Get the Most From Your Hypnosis Show Using Story (Part Two)

A large part of what we do as entertainment hypnotists is improv and part of improv is character development over time. Improvising characters for a hypnosis show is live storytelling. It can be an exciting and engaging way to create an entertaining story for your audience. Here’s a guide for how to improvise characters during your hypnosis show.

Start with a Basic Idea

  • Have a general idea for your story, such as a setting or a situation.
  • Think about the kind of characters you might find in that setting or situation. The different things they would do. 

Those different things become your callouts. Imagine it this way – you are doing a beach skit – what can different characters do on the beach?

Put on sunscreen

Have a drink

Get pooped on

Fan themselves

Sun tan

dance to music on beach

see a bird

see a hot person

go fishing

read a book

watch their phones

go windsurfing

Have them make something up… YEAH ASK YOUR VOLUNTEERS to give suggestions.

Those are all callouts and add to the story and can be called back upon later. 

Create Characters on the Spot:

  • Give your characters a name and some traits to make them memorable.
  • Think about how they talk, move, and act. What makes them unique? Use those aspects and make suggestions to make them behave in a specific way. Most volunteers will take your suggestion and roll with it. It is like improv – yes and….
  • Make the characters different from each other so they stand out. Each volunteer can be a star to someone in that audience so make them all stars if you can.

This could be done during a lot of skits and helps you guide your volunteers. 

Skits that this character building can be done easily with are:

  • Drill instructor
  • Cop
  • Karen

Any job that has prejudice traits.

Any trait that you can give someone also applies, are they mean, angry, sad, nice, way to happy, high, a bullshitter, a gossip. What traits can you give them to run throughout the show.

Give Them Goals and Motivations:

  • Think about what your characters want in the story (their goals)
  • Consider why they want these things (their motivations)
  • Let these goals and motivations guide their actions in the story.

What is the why of your character? Why does this skit lead to the next? What crisis are they trying to avert? Is it something small like they are out of milk for their cookies or is it a huge alien invasion? What dreams do your volunteers have both during your show and in real life. can you weave together a motivational comedy hypnosis show?  

Listen to Your Audience:

  • Pay attention to how your audience reacts to the characters.
  • If they laugh at a certain character, you can give that character a bigger role. Expand their skits.
  • If they seem bored, change things up to keep them interested. Move at a lightning speed.
  • Record your show every time and watch it back. If you have a spot after 15 shows that just is not working like you planned, either revamp that spot or completely get rid of it and introduce a new skit.

React in the Moment:

  • As you tell your story, your volunteers and audience should react to what’s happening. USE THIS! You are not that funny but seeing aunt lola act out of step is! The comedy of a hypnosis show comes from the volunteers. Seeing your co-worker do silly things is much more comedic than listening to a Hypnotist do a funny rehearsed speech.
  • Let them make decisions and solve problems in the story. 
  • Think about how your characters’ traits and goals influence their choices.

 

What does this even mean? Well in the case of no milk for cookies it may be a grocery store skit. Alien invasion? Maybe it’s a space trip and a fight of some kind in space with the aliens. Maybe it is a dance off to defeat the aliens or a war in space. It can lead anywhere but if you structure it right you know just where it will go.

Interact with the Audience:

  • Involve your audience in the story by getting audience interaction. Sounds from the audience, cues, and more involvement. Engagement is huge. The audience is not watching a movie they should be actively participating in your show!
  • Make sure your characters respond to the audience’s suggestions.

In the case of an alien invasion maybe they are the aliens and make laser sounds or do some other thing that creates more involvement. The cookies well maybe when they say something it cues the flavour of the cookie changing, who knows – make it up and try it! The only place a skit fails is when it is not put to use and worked on. You may have a turd but often times you can shine it up into gold.

Stay Open to Change:

  • Be ready to adjust your characters as the story goes along. What works for one show will not for another.
  • If the story takes a different direction, adapt your characters to fit. Use different suggestions with the ones you know that work and be creative.
  • Let your characters grow and change as the story progresses. The journey they go through as a character can lead to great developments for your show.

The best part of my show comes from the audience suggestions. Incorporating those into the show can be a huge asset to your story and help it grow and take on new life.

Keep Things Fun:

  • Use humor and surprises to keep the story interesting.
  • Make your characters expressive and engaging to entertain your audience.
  • Enjoy yourself and let your creativity flow!

Yes, just make up weird stuff. Weird is good. In my show I have an exploding unicorn that gives people superpowers and not-so-super powers. 

Improvising characters for live storytelling is all about being flexible and responsive. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at creating lively and memorable characters that bring your stories to life!

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