Long Form vs. Short Form
I signed up for a “Short Form” improv class. I have taken one stand up comedy class and a couple workshops so far compared to Improv where I completed 3 classes and a workshop, currently in 2 classes in NY and soon starting my "short form" class this June. What , Why!
This points out a couple of things to me.
One ) I really can’t learn to be a comedian in a class room, I need to write and rewrite then test it out, I have to read about all the different theories and style to see what works for me. That is just how I work. I tried to go the class rout and it isn’t the same for me as having a writing buddy (very hard to find) or a coach (even harder to find a good one but easier to get a coach than a buddy... )
Comedy to me is personal. It’s me opening up myself and trying to convey what I’m thinking about or what message I want to deliver and do so in a fun way. (Sorry I don’t do the typical dick jokes) “Not like there is anything wrong with “blue comedy” or insulting people for being born a cretin color, creed or sex, which is comedy gold for some… just not my type of comedy.”
Two) So what’s with the improve classes. Turns out there are rules to learn before you can break them. I like to follow the rules and find that I’m still not doing it the right way. Luckily I have a strong team that will save me if I go astray. For me it was so much fun the less I knew, now the more I learn the more like hard work its becoming. But as they say if you are doing it right you are having fun up there. So I am working hard to have fun up there some day. So why short for improve and what is the difference?
Long Form vs. Short Form
I've been thinking about the difference between long form and short form improv. I want to do both, because I am under the assumption that for my ultimate goal to use improv for Corporate training in my career as a corporate speaker and motivational humorist.
Some would say long form improv is longer, it’s a story-based improvisation focusing on character development and plot witch keeps the audience invested in following the story unfolding on stage. Much of the “comedy” in long form is from connections made in the story, layers of meaning, and enjoyment of a character.
So why is it called short form Improv becouse its shorter? Its quicker, “short-attention span” friendly, "at-the-moment" type games, based usually on a device or gimmick which is delivered by the player using a suggestion or ask-fors. In this case the comedy is found in the pure spontaneity of the moment, risk taken by the improviser, and yes the "jokes" placed into the game.
This is hard to explain to you without you actually going to shows, and there are probably better definitions among performers and audiences of improv. So the gist I am putting out there is the idea that short form is a scene or game based on suggestions from the audience. A long form is a collection of games or scenes that were based on an initial audience suggestion.
I am not a sports guy but my analogy is: The difference between a soccer play vs. a soccer game. You can't have the game without the plays, but the plays are very interesting on their own."
So long form is the soccer game and has short form parts aka the plays, so short form can be a part of a long form, not the other way around.
As a comedian I am always thinking about my audience and if they are having fun… I have been told that this is also a bad thing at times in my case. I have been told the comedian in me will take a whack at a joke dangling out there during a long form scene, to the detriment of my team members and like I said before. Improv to me is all about taking care of your team.
With that said the reaction of the audience is different to these two types of improve styles. A short 'funny' gets lots of laughs. BUT, the audience usually stops concentrating on the scene or the big picture; this lessens the possibility for long form comedy.
The difference is thinking about the long form as a sitcom and the short for as a bunch of jokes. The feelings are clearly different and may not be very compatible."