A little bit of a rant.
So, the major rule of improv is yes and. Obvious for building a good scene. I think this sort of thing also applies to directing. If you read, talk to, work with or meet Asaf Ronen, he'll confirm this. He's the master of directing improv, and one rule that I think is clutch is avoid using the word "don't." It's negative and it's basically a no. Instead, offer challenges which imply to avoid those mistakes, but instead of saying "don't do this" (which makes you not only feel bad because you did something "wrong" but you focus on the "this" and can't move forward), he tells you to focus on "that." Focusing on that allows you to forget about this, and then you have a better scene. That's only the most basic of Asaf's ideas.
And that's why I think I get so frustrated (Bryan more than me) when people are negative in improv directing because it's the same as denial in scenes.
Something interesting that I didn't notice: some people say things because it helps others, but other people say things just to sound good/important/smart/whatever. It's a cry for attention, and a desperate need for affirmation. "I'm good, right?" is the basic implication of their actions and words. And, surprisingly, Bryan was the one to pick up on it. An utter dependence on feeling like you've got it together. Reality check: you don't. Sorry.
Also, did you know sexism still exists? I didn't, either. Again, I didn't notice it because I was too caught up on patronizing phrases like "We get that a lot," "Don't do this," and "That was bad." But, Bryan was able to point out how when a "good" example had to be set, only men were invited to participate. And everything was by controlled choices; people who wanted to participate couldn't. You had to be asked. And if you were a girl, you were asked into minor roles. And if you were a girl and messed it up, don't worry - guys will do it and fix it (when really they did a worser job). It's amazing the things I don't notice.
But now that I notice them, I can't help but feel frustrated that these people exist. People who I systematically avoid, yet they creep into my daily life anyway. But, that's the world, right? Minorities probably come into to contact with racists, and intelligent people run into dumb people in higher positions all the time (i.e. George Bush -- not saying he's dumb, just saying he rules over some portion of America that is smarter than him). And that's why the real world is hard I guess.
Dealing with people who are fundamentally different and fundamentally frustrating. The sad part: most of the time, they never know. Why? Because society is filled with rules like be nice and smile and nod. And the nicest of these people are people like Bryan, the epitome of nice. He knows full well what you're doing and fully disagrees, but he'll be nice to you because it's what society demands for function. I just can't handle it. And that's totally why I don't belong in the South (for long periods of time).
And that's why I think I get so frustrated (Bryan more than me) when people are negative in improv directing because it's the same as denial in scenes.
Something interesting that I didn't notice: some people say things because it helps others, but other people say things just to sound good/important/smart/whatever. It's a cry for attention, and a desperate need for affirmation. "I'm good, right?" is the basic implication of their actions and words. And, surprisingly, Bryan was the one to pick up on it. An utter dependence on feeling like you've got it together. Reality check: you don't. Sorry.
Also, did you know sexism still exists? I didn't, either. Again, I didn't notice it because I was too caught up on patronizing phrases like "We get that a lot," "Don't do this," and "That was bad." But, Bryan was able to point out how when a "good" example had to be set, only men were invited to participate. And everything was by controlled choices; people who wanted to participate couldn't. You had to be asked. And if you were a girl, you were asked into minor roles. And if you were a girl and messed it up, don't worry - guys will do it and fix it (when really they did a worser job). It's amazing the things I don't notice.
But now that I notice them, I can't help but feel frustrated that these people exist. People who I systematically avoid, yet they creep into my daily life anyway. But, that's the world, right? Minorities probably come into to contact with racists, and intelligent people run into dumb people in higher positions all the time (i.e. George Bush -- not saying he's dumb, just saying he rules over some portion of America that is smarter than him). And that's why the real world is hard I guess.
Dealing with people who are fundamentally different and fundamentally frustrating. The sad part: most of the time, they never know. Why? Because society is filled with rules like be nice and smile and nod. And the nicest of these people are people like Bryan, the epitome of nice. He knows full well what you're doing and fully disagrees, but he'll be nice to you because it's what society demands for function. I just can't handle it. And that's totally why I don't belong in the South (for long periods of time).