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So why should I make my own movie?

Because it's now possible, whereas before it was not. Just like poetry slams, internet, women CEOs, Karaoke. Once upon a time, there was no Karaoke. Now there is Karaoke.

Making your own movie is similar:

• it's fun,
• it's demanding,
• it's social,
• it builds skills,
• it expresses what your group has to say.

People do make their own community theatre, dance group, debating club, garage band, opera company...But is theater, dance, debate, jazz or opera the dominant medium today? No, it's movies. Not documentary movies, dance movies or abstract movies, but narratives. Once a week billions of people watch one or two stories on film. They are constructed at great expense in Hollywood, CineCitta, Bombay. . . .
Why haven't movie lovers, until recently, made their own movies? Because there are very few models. There's very little guidance--books that say, "pick up your camcorder and do this."

The root of our work, which enables us to create short videos in days or hours, is improvisation. It also enables you to create music, poetry, comedy without memorizing notes or lines. Improvisation is the basic technology of our work.
When improv is used well, it's more convincing, more moving, more surprising (as life is!) than when non-professionals memorize a script that's been pushed into their hands.

We offer these pages as proof that you can make your own movie. Read this book and you will want to make that movie in your head, you'll know how to make your movie, and you'll have the experience of making your movie.

Read a Sample Chapter [coming soon]

About David Shepherd

He is considered by many to be the father of improv and according to Alan Arkin the Johnny Appleseed of improv.

David Shepherd conceived and launched the first American improv cabaret theatre in Chicago, called Chicago Compass, which later evolved into Second City.

Improv cabaret performers included Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Stiller and Meara, Ed Asner, Shelly Berman, Alan Alda, Alan Arkin and many more.

He invented many improv techniques and over nine improv formats, including Novella, Radio, Movie, Performance Sport, Improv Olympix, Other Selves, Video Holiday, Poetry Games, and Video Scape. David leads improv workshops in Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, the Hamptons, NYC, Boston, and Western Massachusetts where he lives.

For the first time he is writing about two loves: movie making and improvisation to inspire you to make your movie and experience the joy.

For more information about David Shepherd and his work to: www.groupcreativityproject.com

Author's Comments

I brought off an improv cabaret four decades ago—Chicago COMPASS. It was staffed by Mike Nichols and Elaine May, by Stiller and Meara, later by Alan Alda and Alan Arkin. Now, I want to bring off improv movies?staffed by people like you who are scanning these words at this moment. You'll read how improvisation can generate great, believable performances and how video can capture and edit them for the cable station, the video store, and the home.

Why haven't movie lovers, until recently, made their own movies? Because there are very few models; there's very little guidance—books that say, "pick up your camcorder and do this."

We offer these pages as proof that you can make your own movie. The root of our work, which enables us to create short videos in days or hours, is improvisation. It also enables you to create music, poetry, comedy without memorizing notes or lines. Improvisation is the basic "technology" of our work. When improv is used well, it's more convincing, more moving, more surprising (as life is!) than when non-professionals memorize a script that's been pushed into their hands.

You can have the unique experience of telling your story, shaping your role, playing your scene, screening your movie and shaping it in edit, and this experience will stay with you the rest of your life.