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This past fall, I went to my first television taping in Los Angeles. I got to be an audience member for the sitcom Last Man Standing on FOX!
Today I’m going to share my experience with the entire process, which I hope can, in turn, help you know what to expect and have a blast like I did!
I would like to note that tapings for every show and studio will be different. The most important thing is to follow the directions on your ticket and reach out to the appropriate ticket company with any other questions. This is meant to be more of a guide for people to get an idea of how it works before going to their own taping or just to read for fun 🙂
| HOW TO GET TICKETS
There are multiple websites that distribute audience member tickets, depending on the shows or production company you are looking for.
For Last Man Standing, we got our tickets from Ticket Me Quick. The process was fairly simple: we chose an available date, filled out a form online with our information and were sent our tickets via email.
Tickets for some shows are popular and go quick, so you may be waitlisted until tickets are available —for another show we attended, we had to wait two weeks before finding out we got tickets.
The most important thing to note is that you should NEVER pay for a ticket, no matter what website you get them from. Do your research to make sure the website is legitimate.
| DRESS CODE, PARKING AND MORE
Your ticket will go over any information you need to be aware of. Make sure to print your tickets out at home.
PHONES: You will not be able to take your phone into the studio or even through security. They will make you return to your car if you still have it with you.
DRESS CODE: All shows will have varying dress codes. Since the audience was not filmed during our taping, we were allowed to dress casual. Your ticket will tell you what is required.
PARKING: Where to park and any applicable parking passes will be provided with your ticket. Make sure to print passes if needed. Some studios will offer free parking in their lots, while others may have you find parking on your own, so be prepared. Our taping at CBS Studios provided free garage parking.
ID: You will need a drivers license or state-issued ID to enter.
SHOP FOR YOUR TRIP
| WHEN TO ARRIVE
Our taping was at CBS Studios in Studio City — even though Last Man Standing is now on FOX. Our ticket stated to arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to our 3:45pm arrival time.
Unsure of how early we needed to arrive though, we showed up a little over an hour early to make sure we could get a spot in line. When we checked in at the gate, we were told we could not line up early and to come back at 3:45pm. They told us this was the soonest they would start letting people into the garage.
Also good to note, you are not guaranteed admission. You’ll want to make sure to follow the directions on your ticket and show up at the stated time.
| CHECK IN PROCESS
Each studio will have their own process for check-in. For Last Man Standing, we were told to wait in our car and pull up to the parking garage at the stated time on our ticket.
Once parked, we went through security. Then, we moved right into the ticket check-in line where we gave the staff our printed tickets and they gave us a numbered seat ticket.
From there, we moved to an outdoor corral area with benches while everyone else checked in.
| THE STUDIO AND SEATING
After lots of waiting, small groups were walked through the lot to the taping location. We even got to see some of the cast members outside!
It was so cool to see the set! While I had been on a studio tour before, it was still fascinating to see the interiors and recognize things I’ve seen on the show.
The main sets were all side-by-side, so you could see the kitchen, living room and Outdoor Man offices pretty well. They did shoot a scene in Kristin and Ryan’s house which was not visible to us, but we were able to watch it on the tv screens.
Seating was completely random. Ushers sat people without rhyme or reason. We were sat a little right of center, which worked out since the majority of the show was shot on the far right end of the studio.
This is where the “not guaranteed admission” comes in to play. While there were over 100 people checked in for this taping, it happened to be friends and family of the cast night. Roughly 36 of us were given actual seat tickets after check in, everyone else was given standby tickets. They had to wait to see if those friends and family were going to show up.
| THE SHOW
As people were getting in and being seated, there was an MC there to hype up the crowd, get everyone excited and explain what was going on.
As an audience member, we were there to create the laugh track for the episode — they want you to be over the top and laugh at everything, whether you think it’s funny or not. When a scene was re-shot, we had to laugh just as hard as the first time. But with this show you didn’t have to fake anything!
As the crew set up, we watched the most recently aired episode. The MC then introduced the cast to us and they jumped right into filming from there!
I was extremely impressed with the cast. There was only one time someone messed up a line, but otherwise, everything was so smooth. They shot every scene twice, changing up a couple lines or jokes the second time around.
Our episode aired about a month after we were there. It was so fun to watch it again and see which scenes and jokes they decided to air.
Overall this was a great experience! The atmosphere was awesome and the show was even funnier to watch live. Everyone was having a good time from the audience to the cast and crew. I would definitely recommend trying to see a show if you have a day in Los Angeles!
SHOP FOR YOUR TRIP
| SUMMARY OF WHAT TO EXPECT
- Expect to spend several hours at the studio. Taping will take about 2-3 hours on top of the several hours you are waiting before and after check-in.
- Be aware that you may not get a seat, even after waiting in line. Admission is first-come first-served, so follow instructions on your ticket and arrive accordingly.
- They want you to be over the top. You are there to create the laugh track and atmosphere. You will need to laugh at everything and repeat with the same energy for reshoots.
- There may not be any food or drinks provided. Make sure to eat before arriving to the studio. While they did give us a bottle of water and slice of pizza during filming, there were no other options to get food the entire day.
- Have fun! All in all, it is a wonderful, one-of-a-kind experience that will make all the waiting and lines worth it!
PIN IT FOR LATER!
