Hi All,
Sorry if this seems pedantic but I am really curious.
I asked this question on another thread and didn't (as yet) get what I felt was a definitive answer, all be it some kind responses.
Can someone suggest why one show is 'better' for having a laughter track whereas another isn't?
I take the view that if I find something is funny then I'll laugh. I don't need to hear others laughing to jog me in to a reactive fit of giggles.
Any comments appreciated.
Best,
Gary.
Cut and pasted below is something I mentioned about Back to Earth...
"I think the thing that most of us wanted was the laughter track but not just a laughter track, actually being filmed before a live studio audience. I think an actor feeds off an audience; an actor actively needs to have someone there to laugh at them if they do something funny. It's like an energy".
I certainly think its a factor.
Laughter is a very primitive response, and is not purely a reaction to how funny something is. It is primarily associated with social situations; your friends are not comic geniuses, but you laugh far more in their company than you would watching the most brilliant comedy on the telly. A laughter track replicates that social bonding experience and stimulates your own laugh response.
It also helps to lift the performers to have live audience, and if they have the necessary craft they can make use of that energy in their timing. Yes Minister was originally down to be filmed on a closed set, but Hawthorne and Eddington successfully argued for a studio audience.
I am not sure a live audience was an option for Back to Earth as it was filmed almost entirely either on location sets or in front of a green screen.
Quote: Timbo @ April 15 2009, 9:15 PM BSTLaughter is a very primitive response, and is not purely a reaction to how funny something is. It is primarily associated with social situations; your friends are not comic geniuses, but you laugh far more in their company than you would watching the most brilliant comedy on the telly. A laughter track replicates that social bonding experience and stimulates your own laugh response.
It also helps to lift the performers to have live audience, and if they have the necessary craft they can make use of that energy in their timing.
Absolutely, 100% correct.
Hearing other people laughing makes us laugh too. Think of the laughing clown at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. He's there to warm you up and make you smile. The same with the warm up artist at recorded shows. He's there to get the audience in a laughing mood. It's why you can't help smiling at that old song "The Laughing Policeman". It's why people love Ricky Gervais's laugh so much. It truly is infectious. Laughter begets laughter in exactly the same way anger begets anger in a crowd, quickly creating violence. Humans have a herding mentality and like to go with the flow.
The argument that audience laughter is there to tell us when to laugh is wrong. It's there to enhance the experience, not dictate it.
I think you just notice when it's not there, that's when it seems alien. I think there's also a sense of a group experience too with an audience. It's like when you're in a group of people and are being told a joke; if you're the only one who laughs at it you soon stop laughing.
Quote: Lee Henman @ April 15 2009, 9:29 PM BSTAbsolutely, 100% correct.
Hearing other people laughing makes us laugh too. Think of the laughing clown at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. He's there to warm you up and make you smile. The same with the warm up artist at recorded shows. He's there to get the audience in a laughing mood. It's why you can't help smiling at that old song "The Laughing Policeman". It's why people love Ricky Gervais's laugh so much. It truly is infectious. Laughter begets laughter in exactly the same way anger begets anger in a crowd, quickly creating violence. Humans have a herding mentality and like to go with the flow.
The argument that audience laughter is there to tell us when to laugh is wrong. It's there to enhance the experience, not dictate it.
Spot on. Especially that bit. I pity people who think that it's a "cue"; it's about atmosphere. If they can't understand that ... well, they've got even less social skills than I. Which shouldn't really be possible.
Quote: Aaron @ April 16 2009, 3:29 PM BSTI pity people who think that it's a "cue";
Aaron, please don't take me for a fool!
I know full well it has nothing to do with snooker!!
Hey people, thanks so much for the responses.
Yes, I get the points made which for me justifies my raising the question.
Never too old to learn.
Cheers again.
People tend to laugh when chipolata pots the pink.
Quote: Aaron @ April 16 2009, 5:19 PM BSTPeople tend to laugh when chipolata pots the pink.
'Chipolata'. Some kind of Freudian pseudonym?
No, just a particularly 'unique' poster here.
Quote: Aaron @ April 16 2009, 6:19 PM BSTNo, just a particularly 'unique' poster here.
And I bet he has some very unique posters!
Quote: Timbo @ April 15 2009, 9:15 PM BSTLaughter is a very primitive response, and is not purely a reaction to how funny something is. It is primarily associated with social situations; your friends are not comic geniuses, but you laugh far more in their company than you would watching the most brilliant comedy on the telly. A laughter track replicates that social bonding experience and stimulates your own laugh response.
It also helps to lift the performers to have live audience, and if they have the necessary craft they can make use of that energy in their timing. Yes Minister was originally down to be filmed on a closed set, but Hawthorne and Eddington successfully argued for a studio audience.
I am not sure a live audience was an option for Back to Earth as it was filmed almost entirely either on location sets or in front of a green screen.
This is spot on, especially the part about laughter lifting performers. When I'm doing stand up getting that big laugh gives you such a buzz it makes you feel invincible, your inhibitions fade and the more spontaneous your comedy becomes.
Quote: garyd @ April 16 2009, 7:26 PM BSTAnd I bet he has some very unique posters!
I suspect that he does, yes.
Quote: Darren Pomroy @ April 16 2009, 8:08 PM BSTThis is spot on, especially the part about laughter lifting performers. When I'm doing stand up getting that big laugh gives you such a buzz it makes you feel invincible, your inhibitions fade and the more spontaneous your comedy becomes.
That's good to hear Darren, literally in your case!
However, personally I think possibly stand up might differ from sit-com in that a stand up performer is absolutely reliant on laughter to gauge his/her success.