Funny Business

It's all about teamwork on the set of the WB's What I Like About You

You might be able to work your TiVo like nobody's business, but have you thought about what it takes to get your favorite programs on the air? Each episode is the result of weeks of work by an entire television production crew, working together. If you love the tube--and if you don't want to wear a stuffy suit to work!--you might enjoy a job in the TV production industry.

Scott Weinger, a writer on the WB sitcom What I Like About You, certainly enjoys his job. His favorite part? Not just getting his words on television but also watching the show about two very different sisters, played by Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth, with the live studio audience each Friday. Weinger, formerly an actor on Full House, explains with enthusiasm, "It's like putting on a play, like there's a big audience full of hundreds of people, and it's exciting."

Producing a half-hour show also comes with a lot of hard work. A team of people--including writers, producers, editors, costume designers, and camera operators--takes each episode from an idea in the writers' room to the homes of viewers. It takes more than a week to shoot a TV show and get it ready for broadcast. Once the show is filmed, it goes into post-production, which happens when editor Kenny Tintorri hands off his cut to a post-production house for sound mixing and color correction. And finally, the show is aired. Tintorri, who used to be an editor on Friends, sums up, "It really is a team, and I think we're a good team."

ASSEMBLING THE TEAM
Producer Drew Brown hires the majority of the 80-person crew. "I think the most important aspect of my job is assembling a group of people who work well together," says Brown. So what makes a good production team member? He or she must be willing to accept a freelance lifestyle. Though that can mean freedom, it can also mean a lack of job security because television shows are canceled all the time, and work is seasonal, not year-round. A typical workday will probably not run from 9 to 5, so a production person needs to be flexible and committed to the work.

Good communication skills are a must. Although some of the staff members work five days a week, other crew members, such as camera operators, work part-time. So it's essential that everybody get in sync quickly.

Next on the list: being a "people person," a trait that the head of craft services, Jaimy Johnson, definitely has. Johnson's job is to feed the cast and crew. Often, he's the first person to greet actors in the morning. As he explains, "I definitely set the tone. It's usually lighthearted." Case in point: When busy executive producer Caryn Lucas comes into the kitchen in search of mustard, Johnson sees an opportunity to lift her spirits: "We have the most gorgeous producer. Unbelievable!" he teases. She leaves with not only the mustard but also a huge smile.

Another helpful character trait is the ability to keep a cool head. Costume designer Kara Saun, whom Brown recruited after seeing her designs on the reality TV show Project Runway, says, "You have to work well under pressure … because it's very, very fast-paced."

Production coordinator Sharonda Starks, who processes invoices for everything from camera equipment to wardrobe needs, adds, "This business is rush, rush, rush, wait."

But the most important trait is the ability to work as a team. Saun notes, "I have a really great, together crew." Her team includes a seamstress, two shoppers, a costume supervisor, and two set people. Together, they create each character's fashion ensemble for the episode.

Good costumes help the actors feel comfortable. "When they really feel that they look good, you can usually tell," says Saun. That means the actors can focus on other things, like learning their lines, which are constantly rewritten as the script is crafted.

WRITING THE SCRIPT
The writers spend their mornings brainstorming, writing, and rewriting in their offices away from the set, always staying a week or two ahead of the shooting schedule. Sometimes Lucas sends the writers into separate rooms to work on different projects because timing is so tight. For example, one group might focus on a story idea while another rewrites a script.

What happens if the writers can't agree on an idea? They defer to the highest-level person in the room, whether it's Lucas or a senior writer. Weinger, One of the newer writers, explains, "If everyone was equal, then there would be a lot of gridlock."

Next, the producer, who at any given time is working on up to seven episodes in different stages of production, makes sure that the story can be executed within the show's budget. For example, Brown might ask writers whether a plot can be carried out over the course of a single day, rather than several days, so there won't be a need for as many costly wardrobe changes. But Brown works closely with Lucas and points out, "At the end of the day, it's about the show that Caryn wants" because as the executive producer, Lucas leads the team, and it is her vision that drives the show.

THE STORY UNFOLDS
Each Monday morning, the cast and the crew assemble for a table read of the script. The network and the studio executives give their input on anything from story lines to budget concerns. All the departments take notes on what they need to gather for that week's episode, including Saun, who starts shopping with her team immediately after the reading. Then Saun's team takes photos of each actor in different outfits, and Lucas approves her favorite looks for each character in a meeting with Saun each Wednesday.

The second draft of the script is passed out on Tuesday, followed by a rehearsal in the afternoon. The same process is repeated on Wednesday. Weinger explains the importance of these run-throughs for the writers: "You'll have a joke that you'll think will be so funny, and then it's just not as funny when you see it on its feet."

SHOOTING THE SHOW
After Wednesday's run-through, the writers put together a shooting draft, which is the script that will be used for the taping on Thursday and Friday. All sets, props, and costumes must be in place by Thursday's taping, where anywhere from a third to half the script is shot without a studio audience. The actors arrive early for hair and makeup. The camera operators arrive in the studio for the first time all week, ready to shoot the scenes.

On Friday night, the cast and crew play to a live studio audience. "[The audience is] great for the actors. It gives them a lot of energy," says Weinger. And the writers have the opportunity to see how an audience responds. "If something doesn't work, you have to make sure that you keep pushing to make it funnier," he says. So the writers will continue rewriting lines even through the taping, which explains why the taping of the half-hour sitcom can take more than three hours.

At the end, the tapes go to Tintorri. As the show's editor, he plays a part in making the show funny. Tintorri makes sure that the timing of the jokes--which have been sculpted by the writers, actors, and the director--is effective in the final cut. After all, as the saying goes, timing is everything in comedy. "I know how I want the characters to respond to a joke … because that's what editors can do. We can shape the joke." Tintorri, who also makes sure that the recorded laughs from the studio audience are in the right places, stresses, "When the jokes are there, I make them hit."

THE LAST LAUGH
Although the paychecks can be quite sizable as you climb the ranks (and pretty paltry in the beginning stages), the What I Like About You crew members agree that the rewards of television production go beyond money.

"I like seeing something being built, basically. I'm taking all these little parts, and I'm building this show," Tintorri says. "It's the satisfaction of seeing it done, seeing it all put together, and [hearing] people laughing at it. If the laughing was good, then I'm happy."

Brown echoes that sentiment: "There's a real satisfaction in seeing something you've contributed to in any way, shape, or form that will live on forever, that people will watch for years and years."

Who's Who in Television

CAMERA OPERATORS set up and use video cameras to film the action of a television show. They control the way the shot looks on tape, such as how close the actors are to the camera, or where they are framed in the picture.

COSTUME DESIGNERS gather clothes for each character to create a look for that role. They're responsible for continuity, meaning that each actor's clothes must look exactly the same from take to take.

CRAFT SERVICES prepare and present meals for the cast and crew during the shoots.

EDITORS pick and assemble the best shots to tell the story the most effectively and at the right pace. They must be able to communicate well with directors and producers and meet tight deadlines.

PRODUCERS hire the crew, keep the show on budget, and handle the day-to-day operation of the shoot. They must have good communication skills to keep the crew, network, and studio informed.

PRODUCTION COORDINATORS take care of details. They order equipment and make sure invoices get processed and the crew is paid. They also oversee PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS, entry-level workers who do whatever is needed--running errands, finding props, logging tapes, and doing assorted administrative work.

WRITERS create scripts. Many start as a writer's assistant and climb up the ranks, where they can make well into Six figures. All must work well under pressure and have the discipline to keep revising.

By: Sundel, Jenny, Career World, 2006