...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Improv
- 452 statements
- 83 feature instances
- 165 referencing feature instances
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Improv, short for Improvisation, is the act of going off-roading from the set script and making up entire chunks of dialogue or characterisation. This is similar to an ad-lib (a short — usually one or two lines — deviation), but here the connotations are that it happens frequently, if not actually the entire acting method. This varies wildly from individual lines to half of the script. Many examples of Throw It In! are because of this, with the actor just goofing around with the script in between takes. It can also be used to produce Enforced Method Acting, if one actor is turned loose to improvise in order to get a realistic reaction from another actor. "Theatresports" is a related concept, that's organised improvisational theatre, where teams of players perform brief 'games' for points. Note that this trope is not always a good thing. If done poorly and without moderation, improvisation may lead to meandering and repetitive performances and conversations that could drag out scenes for far longer than they should. It may also often result in bombastic performances that may not be appropriate for the scene as it was conceived. One way to see where a show or movie tends to use this is when there are Hilarious Outtakes and a certain line changes depending on the take that was used. Compare Harpo Does Something Funny where the script has a gap left with only the instruction "[actor] does something funny here." Examples |
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Improv / int_10254bd5 | type |
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Improv / int_10254bd5 | comment |
The Thick of It was composed from several takes: in the first, the script was followed exactly, and later the actors would improvise around the original script. The final scene is pieced together from the funniest elements of both (which is why the camerawork sometimes looks jumpier than the usual Jitter Cam). | |
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The Thick of It | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_138d13a2 | type |
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The Tritone Gambit: RPG games in general tend to be improvisational in nature, so this actual play podcast is certainly made up as the players go along. | |
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The Tritone Gambit (Podcast) | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_1ab4b6a9 | type |
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Rocher Hotel is a podcast consisting entirely of Improv games and Murder Mystery-type games. | |
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Rocher Hotel (Podcast) | hasFeature |
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And Voyage to the Stars. | |
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Voyage to the Stars (Podcast) | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_2350acad | type |
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When auditioning for Cheers, John Ratzenberger originally read for the role of Norm. After badly botching his audition, he asked the producers if the show included a bar know-it-all, and proceeded to wander around the room ad-libbing lines that might be appropriate for such a character. A week later, he was called back and offered the newly-written role of Cliff. | |
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Cheers | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_23e3e3c1 | type |
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Improv / int_23e3e3c1 | comment |
Don't Think Twice, being a film about an improv comedy troupe, naturally focuses on improv. The bonus features mention the difficulty of keeping the scenes that are improv in-universe fresh, while still being consistent enough for the camera. | |
Improv / int_23e3e3c1 | featureApplicability |
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Don't Think Twice | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_24ffd341 | type |
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Charlie's rants in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia were improvised on the spot. In later seasons he was paired more often with Dee because she was more able to roll with it without breaking on camera. | |
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_261c8d3f | type |
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Parodied in The Simpsons, where an improv team is given "A Starbucks in Serbia" as their setting. "I'll have a coffee" "That'll cost $8. This is Starbucks!" (audience mildly amused) "... In Serbia!" (rocking laughter). In "You Only Move Twice", much of Hank Scorpio's dialogue was improvised by Albert Brooks. This is particularly clear in the "hammock district" conversation, where Dan Castellaneta is obviously just trying to keep up with Brooks. |
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The Simpsons | hasFeature |
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Parks and Recreation is shot on digital video rather than film to let the actors improvise at length without the high cost of film stock. | |
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Parks and Recreation | hasFeature |
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The Comedy Store Players- London. Many of the early cast of the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? started off there, and the BBC radio show The Masterson Inheritance is basically one long Players sketch per episode. | |
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Whose Line Is It Anyway? | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_2bc4b3f4 | type |
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Improv / int_2bc4b3f4 | comment |
Each episode of Hello, from the Magic Tavern is improvised. So is Mission to Zyxx, which was directly inspire by Hello From the Magic Tavern. And Voyage to the Stars. |
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Improv / int_2bc4b3f4 | featureApplicability |
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Hello, from the Magic Tavern (Podcast) | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_2dec4b1c | type |
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In Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, Lisa Kudrow made up the entire glue formula on the spot. | |
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Romy and Michele's High School Reunion | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_2e1df124 | type |
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Wreck-It Ralph: Unlike most animated films, the principal actors regularly recorded audio sessions together in the same room, a situation which led to a lot of improvising. | |
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Wreck-It Ralph | hasFeature |
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Community is fond of this. | |
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Community | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_39dced99 | type |
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The Gamers Live is improvised with Audience Participation. | |
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The Gamers Live (Web Video) | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_3e5de40b | type |
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Improv / int_3e5de40b | comment |
The Janitor on Scrubs was not originally supposed to be a recurring character, so many of his scenes were improvised by Neil Flynn, which added to the Cloudcuckoolander behavior of the character. In many other instances the other actors would also improvise reaction lines and other moments. At the end of most of the later episodes, you see earlier versions of some of the scenes where the dialogue gets progressively weirder/more inappropriate/just plain stupider until one of the actors breaks character and goes 'Oh, God, we can't use that!' |
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Scrubs | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_3f3abe9 | type |
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Episode 8 of Rick and Morty, "Rixty Minutes", includes several long scenes where the actors improvise interdimensional television shows. | |
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Rick and Morty | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_3f5f4ea2 | type |
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Improv / int_3f5f4ea2 | comment |
Certain short, one-or-two-minute scenes in the Austin Powers movies were edited together from literally hours of footage of the actors improvising off each other. One scene of note was the initial scene at the Evils' table in Austin Powers in Goldmember, where Seth Green and Mike Myers just kept on playing until the cameras ran out of film. | |
Improv / int_3f5f4ea2 | featureApplicability |
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Austin Powers | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_455dd62c | type |
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The regular troupe of The Carol Burnett Show would regularly go Off the Rails, and the resulting Throw It In! featured the comedians failing to keep a straight face. | |
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The Carol Burnett Show | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_48be34f0 | type |
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In the German show Schillerstrasse, everything is improv'ed. Really: the actors knows only the beginning of the episode, and they receive instructions via headphones. It was so popular that it spawned similar shows in other countries. | |
Improv / int_48be34f0 | featureApplicability |
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Schillerstrasse | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_4b790c79 | type |
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Improv / int_4b790c79 | comment |
Most of the dialogue in Iron Man was ad-libbed with encouragement from Jon Favreau who approved of the "naturalistic feel." The film was subjected to so many numerous re-writes that the script changed daily. In the end, scenes were shot with a skeletal script outlining important plot points and action with the actors creating the lines as they went. Robert Downey Jr., who joked about balling up the script and throwing it against the wall on numerous television appearances, was credited for improvising many of the movie's notable moments, including Tony Stark's speech for the "Jericho" demonstration and getting the reporters to sit on the floor at the press conference. Jeff Bridges had no idea what to make of this approach, as he was used to meticulous learning of lines and parts, and struggled horribly with Robert and Jon's improv skill...until he retrained himself to think of it as "making a $200 millon student film". |
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Improv / int_4b790c79 | featureApplicability |
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Iron Man | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_4d5b6107 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_4d5b6107 | comment |
In The Usual Suspects, Fenster's bizarre mumbling accent was entirely improvised by Benicio del Toro, who felt the character as written was boring and one-dimensional. With the change, it ended up being del Toro's first breakout role. | |
Improv / int_4d5b6107 | featureApplicability |
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The Usual Suspects | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_4efd20ba | type |
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Improv / int_4efd20ba | comment |
Paul Rugg's audition to provide the voice of Freakazoid! went way, way off-script. Nearly all of it was then animated as part of the first episode, "Dance of Doom." Some episodes were written with a Paul Harvey-type narrator. Paul Rugg, warming up his Paul Harvey impression, would say things like "smack me with a handle" or "I think there's a thuuuuuuumbtack under my fanny!" and, as before, was surprised to see it had been animated as part of the episode. |
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Freakazoid! | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_58640234 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_58640234 | comment |
Apparently, Rick Moranis also ad-libbed a few of Wayne's scenes with Adam in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid whenever the child playing Adam refused to co-operate, including Wayne pretending to be a waiter when the kid starting insisting he wanted to go to a restaurant. | |
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Honey, I Blew Up the Kid | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_599703c7 | type |
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Improv / int_599703c7 | comment |
One word: Pantomimes. Main Actor needs a glass of water? He gets one then procedes to be silly about it. Actress playing the Fairy Godmother's wand breaks? She gets another one and then claims that she always carries a spare. They live off this trope. | |
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Pantomime | hasFeature |
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All the dialog from Home Movies was done this way to make it sound like three kids talking in real life. Even the scripts only had small notes on them and jokes to fall back on if the voice actors couldn't think of anything to say. | |
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Home Movies | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_608516dc | type |
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In Mars Attacks! no dialogue was written for the Martians so Frank Welker made up his own language for them. | |
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Mars Attacks! | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_63af2780 | type |
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All of Real-Time Fandub is done... well, in real-time. The only times the cast pauses is if they're laughing too hard to continue, like after the infamous "pissing on the moon"-rant from their dub of Sonic Adventure 2. | |
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Real-Time Fandub (Web Video) | hasFeature |
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In Gremlins the script had very little written for the Gremlins, so the voice actors made up a bunch of stuff they thought was funny for them to say; Frank Welker (voice of Stripe and others) said that he just made a bunch of random noises into the microphone. The recording staff thought it was so good they decided to leave it in and had the others follow on his example. | |
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Gremlins | hasFeature |
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Outnumbered, a British sitcom about life with three kids, uses a fair amount of improvisation. It produces remarkably realistic acting from the child actors, as they're allowed and encouraged to say things in their own words. | |
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Outnumbered | hasFeature |
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All of Sorry (2023) is this. The five person only follow a specific premise for their videos and nothing else. They make so many jokes and bits while filming that they have a separate channel dedicated to outtakes alone. | |
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Sorry (2023) (Web Video) | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_6d27b424 | comment |
Another famous example of improv is the Mockumentary This is Spın̈al Tap. The movie had no script; the actors simply got into character and improv'ed for hours. Rob Reiner shot several hours of footage which was distilled down into the movie itself; hours of outtakes have been included on the various DVD sets. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer found they enjoyed this formula so much that they went on to make a number of other improv-ed mockumentaries, including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. Most of the ensemble cast in these movies started out in improv comedy groups such as the famous Second City. |
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Mockumentary | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_72262aee | type |
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In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sokka was supposed to be a more serious warrior character. However, the improvisation of his All That cast-member voice-actor lead to him becoming the Plucky Comic Relief. | |
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Avatar: The Last Airbender | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_7950b30f | type |
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Improv / int_7950b30f | comment |
Though more scripted than most, at least in its final form, The Colbert Report is grounded firmly in improv, with much of the show being done 'on the fly'; host Stephen Colbert trained at the famous Second City and carried that training with him throughout his career, and Second City's "say yes to everything" motto permeates the Report as well. | |
Improv / int_7950b30f | featureApplicability |
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The Colbert Report | hasFeature |
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The scripts of The Mighty Boosh are only loosely written, usually only specifying a few things the actors need to say to further the plot, with much of the rest being improvised. The performers often change their lines between takes to keep their delivery fresh. This is even more the case with the original radio show which was less rehearsed than the TV show. | |
Improv / int_7ec0cdab | featureApplicability |
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The Mighty Boosh | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_7f15dc45 | type |
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Ella Fitzgerald was performing "Mack the Knife" for her live Berlin album, but forgot all the words after the first verse. She quickly improvised new lines and a scat solo, keeping up perfectly with the rhythm section. The final cut was so good that she got a Grammy for it. This is, incidentally, why most performances of "Mack the Knife" are now largely incomprehensible: the song's origins as a murder ballad from Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper are now forgotten by singers who sing it as an opportunity to mention everyone else who's ever sung it. | |
Improv / int_7f15dc45 | featureApplicability |
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Ella Fitzgerald (Music) | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_82439e64 | type |
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Improv / int_82439e64 | comment |
In The Office (US), all the actors are given complete scripts, but are allowed to improvise as they go along. The greatest adlib in the series is the kiss between Michael and Oscar, in Michael's failed attempt to show how tolerant he is of Oscar's homosexuality. | |
Improv / int_82439e64 | featureApplicability |
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The Office (US) | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_82aea02d | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_82aea02d | comment |
In Give My Regards to Broad Street, many of Ringo Starr's lines are ad-libs. Possibly the majority. | |
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Give My Regards to Broad Street | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_84ae7619 | type |
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Improv / int_84ae7619 | comment |
Most of the script of Secrets & Lies was improvised. Writer/director Mike Leigh told each of the actors what his/her part in the story was and they each developed their own characters. As filming progressed the actors were hearing the secrets for the very first time. | |
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Secrets & Lies | hasFeature |
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Improv / int_880276e0 | type |
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Improv / int_880276e0 | comment |
The famous "you talking to me?" monologue in Taxi Driver was completely improvised by Robert De Niro. The original script just said "Travis looks in the mirror". | |
Improv / int_880276e0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_880276e0 | featureConfidence |
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Taxi Driver | hasFeature |
Improv / int_880276e0 | |
Improv / int_8e193f0b | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_8e193f0b | comment |
Part of the reason Eric Matthews on Boy Meets World went through heavy flanderization was to utilize Will Friedle's improv skills by having Eric do crazier and crazier things. In "Seven the Hard Way", Will asked the prop department for a lollipop on a string which led to one of the series funniest moment of Eric pulling a lollipop out of his beard and licking it. | |
Improv / int_8e193f0b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_8e193f0b | featureConfidence |
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Boy Meets World | hasFeature |
Improv / int_8e193f0b | |
Improv / int_8e7eb681 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_8e7eb681 | comment |
Ask That Guy with the Glasses. Doug admitted he turned his morals off to answer the questions, but still refused to go anywhere that would spread hate instead of mock it. | |
Improv / int_8e7eb681 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_8e7eb681 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ask That Guy with the Glasses (Web Video) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_8e7eb681 | |
Improv / int_8fd43a81 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_8fd43a81 | comment |
Many guests on the Colgate Comedy Hour preferred this over following the script. | |
Improv / int_8fd43a81 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_8fd43a81 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Colgate Comedy Hour | hasFeature |
Improv / int_8fd43a81 | |
Improv / int_974f7efb | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_974f7efb | comment |
Evidently, the same can be said of The Drew Carey Show, quite a few cast members appeared on both shows. Ryan Stiles appeared on the British version of Whose Line, before appearing on the US version, and The Drew Carey Show. The "Drew Live" episodes were at least partially improvised. | |
Improv / int_974f7efb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_974f7efb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Drew Carey Show | hasFeature |
Improv / int_974f7efb | |
Improv / int_995508b0 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_995508b0 | comment |
Monsters was shot opportunistically, with little to no outline of scenes and their direction. The two actors were given a general outline of scenes and simply interacted with one another and the other cast members, all whom are not actors. All the scenes and shots were improvised as well. | |
Improv / int_995508b0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_995508b0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Monsters (2010) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_995508b0 | |
Improv / int_9b3518ef | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_9b3518ef | comment |
It is rumored, but not true, that Johann Sebastian Bach improvised most of his fugal works. Bach was a genius improviser, able to improvise three-part fugues, and once did so on command for Frederick the Great, but while a few of his fugues might be written-out improvisations, most of them were through-composed. | |
Improv / int_9b3518ef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_9b3518ef | featureConfidence |
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Johann Sebastian Bach (Music) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_9b3518ef | |
Improv / int_9c8985c6 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_9c8985c6 | comment |
BBC radio show The Masterson Inheritance is improvised from a set of plot elements given by the audience. (It shares a few cast members with Whose Line...) | |
Improv / int_9c8985c6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_9c8985c6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Masterson Inheritance (Radio) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_9c8985c6 | |
Improv / int_9d189394 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_9d189394 | comment |
Mock the Week, created by the same people as Whose Line, mixes this with a satirical Panel Show. | |
Improv / int_9d189394 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_9d189394 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Mock the Week | hasFeature |
Improv / int_9d189394 | |
Improv / int_9dab421d | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_9dab421d | comment |
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: A lot of Jack Sparrow's mannerisms were not actually written into the script, but improvised by Johnny Depp. Sparrow's epic ending line "Now, bring me that horizon" was also an improv. In fact, Depp's whole demeanor differs greatly from the creators' original vision of the character; he was intended as a far more conventional dashing rogue. When Depp interpreted the character differently, Michael Eisner even went so far as to say he was ruining the film. Depp's response was essentially "Trust me or fire me." Depp said himself that he chose to add the 'campness' as he thought that the other actors applying for the role were better than him. He chose to just go crazy and have fun. He also claims that his portrayal of the character has liberal doses of Keith Richards mixed in. (And then Keith Richards was cast as Jack's father. Win?) Apparently the reference to Will being a eunuch was also an improvised line that was kept in the script, and expanded upon as a Running Gag. |
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Improv / int_9dab421d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_9dab421d | featureConfidence |
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | hasFeature |
Improv / int_9dab421d | |
Improv / int_9e79ca6f | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_9e79ca6f | comment |
The most spectacular Sellers example might be The Party, which was mostly improvised from an outline provided to him and the other actors with the director's help. | |
Improv / int_9e79ca6f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_9e79ca6f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Party | hasFeature |
Improv / int_9e79ca6f | |
Improv / int_9ea4ee1b | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_9ea4ee1b | comment |
While not a great film, The Score did have its moments. Several of them were the back and forth between Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, who were purposely given only key points to hit in dialogue and then simply left in front of a camera. | |
Improv / int_9ea4ee1b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_9ea4ee1b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Score | hasFeature |
Improv / int_9ea4ee1b | |
Improv / int_a183d57f | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_a183d57f | comment |
Similarly, John DiMaggio "composed" the "songs" that Bender whistles in Futurama. | |
Improv / int_a183d57f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_a183d57f | featureConfidence |
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Futurama | hasFeature |
Improv / int_a183d57f | |
Improv / int_a506a38b | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_a506a38b | comment |
One of the most famous comedy line improvs appeared in the movie Wayne's World. During a scene where the main characters Wayne and Garth are sitting atop their car watching airplanes take off, when suddenly Garth asks a strange question: As it turns out, the entire exchange was improvised. Dana Carvey visibly snickers right before asking the initial question and Mike Myers bursts out laughing after responding. The director decided it was too funny to cut and so left it in the final version. |
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Improv / int_a506a38b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_a506a38b | featureConfidence |
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Wayne's World | hasFeature |
Improv / int_a506a38b | |
Improv / int_a535581a | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_a535581a | comment |
In The Emperor's New Groove, Patrick Warburton improvised when Kronk hummed his own theme song when he was carrying Kuzco in the bag to the waterfall. Disney legal department had Patrick to sign all rights to the humming composition over to them. Similarly, John DiMaggio "composed" the "songs" that Bender whistles in Futurama. |
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Improv / int_a535581a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_a535581a | featureConfidence |
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The Emperor's New Groove | hasFeature |
Improv / int_a535581a | |
Improv / int_a9299e4d | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_a9299e4d | comment |
Wellington Paranormal: Much of O'Leary and Minogue's in-car conversation while driving between plot points is ad libbed. | |
Improv / int_a9299e4d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_a9299e4d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Wellington Paranormal | hasFeature |
Improv / int_a9299e4d | |
Improv / int_b0fcce7 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_b0fcce7 | comment |
In the film of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (as opposed to the TV series) this also comes up in what is probably the film's single genuinely funny scene. Buffy stakes the Big Bad's second in command. The scene as written simply required Paul Reubens to say "You're gonna wish you died" and then slide out of shot. Which he did. And then, two seconds later, stood up again with stake still in his chest, putting on a bunch of fake but hilarious "ah, ooh, eee, ah, ooh!" noises and even looking directly at Swanson for one second before going off at it again. The fact the shot was ad-libbed is clearly visible in Kristy Swanson and Rutger Hauer's faces: Swanson turns to someone offscreen as if querying what's going on — and the shot cuts to Hauer, on whom another camera was already rolling, and who has a vaguely amused look on his face and who shrugs as if to say "Just roll with it." Which they did, and the shot stayed in. A part of the performance even got into a postcredits sequence. | |
Improv / int_b0fcce7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_b0fcce7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer | hasFeature |
Improv / int_b0fcce7 | |
Improv / int_b5a087d7 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_b5a087d7 | comment |
In a Robot Chicken commentary after the Star Wars parodies, Seth Green explains that they just let Breckin Meyer ramble for hours before they picked out the best bits for the Boba Fett segments. | |
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1.0 | |
Improv / int_b5a087d7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Robot Chicken | hasFeature |
Improv / int_b5a087d7 | |
Improv / int_b5f08143 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_b5f08143 | comment |
In Saving Private Ryan, the whole anecdote about the girl and the barn was ad libbed by Matt Damon. | |
Improv / int_b5f08143 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_b5f08143 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Saving Private Ryan | hasFeature |
Improv / int_b5f08143 | |
Improv / int_b6c9037f | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_b6c9037f | comment |
The Magnus Archives has two examples: The statements in episode 100 are unscripted, with the parts played by improv actors the team knew. The script for the scene of Helen begging for their life in episode 187 was intentionally left blank to encourage the actor to ad-lib it. |
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Improv / int_b6c9037f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_b6c9037f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Magnus Archives (Podcast) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_b6c9037f | |
Improv / int_ba9c900a | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_ba9c900a | comment |
Several scenes in Shame were partially or largely ad-libbed, including Brandon and Marianne's date, leading to an endearingly awkward and realistic conversation. | |
Improv / int_ba9c900a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_ba9c900a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Shame | hasFeature |
Improv / int_ba9c900a | |
Improv / int_bcdcf629 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_bcdcf629 | comment |
Most of the Constructicon's dialogue during their first appearance in Transformers: Animated was ad libbed by their voice-actors, as was a lot of other things, including Blitzwing's German accent the entirety of The Stinger in the season two finale. According to the Wiki, the entire final scene of "A Bridge Too Close" was improvised! |
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Improv / int_bcdcf629 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_bcdcf629 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Transformers: Animated | hasFeature |
Improv / int_bcdcf629 | |
Improv / int_bd3295b8 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_bd3295b8 | comment |
Pop Quiz Hotshot. The only things pre-written are the questions. Brad Jones as the host was far snarkier at this, while Doug Walker is more bouncy. | |
Improv / int_bd3295b8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_bd3295b8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Pop Quiz Hotshot (Web Video) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_bd3295b8 | |
Improv / int_c24a2f2b | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_c24a2f2b | comment |
SMPLive entirely runs on this. As said by Schlatt: | |
Improv / int_c24a2f2b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_c24a2f2b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
SMPLive (Web Video) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_c24a2f2b | |
Improv / int_c43df4d8 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_c43df4d8 | comment |
As Doctor Who actor Tom Baker was notorious for frequently going off-script during his tenure as the Fourth Doctor, Big Finish decided to roll with it when they got to him reprise his iconic role in Big Finish Doctor Who, and has intentionally left a blank space the scripts every once in a while, to allow Tom to improvise. | |
Improv / int_c43df4d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_c43df4d8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Doctor Who | hasFeature |
Improv / int_c43df4d8 | |
Improv / int_c4fdc024 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_c4fdc024 | comment |
Murderville, the American version of Murder In Successville, has improv as part of its premise. Every episode stars a different celebrity guest, who must improvise their way through a crime scene and murder investigation before deducing who the killer is. | |
Improv / int_c4fdc024 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_c4fdc024 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Murderville | hasFeature |
Improv / int_c4fdc024 | |
Improv / int_ccfef5a0 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_ccfef5a0 | comment |
FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman: Most of the dialogue between Ruff and the kids was done on the fly. In "How to Break the Ice and Also Waddle on it", Brian, Bethany, and Liza are sent to learn about the art of improvisation. |
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Improv / int_ccfef5a0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_ccfef5a0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman | hasFeature |
Improv / int_ccfef5a0 | |
Improv / int_cd1afa49 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_cd1afa49 | comment |
Along the same lines, the Australian series Thank God You're Here (which also aired versions in the USA, UK, and several other countries) tossed a celebrity into a scene that started with the title line, and provided only the set design and costume to give them any clue what their character was and what they were doing. The show was mostly improvised, with certain scripted touchpoints for the cast to hit to try to steer the scene in a particular direction. | |
Improv / int_cd1afa49 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_cd1afa49 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Thank God You're Here | hasFeature |
Improv / int_cd1afa49 | |
Improv / int_d063ec3b | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_d063ec3b | comment |
The Blair Witch Project: The actors were given no more than a 35-page outline of the mythology behind the plot before shooting began. All lines were improvised and nearly all the events in the film were unknown to the three actors beforehand, and were often on-camera surprises to them all. | |
Improv / int_d063ec3b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_d063ec3b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Blair Witch Project | hasFeature |
Improv / int_d063ec3b | |
Improv / int_d1115f53 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_d1115f53 | comment |
The night-time soap opera Knots Landing had an entire episode that was improvised by all the actors. The "script" for the episode merely gave the actors guidelines as to what should have happened by the time the episode was over, but in no way limited the actors on how they were supposed to accomplish their character's agenda. | |
Improv / int_d1115f53 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_d1115f53 | featureConfidence |
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Knots Landing | hasFeature |
Improv / int_d1115f53 | |
Improv / int_d14c3aa1 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_d14c3aa1 | comment |
Ghostbusters (1984) is famous for blurring the line between ad libs and scripted dialogue, with nearly half the dialogue cited as ad libs by the cast. Examples include the famous "Twinkie" scene, Peter's response of "so do I" when Egon says he blames himself for not testing their proton packs, and Egon's response of "that would have worked if you hadn't stopped me" when Peter refers to a Noodle Incident involving Egon trying to drill a hole in his head. Sigourney Weaver's ad libs include comparing Peter to "a game show host" (the original line was "a used-car salesman", but she observed that he actually bounces around like a game show host), and much of Rick Moranis's dialogue as Louis welcomes people to his party is improvised. | |
Improv / int_d14c3aa1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_d14c3aa1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ghostbusters (1984) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_d14c3aa1 | |
Improv / int_d14c8c60 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_d14c8c60 | comment |
Ghostbusters (2016) is majority ad-libbed, with whole scenes being nothing but half an hour takes of the cast just talking to each other that has been trimmed down and put on screen. | |
Improv / int_d14c8c60 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_d14c8c60 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ghostbusters (2016) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_d14c8c60 | |
Improv / int_d34f030c | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_d34f030c | comment |
Hero Club is a D and D podcast created by and starring actors with improv experience. Sound effects are added and parts are cut out, but the hosts Nick and George specifically mention how nothing is pre-written or planned out ahead of time with the players in the intro they put in each episode. They mention how D and D is like long-form improv in that intro as well. | |
Improv / int_d34f030c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_d34f030c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Hero Club (Podcast) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_d34f030c | |
Improv / int_d849efdf | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_d849efdf | comment |
In Being There, his response to the television producer's declaration of how many people will be watching him and the producer's reaction are also ad libs. | |
Improv / int_d849efdf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_d849efdf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Being There | hasFeature |
Improv / int_d849efdf | |
Improv / int_d99024a2 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_d99024a2 | comment |
Genesis had, by 1983 especially, recorded their albums "clean slate" (i.e.: no pre-written material) simply by jamming and improvising in their private studio, often using minimal sketched ideas or riffs by one of the band members (guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford once claimed in a TV documentary he sometimes isn't even told what key to play in), collecting the best ideas from the jams to make songs from. This even extended to writing lyrics out of the words and phonetics Phil made up on the spot while singing melodies over the jams. Apparently this was done as the bandmembers felt most of the magic from previous albums came from group-written jams, and they wanted to maintain a group dynamic and collective spirit. | |
Improv / int_d99024a2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_d99024a2 | featureConfidence |
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Genesis (Band) (Music) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_d99024a2 | |
Improv / int_e0f061e4 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_e0f061e4 | comment |
Ditto for Kingpin. | |
Improv / int_e0f061e4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_e0f061e4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Kingpin | hasFeature |
Improv / int_e0f061e4 | |
Improv / int_e21a575 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_e21a575 | comment |
Can's albums were built almost entirely from improvisation, and edited together into somewhat coherent songs after the fact. When Damo Suzuki was the lead vocalist, he often just made up his lyrics on the spot. | |
Improv / int_e21a575 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_e21a575 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Can (Music) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_e21a575 | |
Improv / int_e885c808 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_e885c808 | comment |
According to the commentary track on Spaceballs, Rick Moranis ad-libbed the entire "Dark Helmet playing with his action figures" scene. | |
Improv / int_e885c808 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_e885c808 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Spaceballs | hasFeature |
Improv / int_e885c808 | |
Improv / int_ea4f62db | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_ea4f62db | comment |
On Family Guy when Chris (Seth Green) works at the Quahog mini-mart, the conversations about movies with his boss, Carl (Jon Benjamin) were improvised. Note that all of H. Jon Benjamin's own series' involve large amounts of improv, Dr. Katz, Home Movies, and more recently Archer. And then there's the episode where Peter, Quagmire and Joe try to set up an improv group. It doesn't go well. |
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Improv / int_ea4f62db | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_ea4f62db | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Family Guy | hasFeature |
Improv / int_ea4f62db | |
Improv / int_ed3f1e4f | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_ed3f1e4f | comment |
Dice Funk: Podcasts and Dungeons & Dragons are both improvisational media, so it's no surprise that a D&D podcast is made up on the fly. | |
Improv / int_ed3f1e4f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_ed3f1e4f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Dice Funk (Podcast) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_ed3f1e4f | |
Improv / int_f4345923 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_f4345923 | comment |
Central to the legend — if not always the actual performance — of comedy team Bob & Ray. Their act began literally as two guys batting it around on-air, and never stopped sounding like it, regardless of an increasing reliance on scripts as their performance workload got heavier. | |
Improv / int_f4345923 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_f4345923 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Bob & Ray (Radio) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_f4345923 | |
Improv / int_fbc9b637 | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_fbc9b637 | comment |
In Transylvania 6-5000, much of the scene between John Byner and Carol Kane preparing the lunch was improvised. The script's only direction was 'cut fruit and serve'. | |
Improv / int_fbc9b637 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_fbc9b637 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Transylvania 6-5000 | hasFeature |
Improv / int_fbc9b637 | |
Improv / int_fc58aa8a | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_fc58aa8a | comment |
So is Mission to Zyxx, which was directly inspire by Hello From the Magic Tavern. | |
Improv / int_fc58aa8a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_fc58aa8a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Mission to Zyxx (Podcast) | hasFeature |
Improv / int_fc58aa8a | |
Improv / int_febc4d2c | type |
Improv | |
Improv / int_febc4d2c | comment |
Jones may have had more respect for the script of the The Fugitive, but he did the same thing while filming it—ad-libbing what became his character's defining line (and the film's most famous)—"I don't care!". And the fugitive himself, Harrison Ford, deliberately did not learn the lines for the scene where he's interrogated by the police, wanting his responses and reactions as their questions and attitude change from helpful to hostile to be as realistic as possible. | |
Improv / int_febc4d2c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Improv / int_febc4d2c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Fugitive | hasFeature |
Improv / int_febc4d2c |
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