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Edits in Improv (Basic) | Improv Underdogs

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Edits in Improv (Basic)

Posted on February 23, 2010 by improvunderdogs
What is defined as an edit is somewhat less important than the effect. Edits are better defined as any
time a person enters or exits.
However, loosely defined, edits are any things that act on the scene from the outside in a way that
changes the direction of the scene. There are edits that initiate a new scene and there are edits that help
an existing scene from the outside. This is not a definitive list but more of a work in progress.
For edits to be successfully done EYE CONTACT is essential. If you want someone to stay on stage you
need to make eye contact with them, if you want them to leave, do not make eye contact with them.
Edits are grouped below in subcategories that they are most similar to:
1. Basic edits (Hanamichi, sweep edit, transition edit and cross edit are essentially the same thing, in
that they all start a new scene).
o Cross Edit come on stage, walk to the opposite DS position, and start a new scene or start the new
scene while crossing down stage. Someone off stage walks across the stage w/o making eye contact and
the people on stage exit. People on stage exit.
o Hanamichi Edit usually happens to DSL or DSR of stage, new person comes on stage and freezes in
a pose. Two people on stage leave.
o Sweep/Curtain Edit someone off stage comes on stage and mimes wiping the stage clean. The
action of drawing a curtain is also popular.
o Transition Edit (Game time) Person enters from off stage and takes Center Stage
Activity the machine would be an example of this
Song
2. French Edits (Stalker, push, pull and slacker are all variations).
o French Edit (R.s definition) In classic French drama, any time a character enters or exits, its
considered the start of a new scene.
o Push Edit 3rd person enters two person scene and tells one of them that they are needed offstage.
Or someone calls from offstage for a character that is on stage, person leaves (the latter situation
mandates that someone jump on stage pronto so the person that is on stage isnt left alone for any
length of time).
o Pull Edit Call someone from offstage on to the stage. Usually a slacker or a push edit needs to
happen to get one of the players currently on stage to go offstage.
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Edits in Improv (Basic) | Improv Underdogs

o Slacker Edit three people are on stage and someone finds a reason to leave of their own volition.
o Stalker Edit usually involves someone spying at upstage center, involves miming a hiding place (in
LTC USL or USR is also good). This edit doesnt change the location. The two people on stage are
talking person upstage says a phrase or word that they have spoken, says it out loud, the two people
on-stage hear it (dont know where its coming from) but take it as a cue to leave and talk privately
person hiding upstage comes out and starts a related scene from the line or word that they said while
upstage.
3. Directing Edits and variations thereof are Swinging Door, Tag Out, and Split Scene (though Split
Screen also may transition to a new scene).
o Directing Edit delivering a package and exiting thing. Youre basically entering the scene to
deliver some small piece of information and then leaving. The package isnt the only way to do this.
You could also do scene painting which involves someone off stage coming on stage and drawing
attention to important aspects of the space to enhance the scene. The point of this edit is to support the
scene by adding some new information that drives it forward in some way. Ideally, the players take
whatever information that was delivered in the directing edit and make it very important for the scene.
Its sort of a way of saying I recognize that this scene needs help and am going to provide them with
something that will help them.
o Traveling edit two person scene involves another location. The two people travel (usually walking
in a circle) to that location and someone off stage offers to be a person of that new locale. Usually an
additional push or pull is needed when they get to the 2nd locale so its back to a two person scene.
o Split Scene two people are on stage, two more people enter and start having a loosely related scene
(doesnt need to be in the same location-better if it isnt). They alternate conversations between the two
couples.
o Swinging Door two people are on stage, one person enters and swings the person in the center to
them and has a related scene with that person, the person on the other side, doesnt leave but waits and
swings the other person back to them to talk to. Person that initiates the swinging door (3rd person)
usually is responsible for ending the swinging door and leaving.
o Time edit Flash Forward or Flash Back. This is a directed edit. Someone off stage says Flash
forward or flash back to (a specific time) and the people on stage do so.
o Tag Out come on stage and tag someone out to leave and continues the scene.
THANK YOU TO R. KEVIN FOR THE INPUT ON THE EDITS PUT FORTH HERE. (STILL
WAITING FOR HIS BOOK THOUGH.)
5 Comments

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About improvunderdogs
A fan of improv and using it in a variety of ways. This blog is part of our quest to make improv more
valued in the community.
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5 responses

ZAREMA | March 21, 2010 at 7:28 AM

Thanks the author for article. The main thing do not forget about users, and continue in the same
spirit. http://odessacity.net/
Reply
gualetar | March 22, 2010 at 4:18 AM
The subject is fully clear but why does the text lack clarity? But in general your blog is great.
Reply
Pingback: Editing in a longform performance: When? When? How? | TRiPLEiCREATiVE
Pingback: Editing in a longform performance: When? Whhy? How? | TRiPLEiCREATiVE
improvunderdogs | August 22, 2014 at 1:00 PM
Thanks for the link. I like the article you wrote on editing in longform. It is pretty
comprehensive in itself. The only thing that I didnt add in my first blog was the self-edit.
Probably worth talking about, mostly because if you can see that the scene is over from the
inside, edit it. Good beginner exercise because if you can see it from inside then by process you
should be able to see it from outside.
Reply

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