Hitting it big: Graduates Luke Barats and Joe Bereta sign one-year contract with NBC to pursue creating comedic material
Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen
Issue date: 10/13/06 Section: News
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They also remain cautious because the majority of ideas don't see airtime.
"This doesn't mean we're going to be on TV," Barats said.
Barats and Bereta finalized a six-figure one-year contract with the network near the end of September. However, they will be staying in Spokane for now.
The Spokane community knows Barats, 22, and Bereta, 23, as Barats & Bereta Productions (B&B). YouTube.com users know Barats and Bereta as the writers, producers and actors from goofy short videos such as "Ninja Rap," "Cubicle Wars," and "Mother's Day." Known as viral videos, their work has received millions of hits on file-sharing Web sites such as YouTube and CollegeHumor.
Bereta said their ultimate dream in comedy is to write, direct and appear in their creations, reaching the most people possible and having fun in the process. They have no plans to relocate.
"We already live in the best corner of the United States," Bereta said.
NBC offered them a six-figure deal to pursue their work, under which Barats and Bereta hope to continue producing similar material.
The contract was finalized during the second half of September, when Barats and Bereta went to Los Angeles for a couple days. They can only reveal limited information about the contract itself.
Their initial reaction to the offer was shock, which lasted pretty long, "quickly followed by happiness," Bereta said.
Barats said "NBC was the best offer on the table" when asked why they chose it over other networks. They also saw a one-year commitment as sufficiently flexible, with the option of a second year.
B&B Productions will first write and pitch their ideas to the network. Management at NBC will pick among a series of ideas, see which are most promising and the goal is to move toward production. B&B plan to continue writing, producing and starring in all their videos.
Both parties hope to integrate the short video format into NBC material. Barats said it is possible to integrate them as flashback, part of a sitcom or a series of shorts. The duo said there is a long process for an idea to reach production level. Bereta said B&B understands there will be a lot of collaboration and compromise between B&B and the network.
They are working with Creative Artists Agency and Farah Films & Management.
"Business isn't our thing," Barats said.
Comedy is and has been their passion for years. Barats and Bereta continue generating short videos today. They also continue to draw from everyday inspirations.
Barats and Bereta first met in 2003 while participating in Gonzaga University Theatre Sports (GUTS), the theatre department's improv comedy club. After participation in GUTS and one spoof video production, Barats and Bereta continued writing and producing videos to post online.
They also did stand-up comedy, formed a lip-sync group called Body Massage (later called Wanna Massage) and won local comedy and film awards.
"[Luke] would attempt any strange things I threw at him," dance-minor director Suzanne Ostersmith said. She also remembers incorporating Bereta's backflips into the play "Pippin" and casting both of them in a dance concert.
Barats graduated in 2006 with a Theatre Arts and History major, and Bereta graduated in 2005 as a Broadcast Studies major.
They worked together at Cornerbooth Productions, a film and video production studio in downtown Spokane. On Oct. 4, Barats scaled back to a freelance role to focus on outlines for a potential pilot.
Nevertheless, Barats & Bereta Productions is a team effort, Barats said. They collaborate with college friends and roommates with different skills.
"We can't do it all ourselves. It's our hope that we can give back to these people," Barats said.
Their friend Paul Wildermuth designed and built the Web site for free, loading a redesign in September. Alumni Ben Mallahan and Andrew Weed do filming, editing and special effects for B&B videos. Ty Jacobson produces B&B art and they are working with Cuda Apparel to get custom merchandise.
Barats and Bereta plan to stay in town and work as B&B for as long as they can manage, in the collaboration they once called "comedic convenience."
"We're still doing what we think is funny," Bereta said.
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MEMORIES:
DAN GARRITY, broadcast studies professor:
When Joe Bereta was a sophomore in his first broadcasting class, Garrity remembers Bereta producing a spoof commercial about a laxative.
FR. TIM CLANCY, S.J., honors director:
Clancy describes Barats as "a very quiet, self-effacing guy" in person. "It's really very startling to see him onstage and in videos."
TY JACOBSON, 2005 graduate:
"I remember walking around campus helping Joe and Luke shoot "Ninja Rap," and all the while having Luke dressed head to toe in his ninja gear."
JOSH ARMSTRONG, director of CLP:
"For awhile we used [B&B's RA videos] in RA training as kind of 'what not to do' based on their work."
ALANA BROPHY, senior:
Brophy remembers when Barats and Bereta recorded the "Gonzaga Love" audio track, in Bereta's Dussault apartment on a small attachable computer microphone.
"They did a bunch of takes because they kept cracking up."