Television channels have made live audiences a part of many shows, which has made sourcing them an important aspect of production. How do they manage to get audience members on a daily basis and ensure the right people are invited?
“There is a team within the production team that takes care of audience participation. They are usually friends of the contestants or people known to us,” says the PR executive of a popular television channel.
Those working in the industry affirm that sourcing the audience for a show that requires their active participation (such as talk and game shows Neeya Naana in Star Vijay) is relatively easy.
“Popular shows generate a lot of interest and people generally want to participate. This is true when it comes to talk shows,” says the PR executive. Many of the reality television shows are so popular that people are very keen to be a part of them. “Sometimes, people just want to see how a show is shot and produced. Sometimes, they don’t even want to be on camera, they are happy just sitting near the technical crew. They are naturally curious, which makes our lives easy,” she says.