by Mike Lawson
Staff Writer
A majority of college students want to have fun without spending too much money. Just about anyone can participate in the tapings of today’s most popular sitcoms and game shows.
Shows like “Wheel of Fortune,” “Donny & Marie,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Friends,” “The Drew Carey Show” and the game show “Greed” all can be viewed for free.
Television shows are always looking for energetic people to fill their studio audiences.
Sitcoms that are filmed in front of a live audience tape the audience’s laughter. The laughter is an important part of the sitcom.
Because laughter is so important, the studio must fill the audience with people. Studios give away an excess of tickets to compensate for no-shows. It is suggested that people arrive to the studio early. Most, if not all, ticket holders are admitted into the studio.
The process of filming a show can sometimes become repetitious. Most scenes are filmed two or three times. Although the audience has watched a scene multiple times, they are still expected to laugh. Actors occasionally foul up and from time to time parts of scripts have to be re-written. But, the audience does not just sit there quietly when the crew is working.
To help overcome the tedium, most shows hire a warm-up act. The warm-up act usually is a comedian, juggler or combination of the two.
The warm-up act is in charge of pumping up the audience before the show, in between scenes and during downtime.
“The comedian was almost better than the show,” said Sergio Lechuga, an Anaheim resident.
Lechuga was an audience member at a recent taping of the “Norm” show.
“Something is always going on,” said Lechuga. “When the audience is not watching a scene being taped they are being entertained by the comedian,” he said.
On the set laughter can always be heard. The atmosphere is similar to a comedy club, only with cameras.
Some of the comedian’s jokes, or the show’s content can be considered offensive to some people. Some shows have age restrictions. The age restrictions are set by the producers of the shows. Each show is different. Most shows require guests to be at least 16 or 18.
Some shows do not have a dress code. However, shows like “Greed” and “Whose Line is it Anyway?” where the audience is shown on camera, ask that guests refrain from wearing T-shirts or other clothing with large words or logos because they are easily seen on camera and can be distracting.
The production crew prefers as little distraction as possible. Most scenes are shot numerous times very quickly. While visiting a television show’s set, the audience should not expect to meet the cast of the show. However, from time to time, audiences may find a place for a handshake or an autograph.
On the set of “Norm,” audience members were watched by the comedian.
“Throughout the night he gave away signed scripts and T-shirts to people he thought were laughing good,” said Lechuga. Also, audience members were given a raffle ticket. During the show, raffles were held for a portable compact disc player and a Polaroid Joy Cam.
Tickets can be found on websites like “Free TV Tickets” http://tvtix.com and “Audience Unlimited” http://www.tvtickets.com.
These websites offer free tickets to a variety of shows that are filmed all over the greater Los Angeles area.
After the four-hour taping of “Norm,” Lechuga said that he felt like part of television magic. “I can’t wait to watch this episode on TV,” he said.
Lechuga and other members of the “Norm” audience are already planning their next visit to a sitcom taping.
