In the last couple months I’ve attended tapings of both The Late Show (Stephen Colbert) and Last Week Tonight (John Oliver). Lots of fun, highly recommended, etc., but both of them enforced a policy that I don’t totally understand. Both shows made it very clear that there was absolutely no picture-taking permitted from the time we entered the studio to the time we left. Obviously they wouldn’t want you taking pictures during filming, and I guess if people were doing it after the show it might take an extra couple minutes to clear the theater (though that seems like a pretty weak reason). But they also didn’t want pics in the downtime before the show, when nothing at all is going on.
I suppose they might just want to discourage the use phones overall? But then cameras are also forbidden, and they didn’t seem to mind that lots of people were on their phones before the show, just so long as they didn’t seem to be taking pictures.
Anyway, sorry, that’s just a long way of saying: What’s the deal with that? Thanks.
All the random flashes as people take pictures messes up the carefully controlled lighting for the TV cameras, and ruins takes. It was even worse, back with film cameras with flashbulbs.
When I toured Warner Brothers Studios, when entering one particular studio, we were told we couldn’t take pictures inside because the set had changed for the next season of this TV show and they didn’t want the look to leak online.
Also, the few times I’ve attended the taping of a TV show, I was struck by how it all seemed smaller and tackier in person. The unending fields of studio audience was just 5 rows of bleachers, the magical apparatus in the show had a definite painted-plywood look up close, etc. If they prevent pictures, maybe it preserves the magic a bit longer.
You get this with concerts now, too. Though I’ve never seen it enforced, there are always signs. The main point is probably to avoid shitty youtube “bootlegs” and to keep the performers from having a million camera flashes in their eyes. For some reason, 95% of the smartphone using public doesn’t know how to turn their flash off, even when it does no good at all and even makes their photos a lot worse.
This is probably it. They want to avoid unflattering pictures, “behind the scenes” pictures that show things they don’t want made public, and avoid revealing props and backgrounds in a view they were not intended to see. Plus, they want to avoid things like people recording inappropriate comments during downtime, and anything else that might be a problem.
Plus, there’s another issue - I’ve also found that most museums and art galleries in Europe, that used to allow photos in some conditions, now forbid them outright. Since digital cameras became popular about 2000 onward, more and more people have devices made for stupid consumers and don’t understand simple things like “turn off the flash”. About 10 years ago, I was in the Louvre in Paris; in the room with the Mona Lisa, where photography was forbidden, it started with a few people taking pictures, a flash goes off, then half a dozen. the flashes were going off pretty regularly until a security guy came over to the one standing by the picture, and started yelling at that lazy guard and the crowd.
I’ve seen the same in almost every venue. Except in places where the audience is seriously controlled like TV shows where they will toss you out for interruptions, some dick will start taking pictures and not realize their flash is on. One does it, several do it. In a talk show or such, they can’t just do a re-take if there’s a flash or something during the conversation.
Perhaps cellphones are the saving grace of cameras. Their flash is not as intrusive, people know how to turn it off, and they are made to turn off the ringer anyway in events, and nobody will want to “check their phone at the door”; so maybe rules will change.
I should also add - my wife looked into getting a tour of a soap opera stage once, and was told they don’t do tours. they are typically filming 6 weeks ahead, meaning even view of sets, let alone people on sets, would lead to some spoilers leaking out…
Soaps even have a problem with the actors themselves taking selfies. In one case, two actors posted pictures of themselves on the set wearing wedding rings. The show films months in advance, and the wedding hadn’t aired yet. In another case, an actor posted a selfie, and in the background you could see another actor whose return to the show was supposed to be a big surprise. I can see why shows would want to be extremely cautious about allowing pictures.
Somebody above mentioned “intellectual property.” I figure snaps of hot celebs might have monetary value. Thus, as others above pointed out, they don’t want an audience full of shutter spies trying to get the best angle of the starlet’s short skirt.
I have a book called “How to Get Even”. Along with stink-bomb formulas, and instructions on posting a garage sale for their house at 6AM on Sunday, etc. there’s a section on politics.
It suggests taking an unflattering picture of the other candidate, and printing up flyers, and pasting them (!) on windshields right on the driver’s center of view. To get an unflattering photo, have two photographers side by side at some public meet and greet. This was in the days of flashbulbs. Have one person take a picture close up, so the flashbulb goes off in the guy’s face. The other fellow takes a picture half a second later, and odds are the candidate will have a pretty goofy deer-in-headlights face.
This is probably also one of the things they try to avoid in studios - goofy pictures of the celebrity. Certainly, those are worth money. Plus, close-up shots of the celeb in a position where, for example their “turkey neck” or bad crows feet or such is showing.