Hey, I was wondering what all your experiences and thought were about improvisation, not just in acting but directing (Trey Parker for instance). Because it seems that there is still a lot of improvisation in film nowadays (like Robin Williams or Jim Carrey most of the time), but that seems to go against the mentality of "Plan Plan Plan!"

Though there are examples of it, I was wondering if improvisation is really used that commonly nowadays. Also, is improvisation only good for comedy?

I think improvisation is a big part of directing. Things almost never go 100% right when you're shooting a film, so in most cases you have to make the most with what you have. That being said, it's just about impossible to "Plan Plan Plan!" for everything. If you're shooting outside and it rains, and you only have that location for a day, you either fit the rain into the script, or fit another location into the script. This isn't true for all big studio produtions, but it has been with my short student films. Of course, the more money you have, the less you'll have to plan ahead for

I found planning to be very helpful. All I do ahead of time is storyboard. The pictures look like chicken scratch but I know where the camera needs to be and where the actors need to move. It has cut down a lot of shooting time for me compared to just winging it. However, being quick on your feet is definitely a valuable resource in filmmaking. If you want to see a comparison between a highly improved movie and a planned movie, check out a movie like Wedding Crashers/Anchorman versus anything by the Coen Brothers. Joel and Ethan stick unbelievably close to their scripts and storyboards.

Do any of you guys ever plan out a part of a script to improvise? Like "Okay, we'll just improvise here..." Because sometimes I think you'll get stuff you'd never be able to through planning.

Interesting that this has been brought up because the project I am currently finishing up is based almost completely on improv

My task was basically to write a 1-2 page script looslely dealing with a secret or a lie so I came up with something based on the game telephone in which a rumor is spread about how a kid gets a black eye.

During my pitch session the idea to leave the varying rumors up to improv was voiced so I decided to give it a try. I wrote the beggining and the end and left the entire middle up to chance.

Looking back it seems like a ridiculous risk i decided to take, yet fortunately it worked out very well. I am a terrible writer so i thought anything someone could come up with on the spot was better than I could write. Luckily I was right and got some really great stuff.

I'm not sure if I would leave so much of my plot up to chance again, but I think it depends on how well you know your actors and how much confidence you have in them. Generally I like to have my actors do a few takes with my scripted lines and then let them have fun with it if they think they can change it for the better.

I think both planning and improv are a huge part of being able to direct. The way i do it though, is taking tons of notes about characters, themes, and symbols, so I know what can be cut around and what can't.

Example: If the angle of a shot is important and I can't get it, I need to be able to know why it's important and what needs to change so that it'll still work. This needs to be done quickly, so taking an hour break to read the script over and over isn't an option in most cases.

Also, I think it was robert rodriguez's opinion that storyboards are helpful for planning, but are only used when improv fails. Come up with a better idea on the set about a shot you want? Great! If you don't? Better have something to fall back on.

I think a lot of director`s authority comes from the fact he/she knows exactly what he wants. While improvising you may loose your authority in front of your crew. If you don`t know what direction you take and how to make it happen.

Improvisation needs pretty much training and friendly atmosphere among crew (you should maybe place improvising in the end of your shootings). In my point of view director`s job is to plan as much as possible beforehand, even with improvised scenes.

I think the improv is a great tool as long as people know how to use it. In my short I am shooting right now the funniest scene has been an improv scene, but the only reason why it worked out was that the actress was really good at it. I gave her one line to work off from and she developed an entire story and off shoot in a minutes time while shooting it. I generally will do improv. shooting when I cannot figure out what to do with a scene before hand, sometimes you just need to see it in action to decide where the camera needs to be.

why are you acting like that? What made you this way? You think its ok? You think you can just dance around and make yourself into something? How dare you!

But for me, ill take a lap dance, ****

Dirty Harry,

Directors who have used Improv as a regular tool in their filmmaking...

Bergman
Fellini
Scorsese
Altman
P.T. Anderson
Larry Clark
Bertolucci
Antonioni
Lynn Ramsay
Both Coppolas
Von Trier
Bresson
Godard

...pretty top notch list. Improv is a regular tool for making a film more authentic to the audience and improving the flow. What people have to understand is that Improv is NOT simply wingingit and mkaing up scenes...it's a mild reinterpretation of dialogue and character interaction that does NOT stray from the script or story and is, if done correctly, always at the directors discretion. It's a great tool to enhance realism and/or performance, but is meant to be used sparingly and correctly.

Also, improv is something that's usually done in rehearsal and not on the spot.

I agree with Hall 100% that improv is a great way to develop a scene or a character and needs to be done at rehearsal! If you are truly trying to put an idea forth in your work you can't simply rely on improv to carry a scene, but letting an actor explor outside the confines of a script will make it a beteer project. And honestly the day of shooting always runs by at 100mph so what may seem like a good idea at the time came become a major problem in post. So a balance of improv and planning is needed.