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Slide 2 Challenge Masters ACMs - Mary Ann Goff - margoff@aol.commargoff@aol.com Sheldon Spiegleman - shelspiegelman@comcast.netshelspiegelman@comcast.net Robin Vidimos - rvidimos@aol.com Slide 3 REGIONAL IMPROV CHALLENGE MASTERS RCM - Boulder - Lori Fraser - 720-8876-8924 notjustbnw@aol.com Cherry Creek - Mary Ann Goff - 303-721-7499 margoff@aol.com Denver - Amanda Tipton - 303-929-5209 amanda@kokorophotography.com Jeffco - Robin Vidimos - 720-203-2944 rvidimos@aol.com North Metro - Stella Cypher - 303-364-3120 mrscypher@msn.com Pikes Peak - Shauna Kogler - 719-481-1318 tnskogler@comcast.net South - Jane Guttner 719-543-1645-getigoos@comcast.net Sheryl Smith - 719-560-9780 sherylsmith@pueblocityschools.us South Metro - Sheldon Spiegelman 720-291-5500 shelspiegelman@comcast.net Southwest West Slope - Mark Lapka 970-309-9330 socprf@yahoo.com Slide 4 The Improve Challenge is basically a storytelling challenge What do you need for a good story? Beginning, middle, end Conflict/Resolution Characters/Relationships Slide 5 The Four Pillars of Improv Creativity - ability to look at new and different ways to accomplish a task. Teamwork - Group works together to achieve a common goal. Humility - Each member realizes that he is part of a group and is willing to let other members ideas shine as well as his own Trust - Each member must be able to count on the others to make the group progress Slide 6 Elements of the Challenge Skit News stories, one provided by team and one provided by tournament Cause and effect relationship between the 2 news stories Cooperative Human Scenery/Props One Minute Glitch Slide 7 SKIT Skit must include relationship between the 2 news stories Total of 5 minutes prep time 4minutes planning 1 minute to incorporate OMG 5 minutes to perform skit integrating 4 challenge elements Slide 8 Improv Element 1 News Stories The team will be dealing with news stories they bring in- Team Provided News Stories (TPNS) and Tournament-Provided News Stories Slide 9 Team-Provided News Stories TPNS must involve a major event receiving national or global coverage. Articles must be chosen from 6 of the 8 categories listed in Table 1 - Weather - Travel - Lifestyle - Technology - Health - Entertainment - Sports - Business Teams must bring articles from 6 different categories. Slide 10 Team Provided News Stories The TPNS must not have been published more than 7 days prior to the tournament. The original date of publication must be visible on each TPNS, and may not be hand written or added on- it must be part of the original story. Stories may come from any print or online media that can be cut out, copied or presented in text format. TPNS must be submitted on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Slide 11 Tournament News Stories The Tournament-Provided News Stories will involve a minor event, something that has received less press attention and is generally only known at a local level. This story will only be a headline that the team will randomly select at the tournament and receive just before planning time. Slide 12 Improv Element 1 - Scoring Team will receive points for effective integration of TPNS. Team will also receive points for effective integration of the Tournament Provided News story. Slide 13 Improv Element 2: Cause and Effect Slide 14 Cause and Effect During planning time, the team will invent a plausible cause and effect relationship between the TPNS and the Tournament- Provided News Story. The team gets to decide for themselves which story will have caused the other one. The team will plan and perform a Theatrical presentation showing the cause and effect relationship they created. Slide 15 Cause and Effect What does Theatrical Mean? -The presentation should be done in a manner that is characteristic of the theater, a dramatic performance of plays, television shows or movies. -Have the team discuss what things make a play or movie good - characters, emotions, performance, etc. -What is the difference between a news report and a theatrical presentation? Slide 16 Improv Element 2: Scoring Is one story presented as cause?-0 or 5 Is one story presented as effect?-0 or 5 Creativity of Cause-Effect Relationship Theatrical Presentation of Cause-Effect Relationship Slide 17 Improv Element 3: CooperativeHuman Scenery/Props Instead of using materials to build scenery and props, the team will work collectively to become cooperative human scenery and/or props. Slide 18 Cooperative Human Scenery and Props Must be made up of at least 2 team members. A team member who is playing a character may not be part of the scenery/props. Scenery and props do not have to be presented throughout the presentation, but appearance should be long enough so it is evident and obvious to the Appraisers. Slide 19 Improv Element 3: Scoring Teams will be scored on 2 areas: Creativity of cooperative human scenery. Effective integration of how Cooperative Human Scenery/Props enhance overall effect of skit. Make sure that not only is the scenery creative, but that it also is an important part of the story. Slide 20 Improv Element 4: One Minute Glitch (OMG) The OMG will be a sentence or phrase that significantly changes and discombobulates an important element of the skit. Slide 21 One Minute Glitch The OMG will be selected randomly during check-in, but the team will not know what it is at that time. In prep area, team will begin with their 4 minute planning time. At the the end of this time, the announcer will stop them and then tell them what the OMG is. Team will have 1 minute to discuss how to integrate OMG into skit. It is up to the team to decide how long to integrate the OMG into the skit. Slide 22 Improv Element 4: Scoring Teams will be scored in 2 areas: Creativity of how team demonstrates OMG. Effectiveness of integration of OMG. Appraisers will be looking to see that not only does the OMG happen in a creative manner, but that it has impact on the story. Slide 23 At the Tournament Teams should arrive at Prep area 20 minutes before performance time. Slide 24 What to Bring 5 copies of Tournament Data Form (TDF) 1 copy of Declaration of Independence 6 copies of news story for each category. Slide 25 Prep Area Procedure After checking in, the team members will randomly select their 4 improv elements: Draw a number (1-6) for their news story Draw a tournament supplied headline Draw a tournament supplied One Minute Glitch They wont know what they have drawn until they get to the performance site. Slide 26 Performance Area: Preparation time Timekeeper/Announcer introduces team, announces team and tournament supplied news stories to audience and gives slips to the team. Team has 4 minutes to create skit. Announcer stops team at 4 minutes and announces their One Minute Glitch. Team has 1 minute to plan how to integrate OMG into skit. Team has 5 minutes to present skit. Slide 27 Things for TMs to remember Be sure the team practices the actual format of selecting improv elements, planning time, and presentation. INTEGRATION - Help the team to understand this concept. It is one thing to include all of the elements, it is another to ensure that all elements are integrated and part of the story. This is what the appraisers are looking for.