The Pattern Game is Cool.
It’s Nerdy, but, like, it doesn’t care, so that makes it Cool.
Here are my notes for The Pattern Game. It is an area I have limited experience in, yet here we are.
I don’t think any this contradicts the UCB manual, but I will say some of my views might be idealistic and contrary to how you actually play it, and contrary to online examples. Pinch of salt, pinch of salt.
Also I wrote this Valentine's Day Night so you’re welcome girlfriend.
First, a Word From Our Sponsor
A Pattern Game is a hard opening. A Harold is a hard long form. If you can do a Pattern Game, you can do any opening. If you can do a Harold, you can do any form.
— Matt Besser
(The Family, UCB4)
(you know this)
What is the Pattern Game?
Simpy put, The Pattern Game (in this context; please can we stop naming things in improv the pattern game) is a word association chain off a (usually) single word suggestion that leads into an idea association, and then comes back to the suggestion. This will be clearer with some examples, but first I will emphasis that again: a word association chain that goes into an idea association. Both parts are important to The Pattern Game, because (to answer the initial question, What is The Pattern Game) the pattern game is two things; an opening, and a warm up.
Opening
By an opening, I mean an exercise performed on stage to get ideas for the subsequent scenes that follow.
Your format might not have an opening, it might go from suggestion straight into scenes. This is often called organic improv (well, a lot of things are called organic improv, but this is one). A lot of your experiences with improv might be through organic improv, whether it’s through an open montage (when a montage is non-organic, it’s often called something else as defined by it’s opening , such as The Armando) or through cage match videos. Beginner improvisers rarely do openers because they are still getting scene work down, and it’s not use getting grist for the mill if the mill isn’t functioning yet. On the other hand, advanced improvisers might not use an opener because they can do the work of idea farming themselves. There is also the argument that audiences are here for scenes not openers (hence the cage match often eschews them).
However, a lot of formats do have openings. The scenes that come from the process are often cleaner and clearer. We call this premise improv. The Pattern game is one of the more common exercises include The Invocation, Sound and Movement (sometimes called organic openings, fuck me what a generic name), True Monologues (like the Armando), Character Monologues (like in the Documentary format), Character Dialogues (always peas in a pod to my mind), Fact Monologues (is this a true monologue? I dunno, it feels different, see here), Scene Painting (and its variations), Improvised Song/Rap/Dance (although if you want to get picky this could be seen as a character monologue usually) or Living Room. There are others, you might be able to make one up yourself. For instance, Movie Film had a opening (kind of a character-based living room, although we really didn’t use it properly I feel).
As this is your way of getting ideas (and fingers crossed game), pick the one that suits you and your team the best. You might want to try a few, and there is honour in being able to ‘master’ the different openings. Physical players like the physical openers, verbal players like the verbal openings, loose charisma players like the living room, whatever works. Along the same lines, as it will be performed in front of a crowd maybe give consideration to their enjoyment too. Musical improv teams that can open with a big fucking musical number, God bless their luck. Armando is a pretty good go to (it’s the opener of choice for a lot of flagship shows, like Asssscat or Zeitgoose) as is Living Room (it’s got a good hanging out party vibe). I mean some groups are just gifted enough to make any opening entertaining (Sandino apparently would commit like hell to their Invocation act-outs, and 2-Man No Show are buffoons when collecting audience suggestions).
However, big red warning letters, your first and foremost priority is to get those ideas. It is better the audience be a little bored/ confused for 2–4 minutes than a lot bored for 25 minutes because you didn’t lay your pipe.
An opening, any type, usually should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Less, you might have less concrete ideas, more and you might be turning it into scenes themselves.
Warm up
By a warm up, I mean it puts your team on the same page. There are warm ups that train you to perform or get you in the improv mood (and this can most certainly do that), but if that is their only function they can be performed at any time (and off stage). A warm up as an opening has to bridge the gap between suggestion and scene. Most openings therefore have this ‘on the same page’ component, but they might differ in what way. For instance, Sound and Movement is great for getting you physically and emotionally receptive and reactive to each other. Character monologues unsurprisingly show you the characters you are dealing with. Invocation is good for stakes, symbolism and plot. The Pattern Game is great for getting on the same intellectual wave length. Other examples of this are The Living Room and Cauldron. Is this clear? Tell me if this isn’t clear. You could view this as warming up the crowd as well, although not all openings suit that. A well played Sound and Movement can be a dazzling opening ceremony for your scenes, or a creaky cart of horseshit.
Yeah but what is the Pattern Game?
Oh, right, fair enough.
This is the pattern game
...wait, what is the Pattern Game?
Hang on! As I mentioned,The Pattern Game is a word association chain off a (usually) single word suggestion that leads into an idea association, and then comes back to the suggestion. In most cases, you will repeat this process three times (three loops). A good visual representation is a three leaf clover. It’s so good, these Loops are often called Clovers (although the clover is the plant, we should call them leaves really, but fuck it). Why three? Because three’s a good number. There’s three tiers in a Harold, so if you only get one game from each clover (or loop), you’re fine. I will address this more a little later. Three is a magic number in improv (or it general, I suppose), it comes up all the time. Triangles too. I guess you could say…it’s a Pattern. Game.
In fact triangles comes up so often, it’s in my demonstration of the pattern game (below)
In the Pattern Game, your three clovers that feed your three Harold tiers are made up of a three part process (that I am now mentioning for the third time): a word association chain that leads into an idea association, and then comes back to the suggestion. Let’s break each part down.
Word Association
Players (it can be as small as one or two, but let’s assume it’s a standard eight person Harold) stand in a circle (when off stage) or semi-circle (when on stage). From a suggestion they take it in turns to word associate.
So if the suggestion is Book, an association would be Learning. From Learning, we associate to Robot, from Robot to Iron Giant to Vin Diesel. Simple enough? it would look like this.
Book > Learning > Robot > Iron Giant > Vin Diesel
or
Book > Paper > Money > Sports Car > Vin Diesel
or
Book > Bible > Messiah > Perfect Man > Vin Diesel
or
Book > Appointment > Mechanic > Vin Diesel
or
Book > Tree > Groot > Vin Diesel
or
Book > What to Expect when You’re Expecting > Baby > Pacifier >Vin Diesel
The idea is in a few short moves we have strayed quite far from our suggestion (Book). Why? Because
- It’s a good skill to learn, association, for our improv creativity
- In many Harold-based long form formats, we want to do at least three scenes from the suggestion of book, and we don’t necessarily want them all in a library.
Let’s look at an example of only this first part, the word association. Here is Florida based Harold group Cage-Free Humans (god dammit, humans in the improv name).
I mean it’s a little slow, you can have more confidence than that, but yeah that’s basically the gist. I know they are standing in a line; semi-circle is better, because this is meant to be building group mind as well and faces and eye contact help (therefore, unlike me, don’t look at the ground too much).
But they didn’t just use one-word at a time? No they didn’t. You don’t have to either, and as the clover moves into the second step you probably won’t. But the first few associations I would recommend it, because
- It’s a good skill to learn, encapsulation and brevity, for our improv creativity
- It is easier to associate away from an idea off a single word. Sheet can have different connections (sheet-soft, sheet-paper, sheet-klan, sheet-for-brains) while “those stupid fitted sheets you can’t quite get to fit’ changes subject slower.
But this isn’t a concrete rule, obviously.
Now there is a piece of advice that comes up about here, called A to C. It means skipping the most obvious piece of association, and going to the association of the association. This is great advice, but dangerous. Even the way I explained it might be misleading. I will give an example
Sand > Crab is A to C.
You can see how their connected? By the word beach or ocean or maybe mud (if your regional). It gets things moving faster, it keeps things interesting, it’s a good thing. We will fill in the B just fine. Where you get in trouble is trying to A to E, and skip C altogether. So if I said
Sand > Blood
We would be a little more lost. Could we take a guess? Sure.
Sand > Stone > Blood?
Sand > Glass> Blood?
Sand > Gallipoli > Blood?
Sand > Thick> Blood?
Sand > Shark > Blood?
Sand > Orange > Blood?
Sand > Rough > Blood?
Sand > Beach Body > Vin Diesel.
But any of these takes a good beat to see the connection, and you’re just wasting time. Do we need to see the connection? No, but we like to. An audience wants to see your process, a group wants to see your mind, and honestly your group will just ask you to repeat it in case they misheard and who wants that drama for yourself. After a while, I wouldn’t worry about consciously A to C in the Pattern Game, because you will start doing it naturally. Maybe you already do. To be clear, you should still A to C, I’m just saying don’t stress yourself about it.
Not everyone agrees
I really stress A to C. I will literally sit there and stop them, and say ‘this is good, this is not good’. It’s all A to C. Everything else is slightly intuitive.
- Shaun Diston
(The Law Firm)
Use A-C to avoid
- Lists: You start listing types or cars, or toys from your childhood, or whatever, because ‘denim’ reminds you of ‘cotton’, which definitely reminds you of ‘polyester’, one is enough from each category.
- Lateral moves: These feel ‘correct’, but don’t move forward in anyway i.e school > textbooks > teachers > Textas, in fact some of those are a step backwards. Remember, we’re not paying Family Feud; you don’t get more points for every entry on the board.
- Spinning your wheels: It is easy, tempting, and may feel intellectually rewarding to showcase your knowledge of a subject. He named a parrot type, I want to name a parrot type too! She named a pop group of the 90’s, I better show I’m listening and name one too so she doesn’t feel left out. In the pattern game, you can Yes simply by talking next, it’s all about the And.
This is where the name Pattern Game can be misleading (as can the term ‘loop’). It implies all the moves belong to the same ‘group’ or pattern, which is not helpful. Perhaps a better visualisation is a chain link fence (see below).
Each link (idea) is clearly connected to its neighbour, but not its neighbourhood.
In other words, A to C should ensure that Idea 1 and Idea 2 have a clear if clever connection, but Idea 1 and Idea 3 should at reasonably unrelated (like I say, people are good at connections, and they can be found if you look hard enough, but at first glace we’re talking).
After you word-associate for a bit, let’s say at least three words, and feel inspired you can start the next step
Idea Association
This is where you start ‘riffing’, or ‘pitching’, or ‘labeling’, or ‘commenting’ or ‘spit-balling’ or ‘heightening’ or ‘role playing’ or whatever, you start exploring an idea. This is where your looking for a playable game to store away for later. These words (pitching, commenting, spit-balling) mean slightly different things, and since I love explaining things I will.
OK, I’ll be honest, I’m only coming up with the list off the top of my head, so it’s probably not perfect.
Riffing
To comedically build on an idea, in a conversational context. Takes it name from the musical practice of jamming around guitar riff. You might do it when out with mates in your life. Maybe you don’t have friends, I don’t know. I suggest riff as an umbrella term for the other types of idea association.
Pitching
To present game ideas, as if pitching a sketch. Sentences like ‘a BLANK but with BLANKS instead of BLANKS’ or ‘an BEHAVIOURALLY INAPPROPRIATE BLANK’ are useful here to describe the game. There are other articles out there on labeling a game. Will Hines (of course) has a great one.
Labeling / Framing/ Naming/ Presenting
To put an idea in a category, like ‘physically dangerous first dates’ or ‘childish nick-names for history’s greatest monsters’. This then invites more examples to be provided.
Be warned you don’t choose a bogus generic label, like ‘things that suck’ or ‘red stuff’ or whatever, because that’s not a scene-playable label.
Also be warned against personal labels like ‘things I miss about France’. This isn’t the worst strategy, it can work (especially if its a shared personal category, like ‘90’s child’, but I would still add a specific game label like ‘90’s child with cheapskate parents’) it’s just misguided: we don’t know what you miss about France, so only you can add to this really. You could have said ‘France’ or ‘nostalgia’ maybe, so at least we can associate off that, but now we’re stuck with a dodgy category.
Personal categories also often lead to a conversation (Genesis > awesome bands > overrated bands > idiot improviser). Well now what? We can’t do scenes about idiot improv teams every time (ed: we can).
The last thing to avoid, although I get that it’s the hardest, is labels that can be applied every damn time. Examples include ‘a bad day at the office’ or ‘things you don’t want to hear’ , because screw it why be specific when you can make Dilbert captions.
There are two different thoughts on when you should label too
- As soon as possible: As soon as a funny idea comes up, label it, so we can group mind everybody-on-the-same-page on a funny idea, and knock out a lot of examples and act-outs cleanly.
- As late as possible: As a closer on an idea, or button to show we have firmly established a game and can move on. This is because what is funny at the beginning of a riff run is not always the evolution (or de-evolution) it becomes at the end.
Commenting
This is making little jokes as you go, like ‘oh yeah, like the Chucky dolls with creepy eyes’, basically repeating an idea with more specificity, usually in a off-hand way.
This is harder to describe, and more comes naturally than being a specific choice, but it is good for making the pattern game more conversational and loose, can be great to quickly clarify an idea, and importantly doesn’t have to derail a pattern. I’m not sure if I’m explaining this one right to be honest. I guess it’s similar to a layman might struggle giving an opinion on a dish like a food critic, but they sure can make yummy sounds. Or maybe it’s not a lot like that at all.
Frankensteining/ Pineapple-Pen-ing
Taking two elements that just came up, and smashing them together to see the monster you’ve made. Improv is full of this in general, every mistake becomes a new facet of this reality. The slight problem this creates if you start Frankensteining elements from way earlier in the pattern (a fine idea during a scene), you send the pattern back to a previous point and undo a certain amount of work (or risk repeating). Instead, I like to think of it as looping only two or three ideas back so the pattern is strong (like tying a double knot, or the strap of a pair of swimming goggles. I haven’t grasped the perfect visual analogy yet).
Heightening
To provide a more extreme version of an idea.
Guns in Schools > Bears in Schools > Bears with Guns in Schools.
Spitballing
Like a spitball, to curve an idea a little. Provide a differing angle to a heighten often, but isn’t exactly an exploration exactly.
Bears with Guns in Schools > Bears with Concealed Guns in Schools
Explore
In this case, often the knock on effect of an absurd idea. In a way, all of the idea association is a exploration, but specifically I see exploration as exploring the knock on effect of an absurdity.
Bears with Concealed Guns in Schools > Hard to Conceal without Bear Clothes > Bear Lobby for Gun Rights and Tiny Fez’s and Waistcoats Rights.
Role Playing/ Acting Out
You start doing lines of dialogue. This is very important to seeing if a funny idea is now a playable game, that you can whack into a scene. You might have different lines that would all go into one scene, or several versions of the idea.
Bear Gun Lobby > “This goes straight to the bear-president’ > “follow the honey!” > “just call me…deep snout” > “all the presidents bears”.
Tip: To avoid cutting into your scene, a good rule of thumb is to not reply to lines, this turning them into dialogue.
I put these in an order, and the order is pretty good, but really you’ll be doing a bunch of these all over the place. As an example, here is UCB Harold group Graceland doing a Pattern Game.
Another warning I will give, and it happens all the time at all levels but it really hurts the flow, is associating with a dead idea/word. Whether in the word association or the idea association portion (idea association is more common) and you miss someones offer because you’re too busy thinking/saying/spraying yours, but you say it anyway, there by eliminating their offer, a pox on you. Like I said, it happens, and a lot, but it sucks every time. The easiest way to fix this is good listening, but you knew that already. The second, not so easy way is learning to change course very quickly. This is a cornerstone of improv anyway, to be changed, so you might as well learn it now.
I see the Pattern Game perfomed and more often than not I’m infuriated by what I’m watching
- John Frusciante
(T.R.U.C.K.S, The Fucking Kennedys)
Come back to the Suggestion
The third step is to come back to the suggestion. For example
Vin Diesel trying to read > book
or
How I Kicked Butt with a Bald Head: The Vin Diesel Story > Book.
Why do we do this?
- It’s a good skill to learn, connections and theme, for our improv creativity
- it looks nice for the audience, and because we need to do at least three loops off the same suggestion so we need to be heading back their anyway.
This step is definitely just a bonus though. If you feel it’s just time to head back for another clover or to do the scenes, and you want to cut it off there, then just say the suggestion and we're done. Hey, maybe you’d get lucky and it will seem connected after all.
The whole
So those are the three parts. The Pattern Game. Let’s look at that Pattern Pyramid a little closer.
To me this is the textbook pattern game for use in the Harold. Three loops make three games for you to use. The three points of the suggestion triangle represent the three steps into the loop, the furthest points of the triangle represent where the game should be apparent, the sides show that you should equal time to the word association as you do the idea association. Finally, in a perfect pattern game, the three furthermost points of the triangles, as unconnected as can be, should be able to come together in the end of your Harold and meet, creating the Harold Pyramid.
I will admit, this describes are very bare-bones pattern game: only three games can come out really. In reality, it’s probably closer to this (below).
This diagram shows how really it’s a series of riffs and word associations over and over. Please note, however, the relationship between them remains equal: the Pattern Game needs plenty of both.
Too Much Word Association
Then you are Sunday driving: you might be having fun but you’re not getting anywhere. This is a problem with newer improviser’s to the pattern game. Practising word association alone is no bad thing your development, but it sucks for your opening. The goal for a pattern game is to create playable games and about 12 half-ideas. It’s not to create 200 new one word suggestions. At the end of the day, the Pattern Game is a premise-machine, and if it aint spitting hot wads of premise the machine is faulty (speaking of premise, copyright ‘sketch idea: hot wad machine’).
If Lorne Micheals wanted three sketch ideas, right now, you should be able to use the Pattern Game to get them.
— Josh Patten
(Grandma’s Ashes, Fuck That Shit)
(Josh actually writes for Lorne Micheals, and his last name sounds like pattern, so you just know he’s right)
Too Much Idea Association
This is a common problem with improvisers more comfortable with the pattern game. They see a group like Graceland and point out the big boys get to the idea -association pretty quickly. I wouldn’t recommend this for you. They have been doing pattern games a long time and performing together a lot so the group mind aspect probably happens quicker. Please don’t feed a rush to pump out the funny straight away: if you can do that consistently, then we wouldn’t use the opening at all. It’s better to take two or three minutes to really get some juicy game than knee-jerk go for some generic jokes. Lorne Micheals gets it guys, he’s not judging, he just wants the hot wad of premises
Keep in mind also that multiple potential games are only useful if they are distinct. Riff for too long and you risk blow a game out too far, too early. Can you come up with new games? Of course. But I want an opening to feel inoperable from a show.
Goldilocks of Association (except when she broke the damn chair)
The idea association and word association are in-twinned like lovers, unable and unwilling to leave each others embrace. In improv, a common analogy is rooms and hallways: the hallways lead to the rooms. The rooms are where you want to hang out, but if you had a bunch of rooms without hallways how would you get there without smashing things and making a mess? The analogy extends to getting Games from the Pattern Game: you sleep in the rooms, and only sleep in the hallways if the rooms have been used or smell of piss.
The ancient Egyptians, know for their mystic improv art, even had a hieroglyph showing the relationship between word association and idea association, know as the knotted flax or the wick.
Of course, those mysterious Egyptians didn’t use rooms and hallways, instead using bases and trails: the trails help you move the great stones to a location where you can slowly build your Pattern Game Pyramid. If you tried to build if from the numerous quarries, you wouldn’t get very high. If you tried to just throw the multi-tonne bricks, you would look like a dickhead (a short form player, according to the Egyptians). Scientists even today ponder how the ancients built the great pyramids of Giza. The answer: The Pattern Game.
Analysis
Alright, time to analyse some pattern games.
Now a lot of (all of) these teams are going to be made up of better improvisers than me, so my opinions and criticisms let’s assume are wrong. However, they are also making it up as they go, I am holding them to a lofty ideal, maybe they agree with me afterwards.
The first team on the block is Hotspur. Hotspur were a Lloyd team, which is what UCB NY calls their minor league Harold teams (in LA, they are called Mess Hall teams). A few of their members when onto notable teams like Witch , Mermaids and cage-match champions of 2016 The Enemy. They are a team looking to show they can do the house style to a T, so they will be put up to the majors. Many of them not only succeed that, but excelled at those higher levels. So you’d assume pretty good right? Wrong! No no they’re great. Let’s take a look.
The pattern is
Left Field (suggestion)
> Just out of nowhere
> Didn’t see that one coming
> Hit me right in the face
> Umm…uh…speed bag
> Airbag (all murmur agreement as one laughs)
>This car has all you need. Airlocks, fast bags
> This car’s so fast everything has speed in front of it
> This car’s so fast it’ll make you want to fight it
> But don’t
> But don’t fight this car
> A lot of people have died fighting this car
> This car will always win
> It’s why the price is so low!
> Because it’s killed a lot of people
> Charlemagne
> Champagne
> No sex in the champagne room
> Some sex in the champagne room
> After you toast your champagne, you can have sex
> We’re very lenient about the rules
> Just be polite
> Welcome to the champagne room, grab a flute and grab a condom
>We promote safe sex, but we also promote elegance
>We also promote safe fluting, so you can put the condom on the flute
> No spills in this champagne room
> Left Field (suggestion)
> RBI’s
> Oh I know
>Umm, runs batted in
> Phht
> OK, baseball, baseball
>Let me explain this simply, the baseball guys won, and so we’re celebrating
> We’re dumbing down the news, people, we got to dumb it down
> Bomb went off, boom, bad, next story
> Big thing with lots of people hit another thing. Blood everywere
> President looks different, four years of that
> Sunny tomorrow
> Careful what you eat
> (clicking) It’s a new age guys, people want digestible news
> (Everyone clicking)
> (Everyone shimmering and clicking)
> Ooooh, now I’m getting it
> (Everyone making ‘oh’ noises)
> (Two square off, bellies touching, making ‘oh’ defensively to each other)
> (Everyone’s hands raise up defensively)
> Uh-oh, I put my hand in something
> I apologise/it was wet
>Is this a crime scene? Uggh
> Uggh, I crossed the tape and put my hands in blood, it was a weird reaction
> (Someone becomes a dead body)
> I picked up that weapon, is that bad? I did, I touched it
> (Touching body) Am I not supposed to be doing this? I’m very handsy
> This guy looks hurt!
> Let’s call a cop!
> No, you’re breaking the law, sir!
> Sir!
> (All start saying Sir angrily)
> (All start saying ‘SARS’ angrily, pointing at each other, and around)
>(One breaks off looking hands-on-hips annoyed, as the others point at him, shouting SARS)
> Should have worn the mask, bro!
>(Annoyed one starts banging on ‘soundproof’ glass, annoyed)
> No no no no, quarantine for a reason
> Like it, bubble boy
>Yo dude, you chose your…face, and now we chose your cage
> Yeah, shouldn’t have chose that face!
> I love quarantining people, this…is my favourite
> (All start doing invisble-wall mime)
< (Then rope mime)
> (Rope mime splits into two camps, and they are both pulling out rope, worried)
> Oh oh/ Hang on
> Fuck, the torpedo went right through me
> This is the smallest torpedo ever
> This…this thing…you know the first ….couple of days you worry it’s gonna go off, but then you sort of get used to it
> (One mimes headset and checking radar dials)
> OK it looks like we got some people coming in and…hey, can I stop doing this I’ve got a…torpedo
> Injured in the military, still got to work, am I right?
> Just because you’ve got a thing in you, doesn’t mean you get take a break with that thing
> Guys, theres a ship coming in
> Man, that ship came out of….
> Left Field (suggestion)
Alright lots to unpack. First’s things first, they only did two loops. Did they forget the third one? Unlikely, but the second one went for ages and I’d wager they felt they had more than enough to press on (the opening, including getting the suggestion, when for four and half minutes, which is plenty). They also went into riffing almost right away, didn’t associate back to the suggestion the first time, and did a group flocking game for most of the last leg. So like I said, these are guidelines not rules.
We had some good examples of our different riff types.
> This car’s so fast everything has speed in front of it — Pitching
> It’s why the price is so low! — Explore
> Some sex in the champagne room — Spitballing
> We promote safe fluting, put the condom on the flute — Frankenstein
> OK, baseball, baseball — Commenting
> I picked up that weapon, is that bad? I did, I touched it — Roleplay
Fun right? A good mixed bag. Very little labelling here, interestingly. Let’s see what the team did with the information gleamed from the opener.
Scene 1a.
Game: A fancy orgy is immensely, almost robot level polite.
Scene Type: Shared World.
Opening Premise Lines:
> OK, so you can feel free to make yourself comfortable, I know everyone says no sex in the champagne room, but here you just gotta be polite about it
> I like to think I’m always polite about my sex
> Not everyone is, not everyone is
> I know, it’s a real problem. People don’t approach sex with the respect and dignity it deserves.
Special notes: This is a scene with a lot of simple background action, representing the world. Drinking champagne, playing classical music (after setting up), gasping at the appropriate times. But they are almost entirely silent until the end for a gag, they represent the world so much at one point a main character surveys them like statues.
Time: About 2:15 minutes.
Scene 2a.
Game: A patient is very slow, and has trouble understanding his condition. Oof, that sounds sad spelt out.
Scene Type: Straight/Bent (sympathetic)
Opening Premise Lines:
> Doc, I don’t understand your diagnosis. Just dumb it down for me…what is happening with me
> Well I’m not sure how to make it…MORE simple but….heart…..slow (mimes heart beating)
> I don’t…I don’t…can you draw, or something, or touch me?
Special notes: This scene did not fly all too well. To a certain extent it`s been seen before, it`s also…yeah, kind of sad. Neither player wanted to go too mean with it, so it sort of exists. They held their ground well, and rode it out to the end with dignity.
Time: 3 minutes
Scene 3a.
Game: A salesman won’t stop working for anything, including having his office the location of an unsolved murder
Scene Type: Straight/Bent
Opening Premise Lines:
> I understand this is a crime scene, but this is also where I work, and people still need to by carpets in bulk.
> Just, don’t touch anything.
Special notes: Definitely an interesting take, the carpet side, which I don’t think we from the opening? This also cleverly featured the torpedo-impalement, with the victim killed by a long spike. It also featured a few organic games, which might come up later.
Time: 3:30 minutes
Group Scene 1.
Game: The Centre for Disease Control really enjoy being mean to the people in the bubble / the show Bubble is wild / shows within shows within rats
Scene Type: Straight / Bent World , then into shared world
Opening Premise Lines:
> ‘You stay in there, you’re sick’. God it feels good
> I fucking love this part of my day
Special notes: Nice example of a all-in scene with restrained energy. Did it have restrained offers? Maybe not so much, too many cooks confused this a lot.
Time: 2:15 minutes
Scene 1b.
Game: The polite fancy couple are now trying phone sex. Very polite, and fancy.
Scene Type: Pea’s in a Pod. It shifted!
Opening Premise Lines:
> Pick up pick up pick up
> Hello? Yes?
> Hello Elizabeth. Are you ready to have phone intercourse?
Special notes: We see their distaste for the non-polite/ non rich world (in equal measure). Good use of Pittsburgh coming back as a dirty place from the group game.
Time: 2 minutes
Scene 2b.
Game: An accountant is real dumb. Also, keeps being a janitor. This shifted into a montage of every straight person being accused of being the dumb one.
Scene Type: Straight/bent.
Opening Premise Lines:
> I don’t think you understand, your services here are no longer required
> But I janitor good.
> Yes, but we hired you to be an accountant.
Special notes: They switched the roles (straight and bent) which is interesting. It was a little less sad, but limited, so a new game was quickly found to save it and carry it over the line.
Time: 1:10 soaking wet, including a bunch of tags. They really burnt this one off.
Scene 3b.
Game: Two scrabble guys insist they play during a wedding. The sub-game became the competing war veterans, and the non-specific jewishness of the event.
Scene Type: Straight/bent.
Opening Premise Lines:
> Listen, you only hired out this hotel conference room till five, so the wedding will just have to go along while me and my buddy play scrabble.
Special notes: Pretty much a group game, but they kept it nicely in line. Mistakes spun into a good scene. Was the war veterans reference to the opening?
Time: 2:10
Group Scene 2.
Game: A death car is being sold to a family that loves death, and man who hates his wife. From there it slid into a serious of scenes that tied up (actually, more like played lip service too) previous games like bubble rooms, you’re the actual idiot, wife dead at a rug store, rugs at the hospital, sexting on the phone (the polite fancy couple), the dumb janitor and big dumb banner. Also ‘I told you guys about my wife’s brutal murder’.
Scene Type: Straight/bent/ shared world.
Opening Premise Lines:
> Well, this car gets 40 miles to galleon, I like that.
> Can I ask you a question? How close do you want to be to death at all times.
> Close!
Special notes: Looks like they just went straight to the last scenes after a while.
Time: 4:19
Final Appraisal
This had several flaws as a Harold, but it’s just a mediocre show from a great group.
Further Analysis
Okay, let’s look at another pattern game. This one is not by an established team, but by one student group in a Level 3 UCB graduating class. Likewise, it should be easier to see the joins because they are still learning. Let’s judge them! This time I’ve provided commentary all alone the run. If you want to hear it in-flight first, here’s the clip.
The pattern is
> Midget (Suggestion)
Not a great suggestion: fratty, trying to be funny I suppose, also makes people say ‘midget’ a bunch. But it’s just a suggestion, and in a Pattern game especially we will move on quick. Also, obviously I don’t blame the team for this.
> Clowns
There we go, a great A-C from midget.
> Circus
Ok, not a …huge leap. We can really cover some ground early on, so let’s move it. Maybe something like clown > squirt, or clown > rodeo, or classic clown > nose or shoes or car.
> Circus Circus
Circus circus off of circus? A ridiculous sentence for a ridiculous move.
> Las Vegas
Ok cool, Las Vegas. Similar to my Rodeo suggestion. I would put a slight criticism of us both, I believe you want the third suggestion (even if this is the fourth) to appear unconnected to the suggestion altogether. I might argue slightly that perhaps rodeo or Las Vegas is as close to midget as circus? But then some suggestions are just very connectable, which comes in handy on the home stretch.
> Cirque du Soleil
So this is a combination of Las Vegas and Circus, I’d say. It’s fine, it’s a common manoeuvre (Frankensteining) , but one I think better served for a more thematic opening like the Invocation. In that one, we go back to the suggestion over and over again, in the pattern game we are trying to streak away from it so far we don’t recognise the suggestion in our pattern game.
> Strip-Clubs
I’d say this is connected to the Las Vegas association. Listening and getting in a flow is a problem with these guys. Remember, once you’ve moved away from the joke you wanted to tell, move away. If your lucky, you can save it for the scene anyway.
> Cirque du Soleil Strip-Clubs
Alright, this is better Frankenstein: putting the two competing associations together in one, so nobody misses out. Plus, it’s just a funny image.
> (Pause)
Yes, pause, think of all the good riffs you can do on a fancy French-Canadian circus strip clubs.
> Midget Strip-Clubs
What? No, stop Frankensteining; we do not want to go back to the suggestion yet.
> (Nervous laughter)
Yeah, people don’t want these jokes
> Anorexic strip clubs
People…might want these jokes more? OK, we’re here now, start pitching or labeling
> Hot anorexic strip clubs
Or spitballing, I guess that works. Wait, no it doesn’t. Where are we going with this. Strip clubs not even the patrons like? Not-Hot Fluey Strip Club?
> Big tips
> (Impressed pause)
Fair enough, it’s a good joke. But jokes alone that are vaguely on topic don’t help find that game very well, it’s just noise after all
> Careful lettering
We have a label! Now we start digging in with examples
> Overly cautious speech
Same idea, that’s fine, if you start digging in.
> Class
Poo
> High school
Okay, back to association. Never mind, let’s see what we find.
> Lockers
Don’t list remember. Where does Locker lead? Safe? Smell?
> Jerry Sandusky
Oof, that’s where it leads.
> Too Soon
Exactly. Normally I’d complain about a vague label, but yeah let’s get out of here. Too Soon > New Year’s Eve party on October 8th. Something like that.
> Not soon enough
Ok, we’re spitballing again instead. So, what are some examples of THAT then.
> Lost…
> Secrets!
What is happening.
> Lost Secrets
Nice try, but unless the next suggestion is ‘of the ancient world’…
> Lost?
We all are. Look, your choices are associate away, or really riff. Stop pussyfooting around.
> The alternate alternate ending to Lost
Fine, not a bad suggestion. Let’s give some examples of this idea, guys?
> Insider information
> Perfect title, Lost, I don’t get it
Terrible suggestion, guy who said Sandusky before.
> Gambling
I completely miss this connection, and I think so does the rest of the team because they’re thrown a bit here.
> Being Short on Money
Interesting
> Being short!
> Midget! (Suggestion)
That’s a good tie back, I like that one a lot. Gold star. Next loop, fingers crossed.
> Children
> Baby Gap
Pretty good. Maybe less locations now, start getting abstract. It’s better than school, because then we’re back to where we started. But I’d suggest something like ‘biological clock’ or ‘exhaustion’ or ‘eye spy’.
> Shopping
> Christmas
> Cannot be celebrated in schools
That was a nice little run. Shall we riff?
> Jehovah’s Witness
Apparently not. That’s OK, let’s go.
> Home schooling
> Mom
Nit-picking, I’d say you want to get specfic, not general here.
> Mom home schooling so you can celebrate Christmas in schools
That’s a bit better, nice frankienstiening.
> Problem solver
Enough comments like this, you are really risking vague blocking, alright guys? You would be if you also didn’t keep ignoring each other.
> Mom homeschooling so she can celebrate 420 day in school
A bit stale comedy wise, but a valid try at the heighten, I will certainly allow it.
> Mom running a shitty school?
I can’t make it this out I’m afraid. Maybe it’s a great second heighten? I will give them the small benefit of very little doubt.
> Inspection
> Health
This could be good
> AIDS / Doctor
This sucks. Sandusky guy again.
> Doctor AIDS
> I have a very inappropriate last name, but I’m going to treat you I promise
> I know it implies you might get STDs from this visit, but it’s all good
> I’m Dr Cancer, you might have a growth
Again, not cracking act-outs, but the right idea.
> Pregnant
> (Something about planned parenthood I think? It doesn’t matter, because the next is not A-C)
> Condoms
> Abortion
Fuck sake, Sandusky again!
> Babies?
> Less Crying / Crime
This is debatable what she said. I think it’s Less Crime because that’s what they use in the scenes, plus it’s funnier, but sure Less Crying makes more immediate
> (stunned reaction)
> Less Crying / Crime, More Babies
> Silver Lining
I understand you’re recovering from a line, but this is sloppy.
> Politician
I love that A to C.
> Spin
> Grid-lock
I don’t see the connection between the last word and this, but I love the effect so don’t stop now.
Edit: I see it now! Gold star again!
> Traffic
> Compact Cars
That’s pretty applaudable, this team’s tie backs are flawless.
> Midget (Suggestion)
> Dwarves
> Elves
> Lord of the Rings
> Warwick Davis
They did not like this suggestion from Sandusky guy. No idea why.
> Ewoks
> Star Wars
Spiralling, take me somewhere new.
> Droids
> Gay
Sandusky, come on.
> Gay Droids
> R2 and CP3PO
> They’re just wired that way
Ok, we might have something
> The Star Wars Gay Parade Float
> I’ll be your Jabba
It was worth a shot, cut it loose.
> Star Wars Space Camp
> Fat Camp
> Vegetables
Don’t just list guys, remember.
> Carrots
This is a list
> Broccoli
A list!
> Baby Carrots
Linking back to midget, very nice!
> Baby Broccoli-Carrots
He jumped too soon, and missed the connection.
> Hybrid vegtables
> Child vegetables hybrids
Just move it, we’re just repeating information now
> Weird science
Good, step away
> Whips
Whoah whoah, how far did we step?
> Chains
> Weird science S&M
Again, a good Frankenstein
> Fetishes
> Midgets (Suggestion)
And another great tie back.
In conclusion, a pretty limp Pattern Game, the noise to signal ratio (to be discussed later) as far as playable games is not great.
Analysis for You at Home
Now it’s time for you to do an analysis. You have a few options. Why not do them all? Because you’ve wasted enough time reading this, that’s why.
Option One:
Break apart the Pattern Game like I have, and label the type of riffs, or missed offers, or associating off a dead idea, or whatever you think is notable. Be harsh, but keep in mind this was done on the fly. Here is a 401 UCB class (so a little more advanced than the 301 class before) to analyse.
Option Two
Watch a pattern game straight through, no stopping, with less analysis (you can make notes, but no stopping, so best go for simple memory aides). What you are looking for is potential games (like the manual says, priority goes in this order: complete premise gold nuggets, then half ideas gold dust, then interesting glimmering bottle caps; ignore the rocks completely). This should be a similar practice to listening to an Armando monologue (ideally it’s easier because they are acting out the ideas for you, but in real life you’d also be doing as well as thinking of scenes). Make a quick list of three ways you could start three scenes (one for each Game). If you’re feeling confident, write three second beats to these potential scenes. Continue watching the Harold and see what they chose to do. After the group game, pause again and write three new second beats to their scenes. See what they did. Here is another Lloyd team Musk (also well regarded, players went to Big Revival, Boombox, Witch and yes The Enemy. Also one of the members Shawn Diston who is king of the Pattern Game apparently). I thought if a good team is doing the Pattern Game, the scene should be easier to cultivate.
Option Three
Do a pattern game with yourself, but only with one word associations. This includes in the act-outs. Write it down as you go, or better yet record yourself. It can be a little slower going this time, but still make sure you are associating with your word or idea not merely what you wished that word meant. When your down, show someone word by word, and make sure they can follow it. This is a great skill in simplicity, specificity, and also delivery because a lot of meaning is going to have to come from your non-word clues.
Option Four
Take an existing pattern game (any of the above will do, or make your own, or whatever, think for yourself) and squeeze every game, premise, or half idea out of it. Some will be obvious, some not. Try to prioritise playable over clever. Turn the half idea’s into first lines/actions, because at least that’s something usable. Get right down to clumps of words (frost bite > eat the survivors), don’t overthink it, just use them as direct inspiration i.e “We’ve been lost her for days, my toes are beginning to fall off…maybe a little nibble wouldn’t hurt”. If you can’t do a game (how a scene will be played, including two sides of an argument)
I like to take something that is explicitly mentioned or explored in the Pattern Game, not go ‘one step beyond’, and instead ‘hit the nail on the head’ (both Matt Besser terms), and try and get it across as simply and exactly as I can. I will even embed the terms in my initiation
Achilles Stamatelaky
(Airwolf)
Option Five
Pick your best ones from option four (let’s say 5), and blow them out, add some sample lines or moves. Then provide a second beat for them, with lines or moves (analogous or time dash or whatever you want). Then look for connections between them, which should provide the fodder for third beats. If you can connect all five congrats, but we’re looking to connect them in pairs at least. Yes, this is probably closer to Option Four Part II.
The Perfect Pattern Game
I will assume in this case you mean the perfect pattern game to lead to bright clean juicy sexy scenes. If that is the case, then we are not looking for the most entertaining pattern game, as much as the most effective. Should the pattern game be entertaining? Why not? It’s in front of a crowd, the professional Harold teams certainly think this is important. But let it never come at the expense of providing for the scenes. You can goof about and be funny all day, but if you didn’t explore that suggestion properly, completely unpack it and provide at least (minimum) three sweet Games you’re screwed.
Note: I know in a Harold you will need a game for the group game portion, but I think there you can get away with just a specific taken from the opening, and they are much easier to come by.
I will hammer this point home: your word association section does not need to be entertaining, just effective. But if your anything like me, you still hear “Yeah…but it would still be better if it was entertaining though, right? Those top level Harolds we watched were entertaining the whole time, as much as could be expected anyway”. I admire your moxie, much as I admire the moxie in myself. At least, let me assure you that you can be entertaining without being funny so to speak, just be entertaining by being specific. Take this word association (taken from the improv resource center [sic], no less).
ice cube > scotch > advertising executive > 1950s New York > double-breasted suit > living in the past > FDR Halloween costume > Toy wheelchairs > grounded > rinse your mouth out with soap > ice cube
I think this is at least interesting, and it goes about as long as you’d want a word association to go without moving into the idea association.
I went too long, you get it know, moving on.
We are not looking for the most entertaining pattern game, but the most effective. To judge the effectiveness of a pattern game, we need to look at its portions of chaff and wheat: how much is usable, and how much is not. In the scientific community (which you are likely to know as well as I do) this is called the signal to noise ratio.
In the case of an opening in improv, the noise is all the information that contains no playable game, and the signal is those details that can lead to the funny. If you are executing a Pattern Game swiftly and fruitfully, most of the riff is probably up for grabs, while little of the word-association (if any, and the answer most of the time is none). Just to stress, this is normal, please don’t avoid the word association completely, just know that it’s function is to lead to those hot hot riffs. Please also take note the signal to noise ratio also applies to the riffs: a good pattern game (by good players) should be determining what is a signal-rich riff (will lead to funny, playable, clear, interesting, and dare I say original and non-offensive and non-shit scenes) and which is the noisy riff that will lead to a loud rapping racist granny or something. Signal to noise ratio applies to a swath of improv practice, for more information see Alex Berg’s Lecture The Psychology of Improv recorded last year.
One of the key signals we’re looking for (always, but definitely out of an opening) is Playable Games. Even if an idea is funny, can we play it in an unscripted, bare bones, two-person (likely) dialogue heavy (very likely) scene. Different openings present different challenges to this goal: sound and movement features a lot of energy but not always a lot of clarity or grounded specifics, a monologue (especially a truthful one) is from one person’s perspective, and a Pattern Game is often the opposite problem to both of these: it is dry and listless (even though its often a list, classic language joke) and lacking anybody's perspective.
This is the conundrum of the pattern game as opening: what is the optimum iteration for the use of leading to scenes?
A good move, although not essential or even feasibly all that common, is for an idea to have been riffed by a lot of people (if not everyone in the group). This helps ensure
- They all feel a sense of ownership, so nobody is forcing their idea.
- If you worked on an idea, you are more likely to remember it later (very important, this recall; separates the men from the boys, or the women from the boys, boys stink is my point).
- Everyone understands the Game of the idea, not simply that it is funny. The have demonstrated they can play this game too.
- You have the benefit, in a small way, of a lot more heads thinking it over. Not ego driven heads either, cool Yes And improviser heads.
The Imperfect Pattern Game
Let’s be real: you’re prince won’t come. Perfect Pattern Games are so rare, I have no example to give you. Let’s call them a platonic ideal, a moon to shoot for. Your Pattern Games instead are going to range from average to great. Some will stink the room. So what’s a girl to do? Can you do good scenes off a bad pattern game? Absolutely, of course, never in doubt. Worst case scenario, you can do scenes organically off any words that cropped up. A decent improviser can fill in the gaps of a bad Pattern Game: extend a thought abandoned, change the specifics to something interesting, give it a performance energy missing from the dry exploration in the opening. What if your Pattern Game fucks you completely, leaving nary a trace of game or premise? Your team should just remain cool, and take what they can for a nice base reality, organically find the who-what-where into those opening three lines, and just play it calmly and specifically until you find something in your scene (and you always do). Worse comes to worse, take two ideas you remember and smash them together, see what sound it makes. Frankenstein is your friend! Assuming you’re not fire.
I say this, stay calm and work with your team, because where a bad Pattern Game might really screw you is in the group-mind aspect. If your pattern is bad, it might be indicators of poor listening, muddled thought process, in-articulation, or just a general lack of distinct Games coming forward, that is both a result and a creator of a distracted, fractured, and panicky group. This group will still be responsible for providing the rest of the show, so a bad pattern game might be indicator of bad players (or at least a bad Harold). If you couldn’t get it before, you are less likely to get it now.
One of the less-than-great habits that zealous player might pick up is when one person proposes an idea, and the next person either, ignores it by A to C ing away from the idea, or tries to beat it, by pitching an alternate idea. This is not going to help you achieve a good Pattern Game. Very few ideas are so bad that they should be ignored entirely.
Here is an example from Stephen Pearlstein (Styx Martin)
When someone pitches an idea, try to pitch on that idea, and that idea only. So if someone says Zombie Grandpa we could follow with:
Good: “Grandpa, did you bring me back anything from the grave!?”
Good: Grandpa with mothballs in his clothes and maggots in his flesh.
Good: “Oh, sweetie, don’t worry, Grandpa’s not going to die. Unless you destroy his brain.”
Bad: French Toast Grandpa! Grandpas that aren’t normal Grandpas! Unusual Grandpas!
I guess this is where the concept of ‘Lorne Micheals Pitch Section’ can become unstuck. You’re not competing with each, you are trying to help the other make the sale. That might be obvious, we’re in an improv team together, Yes And, friendship is magic. But what you’re also not trying to is provide alternate takes to an idea so we can pick the best. You are turning their idea into the best. You are looking to improv their idea, not provide a better one. Stephen Pearlstein again
Improviser 1 telling an anecdote with a funny idea, Improviser 2 telling an anecdote tangentially related.
E.g. Improviser 1: Story with an idea like “Proudest Failures” and also happened to involved alcohol. Improviser 2: Tells a story where they were drunk.
Improviser 1 pitching an idea, Improviser 2 trying to “beat” that idea
E.g. Improviser 1: Zombie Grandpa. Improviser 2: Oh, Vampire Grandpa and Werewolf Grandpa in Love with Human Grandma, Twilight with Old People
This to me has to be the hardest concept to get right, and honestly I don’t always succeed. If nothing else, just keep in mind there’s few better feelings that getting on a fun wavelength with your friends and fellow improvisers. It’s a mini little bite of why we do this in the first place.
So that’s looking at a bad Pattern Game. But if you get it right, you’re still not home free. Lets look at how you can do bad scenes off a good Pattern Game.
There are two main causes, and like much in improv it’s a classic pendulum problem.
- Sticking to the pattern game’s exploration too closely. Just like in an Armando opening you can ‘hit the nail on the head’ and just provide a retread of a funny bit without adding anything new, so too can a good pattern game act out lead to a scene with the same act outs but now with slightly more object work. The Fix? Treat your opening like a first beat, so your scenes are the second. Show the knock-on effect of something established in the opening (time-dash consequential, something like that), or go change the specifics but keep the game (analogous). While this problem is not nearly as pronounced as in a story-based opening (and an audience still wants to see you play the ideas you’ve come up with in a opening), Pattern Games do (or can) clearly provide a labelled black and white Game for you to use. While an opening shouldn’t be treated as canon (what is established is in our world, and referable as a memory or history), the audience still saw you do it, so it exists. They saw your thought process, so hopefully they know where you’re coming from.
- Leaving the pattern game too far behind. The opposite problem. It has many manifestations: using different specifics but keeping a minor game, or (the most heinous) keeping specifics but completely changing the game. It is a waste of a riff, to an extent, burning it for the other players without really using it yourself. But I would be more concerned about confusing your fellow improviser: they are unsure if we are doing a fresh scene or it’s direct from the pattern game. I know this indecision sounds minor, but in my view it’s a killer. Let’s say you have a riff about Sherlock Holmes trying out new catch phrases (“elementary, my dear Watson”, “bulls-eye, my dear Watson” “winner winner, chicken dinner, Watson” ,“Sherlock trying out new catchphrases” ,“you just got Sherlocked!” “Can you smell what Sherlock is cooking?”, “No shit Sherlock, because Sherlock takes no shit!”). We did that riff for a while, everyone had a slice. A choice for bringing the riff into a scene might be to change the specifics but keep the game and make it another historical/literary figure, say King Solomon ‘The soul man! Papa Justice! King of Israel, Judah and Rock and Roll!’. (I like this because he is also considered quite wise so it’s funny to see him so dumb, he also has a level of power and respect, the details are completely fresh but still known, and he can have multiple character and detail entries to the one location of a throne room, while Sherlock only has Watson and some cut-to’s really. The negative is Sherlock is more know, and perhaps has more immediately recalled details to riff on). Another option is to show the knock on effect, and Sherlock has ordered a bunch of merchandise for his new branding appeal (“check it out, this backpack has me on a snow board, saying ‘Radical, my dear Watson” “who is this stuff for? Kids are not following the work of murder detectives ” “well, I was thinking maybe Moriarty might want a commemorative plate or something”). Both of these I feel are quite rich in potential, but also have a clear link back to the opening, without just putting the Sherlock listing catch phrases into a scene (you could, but there’s pressure to come up with some bangers right out the gate so it’s not a rehash). However, to avoid a rehash, you might over step and make it a literary figure (Alice in Wonderland) having confidence issues so she’s in therapy. Is there a connection? Yes. Could you do a good scene from this? I sure hope so. But the odds are against you: your scene partner is unlikely to know what the heck your getting at, so it’s likely it will go in a different direction entirely. The Fix: Make your thought process clear. If they didn’t get it from the opening line, or your second line, your third is a last ditch effort and you pull out all the stops. “A lot of us literacy characters are losing confidence in our abilities. I hear Sherlock is trying to over-compensate with new catch-phrases, and Jack and The Beanstalk are in couples counselling”. Clarity over elegance, every time.
Delivering the Pattern Game
Give over to the idea that the pattern game is about writing. It just is. It’s pitching ideas to each other. You can try to liven it up with a lot of physicality and emoting, but you’re just delaying the root issue: you’re writing.
— Willy ‘Hands’ Hines
(1985, Primal Bias)
A pattern game works the brain. It is the writer-improvisers choice. It is probably why I have written so much on it. But that doesn’t mean you should deliver it monotone. Like the book says, to swallow the hot-dog you gotta put a little mustard on it (I’m paraphrasing).
- Have a pace. It doesn’t have to be a fast pace. Much more important to keep a pace and not stop. This is the case in so many warm-ups, but so many improvisers think they should stop everything till they have the perfect response. Buddy, the perfect response has to feel like a response, not something you thought about for a bit and then made up.
- Don’t Look at Your Feet. I do this. You don’t. I do though.
- Look At Each Other. The suggestion could, and should, being delivered non-verbally as well. I don’t mean whackadoo mime. Although feel free to do that, it can only help.
- Nod at Each Other’s Ideas. Big fat high fives might be too much, but only just.
- Match Each Other’s Energy. If you shift energy, do so deliberately, and with equal or comparable intensity and authority.
- Act Everything Out, Especially the Act Outs. Snarl, boom, hiss, arch your back and use your hands (the one exception may be keep your feet planted). Yes And with your delivery as well. Bring their idea to life.
- Sell sell sell. All of these tips promote group mind and general improv respect, but they also make your pattern game more palatable. You know how you were SO worried about being entertaining before, you mook? Well now’s your chance. If you want your idea to be picked up in a riff, or better yet remembered, sell it to the crowd and to the other players. It’s a pitch. Sell your movie. Make your strike. Erect your circus tent. Blacken your…mammoth bones, I’ve run out of exciting homographs.
Make sure your offers are offers, not a pile of junk you’re giving away. Sell it like you’re a pitchman, if you digging a hole you better raise a sweat. Make them an offer they cannot refuse.
- Lindsay Evergreen
(Old Man’s Penis)
Final Thoughts
Even if it’s Not Hard for You, it’s Hard for You
I talked about finding the right opening to suit your team, but I would still encourage everyone to dip into the pattern game every so often. It is a work-out for a specific parts of your improv. Premise building, group mind, game-recognition and even immediate character transformation are all improved here. Just know that it is meant to be a little intense.Don’t stress if it is. Let it flow. Despite my acres of text, don’t try to make it perfect just make it fun and worthwhile. This exercise will put you in your head, as you want it to, so there is no need to go deeper into your insecurities section. It works better if you just go limp, let the current take you, and react how you react. Throw out what you throw up.
Ten Dollar Words
Fancy, scientific terms in word association aren’t necessarily helpful. I’m not talking about ‘chrysalis’, that is a good rich word, I mean something like ‘disassociate’. These are big lofty words that try to umbrella things, and summarise the game. They are just never as fruitful as you think, and lead to associations like ‘university’ or ‘vocabulary’ too often. You don’t need to show off smarts in pattern game, you need to build premises. Go to something from your life experience instead.
Go with your Gut
In a similar vein, if a word associates with you, just say it! It came to you for a reason, even if it’s a reason we want to explore in jest. After all, humans are great at connecting disparate ideas, especially in art (this is how the Kuleshov effect works), and improvisers especially especially so. Improviser’s are trained and standing there to ready to make the connections, and the audience is doing that without worrying about standing. Or coming up with a response. Plus they have at least half a dozen brains working on the problem, some of them at least will get it. We’re covered is my point.
Your team and the audience both will assume everything is said for a reason and they are dumb if they don’t see that reason straight away. If you made the connection immediately, in the blink of an eye, we can make the connection too. As a case in point, here is a pictograph of a pattern game I did.
I have only included every second word. Can you see my pattern? Keep in mind, this is a sequential pattern, not a pattern group of common attributes. Finished? In all likelihood, you are likely wrong, that is not my pattern. I wouldn’t worry, you’re missing the links remember, this should be textbook A to B. But you still managed to put them in some order quite easily, right? Especially with pictures, so flexible to interpretation, you can see any pattern you wish. Maybe it included jungle > lion > king > Jesus. Or maybe summer > wine > lying around (lion). Maybe mountain’s top > snowman’s hat > crown > bonked by coconut got a look in. This ability is a key indicator of an improv mindset, so if you were way off treat it as a good thing!
For your own interest, the word association I did, in full, was snowman (the suggestion) > carrot > coconut > tropical > sun > Sunday service > crucifixion > miracle > wine > grape > grapes > roman emperor > gladiator fighting lion in the Colosseum > champion > crown > jack and jill > mountain > snow > snowman. I think you can tell some of these are better A to C examples than others. Some, like grape to grapes, is blatant A to A.
Just don’t go A to E. A to E leads to Accidents and Emergencies.
The Clover Grows from the Ashes of the Dead
You ask your audience for a suggestion, they give you a single word or phrase. Right about now they think that’s is what the show will be about, and they are right until your team shows them all the majesty and complexity inside that suggestion. The Pattern Game takes you far beyond that simple word, to ideas and games and scenes and fun.
So for goodness sake, don’t use the suggestion to begin a scene. I’d push you not to use it at all, at any point. The suggestion gave the Pattern Game life, but the suggestion is dead. Heck, the suggestion right now is show poison. We don’t care about the suggestion, and we certainly don’t care why they made that suggestion. I doubt if was for a good reason. The clover’s green juicy leaves are where we feast. You can eat as much as you want, or as little as you want. Its a good habit to take a bite of each leaf, but if loop 2 had all the tasty bits and loop 3 was looking particularly haggard, it’s okay to change your portions.
So happy eating everyone, and enjoy the Pattern Game.
Further Reading
Fuck off.
But yeah there’s some. The UCB Handbook is dead helpful, give it a skim. There is a podcast episode that also dives deep, from the same theatre.
Probably more useful than all these dumb words I’ve written is Will Hines’s duel exercises on the Pattern Game, the Stations exercise and the Themes exercise. I’d have poached them here, but he is a much better teacher than me so just go to the source. I have used both, they work.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if you think there’s anything I missed or need to expand on, please let me know. If you were going to ask that I put more pictures of pyramids or Ron Swanson up, your double wish has been granted.
