Split-Screen
A split-screen is a form of improv scene, sometimes considered an improv edit.
Description
Two scenes take place on stage at the same time, and focus is shared via give and take.
How to do it
A split-screen scene works like this: it's when two scenes are happening at the same time, and you're shifting between them with focus, either parallel or contrasting in some way. As performers, you’re setting up these two separate worlds that exist simultaneously, and it’s your job to make sure the audience follows both without losing track.
So, let's say you start with two players in a scene, maybe they’re in a coffee shop, having a quiet conversation.
While that’s going on, someone from the backline enters the stage—usually, you want this person to be a bit of a contrast to the current scene.
They step into the open space, and face away from the scene. This signals to the team and audience that something new is coming.
They then initiate a new scene that has nothing to do with the coffee shop location. Maybe they say, “Well, your father is running late,” and they point to someone on the backline to join them. The new scene should be set somewhere else, like at a busy office, where now the player is playing the role of someone waiting for their dad, who’s late.
While this is happening, the original two players can either freeze, holding their last position or moment in the scene. The freeze is a simple way to show that time in their world is either paused or still moving. The two players might continue silently to give the audience a sense that their conversation is still going on in the background, or they might wait for a clear transition back to them. It's up to you and the scene.
One player from the original scene might call out to shift the scene back, maybe the player in the coffee shop comments from their point of view on something happening in the other world. The key is to make sure the scenes are distinct, and also that you're setting up a rhythm of switching focus. And from there, you just keep building the scenes, one after the other, each adding something to the mix.
You may continue the scenes in this rhythm, alternating between them. The key is that the scenes feel distinct and the transitions between them are clear.
Threeway Split
Once you're comfortable with a two-way split-screen, you can level up and add a third scene, creating a three-way split-screen. This takes a bit more coordination
Here’s how you would approach it: Let's say you’ve got two scenes running at once. One’s in a coffee shop, the other in an office.
Now, imagine a third player enters, again facing away from the ongoing scenes. This time, they set up a completely new world—maybe they're in a park, or a spaceship, or even in a car stuck in traffic.
The trick with three-way split-screens is managing the transitions between the three. One way to do it is by using a specific rhythm—let each scene have its moment before you switch to the next. You might start with Scene 1 for a few moments, cut to Scene 2, then switch to Scene 3. This gives you and the audience time to adjust to the new world each time.
External links
- An explanation of editing techniques by Jill Bernard.
