Lesson 14 · Improv moves · 6 min · Escalation
Heightening: one step further, then another
Small → bigger → absurd, in clear steps
The big ideaHeightening means taking the funny idea and making it more so, step by step. Each step has to be a little bigger than the last, and still follow the same logic.
Watch the pro do it
Watch forA substitute teacher reads names from a roll call and gets every single one wrong, with more confidence and more anger each time. The pattern never changes; it just gets bigger. That's heightening.
Via Comedy Central on YouTube
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More pros doing it
Three comics fully commit to a silly premise, and each one pushes the bit a bit further than the last. That's 'Yes, And' in the wild.