All of those words are awesome! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching.

Travis - thanks so much for the shout out! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video and found it valuable. Thanks for watching. There's tons more shorts on the channel.

Bjorn - I couldn’t agree more that sort of “they left the camera running” sort of feeling is so great and really can add something to the scene and the whole piece. I think continuing in the second beat is also a great way to explore further as well. This is what is GREAT about improv - there are so many ways to crack that nut. I think this tip is for improvisers who are LOOKING for the ending. They could for sure keep exploring in tons of ways - I see this as ONE tool not THE tool. Thanks for watching and for the thoughtful comment.

Agreed! Hard to go wrong with this guy! Thanks for watching/commenting.

Thanks - so happy you found the video useful. This is one of those videos I wish I had when I was staring out in improv. Thanks for watching.

That is a great question. I do have the playlist of Improv Games for the Harold (which kinda covers some of that territory). Maybe it's something that I should consider moving forward. Thanks for watching and thanks for the great idea.

@improvboost8283 thanks for the cosign. I think YOU'RE right about acting as well - yet ANOTHER reason that we should all warm up to the idea that IMPROVISERS ARE ACTORS. Can I get an Amen?! Thanks for watching and commenting.

I'm so glad you found this video helpful. Talking about relationship in improv is one of my favorite things so especially sweet that you liked it. Any particular take away you want to share? Thanks for watching and commenting.

@@PVImprov I'm new to improv, and I wanted to know how to start the scene. Your advice about how the characters relate to each other and how they affect one another was very helpful. Also giving each other big playable gifts gives the scene a great start is great advice.

@@mrsmucha so glad you found this helpful. If you're interested in starting scenes stronger try these two videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJyVe6ejeZlqm8ksi=w6UqLz2wncuSW1Uv and kzbin.info/www/bejne/aX7VZWh_qbNlhrssi=V1V9L-64b0OITBQB

Hey there @adamhiggins1294 thanks for the comment ...and the subscribe! Glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching.

@adamhiggins1294 so glad you liked the video and found it helpful. Any particular take away that stuck with you? thanks for the comment and thanks for watching.

Yep. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching.

I think Sean does a pretty good job of addressing this. You may hate your job, hate your circumstance, hate your enemy on the battle field but there is SOMETHING that you love. Knowing what your character loves, as Sean says, will influence the choices you make in that scene - even a scene where your character HATES things. Consider your enemy on the battle field example. Let's say my character LOVES his family, that's what he fighting for. Maybe my partner LOVES his family too and we end up relating to each other as people, dads, husbands and not as soldiers and we connect on showing each other pictures of our kids. As, always, with any of the tips, it isn't a law but, rather, a tool, a point of view and suggestion to try on and see if it broadens or deepens your work. Give it a try - push yourself to TRY and find the love and see what it does to your work. If it doesn't work for you, then put it aside, BUT I don't think we can discard it in a discussion if we have tried it in our work. “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own” - Bruce Lee

@jasonyitzie thanks so much for the great comment. So glad you are enjoying them and finding them valuable. If you don't mind sharing - what's your biggest take away from this series?

@@PVImprov too many to choose; one great concept was "playable gifts" ...watching your account while going thru Groundlings is incredibly helpful

@@jasonyitzie thanks for the kind words. I can imagine that the idea of a big, playable gift is VERY compatible with Groundlings style. Glad it helps out. Good luck in your classes.

Hey there - I'm happy to give some examples. Can you just let me know what you'd like examples of? Different ways this comes up? Different ways to play the scene? Something totally different?

Hey @jillcooper6371 - who is Mr. Bliss? I’m intrigued. Thanks for the ‘yup’ and thanks for watching.

@@PVImprov he was my drama teacher in high school.

@@jillcooper6371 oh sure! Mr. Bliss from high school. Gotcha.

@@PVImprov ask judd nelson he was his too.

@@jillcooper6371 well done Mr. Bliss - Judd Nelson is good stuff.

Exactly right and still so often forgotten in this context.

Thanks for sharing your experience! It's not easy to navigate feedback during auditions. I think that, for me, "more energy" would be reacting more intensely. Instead of DISLIKING what my partner said, I'd HATE it. Instead of KIND OF LIKING my partner's character I'd LOVE THEM or THINK THEY'RE THE GREATEST THING GOING. I think case, I'm trying to put more energy into or raise the stakes of the relationship. And I'm not just focusing on myself, I'm focusing on them and what's happening between us. Let me know what you think @22331230

Sounds like a precocious kid who calls his parents his roommates. Ha ha! Great idea! Thanks for watching.

@@PVImprov Or the friend/roommate who acts like the mother of the friend group

Exactly, play into woefully ignorant exaggerations "oh yea?? How about that time I broke the window and the new one was cleaner?? You're welcome!.." .. good example from "what we do in the shadows" "I was dragging a victim through the hall.. so I basically was sweeping." "Vampires don't do diiishes!"

Great approach @ginger-ale7818. Accepting it as a gift while still playing the "reality" of your self image. Totally valid way to go. Thanks for watching.

@user-pp5pj9mc3c Another totally valid way to go. I think the core of the tip is about leaning in on the gift rather than fighting about it so the whole scene doesn't become about the "facts" of the scene are you/aren't you the worst roommate ever. Thanks for watching and for the stellar example from "What we do in the shadows"

That is a GREAT question. If I HAD to guess, my theory would be that movies are (generally, more or less) linear narratives that are scripted out and structured with multiple “cliffhangers” to keep you engaged and interested to see what happens next. In improv (generally, more or less) isn’t a linear narrative so the whole thing is exploring and building the world and THAT, to me, seems to be the interest engine. AND since we don’t know where we’re going or what’s going to happen next we tend to lead with our strong cards rather than saving them for a future that may never materialize. That’s MY theory. What do you think?

@stargazingdragon - thanks for watching and for the comment. There are tons of ways a scene can go, for sure. I’m suggesting that saying ‘yes’ to knowing how to fly that plane will most often keep that scene ‘in action’ rather than ‘in talking’. To your suggested scenario, while a scene totally CAN go that way it could also be a little tricky because, although the maybe the “no, should I know…” person is technically speaking to the premise they are putting up a road block to action. Why NOT say ‘yes’ and move to a bigger world where we DO know how to fly jets? Second, the “how did you get your license then” person is putting their partner under the gun to come up with some answer as to how they got a license without knowing how to fly a plane. Then we’re, again moving away from action and towards talking. I think the real message of this tip is to help yourself and your scene partner by eliminating things that block action. You are correct that “yes and…” doesn’t ALWAYS literally mean “yes”…but a lot of times it does.

Thanks so much to Russia!

Hey @eatgarbage4649 I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the new look and sound. Always experimenting with new ways to get the word out about improv. I’ll put you down as a yes vote. Thanks for watching!

Ask for a lawyer and wait it out.

Thanks for the input. Hopefully, you found the tip itself worth the wait. Thanks for watching.

Ha ha - hopefully you felt a bit better when you realized its ACTUALLY a picture of Michael Scott (whoa)🤯. Thanks for watching.

@@PVImprov oh yeah, absolutely!! I just discovered your channel and I'm loving your videos btw🙃

@@F1_girl_55 thank you so much. That's very nice of you to say. Are there any specific questions about improv that you're looking to get answered?

@@PVImprov I'm currently reading "The truth of comedy-The manual for improvisation" which is pretty much centered around The Harold, so I was looking for a video about that and I found yours, which was really helpful. I don't have any more questions, but I'll surely ask you whenever I have one!!

@@F1_girl_55 excellent. So glad that video helped out. iO Chicago was one of my early training grounds so I am WELL acquainted with "Truth in Comedy". Enjoy the read and your journey with improv!

So glad you found the tip helpful. J.D. really knows his stuff. What about the tip really resonated with you? Thanks for watching.

@@PVImprov I am a relatively new improvisor. I find that so many of my peers struggle with being in a team where the sum of the parts is success rather than our individual ideas or performance. It was helpful to hear this. Thank you

@@shamanicsoulcoach9588 I hear you. Improv is, in its way, a type of spiritual practice where we need to release our ego, our fears, and our judgement to succeed - that is often the hardest part for a lot of improvisers. On the other side of that struggle are so many great things…just like in life? Best of luck finding the right team / group where you can all grow together.

Thanks Jack. Give it a try in your work and let me know what you think. Thanks for watching.

@@PVImprov will do :)

Hey Natalia - These are the ones that I swear by and that you can be played in hundreds of variations but I'll wrack my brains and see if I can come up with any more for you. What are your favorite Harold games?

@@PVImprov Personally, I love Town Hall! I love that it gets the whole crowd involved!

I love it too. A chance to break the fourth wall, do some really fun characters AND involve the audience - what else cold you want in a game?!

@@PVImprov EXACTLY! I find that involving the audience adds that extra layer of unpredictability that improv really needs for a great show

@@nataliacatlett1455 agreed! You can't get that from a TV show.

Hey @checkmate57879 - What, exactly, you might say depends on a lot of things. Let's narrow this down a little more. Let's say you're in the Walmart garden center and your partner is busy moving pots from one stack to another. Seeing that, you might give them a big, playable gift like "You need to relax you're way to stressed about this job." Now they know that they'er stressed and they can play that. In another case, maybe your partner is tending and talking to the plants, you might give a big, playable gift like. "You maybe be a hippie but you've got a heck of a way with plants." Now they know they're a hippie and they can play that. Hope those examples help. Let me know what you think.

Interesting way to say it " You take away the normal constraints of our ordinary world, and see if if people keep their characters or take advantage of it." Thanks for watching and chiming in.

I don't think anyone is trying to sully the sterling reputation of "yes, and..." only train a muscle that will add that "umph" of commitment to our "yes, and..." in the long run. Thanks for the comment. And thanks for watching.

It certainly can be and when you can master some simple technique for dealing with those outliers you can turn pain into joy and laughter. Best of luck! Thanks for watching.

wow! thank you so much for the reply!@@PVImprov last Friday I went to an improv jam the person I played with rejected every single proposal and I got progressively more tense and spiraled down into frustration...of course everybody saw that it's the only improv in English in the country where I'm at unfortunately, it's an Eastern European country so the culture in general is pretty much depressive and negative contrary to the Western anglo mindset. Anyway, thanks so much for your improv tips, they are fantastic!

@@user-cz9dh4yy3g i feel you. that can be super frustrating for sure. I'll offer this as a possible technique for these kinds of situations. If they reject YOUR offer, then accept THEIR offer. (A super basic example but I think it illustrates the point) You: Man, what a beautiful day! Them: No, it's so gloomy and rainy. You: I know. You're right. I'm just trying to be positive. Them: You're the most negative person I know. You: Right again. I'm just TRYING to change. Them: That's never going to work. You: I know, okay. But a guy can try. Them: You can TRY but you're gonna stay depressed. You: *Sigh* I guess you're right. Now you're on the same page. And now you can start to influence the scene from the "inside". Rather than being on the "outside" trying to get them to agree with you. Is this the best/easiest/most fun way to do a scene? No, but at least you two are working together now and it has a chance at "success" I find this works even if the other person is almost actively trying to derail the scene. What do you think? Give it a whirl and see if it works for you.

thank you so much! This def helps, will def try it in the next jam <3 @@PVImprov

Hey there @keptleroymg6877 - hope they help. Worst case scenario, you follow the tips, don't get a gf but end up HILARIOUS! Thanks for watching.

Sherman - thanks so much for your comment. I love your 'can do' spirit of taking your development into your own hands and making it happen no matter what. It is inspiring and that fact that Improv Tips is a small part of that journey means a ton to me. Good luck and feel free to reach out with any questions. Thanks for watching!

Glad that you found the exercise useful. If you haven't already, please consider checking out the rest of the solo series - there's tons of exercises in there. Thanks for watching!

"There is no one true way in improv" truer words were never commented - that exact idea is why I've tried to bring so many different point of view together on the Improv Tips. Hope your improvisers enjoy the tip and find it helpful. Thanks for watching...and sharing!

Hey Jason - Thanks for the encouragement. I've been trying them as an experiment to see if they're bring value to the improv tipsters. I'll count you as a 'yes' vote. Thanks for watching.

Hey Dmitry - thanks for the input. I have moved towards a shorter intro style in recent videos. Have at look at these two: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmewoWR3p5ehkJY kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZC7mKWigNlrgNE In the meantime, hope you got some value out of the video despite it's long intro and thanks for watching.

Totally agree. Huge fan of YOU. thanks for watching.

Thanks - so glad you're still digging the videos after all these years. Thanks for watching.

That is super fun! I've done that with my classes from time to time and it has always been a blast! It's also funny how people sometimes end up doing "good" improv by accident. Hope you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.

You never know! Thanks for watching.

Thanks Breeze! Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.

I totally agree that you should study with a variety of teachers. There isn't ONE WAY to improvise. It's all tools and the more tools we have the better prepared we can be. Happy to be part of your tool belt. Thanks for watching.

Where are you located?

Thanks so much for the shout out. So glad you liked this one. You might also dig this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJyVe6ejeZlqm8ksi=QnZtLZ_JG7nI289y Thanks for watching.

I’ll pass you thanks on to Sean. He really brings the fire in this one. Thanks for watching

@@PVImprov Hey Paul, I've been watching these for a while now, but have not yet seen one on creating an improv community. I know it's not quite how to improv as most of these are, but I'd love to see someone discuss how to generate a community in a place where improv has not yet penetrated. I moved to the West Coast of Ireland a few years back. There is a growing scene in Dublin and Belfast, but nothing out here between Galway and Limerick. I am in the process of creating drop-ins, bringing folks in from around the country to put on workshops and shows, and will be developing courses myself to start building a community of improvisors here with a long-term goal of creating a theater and school. I would love to learn from others how they have done this. I know a woman in the far north of California and another in Norway, as well as a guy in Nepal, who are starting the same thing. I'm in touch with someone in New Zealand who has had some success in this space. May be worthwhile to others to share best practices in this kind of work. Thanks!!!

I'm so glad you had a chance to me Juan. He is so great and doing so much great stuff in improv. One of my faves for sure. Thanks for watching.

Jesse - Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that the example resonated with you and helped you find a powerful tool to connect with your scene partner -that's the key to everything, right? Keep up the great work and thanks for watching.