In this presentation at Chicago Ideas Week, he talks about what the creative process looks like at the instant of creation, and how "yes" helps to develop that. It's a great 10-minute overview of the most fundamental rule of improv.
Mick Napier is the founder and artistic director of Chicago's Annoyance Theatre, which has produced a large list of notable professional improvisers. (See their Wikipedia page for more info.) In this presentation at Chicago Ideas Week, he talks about what the creative process looks like at the instant of creation, and how "yes" helps to develop that. It's a great 10-minute overview of the most fundamental rule of improv. Short form games are easy enough to learn, and most improvisers also learn which games they're best suited to - guessing games, physical games, gibberish, etc.
One of the techniques required by short-form games that is often overlooked is the ability to "host" the game - how to describe it, how to effectively get suggestions from the audience, how to "introduce the scene," and so on. Depending on the structure of the game, the host is also often a moderator - keeping time if necessary, ringing a bell to chance actions, emotions, etc., and more. Here are some things to think about when it's your turn to introduce the game to the audience.
T. J. Jagodowski (one of the two Sonic guys) was interviewed for an improv documentary Whether the Weather. Here's an excerpt from that interview where he talks about what beginners can do to prepare themselves for improv. Watch and learn. |
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