Why Live TV Tapings in New York Aren’t Just For Tourists
The in-house comedian at ABC always asks where the audience is from when he’s warming them up before a live taping. And every time, the applause from people who are from New York is a lot more lackluster than that of people from literally anywhere else. That confuses me, because I feel like everyone entertainment-oriented lives here, whether they want to work in TV, digital media, or the performing arts. So why aren’t these people going to watch mass media creation as it happens?
Tickets to studio tapings for programs like Good Morning America, The View, and Late Night with Seth Meyers are all free online, so it’s a great form of entertainment that isn’t as expensive as everything else in New York. However, is it really worth standing outside for 2 hours on a weekday waiting to get loaded in, randomly assigned a seat, and having to act like you’re paying attention the entire time for the cameras? The time that these shows take up could be the issue — after all, people from New York work here and tourists are obviously on vacation, not working during the day. There are still multiple reasons for New Yorkers, especially film students, to also experience at least one taping.
Because so many of us are disillusioned by the constant (5 times a week) onslaught of daytime TV, actually going behind the scenes and seeing how it’s made can revamp the sense of wonder we find in this routine entertainment. This is the purpose of creating a show in the first place: to create a world so different inside the screen than it is in real life that it surprises those who get to see both. When you’re inside the studio, it is incredible how fast the crew is able to transition into different bits — the setup of the cameras means that something could be going on in one corner of the room and once a few cameras shift slightly to a different angle, none of what just happened can be seen and the talent can seamlessly move on to something new. This adds to how grand these sets seem on TV, versus the room that is a lot smaller in real life. The audience is closer together than it feels like they should be, and different segments all happen right next to each other.
The talent of the hosts on live shows is also unrivaled. They don’t get as much help as I thought they would, just given a few notes before doing their own thing — which has to happen perfectly live. It seems like a lot of pressure, but even when the cameras stop rolling they remain calm. Seeing the dynamic of a crew and actors who only get one shot gives insight into what life could be like as a director, dealing with all of the people that are running around in preparation to go live. Camerapeople need to be flexible to capture everything they expect and don’t expect to happen on air, and DPs plant all of the cameras in such a way that makes the room, audience, and talent seem larger than life. It’s inspiring to witness a group of people who, since they can manage this, can manage anything — with the refined skills brought on by daily flexibility and teamwork. This also teaches a lesson in set etiquette: being nice to everyone is important within the crew and cast because everyone on set has such a specific and vital job for the show to run smoothly.
As I sat in The View’s audience, trying not to even breathe on the $200,000+ Canon DigiSuper camera nearby, I was reminded that even though the content may be frivolous at times, the quality of live TV is always there. The well-oiled machine of an experienced television crew is always devoted to putting out a live-TV-worthy image with a setup that is so “extra,” you’d never see it elsewhere. A little bit of wonder can be found in those extravagant daytime TV sets combined with a focused crew that is devoted to creating the perfect episode when it comes time to go live.
