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Improv Rules for Creating
Award-Winning Content
Tim Washer
@timwasher
#CMWorld
The main evolutionary
significance of humor is that it
gets us from the closed mode
to the open mode quicker than
anything else.
John Cleese
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Building a Creative Culture
① The Open Mode / Tortoise Mind
② How Comedy Works
③ 5 Quick Fixes
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
1 The Open Mode
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
When you're in the open mode,
nothing will stop you so
effectively as the fear of
making a mistake.
John Cleese
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
There are no
mistakes,
only gifts.
Improv Principle
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Reframe Mistakes
① Internal recognition for big risks that failed
② Email from the CMO
③ Improv class as corporate training
④ Cascade cases of Success through Failure
• PBS Digital Studios http://s.hbr.org/1EH0PUc
• 3M Post-It http://n.pr/1phmnx6
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
2 How Comedy Works
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Juxtaposition
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Suggestion 1 Suggestion 2
Attributes
Circus Bacon
Creepy
Circus
Clowns
Shovel
Trapeze
Pigs
Bacon
Farm
Ham
Eggs
Rooster
The Shining
Confetti
Juxtaposition
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Clowns Farm
Attributes
• Rainbow hair
• Giant shoes
• Makeup
• Packed into car
• Balloons
• Farmer
• Livestock
• Early risers
• Rooster
• Tractor
Food
Temperature
Smarter Planet:
Food safety
salmonella
Farm to Fork
On Star
Trucks
Supply chain
chicken
Cooking class
https://youtu.be/1DAR5wW19Eg
https://youtu.be/1DAR5wW19Eg
6X capacity
ASR 9000
6.4 TB
/second
Launch Date:
Feb 9th
Price:
$80k - $250k
Forrest Gump= 200 feature
films/ second
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
http://youtu.be/Z1xKpm0nURk
Mark Twain
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
To get the right word
in the right place
is a rare achievement.
Oh Caption, My Caption
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
① Clarity
② Economy
③ Inspiration
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
Rule of Threes
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
The first two items in the series establish the pattern. Then
the third item delivers the hard left turn punch.
x
y
Rule of Threes
INBOUND15
The Breakers
Newport, R.I.
Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s
summer cottage boasts
138,000 sq ft, 70 rooms
and 1½ baths.
Irony
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
INBOUND15
Built in 1068 by William the
Conqueror, who embroidered
“Home is where the heart is”
on his welcome mat
Clifford’s Tower
York, England
@timwasher
Contrast
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
INBOUND15
What’s the club’s policy on
roasting marshmallows?
Patterns
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
INBOUND15
WARNING: Beware of bears
making announcements
INBOUND15
Waited here for 10 minutes
before I realized this wasn’t a
Cinnabon
Rijksmuseum Schiphol
Airport
@timwasher
3 5 Quick Fixes
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Shrink the Committee
① Narrow scope of committee’s input
② Build relationships over coffee
③ Ask: “How can I help my ‘partner’ be successful?
④ Find the right champion
⑤ Play in the sandbox
⑥ Move messaging to the blog post, not the video
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Story, not Adjectives
① Find an anecdote that represents the attribute (e.g. Agile)
② The specifics create a connection with the audience
③ Make the case rather than making a claim
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
Abandon the Studio
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
https://shar.es/1vF9UP
Show, Don’t Tell
① “before/after” case format with results
② Film sit-down interview first. Builds trust.
③ Shoot rich, visual B-Roll
④ “How it Works” animation creates a learning experience
⑤ Avoid conclusions and superlatives
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
https://youtu.be/o7qUny6tNJc
Publish Weekly
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me.
All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste.
But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not
that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your
taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is
why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase,
they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went
through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing
that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting
out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most
important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline
so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a
volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good
as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than
anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile.
You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
Ira Glass
Tim Washer
@ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
www.timwasher.com

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Improv Rules for Creating Award-Winning Content

  • 1. Improv Rules for Creating Award-Winning Content Tim Washer @timwasher #CMWorld
  • 2. The main evolutionary significance of humor is that it gets us from the closed mode to the open mode quicker than anything else. John Cleese @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 3. Building a Creative Culture ① The Open Mode / Tortoise Mind ② How Comedy Works ③ 5 Quick Fixes @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 4. 1 The Open Mode @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 5. When you're in the open mode, nothing will stop you so effectively as the fear of making a mistake. John Cleese @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 6. There are no mistakes, only gifts. Improv Principle @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 7. Reframe Mistakes ① Internal recognition for big risks that failed ② Email from the CMO ③ Improv class as corporate training ④ Cascade cases of Success through Failure • PBS Digital Studios http://s.hbr.org/1EH0PUc • 3M Post-It http://n.pr/1phmnx6 @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 8. 2 How Comedy Works @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 9. Juxtaposition @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld Suggestion 1 Suggestion 2 Attributes Circus Bacon
  • 11. Juxtaposition @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld Clowns Farm Attributes • Rainbow hair • Giant shoes • Makeup • Packed into car • Balloons • Farmer • Livestock • Early risers • Rooster • Tractor
  • 12.
  • 13. Food Temperature Smarter Planet: Food safety salmonella Farm to Fork On Star Trucks Supply chain chicken Cooking class
  • 15. 6X capacity ASR 9000 6.4 TB /second Launch Date: Feb 9th Price: $80k - $250k Forrest Gump= 200 feature films/ second
  • 16. @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld http://youtu.be/Z1xKpm0nURk
  • 17. Mark Twain @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement.
  • 18. Oh Caption, My Caption @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld ① Clarity ② Economy ③ Inspiration A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
  • 19. Rule of Threes @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld The first two items in the series establish the pattern. Then the third item delivers the hard left turn punch.
  • 21. INBOUND15 The Breakers Newport, R.I. Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s summer cottage boasts 138,000 sq ft, 70 rooms and 1½ baths.
  • 22. Irony @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 23. INBOUND15 Built in 1068 by William the Conqueror, who embroidered “Home is where the heart is” on his welcome mat Clifford’s Tower York, England @timwasher
  • 24. Contrast @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 25. INBOUND15 What’s the club’s policy on roasting marshmallows?
  • 26. Patterns @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 27. INBOUND15 WARNING: Beware of bears making announcements
  • 28. INBOUND15 Waited here for 10 minutes before I realized this wasn’t a Cinnabon Rijksmuseum Schiphol Airport @timwasher
  • 29. 3 5 Quick Fixes @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 30. Shrink the Committee ① Narrow scope of committee’s input ② Build relationships over coffee ③ Ask: “How can I help my ‘partner’ be successful? ④ Find the right champion ⑤ Play in the sandbox ⑥ Move messaging to the blog post, not the video @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 31. Story, not Adjectives ① Find an anecdote that represents the attribute (e.g. Agile) ② The specifics create a connection with the audience ③ Make the case rather than making a claim @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 32. Abandon the Studio @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 34. Show, Don’t Tell ① “before/after” case format with results ② Film sit-down interview first. Builds trust. ③ Shoot rich, visual B-Roll ④ “How it Works” animation creates a learning experience ⑤ Avoid conclusions and superlatives @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 36. Publish Weekly @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld
  • 37. “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” Ira Glass
  • 38. Tim Washer @ TimWash er • # CMWor ld www.timwasher.com

Editor's Notes

  1. https://youtu.be/1DAR5wW19Eg
  2. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”
  3. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”
  4. Get out of the office… and out of the knecktie