Quick answer: Shortform improv is game-based: short scenes, each built around a rule, usually introduced by a host with audience suggestions. Longform improv skips the games and builds a 20–40 minute piece of connected scenes from one suggestion, with the Harold as its best-known structure. Both use the same core skills.
If you’ve spent any time around improv, you’ve heard people talk about “shortform” and “longform.” They’re the two main styles of improv performance, and they feel very different to watch and to play. Here’s a plain-English guide to both.
What is shortform improv?
Shortform is improv built around games. Each scene is short, usually a few minutes, and has a clear rule or gimmick. A host introduces the game, takes a suggestion from the audience, and the performers play until the game hits its peak.
If you’ve seen improv on TV, you’ve seen shortform. Games like New Choice (where the host makes a performer change their last line), Half Life (where a scene is replayed in half the time, again and again) and Four Corners (where four scenes rotate on the host’s call) are all classic shortform.
What makes it fun: high energy, quick laughs, lots of audience participation. The host keeps the show moving and the audience knows the rules of each game, so they’re in on the joke.
What it teaches: commitment, energy, quick thinking and working within a structure.
What is longform improv?
Longform drops the games. Instead, performers create a longer piece, often 20 to 40 minutes, from a single suggestion. Scenes connect to each other: characters come back, themes repeat, and ideas from early scenes pay off later.
The best-known longform structure is the Harold, a form with three rounds of scenes broken up by group games. Other forms include the Montage (a string of scenes inspired by a suggestion) and the Monoscene (one long scene in one location).
What makes it fun: the satisfaction of seeing everything tie together, and scenes that can be funny, strange or even touching.
What it teaches: patience, character work, relationships and finding the “game” of a scene on your own rather than having it handed to you.
What are the key differences between shortform and longform?
| Shortform | Longform | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | A few minutes per scene | 20 minutes or more |
| Structure | A defined game for each scene | A form that connects many scenes |
| Host | Usually a host or caller | Performers edit themselves |
| Laughs | Steady, quick laughs | Builds toward bigger payoffs |
Frequently asked questions
Is shortform or longform improv better for beginners?
Many beginners find shortform easier to start with, because each game has clear rules. But the core skills are the same, and most classes teach both.
What are examples of shortform improv games?
Popular shortform games include New Choice, Half Life, Four Corners and Freeze Tag. Each has a simple rule that the host explains to the audience.
What is the most common longform improv format?
The Harold is the most famous longform structure. Others include the Montage and the Monoscene. See The Harold explained.
Where can I learn improv in Orlando?
Improv U runs a $10 drop-in class every Tuesday in Winter Park, plus a free Monday Jam and an advanced performance course.
Which style should beginners try first?
Neither is “better,” and the core skills are the same: listen, agree, add and make your partner look good. Many people start with shortform games because the structure makes it easier to jump in. Our drop-in classes mix both, so you’ll get a taste of each.
If you want to dig into shortform, our free Shortform Manual explains how to perform and host shortform games, with tips for callers and players. Ready to perform? Our Advanced Improv for Performance course ends with a featured performance at the Monday Jam.
Author: Anthony Francis
Anthony Francis is the founder and artistic director of Improv U. Since 2012, he has taught and directed improv for actors and professionals, and has led improv-based team building for companies over the same stretch. He performs in The Unwritten Sketch Show, The Comedy Game Show and ANT FARM, and loves every corner of the art form, from longform and shortform to musical and solo improv.