Improv Tip #40 - Hyper-Agreement (with guest tipper David Koechner) (2016)
Paul Vaillancourt, co-founder of iO West and author of The Triangle of the Scene, discusses hyper-agreement as an improvisation technique. The tip features guest David Koechner.
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13:50GENIUS Improv Advice for 14 minutes straight
A compilation of improv advice drawn from interviews with established performers and teachers. Paul Vaillancourt curates clips featuring Tina Fey, Colin Mochrie, Matt Walsh, Amy Poehler, Ben Schwartz, Jason Mantzoukas, Pete Holmes, Dave Koechner, Michaela Watkins, and others, each offering perspective on scene work, performance mindset, and the craft of improvisation.
7:18This ONE LINE Can Save Your Improv Scene
Paul Vaillancourt demonstrates a single-line technique for adding emotional weight and narrative stakes to an improv scene. The lesson focuses on using references to a character's history or philosophical stance to create depth and generate organic callbacks. The video is aimed at performers looking to move beyond surface-level scene work without resorting to forced choices.
7:43The SECRET Exercise Every Improviser Needs!
Paul Vaillancourt presents a core improvisation exercise designed to build foundational performance skills. The video walks through the exercise structure and offers guidance on how to incorporate it into regular practice. Vaillancourt is the author of The Triangle of the Scene.
7:365 Improv Tools That Just Work
Paul Vaillancourt of PVImprov walks through five core tools he returns to regularly in scene work: naming (characters, relationships, locations), environment work through object interaction, emotional depth, character refrains, and physicalization. Each tool is presented as a reliable technique for grounding scenes and building dimension in performance.
4:06Exclaim the Name: The Game-Changer for Improvisers
Paul Vaillancourt hosts guest instructor Karla Dingle, who presents a naming technique for improv scenes. The method centers on exclaiming character names as a tool for strengthening relationships, reinforcing memory of names during scenes, and initiating game-based play.
22:1539 Years of Improv Advice in 22 Minutes
Paul Vaillancourt distills nearly four decades of experience into an extended educational overview covering foundational improv principles. Topics include Yes, And, relationship-building, bold choices, scenic environment work, character dynamics, scenic inertia, and techniques for solo practice. The video is structured as a comprehensive guide aimed at improvisers across experience levels, drawing on Vaillancourt's long career as a performer and teacher.
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0:39One Rule That Makes Improv Actually Funny #ImprovTips #ComedyTips #LevelUp
A PVImprov short on the principle of playing at the top of one's intelligence. The clip advocates for giving characters the performer's own vocabulary and reasoning ability rather than defaulting to ignorance for easy laughs, arguing that grounded, intelligent characters produce more organic comedy.
1:22Stuck on a character? Look in your kitchen!
A PVImprov educational clip exploring a character-building technique rooted in object work and observation. The approach uses everyday objects as archetypes to inform physicality, vocal quality, and behavioral choices, offering performers a concrete starting point for character creation.
1:28Chris Gethard just gave us the ultimate cheat sheet to save your improv scenes from "vague-land.
Chris Gethard outlines a three-question framework for grounding improv scenes: why these specific characters, why this particular location, and why this moment in time. The clip, shared by PVImprov, focuses on the principle of specificity and present-tense scene work as tools for avoiding vague, unfocused improvisation.
1:08Keegan-Michael Key just dropped the ultimate perspective shift: Improv is like walking backward.
Keegan-Michael Key offers a reframing of how improvisers should approach scene work, comparing the process to walking backward: rather than trying to steer toward a predetermined outcome, performers benefit from observing what has already been established and building from those offers. The clip, shared by PVImprov, underscores the principle of using what has been given over planning ahead.
0:48Amy Poehler just dropped the truth bomb every new improviser needs to hear.
Amy Poehler discusses the importance of full commitment in improv performance. The clip, shared by PVImprov, emphasizes that hesitation undermines scene work regardless of the premise, and that leaning into a choice with conviction is what makes characters believable and scenes succeed.
1:13Stop talking about the scene and just SHOOT THE DEER!
Performer and improviser Michaela Watkins discusses the principle of committing to action rather than planning within a scene. Using the metaphor of "shooting the deer," Watkins emphasizes the value of decisive choice-making over deliberation, a foundational concept in longform improvisation. Presented by PVImprov.