Cameron accepting failure.
You are welcome to take inspiration from these notes for personal use, but don't copy what I've written.
Short-form improv teaches you to make bigger choices faster. You'll fail more than you ever have, and enjoy it more than you ever have. Nothing is a problem.
After completing this course, you'll be able to perform and host a short-form show in the style of Whose Line Is It Anyway? By learning short-form games and short-form skills, you'll know what makes an audience laugh, and what they'll pay to see. The games include,
Short-form is funny when you make big choices, accept failure, and get to the point. It will make you funnier and is excellent training for your long-form improv.
Cameron accepting failure.
In the style of games such as half-life and big, bigger biggest, have a small group of players play a scene. Then have the following groups repeat the previous scene. Request restrictions, such as, less time, or bigger, or like you are all peaches.
First player does a character walk to another player in the circle. They take the second player's place. The second player then copies the exact walk to another player. Keep going with each player walking to another player and taking their spot. Initiate multiple walks so there are lots going on at the same time.
Circle up. Count around the circle from player to player from 1 to 7. The direction of counting is indicated by touching your right shoulder with your left hand or left shoulder with your right hand. Seven is not a tap, instead it is left hand over right or right hand over left. Next level is adding A to G. Next level is Monday to Sunday. They can be interspersed, e.g. 1, B, C, 4, Friday, G.
Circle up. Create a pattern of each person saying “you” to one other player. This chain of you repeats one-by-one. Second level is creating a different chain of saying the other person’s name. Third level is saying your own name to a third player. Fourth level is taking the place of the person you say you to.
Create a soundscape where each player contributes a repetitive sound. Direct from the centre of the circle by pointing at players to start and stop their sound.
Hep, Dippity, dip-dippity, dip-dippity-dee, bang, YOU!, Tuffnell Park, Cellophane, Shilack! (It’s mine).
Max 6 people at a time or it takes too long because each player is repeating what has come before. Player 1 breaks into a room, they place a USB then break out a different way. Player 2 breaks in a different way then looks for a spot to put the USB, first checking the same place as player 1 then placng the USB in a new location. They exit a different way. Repeat for each player. Each player must go thru all previous hiding spots before placing their own USB. Play the Mission impossible them on loop for atmosphere.
We are going to pass three pieces of information down the line of players. Only the first player will know what those three pieces are, and they can only communicate with the next player through mime and gibberish, no talking. I need three players to leave the room.
We are going to pass three pieces of info. A location, an occupation, and an object.
We are going to use mime and gibberish to pass the three things down the line of players. You're on a moon base, you are a butcher, and the object is a Nokia mobile phone. No talking from now on. Send in the next player.
We are going to see a scene in one minute. Then we'll see that exact same scene in 30 seconds. Then 15 seconds. Then 7 seconds. 3 seconds. Then the entire 1 minute scene with all the nuance, plot and character development, in 1 second.
It is time for an interview with a famous poet. This player will be interviewing this poet, who is played by two improvisers who can only speak one word at a time. What subject is this poet famous for writing about?
These players are going to play a scene but they don't always make the best choices. So when you hear something you want to change, shout 'shoulda said', and the player will take back what they just said and saw something new. Let's practice. I don't like eggs. SHOULDA SAID! I love eggs. SHOULDA SAID! I live inside an egg. Can I get a suggestion of a location to get started?