Jimmy Fallon Experience

Recently I went to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Since I live in Manhattan, a hobby of mine is watch as many television show tapings as possible. Being as I have a growing interest in media and television I figured that going to television tapings would allow me to watch what I have been learning in class first hand. Personally, sometimes I find that everything that goes on behind the scenes is a little more interesting than the show itself.

When I entered the set I was immediately bombarded by huge camera equipment. At times, the audience is completely blocked because of cameras. Some parts of the audience are blind to the entire set; for these areas, flat screen televisions are hanging in different areas of the ceiling. Also, microphones hang from the ceiling recording the laughter and applause that the audience gives in the duration of the taping. The studio is kept at a very low temperature; I read once inEntertainment Weekly that Jimmy Fallon sweats too much so they had to lower the temperature for his tapings.

Jimmy Fallon reads off cue cards as opposed to a teleprompter. During what would be commercial breaks, Fallon studies the cue cards for his next segment. He does not mess up that much so I assume that this method helps.

What was interesting to me is that there is a girl who walks around with a camera taking pictures of the show as it goes on. I later found out that this is what is called a set photographer, someone who takes pictures of all the action but is not directly involved in the taping. The set photographer is used to take pictures for publicity and just overall cataloging of the particular nights show.

Towards end of the show a bunch of people, myself included, were asked to stand behind the band that was performing that night. On the show I went to the band was Silversun Pickups. I stood on the upper right side of the stage, I was not really visible but that did not matter much to me.

I find that I learn better visually that I ever could by reading or studying a textbook. The tapings of these shows are free and give me a chance to watch and learn more about my potential major, media.

Below are some pictures that the set photographer took for the show:

The Museum of Moving Images

The Illusion of Film

The Museum of Moving Images is a showcase of artifacts and technology that presents an extensive look into the history of media. Throughout my trip to the museum the exhibits that focused on the illusion of film intrigued me. I was excited to see the equipment that led to the development of film. It was fascinating to realize how a thaumatrope, a small disk with a different image drawn on either side, contributed to the birth of cinema and animation. There was also a Zoetrope on display, which is a spinning cylinder with small slits that a viewer looks through and, as the cylinder spins, the pictures come together giving the false impression of one picture. I love how film is not one ongoing stream of video but actually just different pictures being displayed consecutively. The way in which the mind can be so easily manipulated is so fascinating.

Animation like film is just the succession of still images. In the museum there was an exhibit that taught me how to create my own stop-motion animation video; all that was needed was a camera and a few props. Sitting there I slowly created a two second animation, I had to take about twelve photos. I cannot image someone sitting in front of a desk with a camera barley moving props and taking thousands upon thousands of photographs for a feature length film. Even with all the technology America has today, stop-motion animation is still around. Recently, the movie The Fantastic Mr. Fox used stop-motion animation; the film garnered critical acclaim and even an Academy Award nomination.

I learned through the Museum of Moving Images that there is a certain discipline and patience needed in order to be involved in film. The museum is a fascinating place for beginners of the media field and experts alike.