RunAwayBlog

Bloopers for Man in the Box - It's My Birthday!

2008-03-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Behind the Scenes of An Honest R&B Song

2008-03-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

"Ooh, Girl!" - An Honest R&B Song is blowing up. The raw sexuality Mike Polk displays in the video rivals that of Horace Brown's 1994 "Taste Your Love"... Except that Mike openly admits he's bad at sex. Here are some pics from that shoot.

Mike sings to camera as his lady friend sits back on the bed, unsatisfied. All too familiar.

The house we shot in was huge, providing all sorts of places for Mike and his girlfriend to have awkward, elbow-y sex.

Matt and Brian were on set to help with the shoot, as always.

Mike taking a time out to test the waters. Is it me or does he look six years old here to anybody else?

Mike looking especially pale.

Matt is either shedding some light on our actors, or is about to do some serious kickboarding action.

Smooth.

Jaime helped direct and produce the video. She jumped in to get a pic with the big, black, beautiful... Escalade.

Matching Adidas track suits are all the rage on the L.A player scene these days, FYI.

Fucking epic. This is an album cover if I ever saw one.

Leave comments and feel free to describe your most embarrassing sexual encounter! Don't all go at once, we might flood the boards with this one.

Vote for Elevator on the Youtube Video Awards!

2008-03-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, Runaway Box is racking up quite the list of nominations. It's like Titanic in '97. Or was it '98? Oh, that's right, it won Best Picture two years in a row because that's how ridiculously obsessed we all got with that movie. And now, ten years later, I think we all feel a little ashamed that we got so caught up in a sinking boat (aka Kate Winslet).

Here's how to make up for that: Go vote for Elevator - Music for best comedy series on YouTube. We've brought you a lot of laughs, it's the least you can do for us.

Don't forget to vote for Spanish Mike at the Yahoo! Video Awards as well. Do it right now, before all is lost!

Vote for Spanish Mike on Yahoo! Video Awards

2008-03-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Gang!

Big news. Mike Polk's "One Semester of Spanish Love Song" has been nominated for a Yahoo! Video Award in the category of "Best Comedy Video". We think that's pretty darn sweet.

But here's the thing... In order to win, we have to get the most votes. I know, we should just win automatically, that's what I said. So turns out we need you guys to do your part, and vote for Mike! That is, if you think it's the best video. But somehow I doubt the dog puppet who says five words every thirty seconds is a worthy competitor. That's right, I'm trash talkin' the Yahoo! Video Awards! Get over it!

Mike has promised that if he wins, his acceptance speech will rival that of Sir Daniel Day Lewis' at this year's Oscars. I would personally love to see that.

Thanks for the votes!

Behind the Scenes of Elevator - Strip Club!

2008-03-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

These are from the shoot for today's episode of Elevator - Strip Club! Check it out here.

Here is the cast of this episode getting ready to enter the 'Vator. That's sheer determination on their faces.

Things tend to get a little rowdy in there. Not because of the flamboyant homosexuals, but because of Ben Pace.

This was filmed the same day as the episode 'A Friendly Wager'. As ridiculous as these two look, Woody was in a dress and a tiara carrying a pink purse. He wins.

The banana was a last minute detail we decided to throw in. We thought it would be ironic if Chris was munching something phallic while unwittingly planning a trip to a gay strip club.

Yes, it's just a set! Any time somebody has to get in or out of the elevator, they have to step around that black metal pole that holds a light.

What a beautiful couple... Couple of what, I don't know.

Leave comments ftw!

There Will Be Miscellaneous Pictures

2008-03-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

So I found some of these pictures lying around and figured I might as well put them to use and post them on the blog for y'all to look at. I guess I shouldn't say "lying around" (or y'all) since they only exist digitally and are therefore fundamentally incapable of "lying around". I didn't like, find them in some dusty bin or something. They were on my desktop. But I digress. Enjoy!

A table of props used during an Elevator shoot. Seems to be a fake beard, a bottle of alcohol, several coffee mugs, a bottle of cologne, a rubber stretchy toy thingy... Yes, it all adds up.

The ladies. And some dude.

How sexy is this on a scale from 1 to 10. Leave it in the comments!

Elevator's most recognizable props. Also typically the carrier of many other props.

Table read. Look at all the scripts!

Can any other song besides "I Believe I Can Fly" accompany this picture? Answer: Probably, but I don't care to hear them because in my head this is too perfect.

Woody stands alone in his elevator set. That's about as interesting a caption this pic deserves. No wonder it was just lying around.

Hope you enjoyed the rejects of past behind the scenes! I know I did!

Leave comments, fools.

Behind the Scenes with Jason Earles from Hannah Montana

2008-02-28T16:25:00.001-08:00

I think one of the biggest secrets of our time is that everybody watches Disney. Everybody. If you deny this, you're lying to yourself. You watch Disney. You're a Hannah Montana fan. That's why you'll love this behind the scenes feature with Jason Earles in the Elevator.

Leave comments here!

Bloopers - Elevator - Intern Shawn Pyfrom Is Not a Puppy

2008-02-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love some good bloopers?

Shawn Pyfrom from Desperate Housewives can't keep a straight face. Thanks for these, Woody!

Leave comments here!!!!!!!!!!!

Behind the Scenes with Melora Hardin!

2008-02-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

You've watched her all week here at Runaway Box, and loved her. At least we did. In fact, we loved her so much we named this week "Melora Hardin Week". Still waiting for a "Paul Gulyas Week", but then again I don't play Jan on "The Office".... I play Paul on "Elevator". And my performance is SPOT ON.

Anyway, here's some footage from behind the scenes of the episode "The Office Song". Enjoy!

Leave comments for Heaven Points, and subscribe to youtube.com/elevatorshow to see all Melora's episodes!

Behind the Scenes of "Marty's Love Song"

2008-02-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

If you recall, Marty recently asked viewers to help him write a love song for his Valentine, Renee. And millions of Marty fans the world over answered, sending suggestions for what Marty could say to woo the sweet Renee. Here are some behind the scenes shots from that head-over-heels romantic music video...

Renee is played by Genevieve Jones, or Intern Jane from "Elevator". Here she takes a GINORMOUS bite of a sandwich. This shot actually looks like a panel from a Dilbert comic strip come to life.

Recognize the purple bear? Woody went on to use it in a vlog of his. You can often spot various props being used in multiple videos on Runaway Box. See if you can pick out more (and no, those are NOT the same roses used by Spanish Mike)

This is Brian Mendoza behind the camera. He lights and shoots a lot of our stuff. And he's damn good at it.

And this pic looks like it was taken out of a Sears catalog, of which I just realized Marty would blend right into. I think he'd be in the Duvet covers section.

Brian shoots but the directing is usually a joint effort between Andrew and Brian. Here, Andrew oversees the shot.

This is one of our kitchens here at Runaway Box. They look nice but nobody actually eats in them since we're all addicted to the internet and need a computer in front of us at all times. That's why it's so clean.

Genevieve had to pretend Marty's face was on the heart-shaped card and singing to her in this shot. In reality, a green screen effect was used... No, Andrew can not magically project his face on things, believe it or not.

Andrew records the audio of the song first, then plays it while they are filming so he can lip-sync to it perfectly. Later, in editing, he matches the shots to the music.

There you have it... Leave comments! Maybe Marty will put it in a new song... No promises though. Thanks to Matt for the pics!

OH! And by the way, I definitely just attempted to "Rick Roll" Runaway Box fans in my previous blog. I apologize for anybody I "Rick Rolled".

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

2008-02-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

It's the day after Valentine's Day. And I bet you think all the sweet romancing is over....

Well, IT'S NOT!

If you want to keep living the love of Valentine's Day, (or even if you never started, like me), just click here! You'll thank me later.

And keep checking the blog for more updates on behind the scenes action here at Runaway Box!

Woody Live Chat - Wednesday 8PM EST and Live Chat Info in General

2008-02-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

Here's the quick and dirty blog entry.

WOODY TONDORF LIVE CHAT! WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH, 8PM EST, JUST GO TO RUNAWAYBOX.COM AND CLICK THE LINK!

ANDREW ZILCH LIVE CHAT! WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH, 8PM EST, JUST GO TO RUNAWAYBOX.COM AND CLICK THE LINK!

MIKE POLK LIVE CHAT! WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 8PM EST, JUST GO TO RUNAWAYBOX.COM AND CLICK THE LINK!

Here's the rest of it.

Did you see an emerging pattern above? Look closely.

From now on, at least three weeks out of the month, on Wednesdays, at 8PM EST, there will be somebody to chat with you live. It will probably be Woody, Andrew, or Mike, but if not.... who knows? Harold? Terry? Me? Spider Spud? Basically, if we have to pull a homeless man off the street, there will be somebody there. So come chat with Boxcar Jim, I'm sure he's got plenty to say.

But seriously, tune in Wednesday night and chat with Woody! It'll be a great time, I promise. If it's not you can... give me purple nurples until I bleed. That's what I'm willing to put on the line. I'm not even scared.

Behind the Scenes: Runaway Joke of the Day

2008-02-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos taken during the shooting of a bunch of Runaway Jokes of the Day.

Here's how a typical shoot goes. We fill our fishbowl with dozens of awful jokes. Just really, awful, bad jokes. The worse the better. The more you feel like an ass when you've told the punchline, the more successful the joke is in our eyes. We'll gather some completely random props beforehand to kind of throw at people (not literally, although, sometimes, literally) to use at the end of the awful bad not funny joke. And we hope this somehow makes it funny.

Then we invite random people to come, tell a joke, and eat some cookies.

We set up the camera to shoot down the same long hallway every day. I stand in that office with the fishbowl waiting to pop out and hand the person a joke.

Normally we don't pick the joke before it is shot, but this was an exception because she was French. Also, FACT: I was actually not ill when this picture was taken, I just typically do not look healthy.

Scott Chan takes his Joke of the Days very seriously.

Woody raises his arms in triumph after telling a horrible joke.

And Brian and I carry him away from the camera.

Some typical props for a Joke of the Day shoot. My favorite is the horse thing. Do little kids actually use those anymore? I think they are solely produced as jokes.

Danila waits off camera to toss a baby at somebody telling a Dead Baby joke. Look at the deep concentration on her face. The Joke of the Day is not all fun and games; it's precision and timing of throwing silly objects at people.

When we can't find actual people to tell our stupid jokes, we'll just get an inanimate object to do it. More cookies for us.

The Baby and The Sword; pretty much our Runaway Joke of the Day emblem. Our motto: Live by the Baby, Die by the Sword. Or is it the other way around? Either way, it makes no sense.

There you have it! Leave comments and don't forget to check out our Runaway Joke of the Day, every day on runawaybox.com!

What We're Liking

2008-02-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

As you probably already know, Joey and David are on Elevator this week; They really nailed it. If you haven't seen it, check it out here.

They just have good comedic chemistry, and they brought that to the Elevator. Check out their youtube channel and joeyanddavid.com. Tons of hilarious stuff.

Including, this, which is one of my favorites of theirs. I like it because they are not afraid to be the straight men in this and let the joke play out without them getting involved or even commenting. Brilliant.

Where did you think those apple pies came from? Leave comments and subscribe to our youtube channel, youtube.com/runawaybox!

Behind the Scenes of Elevator "EWF 2"

2008-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a unique look at what it's like to be on the set of Elevator.

This may shatter a few youg children's dreams. No, it is not a real elevator. There aren't even any doors. And the "button" is a black piece of tape. Sorry guys.

But seriously, Santa is so real, I'm not even joking.

Diamond Dave Outtakes!

2008-02-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

Apparently Mike Polk went on for quite a while as Diamond Dave, from the Marty Show episode "Car Dealer". Here are some of the takes straight from the cutting room floor.

Leave comments here!

Man in the Box Bloopers - Greg's New Office

2008-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

Try to keep a straight face with Mike Polk's head popping out at you.

Leave comments if you like!

THE TRUTH BEHIND MY NEW HAIRCUT!!!

2008-01-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

So over the holidays I returned to my hometown of Milford, CT and caught up with some buddies of mine. However, there was something distinctly different about them. For one thing they kept referring to women as "fuckin' skanks." And they didn't so much drink Jägerbombs as much as they enjoyed repeating the word over and over again. It was pretty horrific.

After inquiring what their deal was, I learned of "My New Haircut", a video not so new to YouTube about That Guy in every bar and club you'll ever go to, at least from my experiences in Los Angeles and the Tri-State area. A good concept. Decently executed, although I don't think it was funny as much as it was quotable. Thus all my friends quoting it as if it had come straight from Will Ferrel's mouth.

Come to find out that a co-worker and friend of mine Mike Polk was the originator of the concept of "My New Haircut", except his was called "Look at My Striped Shirt!", and actually hilarious. He first published this essay on thephatphree.com, and then later in a book entitled... what else? "Look At My Striped Shirt!: Confessions of the People You Love to Hate", which was published in December of 2006. Mike even taped a live performance of this monologue and posted it on YouTube on August 31st, 2006. It currently has around 23,000 views. The "My New Haircut" video was posted on YouTube June 10, 2007, just shy of a year after Mike's. It has almost 10,000,000 views. Holy shit.

Now, the second "My New Haircut" hit it big, Mike was getting calls from friends up in arms about the blatant plagiarism. "Skanks", "Jägerbombs", calling bartenders "chief". It couldn't be more obvious. But, to be honest and quite frank, Mike didn't give a shit. He still doesn't. Mike's not the type of guy who gets his feathers rustled easily. He's also not the type of guy who would approve of the expression "feathers rustled", so I apologize, Mike.

But here at Runaway Box, our feathers were rustled (again, I'm sorry), and so something had to be done in Mike's defense. Justice needed to be served. Mike's a brilliant, funny guy and he deserves some credit. What really ticked us off is that this guy with his shitty new haircut is now making money from t-shirts and, get this, a college tour. Who wants this guy at their college? Like, really, who wants to say they partied with that guy? I'd be embarrassed. But the point is, he's making money off of something that is not his, without ever even hinting at giving credit to Mike Polk the original author. It's just wrong.

Anyway, the result of our frustrations (and not Mike's, to be clear) was this video. So spread the word. Get the truth out there. Do something good for once in your life.

What We're Liking

2008-01-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

So about every week or so I'll be kind of showcasing some stuff here on the blog that we're watching around the offices of Runaway Box. Believe it or not we don't just watch our own stuff over and over again. Well, we do, because it's that awesome, but there's also some other stuff thrown in there sometimes. And sometimes, we really like that stuff.

Here's what most of us were huddled around my laptop watching yesterday. It's called Jingle Cats. I'm aware there is a plethora of kitty videos on youtube that all suck, all with a minimum of 70 million views. This is not one of them. Sing along if you know the words.

Watch this video on drugs. Any kind. It will be the best thing you've seen since "The Godfather".

Leave comments and subscribe to our youtube channel: youtube.com/runawaybox!

Behind the Scenes - Speed Dating

2008-01-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

In December we showcased several new series, one of them being created by Ben Pace (aka Harold the Janitor from "Elevator"). Five episodes of "Speed Dating" ran daily for a week. All five were filmed in one day. Here are some behind-the-scenes stills from that shoot.

The guy on the right is Nathan Naesel, a friend of Ben's. Each episode originally started and ended with Nate leaning over to Ben to give tips on the speed dating experience. However, due to time constraints, Nate ended up on the cutting room floor.

This is one of the above mentioned lean-ins that you never got to see. In the episode "Uptight Woman", Nate began by leaning in and telling Ben to just be himself. At the end, Nate leaned in again and told him to try being "less himself" next time.

This restaurant set was completed fabricated in our insert stage. Recognize that carpet pattern? We also film "Elevator" here.

This is Matt on camera. He's not really a midget, although I wish he was because it'd be fun to work with one, I think.

This is Julianna Guill from the episode "Bubbly Bitch". In her glass is pure pina colada mix, with no alcohol, and I think Ben's is a Snapple Iced Tea.

Here they are going over the script for the episode. Ben Pace wrote these himself. He pretty much stuck to his script while filming, contrary to "Elevator" where he improvs quite a bit as Harold.

Behind the Scenes of "A Look Back"

2008-01-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

As 2007 wound down a couple weeks ago, we did a "year in review" of sorts here at Runaway Box, highlighting some of our most enjoyed videos, and featuring all new introductions from your favorite Runaway Box people, Mike, Woody, Andrew, and Thad.

Obviously Thad couldn't make it, as he is under house arrest (and animated, therefore not real), but here are some pictures from that magical shoot.

Here is Andrew as "Marty". The green vest and bow tie are meant to be reminiscent of the walls in Marty's house.

Check out the coat tails on Mike's suit. Mike was quick to point out his theory of "The longer the coat tails, the bigger the douchebag." Unfortunately, we never saw them in frame.

Woody introducing "Elevator Music". None of these introductions were written beforehand; they were all made up on the spot.

Mike takes a load off after a strenuous three minutes on his feet.

Woody had to come out from behind that curtain 392482375483 times. I counted.

Here you go, superfans. Make this one your wallpaper.

Leave comments, and subscribe to our youtube channcel, youtube.com/runawaybox!

Behind the Scenes of Elevator - A Friendly Wager

2008-01-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Hey, gang! Here's another extra for you... A Behind the Scenes of the recently aired Elevator episode "A Friendly Wager". And really, who wouldn't want to see more of Woody dressed in drag?

Recognize the hottie in the front? That's Woody, and this is an unused take from "A Friendly Wager."

Runaway Fact: This is actually Jaime's dress. She plays Sharon on Elevator. It would have been a lot more pleasant to see Jaime on the Elevator in this dress, but a lot less funny.

Out of a batch of ten episodes, Woody chose to shoot "A Friendly Wager" first, as he was so eager to get it over with. Or maybe he was just really eager to see what he looked like as a woman.

At Runaway Box, everybody does everything. That's Genevieve Jones who plays Intern Jane on Elevator applying Woody's make-up. That's just funny to say.

I guess putting this picture up is about as close to revenge as I'll get for Woody putting me in an Elevator naked. This is Jaime's office, by the way, aka the Wardrobe Room.

Runaway Fact: Woody insisted that a woman dress him. I offered to help but Woody just kind of looked at me weird... I think I captured it with this picture.

The cast's first reaction to Woman Woody. Somebody actually said his hair looked like it could be a female's from the back. What do you think? "Woman Woody" sounds like a sexual term, but I don't want to imagine what it would be.

Runaway Fact: Although the dress was Jaime's, the purse and tiara belonged to Woody. Pretty convenient to have.

There you have it! Leave comments and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/runawaybox!!!

Behind the Scenes at Telemundo with Spanish Mike!

2008-01-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hey, remember the One Semester of Spanish Love Song? Of course you do. Remember when that was performed live on Telemundo to Kim Kardashian? How could you forget!

You're probably wondering what it's like to be backstage at a high profile show such as Mas Vale Tarde. Well, wonder no more. Here is a great behind the scenes video starring Mike Polk (Spanish Mike) and some others from the runaway box gang.

Leave comments here, and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, youtube.com/runawaybox.

And keep checking back here at the runaway blog for behind the scenes features, and more!

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It's a Very Runaway Box Christmas!

2007-12-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, gang. Did you check out our cool new Runaway Box logo at the end of our videos? Yeah, it's a (runaway) box with a ribbon around it. How rad is that?

I just wanted to point out a few things if you haven't noticed them. We've got two very special musical takes on the way Runaway Box views the holidays. They are heartwarming. Here they are:

Daddy Home for Christmas

Lazy Christmas

Throw this shit on low, get on your holiday jammies, pour some egg nog, and you've got yourself a merry little Christmas, if I do say so myself. I think we have some songs here that knock "Gramma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" right out of the ring in the battle of "Funny Christmas Songs". By the way, does the image in the link seem incredibly wrong to anybody else?

Look forward to more musical holiday cheer later this month with Marty... But not in the way you'll expect.

Hope you guys are enjoying our new series! Which do you like best so far? Let me know in the comments section! And also, if anybody can tell me what wassle is AND explain why it exists, I'll give you five dollars. Not really, but pretend.

LIVE CHAT A SUCCESS!

2007-12-07T07:09:00.001-08:00

So the first Runaway Box Live Chat has happened. We spent a thrilling two hours answering your questions from 8:00pm to 10:00pm EST last night.

Missed it? No worries! We'll be conveniently recapping the entire event in video form! Yay, less reading for you! See, we had been prepared because we knew you would either a.) forget, b.) remember but fail to figure out what time zone you're in, or c.) remember, but then quickly forget again when faced with the newest viral video of the day! If any of those apply to you, you are welcome. You can be expecting that soon, perhaps as a Christmas Present... or Hannukah, if that's your thang.

You'll have to excuse the brevity of this blog, I typed for the Live Chat last night for Woody and Andrew, and my fingers got quite the work-out. I think my fingers are in their best shape since my fingerpainting days, which is not saying a lot, I guess. Oh well.

Leave comments for prizes!

Coming Soon To Runaway Box

2007-11-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

You know what's exciting? New Series. Don't you think so? We don't have any or anything, I was just saying. Wondering what you thought. I think it'd be pretty cool if we had one, though, but don't let my answer influence you. If new series aren't your thang then, fair enough, what can I say. But really, if we had one, you know you'd love it. How could you not? I mean, how cool would that be?

We really don't have one.

Seriously, we don't have one.

Ah, woah, he bolded and italicized the word "one". Now what are you thinking? You're thinking we have two new series. Yeah, you're not dumb. You can read between the lines.

THREE. Three new series. I did it, I dropped the bomb. Three new series debut next month. Are they good? I don't know. They might suck, they might be great. That's for YOU to decide! Read on if you're intrigued!

Good, you're still reading. Anyway, here's the important part to remember. We need YOU GUYS to COMMENT as much as possible. Let us know what you think! What you like, what you hate! And tell us why! It's crucial to what we're doing. So get pumped! We wanna hear all your thoughts.

I love you.

What's Your Top Six Things to Be Thankful For?

2007-11-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year where we're all supposed to take a time out and really think about what we're thankful for in our lives. If Runaway Box isn't in your top six, you need to re-evaluate your priorities. Seriously. Here's my top six:

Jessica Alba... Just that she exists.
Candy I am still eating from Halloween
The Mighty Ducks Trilogy
G-chat
"Lost" on DVD
Runaway Box

Speaking of re-evaluating priorities, I guess "my friends, my family, my health, their health" is somewhere in there... Let's say, between two and three.

Oh, and here's what I'm NOT thankful for this Thanksgiving:

2girls1cup.com

I will not link that. I'm not in the business of ruining people's lives.

On a lighter note, let's all thank Senator Mike Gravel for making a stop in the "Elevator". He was great. He nailed it. We didn't have to do a lot of takes. And frankly, we'd all be foolish not to vote for him. He's got the Energy Sword. He can cut down all the terrorists in one fell swoop. Can Hillary do that? I don't think she can, but then again, I haven't been following the debates, so...

Alright, go enjoy some turkey. And if you feel like it, post your Top Six Things you're Thankful for this Thanksgiving, and maybe something you're not thankful for. Yeah, let's try that.

Runaway Box Live Chat?

2007-11-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

That's right. You read correctly. A Runaway Box live chat. However, that question mark at the end there... That's not a typo. We'd love to do it, but we're just wondering what the specifics will be: how long we'd be on, who you guys would want to talk to, and what we would talk about... Eventually we realized we're just too lazy to figure out all that crap ourselves, so we decided to let you do it. Afterwards, we also have a fence you can whitewash for us... it's really fun!

But really, take a look at this here video. Woody explains it all. And if you have answers to the above mentioned questions, leave them either under this post here, or on the comment section of that video! We'd love to hear from you.

We've never done something live before so this is kind of a big deal for us. We need you guys to help us along. It's like we're little birds learning how to fly..... but live, in front of a studio audience.

Help us spread our wings. Help us soar.

Candy Hangover

2007-11-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hey, Gang. I imagine you are all too busy to do anything save gorge yourselves on baby-hippopotamus-sized sacks of candy from the recent holiday. I know at times you may get weary, maybe even a little sick, but you must press on. You can't let the candy defeat you. It's a matter of pride. I still have candy left over from a Halloween outing in '92 and I've never been able to live it down. Good news for you, though: I've got a few videos that were MADE to eat candy by.

If you haven't realized, Runaway Box was feeling quite festive this Halloween and made about 4 billion Halloween videos. Here are the five that came out good:

The Marty Show featuring Elvira
Thad's Halloween
Man in the Box - Halloween Boss
Man in the Box - Costumes
Elevator - Three Part Halloween Mini-series!
Part 2*
Part 3

*OKay, so to those of you who have paid attention... Yes, my character, creatively named "Paul", did get eaten by zombies in Part 2 of the Elevator Halloween Mini-series and re-appear in a later episode, entitled "Would you rather?", apparently non-zombified. If you watch closely though, you'll notice that I do make an appearance AS A ZOMBIE in Part 3 of the Elevator Halloween Mini-series, ultimately being sent back to the 13th Floor with the other zombies inhabiting the Elevator. Clearly, from there, my character Paul became King of the Zombies, being closest to life and therefore possessing the most powerful brain. The zombies slaved beneath Paul's iron fist for months (remember, time goes by differently on the 13th floor). Finally, Paul, growing bored of pointless dull conversation, simply walked to the elevator, pressed the down button, got on, and went straight to a dermatologist. Dr. Rubinstein cleared up all the bloody abrasions, sores, and decaying skin, as well as Paul's pale undead complexion. So basically in subsequent episodes Paul is still undead, he's just had a lot of work done. THANK YOU, DR. RUBINSTEIN!!! You guys couldn't figure that out? Shit, learn to read between the lines.

Anyway, enjoy! And for the record, my advice is to get through the candy corn sooner rather than later. You hit that in the final stretch and you're blowing chunks.

Dave Hill Sighted on 'Elevator'!

2007-10-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

You can usually find Dave Hill interviewing celebrities on his Instant Talk Show.

Well, F that! We brought him into the Elevator for a little taste of his character "Randy", the impassioned crooner who's got a song for just about everybody who needs to change floors.

Dave coming in for this filming was actually the first time I got to meet him in person, and let me just say, he is just as charming and debonair as he is on screen. He was great to have around, and an awesome addition to the "Elevator" series. Hopefully he'll be around more often.

Below: Dave Hill, although it looks like his name should be something like... Skip McPerv here. Took this from his blog, which you can read here.

More Elevator Bloopers

2007-10-15T11:29:00.001-07:00

You guys asked for them so here they are!

Bloopers for last week's Elevator episode -- "Don't Be a Drip".

Classic.

Post comments!

Felicitaciones a Spanish Mike... y el tigre azul!

2007-10-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

I just wanna take the time to point out just how successful our "One Semester of Spanish Love Song" video has been.

Mike is now inexplicably an authority on first semester Spanish. The DVD has been requested by Pepperdine University for their first year Spanish program, the LA county Office of Education for use by their Pre-K Dual Language Teachers, and countless Spanish teachers from around the country for use in the classroom. Mike has also been invited to perform at the Cervantes Center's Folklore Festival... Mind-blowing.

On top of it all, later this week Mike is going to speak at Rocky River High, a high school in a suburb of Cleveland. A spanish teacher invited him to come in and talk to her class. I imagine there will be a lot of laughing, and little to no learning whatsoever. Sounds like my entire college experience, actually.

Below: Andrew, Jaime, and Woody have a celebration jam for Spanish Mike's success! And, the answer is, yes, their band sounds just as AMAZING as it looks.

Everybody, This is Thad. Say "Hi, Thad!"

2007-10-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

Our new series "Thad" finally dropped on Monday, albeit to mixed reviews, but that was fully anticipated. It's not for everyone; just cool people. Check it out and see if you're cool! Then, test your friends!

But, seriously, it's an acquired taste, although four episodes in, it seems like people are really beginning to appreciate it. It's not as "in your face" as "Elevator" or "Man in the Box", but we figured it'd be good for us to experiment with some different "flavors", if you will, of comedy (my fav is cherry vanilla, but "Thad" is also good on a waffle cone). Animation seemed like a great idea, considering how much we love all those Pixar movies. Apparently computer animation is a little pricey these days; we felt little yellow pads were more in our budgetary range. So we bought some of those, threw them at our animator Zack, and waited to see what would happen.

Luckily, we scored big time with getting Zack on board. He's a really funny and super-creative guy. I highly recommend checking out his website, www.zacksmovies.com, and taking a look at some of his other projects. I particularly enjoyed "Annihilation (the making of)".

So here are a few frequently asked questions Zack gets about the animation, answered by Zack himself! Enjoy!

THAD ANIMATION FAQ:

Is the show really animated flipbook-style, with actual post-it notes?

Yes. I mean no. I mean yes. I use a generic brand of sticky note, but yeah, it's done flipbook-style. I don't use extra animation software, or any such nuttiness.

Doesn't it take a long time to animate it that way?

Kinda. If the show looks all crusty, that's my excuse. Hopefully, *said crustiness adds a quaint charm to the show.

How do you record the flipbook animations to video?

I just put the flipbooks flat on a marked space on a desk, then point a camera down and record. Each episode is made with multiple flipbooks recorded separately, but edited together to play like one long flipbook.

Who are you? Does Greg/Mike Polk animate the show?

My name is Zack, and I have flipbook skillz. Mike lacks *said skillz.

*I do not apologize for my indulgent use of the word "said" as an adjective. Said said usage amuses me.

More questions about "Thad" or anything else Runaway Box? Leave them in the comments section! Or if you just wanna, like, say hello... Blogging gets lonely.

IDK, my BFF Brody?

2007-09-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Softball Legend Bloopers with Brody Stevens.

So I've been trying to get some bloopers together from Elevator for a while now and finally it has come to fruition. Let's face it... we're not getting these pure comedic gems down on the first try. Sometimes not even the 15th. This one wasn't so bad getting through, but this stuff was just sitting useless on the cutting room floor (not literally, somebody might slip) and so with the help of Woody I finally got it up for you (that's what she said**)! If you enjoy these, there will be more!

Brody was great to work with, by the way. He's a really funny energetic dude, and you can check out his website here. If you look in his videos section you'll see that he apparently is not much of a softball player, though.

So before you watch the bloopers you'll have to check out the original perfect version by clicking here: Elevator - Softball Legend.

Anyway, enjoy, and make sure you leave comments! Let me know what you think or what else we can do!

**That makes no sense.

Hahaha... Wait, what?

2007-09-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

The RunAway Joke of the Day. If you don't get it, then you're probably brain dead!

The Joke of the Day has been airing for quite a while now so I thought some of you might be curious about the process. As you probably assumed, it is, in fact, much akin to rocket science. Here we go.

Let me preface this by giving props* to Chuck for coming up with the idea. It was as simple as this: let's tell a joke once a day, air it daily at a certain time, and see what happens. Originally, it wasn't our intent to only tell terrible, terrible jokes. But we did want to get lots of our friends from around the workplace to come and tell a joke on camera, and in case they didn't have anything good, we decided to fill a fishbowl with some easy two-liners.

Well, that sort of backfired and everybody was just too lazy to attempt an actual GOOD joke. Also, we realized that short-and-quick worked better on the internet than a long preamble leading up to a punchline.

These terrible jokes we were telling in and of themselves are not funny. So, to make up for that we do one of two things, or sometimes both:

Present the joke in some wacky manner, like reading it in languages nobody understands, and never interpreting it, OR...
After the punchline, we jump into some random, irrational action, like somebody running up with a Polaroid to snap a picture, or simply eating the joke.

These two strategies are more than sufficient to get even the grumpiest person to kind of half-chuckle, or perhaps open their mouths slightly, like a smile in its fetal stage. And if either of those things happen, we've more than met our mark of being "mildly amusing".

As for some other "behind-the-scenes" info, you should know that some of the stuff is improvised, some of the stuff is planned just before the joke is performed, and absolutely none of it is planned anywhere outside the window of a minute and a half before the camera rolls. It's quite the process.

Oh, and, in case you're wondering... Those arms coming from off-camera with the joke jar? Yeah, that's usually me. We try not to put my face in things if we don't have to.

*Yeah, I give props like it's 1998.

BELOW: Chuck tempts Danila with another stunningly bad Joke of the Day!

This Blog Contains Brief Nudity

2007-09-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sitting at my desk the other day when Woody approaches me, "Elevator" script in hand. He asks me to read it and see if I'd be comfortable doing it. I thought maybe my character had a lot of lines or something, and Woody was asking me if I'd be able to do it.

Well, yes, my character in this particular script does have a lot of lines (which, by "Elevator" standards is, like, four), but that wasn't what Woody was referring to. The opening line of the script read:

"PAUL is in the elevator, NAKED as the day he was born."

Now, I make it a point in my life to be naked as little as possible. Anybody who's seen me naked can relate. But, somehow, I convinced myself that my being ass naked was for the good of the show. Never one to turn away when duty calls, I read the rest of the script, accepted the role of "Paul the Naked Guy", and began bracing myself for the cruel anonymous YouTube comments about my body.

Here's how "Elevator" shoots go. We film a batch, (about ten, give or take), usually on a Friday. We'll bring in whoever the script calls for that isn't around the office (Harold the Janitor or HR Judy, or whatever special guest we may want, etc.), and we'll just shoot one after the other. We'll take a minimum of 4 or 5 takes of each episode, unless one is so spot on that we feel comfortable with it; in that case, we'll film one more just to "be safe", and we move on. When it comes time to film an episode that you're not in, you typically go grab a snack or a water and just hang out until you get called to set. Maybe one or two people stick around to watch the shoot. However, when it was my turn to be naked, the house was packed. Seriously. Standing room only. There were food vendors in the crowd. I saw people doing "The Wave". I can't explain this phenomenon other than that people purely enjoy witnessing me being uncomfortable. I don't really know why. Hopefully this watchability translates well on screen, which is more than I can hope for my silver dollar sized nipples.

I can't tell you what happens in this particular episode (which will be uploaded this week)-- you'll have to watch for yourself. And when it comes time to comment... please be gentle.

Also, this post has a lot of parentheses.

Spanish Love Song

2007-09-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

For all of you mono-linguists out there trying to court a spanish-speaking hottie, finally an answer! Just sing them runawaybox's "Spanish Love Song", and they'll fall right into your arms! And by "fall right into your arms", I do mean "slap you in the face".

If you haven’t seen Spanish Love Song yet, I’d like to call you an idiot, but I won’t in fear you’ll take offense and not come to our site anymore.

It’s been up for a while though. Mike Polk (Greg from “Man in the Box”) wrote and performed it, and we filmed here in Los Angeles when he was visiting. It’s been featured in our Music Box since the first day we had the site re-designed. If you’re not going to watch it to see a really white guy make an ass of himself (sorry, Mike) by passionately belting out lyrics such as “Mi gato es muy blanco”, then watch for the smokin’ hot object of Mike’s ojos, Rosa (I think that was her name, and I could double-check, but that would mean I’d have to get up, so…). Anyway, check it out, leave comments, and love us. I SAID LOVE US, DAMMIT!

One (elevator) Door Closes, and Another One Opens

2007-09-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Happy September! I know a lot of you have heard that “Elevator” will no longer be daily. Starting this month, it’ll be going back to the good ol’ fashioned once a week routine. I know it’s a bummer. Typically, when things go from happening daily to once a week, it’s never something to be happy about. Like eating, for instance. You’d die. Or, like, showering. If you showered once a week, everybody would hate you. Or if you were gettin’ some every day, and all of a sudden she’s like “Once a week until we get engaged” and now it’s zero times a week because you’re just not ready for that kind of commitment, okay, Andrea? You’re always pressuring me! Stop pressuring me!

Anyway, the good news is that “Man in the Box” will be daily ALL THIS MONTH. See? We’re taking care of you. For the next month, take comfort in the fact that while you’re at your crappy job you’ll practically be sitting next to the one person in the world who is more bitter and disgruntled than you are: Greg Bizjack. I imagine that wouldn’t be at all comfortable under normal circumstances. Actually, maybe it’s not in this case either. Whatever, your call. I’m just the messenger.

Testing All RunAway Box Fans' Literacy...

2007-08-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Aaaaaaaaaand we've done it. RunAwayBox.com has made the leap to the world of blogging! Assuming the majority of our fans know how to read, this may actually work out!

The RunAway Blog will be our way of keeping you updated on what's happening "BEHIND-THE-SCENES" here at runawaybox. I, Paul, will be heading up the blog, and I'm sure some other people will be dropping by occasionally to put in their two cents on what's going on. Want some hints on what's coming up next on "Elevator"? Check out the RunAway Blog. Want to be the first to know about new projects? Check out the RunAway Blog. Have questions, comments, ideas? Post to the RunAway Blog and get a quick response! Want to know what Woody ate for lunch, what kind of shoes Jaime is wearing, Joe's shampoo of preference*? Well, that's kind of creepy!

But, seriously, if you're interested in hearing some funny tidbits about what went on off-camera during a certain shoot, you'll find it here! It's like a commentary track on a DVD, except you have to read it! I know reading was just a passing fad of the 1990's, akin to the Reebok Pump and Tae-bo, but just pretend you're deaf and are reading subtitles that are accompanied by images. Or maybe you actually are deaf, in which case, I'm terribly sorry.

Basically, the RunAway Blog is the place to come for the inside scoop. So check back regularly, updates will be frequent!

UPDATE!

Remember our YouTube channel, ManintheBoxShow? Well, starting September 4th, you can forget it! (Sorry to sound all infomercial-ly). Anyway, we're moving to a brand new channel: youtube.com/runawaybox. This is the channel we've always wanted, but were too witless to do right the first time! Starting September 4th, you will only be able to find all new episodes of "Elevator", "Man in the Box", and "Dave Hill" at youtube.com/runawaybox! Want to relive the glorious past few months of RunAwayBox videos? Just look in our favorites on youtube.com/runawaybox. They're all there! Subscribe to the new channel and automatically receive the newest videos from runawaybox! Or as I like to say: SET IT... AND FORGET IT!

Somebody stop me.

*Suave for Men