Author Archives: Mario Lurig

Guide to Producing an Improvised Show | Rehearsals

This is Part 3 of a series documenting and analyzing the process of producing an original improvised theatre performance.

Rehearsals are ruined by indecision and inaction. Try it, decide, move on.

Rehearsal schedules vary depending on the cast, familiarity with the form or structure, and cast size. This article focuses on an 8, 2-hour rehearsal sessions of a brand new show with a fresh cast. To that end, the rehearsal schedule should be broken into three main phases:

Discover and finalize the structural elements of the form from beginning to end.
Practice the form with direct, immediate feedback on the improvisation itself.
Polish the overall feel of the show as all elements come together.

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Adding Video Presets for Adobe Premiere Elements 14 and 15

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This tutorial will help you create new video presets by editing existing presets. It also includes some additional presets you can copy/paste and use right away.

You can find the existing presets for Adobe Premiere Elements 14 or 15 a few different ways. First, you can search for files with the extension .sqpreset which is short for SequencePresets. On Windows, you will most likely find the files under:
C: > Program Files > Adobe > Adobe Premiere Elements 14 > Settings > SequencePresets > NTSC > AVCHD
OR
C: > Program Files > Adobe > Adobe Premiere Elements 15 > Settings > SequencePresets > NTSC > AVCHD

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How to Produce an Improv Show | Auditions

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This is Part 2 of a series documenting and analyzing the steps to producing an original improvised comedy show.

The more relaxed your actors are, the better their auditions will be.

I know it’s tempting to go down the tough director route, not showing emotion and being cold and calculating, but remember, these are people you will be working with in the future and you want to see their best in the few minutes you have to evaluate them. You’ll likely have to make some tough choices regarding who you will take and the differences are going to reveal themselves when the actors are at their best. Greet them warmly, be clear on your instructions (if there are rules to the games, make them available prior to the audition for actors to review), and ask them if they have any questions before starting a scene (clarity = quality).

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Guide to Producing an Improv Show – Concept

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This is Part 1 of a series documenting and analyzing the steps to producing an original improvised comedy show.

Start with the target audience, then build your show; otherwise, be prepared for an uphill battle.

Sometimes you’re inspired by a thought, a scene, or maybe it was a dream about a bunny with a stethoscope. Whatever the idea, you thought to yourself, “That would be a really fun show.” Now ask yourself one question first and foremost, “for whom?” If you had to think about it or you answered yourself, then you need to step back for a moment.

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The Finalists of Denver’s Next Improv Star – Season 8

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Labeling Denver’s Next Improv Star as a competition is a bit disingenuous. A live, improvised show at the Bovine Metropolis theater in Denver, CO challenges its ~~contestants~~ cast by working together in groups for 14 weeks in a series of surprise challenges, culminating in the finale with 2017’s four finalists: Brittany Lee, Dre Ford, Elizabeth Komos, and Luke Biedscheid. This is the eighth season of DNIS, and through each week’s challenges, each player must help and elevate their competition to succeed themselves.

As soon as opening night happened, it felt like we’re totally here to support each other… putting on a good show and doing good improv.Elizabeth Komos

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Designing a Better Flyer for Starfest: Fold Your Own Adventure

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Let’s be honest: Flyers in convention bags are ignorable. When I got the opportunity to include 1000-2000 flyers in the bags of convention goers at the 2017 StarFest convention in Denver, I knew I had to do something different, else I’d be throwing away $200 worth of printing and paper. I decided to set out some guidelines:

Flyer must provide entertainment for the reader.
Flyer should not require any additional tools not easily accessible (e.g. writing utensil is okay, dice are not).
Flyer should be rated PG and be fun regardless of attendee’s pop culture knowledge.
Flyer should encourage real-world sharing and interacting with other attendees.

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Open Legend RPG: Redesigning the Data

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Recently I stumbled upon a Kickstarter project called Open Legend RPG, an open source roleplaying game. The system is a labor of love that has been built over the last 4 years and was now ready to bring to a larger audience. The creators were raising money for printed additions, additional rulesets , and pre-made adventures, but the beauty of the system was that all the rules were online already; anyone could play it without spending a dime.

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