Your brain went blank? Try this scene start instead
Your Improv Brain
Using Physicality to Set Location
Jen details how physical actions can establish place without words and let environment drive behavior.
Initiating a scene can be stressful at any level, and when your brain goes blank up there, it's easy to panic. In this episode I talk about a simple approach to scene initiations that Will Hines recommends: start by answering the question "where are you?" You can do it physically, verbally, or both, and it gives you and your scene partner something concrete to build on while your brain catches up.
Two exercises in this one. The partner version, This Place Has So Much Flavour, has you enter a scene using only physicality and emotion to establish the character of the space before anyone speaks.
The solo version, The Garage, has you handling objects in an imagined location and then describing the base reality you just created.
This is part of a series on the top of the scene, initiations, and base reality.
Resources and downloads: https://improvupdate.com
Article for this episode: This episode is part of a four episode series available on YouTube and audio podcast. You can find an article for this episode, and links to the full series on both platforms, here.
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YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/8HXZl0LS7AU
Chapters
00:00 Why initiations are stressful
00:56 Will Hines on answering "where are you?"
02:19 Why physicality buys you time
03:21 Using words to set location
03:47 Partner exercise: This Place Has So Much Flavour
05:17 Figuring out what you're doing together
05:47 Solo exercise: The Garage
07:17 Wrap up
Downloadable content
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Get a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"
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About
This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. You can find her bio here.
This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.
This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.
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