“The IP Section” is a comedy series produced by Calfhead, Inc., in Salt Lake City, Utah. This autobiographical show is centered around Wes Austin, a 40-something patent attorney who decides to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a stand-up comedian, despite having no comedy experience and jeopardizing his personal and professional reputation by doing so. The show was written and produced by Wes Austin, a real-life middle-aged patent lawyer who has started pursuing his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian.
Though indie TV is on the rise, few, if any, have approached the art in the same way as “The IP Section.” With a dream to become a comedian and produce a TV show based on his own experiences, but with no comedy background, no TV production experience, and no time or desire to start from the ground up in Hollywood, Wes knew the only way to accomplish his dream was to just try to make it happen himself. “My Dream’s a Joke” offers a documentary-style, behind-the-scenes look at the unconventional development and production of “The IP Section” pilot as Wes starts from scratch to learn the basics of film production, writes a script, hires a crew, learns to act, and films a professional, high-quality pilot for his own TV pilot over just a few months. “My Dream’s a Joke” explores Wes’s motivations for undertaking such a feat and the highs and lows of attempting to produce, write, act and market the shows to potential outlets — all without any formal training and while maintaining a high-pressure career. Will this risky investment of money, time and reputation add up to an embarrassing loss or a successful example that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams? “My Dream’s a Joke” gives people a glimpse into the unique making of “The IP Section” pilot, and then viewers get to decide that for themselves if it was a success.