Tuesday (con’d)

However, after that failure to go to Warner Brothers for work purposes, I went for pleasure, to see the taping of one of my favourite comedy shows, ‘2 Broke Girls’. It’s is a show in its second season written by Michael Patrick King (of Sex and the City fame and hereafter referred to as ‘MPK’) and Whitney Cummings (who also has her own show, Whitney). I have heard good things about the taping of this show – that the cast are often looking to interact with the audience when not filming and that there is a party sort of atmosphere in the studio.

So I get there on time and the friends mother, even though she cannot meet me, has arranged for me to whisked through with the VIPs. I got a prime seat in the second row right in front of the diner set (where a lot of the action takes place) and a hearty thanks goes out to them for that.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but since the US shows are so different to ours in the UK, I thought that whatever happened, I would learn something. And I was right.
In the UK, our shows are often written and created by one person with occasional episodes (if it is a long-running show) written by another writer. And usually the producers (not the writers) are the ones to make sure the tone and the characters stay within the guidelines of the show and adhere to its overall style. Here in the US, however, shows often have teams of writers. Friends was known for the show being written by one person, but having the team contributing more and more lines to make the show even funnier, so that every line was a jewel in itself. This approach not only helps new writers get established in terms of being able to have their work produced to a high standard on some of the country’s best shows, but it also means that viewers are treated to the best TV. It means that when you are an actor on one of these shows, you can trust yourself to the lines, that they will be great, funny, sensitive, witty and above all, in keeping with your character, as well as leading to an overall objective. It means that you feel safe as an actor (which can be a rare quality).
The show is filmed before a live studio audience, in a format that can only be described as a ‘live theatre’ style – they rehearse (quickly) and then perform for us. All the sets needed for that particular episode are laid out in a line in front of you and you are encouraged to watch the action live in the sets (even if your view is slightly obscured) as then you are more likely to react ‘in the moment’. Often the non-used sets are hidden from view behind black screens, so your reaction to them when you first see them is genuine. There are also TV screens above your heads but as the show is recorded live, they don’t want you to watch them, otherwise (as we were told) people tend to react as though they are watching TV at home and so may well shout out or react in a way that is not appropriate for that particular scene. An example was given of an episode that was meant to finish with a phone ringing in an empty apartment. The phone rang and rang and as the cameras rolled, slowly zooming in to the lonesome phone, an audience member (watching the monitors) stood up and yelled ‘answer the damn phone’! So they encourage you to watch the action live.
The show is a multi-camera format. This means that the show is shot from the front (you cannot have a camera behind the actors as it will be seen onscreen). With this format, there is often one wall of the set that you do not see as that is where the cameras and the audience are. Most shows filmed before a live studio audience are in the multi-camera format (think ‘Friends’). This is different to a single-camera format, where the camera can move around the actors (think ‘The Office’). Multi-camera shows should (in theory) be quicker to shoot as scenes are covered from all angles at one time whereas single camera shows require performing the scene again and again as the camera (and lighting) are moved to cover all the necessary angles.

The sets are laid out and we, the audience, are encouraged to watch the action. But how does everyone know what they are doing? Well that’s the beauty of the show in that they record the show live every Tuesday night, but there is a week’s preparation before that.
On the Wednesday of each week, a new script is handed out to the cast and crew and there is a read through. It is a relatively short day for the actors as from this read through, the writing team will go away and re-write the lines to make the jokes funnier or make more sense to other plotlines that have been established or need to be established. From Thursday to Monday, the script is rehearsed and new guest actors rehearsed in with the main cast. As well as this, the script is constantly re-written and adjusted to make it better, so the actors are often having to keep lots of information in their heads. Also, there maybe (and often is) a second version of the script that has less risqué jokes in, or may have something removed that may not be possible within the week time slot. And as the finalised script isn’t often ready until just before the day of filming, the actors often have a lot of lines and actions going around their heads.
But on the day of filming, the actors are ready to go, the crew have rehearsed where they need to be and what they need to do and if the script requires anything to be pre-recorded, this is also completed by the Tuesday filming day so that the show can be filmed (from start of the script to finish) and the audience can experience everything for the first time as this helps with reactions.

And it is at this point, when everything else is ready, that the audience is led in. We sit down in a gallery of seats, facing the action. Before us are all the sets with the actors and background artists in costume, ready to shoot. In front of all of that is a large area that contains the cameras, the crew, banks of monitors, lots of those chairs that have the names stenciled on them and tons of people.
But wait, one of those people is Fred Savage. FRED. SAVAGE!! Amazing! I was a massive fan of ‘The Wonder Years’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ob59hsRaFU) and I am so excited to see him in the flesh. He was in a suit and tie (surprisingly dressed up) and is the director for the episode. Apparently he does a lot of their episodes and directing (according to his twitter feed).

So we are ‘all set’ (as the Americans say) and Fred calls ‘Action’ and this is where it becomes a little different to UK shows and makes the whole process that much more collaborative.
On the floor are the various cameras (A, B, C and X) and their respective crews. The cameras are coordinated by Fred and their pictures feed into a bank of four screens that are wheeled to wherever Fred sits and simultaneously show all four outputs. As he is the director, he is responsible for the look of the show and for the successful placement of the cameras. He also looks after the actors, making sure their characterisations and moves fit with their characters, but also getting a good performance from them. He also runs the floor, everyone reports to him. Including MPK and the writers.
MPK and the team of writers (including the writer of tonight’s episode) assemble on the stenciled chairs, carrying their scripts. their job is to tweak the lines for the scenes, based in part on the reaction of us, the studio audience and in part on whether someone in the heat of the moment comes up with something funnier (they often do).
So after every cut or stop, MPK will confer with the writers (which often leads to a lot of laughing) and then he will nip onto the set floor and tell the new lines to the actors who ingest and prepare to deliver on the next take. He then hands over to Fred, who calls ‘Action!’. So Fred is in charge of everything we see on the screen and MPK and the writers are responsible for everything that they say. It’s like having two senior people running the show and keeping it on track (MPK is also the Executive Producer), but also shows the importance of the show, that the main people oversee all the details, all the time. Or maybe they are just control freaks? Either way, it means that the standards set from the start are consistently kept up.
Talking of the actors, before the episode, they are announced one by one to us and then they rush behind the black screens to get ready. And then the screens are pulled back and the lights go off, there is a bell that rings to signify filming and off we go.
I should mention that this is being filmed in one of the huge sound stages on the Warner Brothers lot. Even though the show is a different network, the studio is rented to them for their show. So there is space galore for whatever they need to do. It also means that when you go to the loo, you can see into some of the other stages (if their doors are open, you can’t just wander in) and see what’s happening.

What’s behind door number one…?

So the actors are ready, the crew is set and Fred is in front of the monitor, he says action and away we go with the first scene.
As with any filming, there is a lot of stop starting and concentration in the audience can wane, so the comedian comes back in at every stoppage and keeps the energy up with games, question and answer sessions, prizes and interviews. And since the show is about two girls and a cupcake business, there is a specialist baker who makes the cupcakes for the show (the ones eaten on-screen) and they make about 20 more for the comedian to give away to the audience! I managed to get a cake (a huge red velvet one but ate it before I could take a photo of it) and a few people got T-shirts too. They also handed out food and water and sweets during filming as it can be a long process (a good few hours) but all in all it was a great atmosphere and a really fun time. At the end of the night, they called ‘cut’ for the final time and we all applauded the work that we had seen. The actors are once again announced to us (“You have been watching…directed by Fred Savage!!…”) and with that we are ushered out into the night for a fun walk through the dark lot back to our cars.
One of the highlights of the night (strangely) was a dance contest between both sides of the audience during a long costume change. Our side won, so a huge thanks to Jonathan or ‘Sparkles’ as he said his name was. Here he is with his friend, Rachel with his hard-won t-shirt (signed at the end of filming by the cast) and my cake (since they didn’t get one).

‘Sparkles’ and Rachel with my cake and his winning T-shirt

A super fun night and also eye-opening look into what is expected from actors on a network show in the US. It’s a lot different from the UK, but also I think, a lot more fun. The show not only works in terms of its audiences (its pilot episode had 22 MILLION viewers) but also in terms of the high standards of the writing team and the committed work ethic of the main cast.

Day Nine

What to do today? LA is pretty much like a playground where you can have any amount of fun and frolics that you can afford. It is a place where in under two hours, you can go from the Pacific Ocean and the beaches of Santa Monica and Venice, up to the mountains of Big Bear and ski or snowboard, or further to the bright lights of Las Vegas. I am firmly ensconced on the merry-go-round that is getting myself an agent or a manager. This is a pretty hard deal to accomplish (within a month) as you are effectively looking to make a name for yourself in a short space of time. This is obviously easier if you are already in a top TV show, such as Downton Abbey or in a film. But for a working actor, this can be difficult as people here want to see what you have done, what you look like on-screen and whether (if you are not American) if you can do a credible American accent. So the main thing that will get you some sort of traction is a showreel. There are many people who are putting together showreels, who will give you advice as to what to put into or leave out of it or how long it should be etc etc.
I have been updating my showreel and as such, I have been having a hard time making a mark. This is in light of the fact that I have nothing to offer the people in return for them representing me. It’s not like you get off the plane and there is a line of people in suits clamouring for your signature and offering you the world. Hollywood is a hard place to crack at the best of times as everyone who wants to be part of the entertainment world gravitates here at one time or another. Add to that the amount of people who think they can act (with or without training) and you find yourself at the back of a very long queue of people…all looking for that big break.
Now I like a challenge and I am good at what I do, but that is not enough on its own to get you in the door here. It is a business and as such you have to think of yourself as a commodity that can be traded – you are good in adverts and have done a few back home? Well out here, you are THE go-to person for large-name adverts (and have a showreel to back this up). You have been on TV in the UK? Great, now you are one of the few actors on the biggest show on one of the biggest channels in the UK (again with the requisite showreel evidence). And if you are on the BBC, all the better as they have their own channel over here in the States (www.bbcamerica.com) and are a source of a lot of good TV and future stars. Also, as the BBC name carries so much weight, being associated with it is a very good thing indeed.

Anyway, I digress, I was talking about looking for something to do in LA when you are getting your showreel together and plotting who to send it out to. I plumped to see a TV show being filmed (I also have tickets for the very funny 2 Broke Girls, which is later on). I have opted for the Late, Late show with Craig Ferguson, well that’s what I got tickets for as you apply for tickets and it’s a lottery to get them (this episode – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNPnLzkGrn8).
It is on the CBS lot in West Hollywood (they also film ‘The Price is Right’ here too) but it’s like having the BBC studios next to Leicester Square in London. In reality, I wanted to have a nose around the TV studios and see what happens. Unfortunately, once you arrive at the studios, you are herded to a waiting area where you sit on cold benches. I know this is an unheard of idea in permanently sunny LA, but still, they were cold. You wait there for around an hour, not really doing anything other than sitting about. You can tak to your fellow guests, but really, it’s mostly about staying warm. Then a show/ audience wrangler (Ryan in our case) comes out and tells you the format for the evening, followed by a comedian (Chunky B) and he warms us up before we get up into the studio. So it has now been just under two hours since we walked into the lot and finally we get to make our way up some stairs (lifts are offered for those who need assistance) and then we enter the hallowed territory of the TV studio – Craig Ferguson’s lair. I picked a show that featured Russell Brand (my new best friend, see here –

NBFs

and Allison Williams of the hit TV show, GIRLS. Once in the studio, we are again apprised of the format of the show by Ryan, warmed up again by Chunky B and then Craig comes out and we begin. They film the show in real-time, even allowing for the advert breaks. In a fairly speedy half an hour (compared to the rest of the day so far), we are out the door pretty sharply at five past six and into the night air.
As a thing to do, it is worth seeing how these shows are put together, with the recorded formats, the pat banter and the conveyor belt of guests (I think each guest had around five minutes of talk-time with Craig) but in terms of using it as a sneaky way to see what happens at a major network studio, it is not the way to go. By the way, I had a look at various websites like http://www.tvtickets.com and http://www.1iota.com to get tickets in the first place, but there are other sites too.