This class will mostly be a blend of how unscripted skills like The Improvised Movie and scene mechanics vastly assist filmmakers with their biggest hurdles (idea creation, consistent narrative structure/plot hole avoidance, etc.) and vice versa, the structure and accountability of the 3 steps of filmmaking (pre-production, principal photography & post-production) can vastly help the improviser in not only the quality of the shows but how better to approach the rehearsal process, getting on the same page of the kind of improv everyone wants to be doing and what I think are the 2 biggest questions about any art you're thinking of putting into the world: Who Is This For? & Where Does This Live?

Intensive Schedule:
Saturday (12/12) and Sunday (12/13)
10am -1pm
Meal Break
2pm - 5pm

Instructor:

Brian James O’Connell is a working actor, writer, director, filmmaker and teacher in Los Angeles.

After selling his feature film debut as a writer/director, KILLER VIEW (the only film shot on

disposable video), he followed it up by directing the 35mm Southern indie comedy ANGRY

WHITE MAN starring Matt Berry, Scoot McNairy, Steve Agee and Mary Birdsong.

BOC (as his friends call him) is part of the improv powerhouse & comedy collective Dr. God,

who delivered their first feature film project BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS in 2015, starring Fran

Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Joey Kern, Joel Murray, and Emma Fitzpatrick, which O’Connell directed

as well as co-writing the script with Dr. God. The film was the Opening Night Premiere at

Slamdance in 2015 and is available now on Amazon Prime after its 15 city theatrical run along

with a two year run on Showtime.

Seasons 1 & 2 of Dr. God's new animated series HELL DEN is currently available on SYFY

Channel where they serve as the Creator, Executive Producers, Producers, Directors and

Writers. (He voices GIANTIC, a frost giant represented only as a large bare foot.)

With multiple projects in development, BOC is currently pitching his pilot THE ANARCHIST

COOKBOOK (based on the book of the same name) under Executive Producer Emmet

McDermott (60 Second Docs, Netflix’s WHITE HOT: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch).

Brian travels the world teaching his expertise in The Deconstruction as part of his ALL IMPROV

courses and as a founding board member of Camp Improv Utopia. A main stage performer,

beloved bar manager, coach & teacher until the very end at iOWest (RIP), O’Connell is also

proud to be a Co-Founder of The Pack Theater, LA Weekly’s BEST OF LA Pick for “Best

Theater Company” two years in a row, a founding board member of Camp Improv Utopia and recently celebrated his one year anniversary joining the board of Baltimore’s Highwire Improv.

Please give him more stuff to do. It brings him joy.

Financial Assistance

We understand that financial circumstances can sometimes make participation challenging. Please know that your presence, voice and contributions are valued here, and we are committed to making our programs as accessible as possible.

We have a few ways to help folks experience our classes. First off, all of our volunteers can take up to one full level class every term. Our volunteers learn positions at the theater and agree to a regular schedule at either our box office, tech booth, or our HM position which helps get the shows started on time. If you have a skill or trade or item that could be of benefit the theater, we're open to talking to you about it. We also offer payment plans for more flexibility, look into them at check out.

If those options aren't helpful, we offer an inclusion scholarship that will help Rise best reflect Denver. If you feel that you have a perspective and experience that Rise could benefit from we offer scholarships each term for our leveled classes. Apply below.

Link to Scholarship Program: https://risecomedy.com/rise-comedy-inclusion-scholarship/

If you have circumstances beyond these options or would like more details on any of them please reach out to [email protected] with the subject "Financial Assistance"