Long-Form Improv: The Complete Guide to Creating Characters, Sustaining Scenes, and Performing Extraordinary Harolds

Ben Hauck's book is very methodical and clear in its approach to teaching the fundamentals of long-form improv. What I found most valuable about reading it was that, as an actor, I could easily apply what it teaches about conflict and scene work to my commercial acting work. Reading this book is SO much better than taking vague improv classes that only give you confusing emotional instructions and tips. "Long-form Improv" makes the process and the art clear to improv and commercial actors. If I was a drama teacher, I'd make my class read it and use it as a manual instead of just blathering on about saying "yes" and "committing to your character." :)

Good info...

The opening of this book contains a criticism of the "gold standard" improv books like "Truth in Comedy", as well as some in-person Improv classes for failing to clearly and unambiguously teach the student the subject.My guess is that Ben must be an engineer, computer scientist or mathematician. He takes a cut-and-dried stance early in the book, that moves to practical and anecdotal. He does not dip in to a cadre of celebrity quotes and Del Close eulogies, which is totally fine with me, since 8 out of 10 improv books seem to.If you are looking to start a long-form troupe, and you don't have a reliable mentor, I would pick up this book and "Improv for Actors" by Dan Diggles. If you like punchy, high-comedy, fast-laugh improv, then add the UCB Comedy Manual, with the warning that UCB is laser-focused on "the game". Ben Hauck gives you the tools you need to create a range of different kinds of stories, while Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts will teach you to find the game as fast as possible, and heighten it. For some people, this style is exactly what they are looking for. For me, I want to create a compelling story first, and see the comedy emerge from players doing something genuine and believable enough that when they say something absurd, it becomes hilarious.That said, this book really helped me when I was looking to teach my group The Harold. If I could recommend only one book it would be Dan Diggles' Improv for Actors, with this being a close second.

Interesting approach to labeling improv types

Provides great tips and advice for a novice in the improv field.

I recently adopted Ben Hauck’s “Long-Form Improv” for my intensive summer course at Yale. My job was much easier than in previous summers because my students read, understood and loved Hauck’s book. The author’s analysis of moves in terms of game theory, clear explanation of conflict and desire and discussion of ideation, relationships, attitude, heightening, endowing and justification all helped my students step off back wall with courage, play the games they discovered together and support each other appropriately. They performed the tightest Harolds I have seen from beginning students — and that after only five-and-a-half weeks of daily instruction. I would definitely adopt “Long-Form Improv” as a textbook again. In fact, I would love to see a whole sequel from this author just on group scenes.

Boring. Nothing new. A kind of mathematical approach of "conflict" in scenes. Very few practical examples.

I had been performing short-form improv for 10 years when I had the desire to start studying long-form. This book was one of the many I read before starting classes. It stood out for it's clarity and approach to performing long-form improv. Definitely a book you want in your library if you are serious about performing improvisation.

This a great book on long form improv. It really changed the way I see long-form. I wouldn't recommend it for someone who's new to improv, though. The book gives great insights into scene dynamics, structure, characters among others. But what stroke me the most was the concept of viewing long-form improv scenes as barganing, where there's a negotiation between the actors. That and characters having objectives. Thank you Ben Hauck for this wonderful book.

Sure, it's ultimately about long form (Harold, specifically) but has a lot of really good nuggets for use in any scene work, or even in games. I don't align with his definition of 'game' (really, just conflict in disguise) but other than that, this book has been pivotal in my approach to scene work.

Ein theoretisch interessantes Buch, das leider praktisch daran scheitert, dass der Autor wesentliche Grundlagen des Improtheaters als "innovativ" verkauft und in viel zu langen Texten (er füllt ganze Kapitel damit, dass Schauspieler auf der Bühne kooperieren und nicht gegeneinander arbeiten sollen!) erklärt. Wer sich bereits mit Improtheater beschäftigt hat, findet in dem Buch nicht viel neues - lediglich die Beschreibung des Harold-Formats ist es dann noch wert das Buch zu kaufen.Man merkt dem Buch an, dass es in einer Kultur entstanden ist, die Short-Form-Improv eher als Stand-Up Comedy begreift. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist das Buch vermutlich brauchbar - hierzulande sind viele seiner Kritiken an der Kurzform unangebracht.Die Fokussierung des Autors auf Konflikte, die auch noch mit beiderseitigem Erreichen der Ziele enden müssen, ist für mich unangebracht. Das Konzept funktioniert nur mittelmäßig gut und fabriziert oft kleinliche Streitigkeiten auf der Bühne, anstatt epische Geschichten hervorzubringen. Storytelling nach Keith Johnstone (Impro for Storytellers) bietet weitaus bessere Mittel, um Kurz- und Langformate mit Geschichte zu spielen (Plattformen, Tilts und Routinen).Insgesamt war ich von dem Buch sehr enttäuscht. Viel Text, wenig Inhalt, und selbst der wenige Inhalt ist noch fragwürdig. Andere Bücher über Improtheater sind definitiv hilfreicher. Nur empfehlenswert, wenn man den Harold näher kennen lernen will.

My daughter has thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, a great incite into the subject. I would recommend this book to any budding actor.