Groovy Image Factory

Age: 7 to adult
Players: Pairs, Whole Class
Time: 10-20 minutes
Skills: Mime and Movement, Speaking and Listening, Cooperation

(Previously known as Essence Machines)

Quickly generate repeating actions and sounds or words

Okay,GIF doesn’t usually mean Groovy Image Factory… but this is a drama game with repeating actions! It’s like a slice of an improvisation, looping over and over.

Pairs

Announce a phrase, such as The dog ate my homework, I want to be alone! or Get your act together! Give players 60 seconds to work out repeating actions and words. One player speaks the phrase and the other reacts dramatically. They should both move and react, and the action should loop over and over, like a tiny film clip. Instead of phrases, pairs can come up with a Groovy Image Factory to illustrate a well-known proverb, such as ‘The early bird catches the worm’, ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’ or ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’.

Another idea is song titles or lyrics.

Whole Group/Class

This is really fun! Stand in a circle and explain that we’re going to create one big Groovy Image Factory. Announce a theme (see ideas below) then one person at a time steps into the space to begin a repeating movement plus words/sounds. As others step forward, they should try to relate to players already in the space, so that a linked GIF with repetitive actions is built up. They can be people or objects which move.

For example, if the theme is shopping, the first participant could mime taking money out of a purse to give to an imaginary shopkeeper, whilst saying ‘I’ll have two of those, please.’ The next person could join the action by becoming the shopkeeper and saying ‘Shall I wrap them for you?’ Not everybody needs to be directly related; other players could be a cleaner in the shopping mall, a shoplifter, a lost child, an escalator and so on.

Director’s Tips

• Facial expressions and body language are really important in the pairs game
• Once the GIF is set up, FREEZE the action with a clap of the hands. Next, press an invisible button (and make a ‘BEEP’ noise) to start the machine again in slo-o-o-w motion (movement and sound). Stop it again and press the beep button TWICE which will make the machine move twice as fast
• Be careful not to let it go on for too long or get too busy and noisy. People who start off the game will soon get tired making their movements

Online

This can definitely be played online. Ask people to show you their ideas then add them in one at a time. We played this in a meeting of The Inspiring Drama Teacher and I was able to call out people’s names in a different order each time, which worked well (see the video).

Themes

• Book
• Emotion
• Film
• Folk tale
• Football match
• Halloween
• Historic event
• Hospital
• Job Centre
• Medieval Castle
• Poem
• Pirate ship
• Proverbs
• Restaurant
• Save the Earth
• School
• Song titles/lyrics
• A machine that actually makes something, like chocolate biscuits, school dinners or weather conditions

• Want to try this game out? We play lots of games in our monthly Zoom Meetings which come as part of The Inspiring Drama Teacher course. We often come up with new ideas between us!