either behind tinted glass or hidden among plants on the balcony above.

We also hid speakers in the plants all around the seating area, so that the song could be amplified live during the mission.

Ann Curry wasn’t able to make it to the rehearsals, so we met her for the first time the morning of the mission. We worked in the back room and taught her the choreography, and Agent Brown helped her learn her part. Ann is not a singer, so she was nervous about getting her line just right. She was super easy to work with and very quickly became one of the team.

Agents in place at the start of the mission

We staged the mission a few times throughout the day to make sure we got the best possible take and camera coverage. The first take started around 12 Noon. We had to wait about a half hour between each take to make sure we had a new group of people dining around us.

Agent Hiller starts the song, “I love lunch / It’s half the way to dinner”

Heads started to turn

Agent Lindquist stands up and declares, “I love lunch!”

A man laughs at Agent Lindquist joining in

Agents Brown and Thomas stand up and join the song
“I like my chili with corn / I like my sandwich served warm”

Agent Hiller runs downstairs in time for his next line

Large crowds of tourists started watching from the balcony

“We’re gonna use our sporks now!”

Sporks (that I “borrowed” from a Taco Bell) held high in the air

“We’re major lunch dorks now!”

Laughing at our choreography

“There ain’t no shame in loving lunch!”

A member of the NYPD interrupts the singers

“You’re singing a song about lunch?”

“I love lunch toooooo!”

I think Agent Santangeli’s performance as the cop fooled the guy above, because he was laughing pretty hard when he figured out he was in on it.

“We all love lunch / We’re gonna sing it louder!”

“I’m eating clam chowder!”

Agent Curry was awesome. She nailed her line and then removed her hat to join the finale (she wore a hat to try to stay incognito lest she be spotted by fans before her part.)

With so many tourists there, it seemed like everyone had a camera

Applauding the finale

After the song ended our agents, including Agent Curry, sat back at their respective tables and continued eating lunch as if nothing had happened.

Telling stories afterwards in the back

We had a blast working on this mission. It was an excellent opportunity to get to work with The Today Show and their fancy equipment, and it was nice to have our work reach their massive television audience. Hopefully along the way we were able to deliver a very important message: There ain’t no shame in loving lunch.

Mission Accomplished

- The Today Show’s segment on this mission:

- Many more photos in higher resolution:
- Agent Sokoler’s Flickr Set
- Agent Nicholson’s Flickr Set
- Our other musicals: Food Court Musical & Grocery Store Musical
- Buy the cast recording of Gutenberg! The Musical, also by Brown & King.

If this is your first time here:
-our nearly 100 other missions can be seen here: Missions
-sign up for our RSS feed and Newsletter
-New Yorkers join our NY Agents list
-We have a book and a DVD for sale!

(View it larger on YouTube)
Song by Anthony King and Scott Brown (Gutenberg! The Musical!)

For our latest mission, six undercover actors burst into song in a grocery store in Queens. Three minutes and lots of silly choreography later, they returned to their roles as shoppers and stock boys. The mission was filmed with hidden robotic, lipstick, and wearable cameras. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below.

We had a couple of really excellent hidden camera reaction interviews that got cut from the final video. I put them together in an outtake video:

Produced by: Disposable Television
Director of Photography: TV Boy
Still Photos: Katie Sokoler

We’ve been wanting to stage a follow up to our Food Court Musical mission for quite some time. Unfortunately, we’re not able to produce a musical like that without some serious help in the budget department. (Food Court Musical was produced for a TV pilot.) Last month Trident Layers expressed interest in sponsoring an Improv Everywhere event (giving us creative control and using no product placement), and I knew this would be a great opportunity to create a new public musical.

Agent Brown rehearses with Agents Kayne and Rustin

I knew from the start that in order to make a worthy follow up to Food Court Musical, I would have to use the same songwriting team, Scott Brown & Anthony King. Not only are they longtime Improv Everywhere Agents, they’re also the authors of the hit Off-Broadway musical, Gutenberg! The Musical!. Their songs, both catchy and hilarious, have been stuck in my head for many a sleepless night.

The cast rehearsing

The cast were all actors I knew from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. We had to cast people who could really sing well, given the “slow jam” nature of the song. We had a rehearsal at a Manhattan studio where Agent Brown taught them the song, and Agent King worked on the choreography.

Rehearsing in the store

The next night we had a rehearsal in the grocery store itself. The store was part of a small chain called “Best Yet” and was located in Astoria, Queens. We chose it for its enormous size, at least by New York standards.

Our rehearsal was late at night, right before the store closed. There were very few people shopping at that hour, so we wouldn’t get a real sense of how crowded the produce section would be until the actual mission the next day. We worked with the store and got permission, enabling us to set up hidden cameras. We used some incredible robotic cameras that were operated via joystick in the control room in the back.

The control room

Speakers

We had planned to just use the store’s PA system to play the song. At the dress rehearsal we learned that grocery store speakers sound awful when the volume gets cranked up. The bass turned to fuzz. So we hid some additional speakers under the muffin table to give their system a boost.

In addition to the robotic cameras hidden on high ledges and in security domes, Agent Adams had a couple of camera rigs he could control out on the floor. We put a lipstick camera on the end of a cart and filled it with groceries. He was able to push it around the area while watching what he was filming on a little monitor.

Agent Adams also had a hidden camera in the strap of his bag, getting a great POV shot of anyone he talked to.

His main job was to get reactions from shoppers after the musical ended. He wore a hidden microphone and also wore an earpiece, enabling me to talk to him from the control room and say things like, “Try to get the woman you’re talking to to turn around; we’re only seeing the back of her head.”

Control room monitor

We staged the mission a few times throughout the day to make sure we got the best possible take and camera coverage. The first take started around 1 PM.

The first few moments were always hilarious. As soon as Agent Kayne started in with his “No, no, no’s,” heads began to turn.

When we did Food Court Musical, we had a pretty good idea of where our audience would be– sitting at the tables. This was more unpredictable. We had all of this choreography planned, but we had no idea if people would make way for us. The area got increasingly crowded as the day went on, which made it all the more fun. Often people found themselves right in the middle of the show.

A woman laughs as Agent Johnson passes with his basket

The woman above took her cart right through the center just as the chorus began. It was like she was a part of the choreography.

Agent Scott’s character was pregnant; she was not. We used a fake belly. She had shoppers coming up to her before and after the song asking when she was due, etc.

Agent Fernandez helps a customer find an item from the circular

Agents Brown and Fernandez played the two stock boy characters. This meant they spent most of the day walking around the floor in the store’s uniform. Of course they were constantly being stopped by customers asking for help.

Our musical was staged very close to the front door, so lots of folks would walk in mid-song. It was fun to see their reactions as they entered and were immediately confronted by our ridiculousness. We got so many wonderful reactions from everyone in the store throughout the afternoon. Queens is the most diverse county in the entire world, and it was really wonderful seeing all of the different types of people laugh and smile.

Letting a friend on the phone listen in

This guy was particularly excited (as seen in the video)

There was always a nice crowd near the registers looking over

The musical got even more absurd when Agent Brown carted Agent Fernandez down the aisle. Agent Fernandez delivered his passionate speech into a price gun, and the two starting spinning while the rest of the cast circled them, building up to the finale.

Before the shoppers could finish applauding, our actors were back to normal life. Those playing customers went back to shopping and those playing stock boys got back to work.

Agent Brown prices some fruit

Mission Accomplished

- Many more photos in higher resolution: Agent Sokoler’s Flickr Set
- Our first musical: Food Court Musical
- Our third musical: I Love Lunch! The Musical
- Buy the original cast recording of Gutenberg! The Musical, also by Brown & King.

If this is your first time here:
-our nearly 100 other missions can be seen here: Missions
-sign up for our RSS feed and Newsletter
-New Yorkers join our NY Agents list
-We have a book and a DVD for sale!

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edited by Matt Adams / “The Dogs Were Let Out by Whom?” song by Tyler Walker

For our latest mission, over 2,000 people walked “invisible dogs” down the streets of Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon. The leashes were on loan from the current owner of 51 Bergen Street, the factory space where the invisible dog toy was invented in the 1970s. Participants of all ages spread out from Red Hook to Brooklyn Heights, very seriously walking their very silly dogs.

Digital Video: Agents Adams, Haskel, VanDamme
Digital Photography: Agents Nicholson, Sokoler

About a month ago I got an email from Keith Schweitzer from No Longer Empty. The group transforms vacant spaces into public art exhibitions and had an exhibition coming up in an abandoned factory in Brooklyn. He told me there were over 2,000 invisible dog leashes collecting dust on a shelf and wondered if I would like to put them to use. Yes, please.

The crowd

The factory space served as our meeting point. It’s an incredibly cool spot, and it was fun knowing that the leashes we would be using were created right there in the 1970s. The building was recently bought by a French artist, who is converting it into an art space.

It’s tough to say exactly how many participants showed up. We had over 3,000 RSVPs, and the crowd was so large that we filled up the giant warehouse and then had an enormous line of people waiting to get in winding around the block. I think it’s safe to say more than 2,000 showed up. Thankfully, we had enough leashes for everyone.

Explaining the mission

All of the participants showed up having no idea what they would be doing. I gave a quick talk explaining the history of the building and what the mission would entail, and then we passed out the leashes. Everyone was just told to spread out and go on a walk for an hour or so, behaving as if they were walking an actual dog.

Passing out leashes

We had a very diverse group of agents, with folks of all ages and races participating.

Three dogs pass at an intersection

The guy above told me his nickname was “Big Dog” and that’s why he had the “BEWARE OF THE DOG” bumper sticker. It certainly seemed appropriate for the mission.

There were so many great reactions throughout the day. With 2,000 people spread out all over the neighborhood, it was impossible to document them all. Most people laughed or smiled. Some ignored us. Others got irritated when no one would tell them what was going on. Typical dialogue went about like this:

Stranger: Where did you get that?
Agent: What? My dog? At a shelter.
Stranger: No, the leash.
Agent: At a pet store.
Stranger: Ahh! No one will tell me what is happening!

Everyone had their own theory about what must be happening. The two most common I overheard were that we were promoting shelter dogs and that we were protesting dog poop.

Some of the best reactions came from folks in cars. Anyone driving on Court or Smith Streets would have seen hundreds of dogs in a very short span of time. Lots of people rolled down their windows to shout questions. One guy driving an MTA bus even pulled over, opened his door, and asked what was going on with a laugh.

The best reactions came from those who played along and Yes Anded us. Lots of people really got into it and stopped to join the fun. “Oh what breed is he?” “Can I pet him?” “He’s so cute!”

There were lots of kids on the streets, and it was fun to see their reactions. Several parents played along, and some kids were a little confused when their mom or dad claimed to see the dog as well.

We also had lots of children working as agents.

Apparently this kid’s dog climbed the fence!

The Dutton family all participated together

The most fun part of the mission was running into real dogs. I think it’s the first time we’ve ever confused animals during an Improv Everywhere mission. I loved seeing their reactions.

Lot of participants visited local establishments along their walk. Bars and cafes were soon filled with invisible dogs, at least the ones that allowed dogs were.

Grabbing a drink while keeping the dogs outside

The pet store on Smith had some visitors

Someone purchased a bone for the dogs

A dog kennel quickly put up the above sign on their door after getting a few rings from folks wanting to discuss lodging for their invisible dogs. I can’t say I blame them. Other establishments did all they could to attract the dogs and their owners into spending their money.

The Jake Walk bar was especially generous

Those waiting tables in bars and cafes were treated to a steady stream of passing dogs. Many had to go outside to get a better look.

Picking up invisible poop

Of course, dog ownership is not all fun and games.

Chasing pigeons

Going in two directions

Sniffing trash

Taking a leak

Chasing a bike

Agent Zalowitz takes a spill

Agent Lathan was a dog walker

Agent Lindquist and I had a very pleasant Sunday stroll with our new invisible Basset Hound puppy.

After a couple of hours, agents started slowly returning to the meeting point to turn in their leashes. Many were sad to tell their invisible dogs goodbye. It was really fun to do a mission that was so spread out, both in time and in space. It felt like we really blanketed the whole neighborhood with our silliness.

Mission Accomplished

Many more photos in higher resolution:
- Agent Sokoler’s Flickr Set
- Agent Nicholson’s Flickr Set
- More photos at No Longer Empty
- Learn more about the history of 51 Bergen Street.

Stream or Download “The Dogs Were Let Out by Whom?” by Tyler Walker:

You can read the Agent Reports from folks who were involved in the comments on this post.

If this is your first time here:
-our nearly 100 other missions can be seen here: Missions
-sign up for our RSS feed and Newsletter
-New Yorkers join our NY Agents list
-We have a book and a DVD for sale!

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edited by Matt Adams / score by Tyler Walker

For our latest mission, we installed a photography studio on a random subway car. We claimed that the MTA had hired us to take photos of every single person who rides the subway and that we’d be producing a yearbook at the end of the year. Most people were happy to pose for us, and the resulting photos show just how diverse New York subway riders can be. Enjoy the video first and then check out the mission report and photos below.

See this image in high resolution.

Digital Video: Agents Adams, Yoshida, Garofalo
Digital Photography: Agent Sokoler
Portrait Photography: Agent Nicholson

This mission was tons of fun for me personally, because it really reminded me of the early days of Improv Everywhere. Those first couple of years we did so many simple ideas on the subway all with the simple goal of making people laugh and smile. It’s great to work on projects with thousands of people, but it’s also fun to see what you can do with just a couple of folks and a few props.

Agents Nicholson, Duarte, Martini

We collaborated with local production company Hello World on this mission. They wanted to film us for a Brazillian TV show, so we invited them to be a part of team. The show’s hosts, Agents Duarte and Martini, played the role of the “ringers”– they’d blend in with the crowd on the train and hop up to get their photo taken to encourage others to do the same. One nice thing about working with Hello World is that they specialize in shooting video with the fancy new Canon DSLR cameras. Since the Canons looked like still cameras, no one would know they were filming.

Filming my intro

For our roles as the photographer and the photographer’s assistant, Agent Nicholson and I wanted to try to dress on the cheesy side, to emulate the yearbook photographers we remembered from high school. I shaved my beard and left a ridiculous mustache and paired it with a $7.99 short sleeve dress shirt I found on the K-Mart clearance rack. Agent Nicholson wore a matching blue shirt, matching khakis, and a sport coat.

Setting up

After getting organized we took to the 6 Train (clearly by now Improv Everywhere’s favorite train) and set up our studio. We clamped a blue backdrop sheet to the poles, and set up our stool, tripod, and flashes. We set up at the end of the car and did our best to not make things too cramped. Still, it was a comically small space for a photo studio.

Riders gawk as we set up

People enter at the first stop

Things got crowded pretty quickly

My main job as the photographer’s assistant was to inform everyone who entered the car about our project. We claimed that we had been hired by the MTA to make a 2009/2010 yearbook of the entire subway system. “Today we’re on car number 9 of the 6 train,” I said, “We’ll here all day, and we’ll move to car number 8 tomorrow. Then on to the next line. It’s a long process.” Making a complete yearbook is a pretty absurd idea if you really think about it– over 4.3 million people ride the subway each day in New York.

Laughing

We weren’t sure how easy it would be to get people to sit for a photo. We were pleasantly surprised by how willing most people were to be a part of it. We ended up not really needing our “ringer” agents more than once or twice– the stool was almost always occupied.

Signing our bogus MTA form

We took down everyone’s email addresses after their photo and, as promised, emailed them a link to download their portrait. You can’t beat that free service!

As you would expect, the train ride was pretty bumpy. A few riders opted to hold Agent Nicholson’s hand as they walked over to the stool. Some held on to the nearby pole during their shot. We had to work hard to keep our umbrella flash stands and the tripod from falling over at every twist and turn, but it added to the absurdity of our studio.

Agent Nicholson snaps a photo of Agent Sokoler snapping a photo

I had a mirror on hand in case anyone needed it before posing. Agent Nicholson ended up gaff-taping his tripod to the pole.

It was fun watching people make the decision to participate. The guy above was amused by what we were doing but told me he definitely didn’t want to pose. After watching a few others do it, he changed his mind.

A more serious pose

While Agent Nicholson snapped away, I continued my job of recruiting new subjects. I couldn’t talk everyone into it but most everyone was polite and fun to talk to.

This woman was nice, but told me she was sure she didn’t want her photo taken. A moment later she was smiling as someone else posed, and then looked at me, shrugged, and sat down herself.

Checking the mirror

Once we reached 125th Street, we got out and rode the train back down town, repeating the mission a second time.

This woman’s reaction was great. She was definitely taken off guard by our studio.

But just a few minutes later, she came over and posed.

I noticed a woman on the other side of the car who was putting a little bit of makeup on. She hadn’t volunteered yet, but I could tell she was quietly preparing. I called her out on it, and she laughed and walked over to the stool.

Almost all of the people who did not want to participate were still able to let their guard down and listen to our pitch with a smile. The woman facing the door in the photo above was probably the only person we really failed to reach in any way. She walked directly to the door and faced away from us for several stops, doing her best to completely ignore us. Oh well.

Towards the end of our second ride, there was a family of five who posed for us.

It was exciting to get an infant in our yearbook!

As the train approached the last stop, Agent Nicholson and I posed for a few photos in our studio before taking it down.

It was a super fun afternoon. While conventional wisdom would have you believe that New Yorkers are cynical and gruff– we had no trouble finding lots of fun people willing to get on board with two lame looking dudes in cheap blue dress shirts. You can see the full set of Agent Nicholson’s portraits here.

I remember when I first moved to the city eight years ago, I was blown away by the diversity on the subway. You can be on a train car in Queens and look around to realize that every single rider has a unique ethnicity. It was fun to capture that diversity with these photos, and to also show how much in common we all have. We may have different backgrounds, but we’re all in the same damn yearbook!

Mission Accomplished

Many more photos in higher resolution:
Agent Sokoler’s Flickr Set
Agent Nicholson’s portraits

If this is your first time here:
-our other 85+ missions can be seen here: Missions
-sign up for our RSS feed and Newsletter
-New Yorkers join our NY Agents list
-We have a book and a DVD for sale!

watch it larger on YouTube
edited by Matt Adams

For our Sixth Annual Mp3 Experiment, over 2,000 people of all ages downloaded the same mp3, pressed play at the same time, and had a blast together. This year’s event took place on Roosevelt Island, a thin strip of land in the middle of the East River. We would like to thank Yahoo! for their continued partnership with The Mp3 Experiment series. Their support helped make this project truly awesome (1,400 inflatable weapons wouldn’t have been possible without them!) Enjoy the video recap first, and then check out the full photos and report.

Original Music and Sound Design: Agent Walker
Digital Video: Agents Adams, Shafer, Haskel, Person
Digital Photography: Agents Sokoler, Fountain, Chigirev, Hambly, Liu
Lone Wolf: Agent Scordelis

If you’ve never heard of The Mp3 Experiment series, you can read about it here: The Mp3 Experiments.

This year’s location was Roosevelt Island. It’s a really beautiful place, situated in between Manhattan and Queens on the East River. There are about 12,000 residents on the island. To participate in this year’s experiment, agents were given these instructions. Everyone synchronized their watch to the clock on the instruction page, downloaded the mp3, wore a red, blue, yellow, or green shirt, and then traveled to the island. At exactly 4:00 PM, everyone would press play from wherever they happened to be on the island.

It’s always fun to spot other participants in the hours leading up to the event. Everyone was told to wear red, blue, green, or yellow shirts. It’s pretty easy to figure out who will be participating.

By 3:30, the crowd started to get really huge. There is one subway stop on the island, and each arriving F train brought tons of colorful folks.

Participants exiting the subway station

One participant managed to find a quiet spot all to himself

We had a wonderfully diverse group of people show up again this year. All ages, races, and backgrounds were present. We had newborns, children, high school kids, college students, 20/30somethings, parents, and grandparents, all playing together.

Mom, Dad, Son, Dog

I always enjoy participating alone and try to sit away from anyone I know personally. I took a seat on the west coast of the island right next to a family who had a red-shirted dog with them. He was awesome!

The Brown twins (Human Mirror agents!)

4:00 arrived, and participants scattered all over the island pressed play. After the awesome opening song by Tyler Walker, Steve (the omnipotent “voice from above”/narrator of every Mp3 Experiment) introduced himself and led us in some light breathing and stretching.

Participants stretch their groins

Condo residents look down at the masses on their courtyard

Steve had us jump to our feet like popping popcorn and throw our hands in the air.

Jumping up from the ground

A woman throws her hands in the air in reaction to the field of participants doing the same

Next up was the traditional geography test. Participants were asked to point to the sites of some of the past Mp3 Experiments and then towards Nicaragua, the direction of which many sadly haven’t learned yet!

Disagreement

Next up was the “audience interaction” phase of the experiment. Participants were instructed to high five as many non-participants as they could find. Part of the fun of the Mp3 Experiment each year is seeing the looks on the faces of those who happen upon us and have no idea what is going on.

This guy got MANY high fives

Some folks even went into the stores and cafes on the island to give high fives. The next task was to form single file lines behind non participants, making them an unknowing leader in a short game of Follow the Leader.

On my section of the island, there were a half-dozen really funny lines of people. It was hilarious walking on one side of the street in a giant line and seeing another line across the street walking in the opposite direction. Many of the non-participants were laughing at the other lines, while not realizing they had a hundred people lined up behind them as well!

Two lines formed behind two public safety officers

At first, this guy didn’t realize what was behind him

Thumbs up!

The next activity was square dancing. Participants dosey-doed with as many people as they could while a silly square dance song played. It was fun constantly switching partners, and the laughter was infectious.

Steve then called for “Nap time!” Everyone dropped to the ground at the same instant and took a fifteen second power nap.

Notice the one woman on the bench

It was time for everyone to take a walk together to the southern tip of the island. Steve went to grab his favorite soda while his estranged cousin Dave entertained everyone with a story that took place on Roosevelt Island many years ago (or not.) You can listen to the story (written by Tyler Walker) here: Peters and the Wolves.

As everyone began merging together on the paths on either side of the island, it started to become clear just how many people were participating.

It was about a fifteen minute walk to get to southern tip (longer for those who were in the back.) Participants walked along the river, enjoying Manhattan skyline views. They entered the gates to Southpoint Park and passed the old, abandoned Renwick smallpox hospital.

The crowd then followed a short path over the hill and found themselves in a beautiful green space with stunning views in every direction.

Southpoint Park (minus our participants)

People watch as 2,000+ participants arrive in the park

A picnic is interrupted

The park was mostly empty. I’m always surprised at how few people are there, considering how cool it is. There were a few people milling about, and a group of folks sitting in the grass. Hopefully they enjoyed the spectacle. If not, we were gone 20 minutes later anyway.

After everyone had arrived, a game of freeze tag broke out, with the different colors taking turns being “it.”

After all of that running around, it was time for another power nap!

It’s really tough to show just how many people were at the experiment. Unfortunately we didn’t have access to any tall buildings across the river, so we couldn’t get a proper overhead shot. The pictures from the ground level don’t quite capture how ridiculously packed the park was.

Steve announced it was time for a dance party, but first he had to tell a couple of secrets. He had the red/yellow and blue/green groups take their headphones off in turn so he could speak privately to the other group. Blue/green were told to dance like they were from the 1920s and red/yellow were told to dance like they were from the 2020s. What followed was a 2,000+ person dance party for flappers and robots.

Party like it’s 2029

For the finale, Steve introduced everyone to a new game, Bats vs. Hammers. The red/yellow team headed to the northern part of the field and received 700 inflatable bats while the blue/green team went to the southern part of the field to receive 700 inflatable hammers. I figured 1,400 weapons would be enough, but hundreds of people didn’t get a weapon and had to participate in spirit.

Rob blows up his bat

The red/yellow team

The blue/green team

Agent Phire leads his team into battle

Agent Mike the Man charges with his hammer

Steve interrupted the fight suddenly. “Why must we hit each other with inflatable objects every Mp3 Experiment?” he said. He told the crowd that while they were fighting, the Lone Wolf (a character mentioned in the story they heard earlier) had made his way to the park. It was time to unite against a common enemy! Steve had everyone remove their colored shirts to reveal their white shirt underneath. Everyone was now on the same team!

Participants wave their shirts overhead as they prepare to fight the Lone Wolf

Through a cloud of smoke, the Lone Wolf appeared on the staircase at the southern tip of the island.

A couple of thousand people beat on the wolf (he was wisely wearing a cup.)

The attack on the wolf captured by someone across the river in Queens (via)

The Lone Wolf is dead!

Steve instructed everyone to celebrate their victory in slow motion. While some Chariots of Fire-ish music played, the masses high fived and hugged each other at quarter speed.

The dog wasn’t so good at slow motion

The experiment came to an end as the crowd all shouted “goodbye!” to Steve in unison.

We were blown away by how many people came out to participate. We can’t thank you enough for supporting Improv Everywhere and coming out to play with us. It’s just so cool to see all sorts of people young and old getting together to do something so ridiculous, just for the fun of it.

Unfortunately we were not able to tour The Mp3 Experiment this year, but hopefully we will again one day (The 2008 tour was so much fun.) We do enjoy bringing The Mp3 Experiment to new places, so if you know a festival or university that wants to hire us to stage an experiment in your area, let us know. We’ve recently staged experiments at festivals in Berlin and Australia.

And if you’re a fan of Improv Everywhere, show your support by buying or new book!

Agent Erde poses with Agent Todd and Agent Scordelis (still in wolf costume) after getting his book signed following The Mp3 Experiment

Finally, I just had to share this photo I randomly found on Facebook, clearly taken a bit later on in the evening.

Mission Accomplished.

PHOTOS
Agent Sokoler’s Photos
Agent Fountain’s Photos
Agent Hambly’s Photos
Agent Chigirev’s Photos
Agent Liu’s Photos
Roosevelt L!VE’s Photos

AUDIO
You can download some of the songs from The Mp3 Experiment on Agent Walker’s MySpace page.

AGENT REPORTS
Check out first hand reports from participants on the Recap Page. Add your own report if you were there.

Read David Pogue’s write up of the event for The New York Times

Agent Small did a secret sequel of Subway Art Gallery Opening in the F train stop for participants to see on their way home. Check out her photos of the project.

HIRE US
We have also toured The Mp3 Experiment around the world to places like Berlin, Germany and Adelaide, Australia. If you’re part of an organization (festival, university, arts group) that is interested in commissioning an Mp3 Experiment, get in touch via our contact form.

If this is your first time here:
-our other 85+ missions can be seen here: Missions
-sign up for our RSS feed and Newsletter
-New Yorkers join our NY Agents list
-We have a book and a DVD for sale!

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edited by Matt Adams / score by Tyler Walker

For our latest mission, we picked a random couple getting married at the City Clerk’s Office in Manhattan and threw them a surprise wedding reception. The couple was treated to dancing, toasts, cake, and gifts, all with complete strangers. Enjoy the video first and then check out the mission report and photos below.

Digital Video: Agents Adams, Shafer, Schackman
Digital Photography: Agents Sokoler, Slocum
Mission Inspired By: Matthew Benjamin

We met at 1 PM on a rainy Monday afternoon at Foley Square, a public park just across the street from the Office of the City Clerk (and also coincidentally the meeting point for our annual No Pants Subway Rides.) I was worried that the weather was going to ruin the mission. We had no back up plan.

Agent Briefing

When I arrived at the park I noticed there were four large, white tents by the fountain. They were set up for some type of job fair. I chatted up a woman working for the fair. She told me they were leaving in less than an hour and happily gave me the number for the party company that had set the tents up. I managed to talk the party company into keeping the tents up for another two hours (for a reasonable price, of course.) It was a beautiful moment of serendipity. There is no way we could have secured a permit to set up tents for a wedding reception in the middle of New York City, but since they were already up and permitted for someone else, we slid right in. Not only would the tents keep us dry, they would also make the whole reception much more authentic.

Setting up

While the rest of the agents went to go set everything up in the tents, I headed over alone to the marriage bureau. My task was to select the random couple who we’d offer the reception to. I had visited the building a few times in the weeks leading up to the mission to get a feel for how the system worked. There were probably forty couples waiting in line to either get married or get a license for a marriage on a future date. I quickly spotted a couple that looked perfect for our mission; they were next in line to go into the wedding chapel. The bride was wearing a white dress and had her father with her. The groom was dressed in a suit with a boutonnière and was accompanied by both of his parents and his sister. The family members were taking photos of them, and they all seemed so happy. They stood out from the other couples, most of whom were by themselves and in casual clothes.

As soon as they emerged from the chapel, I rushed outside to prepare to greet them on the front steps of the building. To capture the moment, I wore a wireless microphone and had Agent Schackman film me from about forty feet away.

Greeting the couple

As soon as they got outside, I approached the couple and informed them that I was from the mayor’s office and we were giving a “free wedding reception” to one random couple today. Before I could even finish telling them all of the things we had set up, the bride laughed and said, “Let’s go!” I had been a little nervous that they might turn it down (maybe they already had plans to celebrate somewhere else?) and figured I might have to ask a few couples before we found the right one. Nope. They were immediately down. “Can’t say no to that,” the groom told me and then added, “We’re cynical New Yorkers so this is a little hard to believe.”

The bride and her father on the steps

On the way over I learned their names, Raff and Frank. They were both enthusiastic on the short walk over, though I’m sure they were a little suspicious about the whole thing. When we turned the corner and got to the other side of the fountain, they were met with a huge cheer from their fifty-person wedding reception.

Frank and Raff laugh as Frank’s sister snaps a photo

Our “cater waiter” Agent Silver greeted them with two champagne flutes filled with cider, and our “wedding planner” Agent Reeves introduced herself.

Reception guests form two lines and cheer as the couple walks through

Our DJ, Agent Dunn, cued up Michael Buble’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and Frank and Raff had their first dance as a married couple.

Frank’s sister and Raff’s dad take photos of the first dance

The wedding party joins the couple on the dance floor

The father of the bride dance was next. DJ Dunn cued up The Temptations’ “My Girl” and Raff danced with her dad. We had Agent Wimpy on hand to play the role of father of the bride in case our bride didn’t have her father with her, but it was all the more awesome that her real dad was there.

After the special dances were over, it was time to party. DJ Dunn had prepared a playlist of wedding favorites for everyone to dance to.

Agent Dunn in his wedding DJ attire

The Electric Slide

The Macarena

A random woman in the park dances along to The Macarena

This mission wasn’t focused on getting reactions from the random New Yorkers who happened to walk by. I hadn’t really thought about how strange it would be to come upon a wedding reception in a public park on a Monday afternoon at 2 PM. Throughout the party, people stopped to smile, take photos, and even dance along to the music.

Agent Lathan gives the Best Man toast

The toasts were next. I instructed the Best Man and Maid of Honor to give the best toasts they could, considering they had never met the couple. Rather than making up specifics, they chose to just say nice (though vague) things about the bride and groom.

The bride and Maid of Honor meet each other for the first time

Raff and Agent Lindquist, fast friends!

“To the couple!”

Agent Lee writes the couple’s names on the cake

Family taking photos of the cake

After everyone had a bite of cake, it was time for the bouquet and garter tosses.

Raff’s sister-in-law catches the bouquet

Agent Purnell catches the garter

Agent Sokoler took some posed photos both with the “fake” wedding party as well as the real family.

Agent Lindquist bought the bridesmaid dresses on the cheap at Old Navy and then spruced them up with pink bows. Agent Fairey bought matching boutonnières for the groomsmen.

Sneaking a kiss

The real family

After the photos, Frank and Raff opened up their gifts. We had around 20 gifts wrapped for them. Most of them were gift cards to a popular store (we didn’t want to give them a bunch of heavy presents to carry unexpectedly.) Agent Gordon had recently gotten married himself, and he wrapped a couple of gifts he received but didn’t want. So it was nice for them to get a couple of non-gift card presents as well.

It was time to send the couple off, or at least around the block. Agent Simmons distributed bird seed to everyone (bird seed is the new rice, in case you didn’t hear), and we prepared to shower the couple.

Agent Simmons

I rented a pedicab for the occasion to take Frank and Raff for a brief post-reception ride. Agent Toledo decorated it with streamers and a “Just Married” sign.

One last kiss for the crowd

Once they got back from their pedicab ride, Frank and Raff packed up their presents and told their wedding guests goodbye. I took them aside and confessed that I wasn’t actually from the mayor’s office (if that wasn’t completely obvious by now). I explained that we were just a group of people who liked throwing fun events like this. It was a small break of character, but one that didn’t seem too important. This was pretty far from a prank, and the experience wasn’t changed by the confession. I had only told them I was from the mayor’s office to get them on board. It seemed more convincing than, “I’m a complete stranger who wants to throw you a party.” We exchanged contact information so I could arrange to send them the photos and video.

The family leaving the reception

The reception was an incredibly fun time. We had planned to stage the mission for more than one couple, but Frank and Raff were just too perfect. They stayed for over an hour and completely yes-anded everything we threw at them. There were moments where it felt like we actually did all know each other and you sort of forgot you were “acting.”

The day after the reception, I got an email from Frank and Raff:

Whatever becomes of our “scene” we just wanted to say thanks because it was freakin’ hilarious. The most important thing for us is that you gave us just about the best wedding story anyone could have to pass on. Take good care.

Not a bad outcome for a rainy wedding day in Lower Manhattan. Thank God for those tents. Congrats to Frank and Raff!!!!

Mission Accomplished

Many more photos in higher resolution:
Agent Sokoler’s Flickr Set
Agent Slocum’s Flickr Set
Agent Scott’s Flickr Set

Our very talented Agent Adams and Sokoler are available to film and/or photograph weddings in the tri-state area. Contact them at mattadamsapple at gmail _ com

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