Character Motivation Changes Everything in Improv

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I’m here to talk about the one thing that will make your improv characters feel real, believable, and memorable: their point of view (POV). We spend so much time trying to come up with clever lines, but an audience truly connects with the why behind a character's actions. A strong POV is your character's internal operating system, and in this video, I’m going to show you exactly how to build one.

I’ll start by defining what a character's POV is and why it's so critical for grounding your scenes. Then, I'll give you four distinct methods you can start using right away, each with its own practice exercise. You’ll learn how to use emotion, observation, and justification to create consistent characters. The fourth method is a simple question you can ask yourself mid-scene to unlock a whole network of beliefs for your character, completely eliminating the need for boring backstory monologues.

IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro: The Most Important Thing About Your Character
02:59 What is Point of View (POV)?
06:42 Method 1: Establishing POV Through Emotion
09:25 Method 2: Establishing POV Through Observation
12:21 Method 3: Establishing POV Through Justification
15:19 Method 4: "If This is True, What Else is True?"
19:28 The Power of Committing to Your POV

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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#ImprovTips #CharacterActing #PointOfView #ActingTips #YourImprovBrain

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About
This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. All creative graphics made (by a human!) Jen deHaan.

This episode was and edited and produced by Jen via https://StereoForest.com.

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This show was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.