Like millions of viewers, Annie Chen once tuned in every
Thursday night to watch the latest episode of “Will &
Grace.”
Unlike other viewers, however, Chen has seen the show in its
most basic form, free of the flashy trappings of postproduction.
She has seen the actors flub their lines over and over again. She
has seen the lights, the cameras, the action.
Chen, a fourth-year sociology student, has been part of the
studio audience for two episodes of the popular sitcom.
She has also attended three tapings of “The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno,” two of “That 70’s Show,”
and numerous other programs.
She enjoys the experience for the chance to meet stars and peek
into the production of her favorite shows.
“It is supposed to be interactive ““
show-watching,” Chen said. “It’s not just passive
sitting at home watching your TV.”
Rachael Komulainen, group department manager for Audiences
Unlimited, a company that handles ticket distribution for many
sitcoms and award shows, estimates that 50 percent of her
company’s active clientele are college students.
She notes that students are drawn to the fact that tapings are a
fun and, more importantly, free way to socialize.
Being in such close proximity to Hollywood, UCLA students can
take advantage of their location to observe film and TV
production.
“I think there’s something special about being in
Los Angeles and being a part of an environment where a lot of shows
are being taped,” said Amy Wong, a fifth-year psychobiology
student and an RA for the third time.
She programmed a trip to the “The Price Is Right”
for her floor last year, during which one of the residents won
$1,000 and a couch. “It gives them a taste of the Los Angeles
media experience.”
Access to TV tapings can be as easy as a letter, an e-mail or a
phone call, but tickets for popular shows can be hard to get. For
“The Tonight Show,” tickets must be requested by mail
up to six weeks in advance, or tickets can be picked up early in
the morning at the NBC box office on the day of the taping.
However, tickets are first-come, first-served and are not
guaranteed.
Tickets and listings of tapings can be found at network Web
sites or from such companies as tvtickets.com or tvtix.com. The
variety of available tapings is diverse, including talk shows,
sitcoms, game shows and award shows.
While providing insight into a sometimes-distant Hollywood, TV
tapings also break down the barrier between the viewer and the
production process.
“When you watch the show on TV, it looks like a really
huge and dramatic experience. When you’re in there,
it’s really small. It’s not as glamorous,” Wong
said.
“Doing something live, everybody expects people to make a
mistake, and they do,” said Jerry Katzman, director of
industry relations at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and
Television. “It’s funnier, and it’s more
real,” Katzman said.
Chen agreed that mistakes are a particular highlight of the
experience. Tapings humanize the actors and make them easier to
relate to.
“It’s a really great insight to see them mess up and
see that they’re normal people, especially when they cuss on
stage, or when they joke around when they’re not
taping,” Chen said.
Tapings also give fans an opportunity to interact with the stars
they adore. Actors often greet the audience, giving hugs or taking
pictures after a day of filming is complete as a way of giving back
to their supporters.
“Audiences are what keeps the energy up for the
actors,” Komulainen said. “It is much more fun to have
a live audience and reaction to your jokes versus canned laughter.
The actors rely as much on the audience as the audience relies on
the actor. It’s a very give-give mutual situation.”
Even though the finished, televised product will only be 30
minutes or an hour long, the taping can take all day.
Wong says her group arrived in Burbank for “The Price is
Right” at 9 a.m. and did not depart the studio until 4 p.m.,
even though the actual taping only took one hour. Chen had similar
experiences, spending six hours in a studio for a taping of
now-defunct “Joey.”
“The biggest deterrent from going to more shows is that
they take up a lot of time,” Chen said.
However, the studio often gives prizes to the audience while
they wait. Chen received an iPod at “The Price Is
Right” during a game that rewarded the entire audience with a
prize. Other shows, such as “Ellen” and
“Oprah,” are known for their propensity to hand out
gifts to the audience.
Whether laughing at mistakes or winning prizes, the tapings
bring together fans with a ready-made sense of community.
“You are part of a dynamic of an audience that is there
with a certain passion for the show they’re watching,”
said Linda Voorhees, an assistant professor of screenwriting at
UCLA. “You’re surrounded by people who have that same
attitude, that same passion. It’s like being at a rock
concert times ten.”