Bab 325: Show debut
This wasn't Renly's first time entering a studio, but it was his first time recording a TV show in a studio. It was also his debut appearance on a talk show, which was entirely different from the filming of "The Pacific". Moreover, Renly wasn't entirely sure if this could be counted as a similar experience to facing journalists. Everything was brand new.
However, the enthusiastic cheers from a moment ago were undoubtedly a perfect start.
After entering the studio, the first thing that caught his eye was a semi-open talk show backdrop. The rear half comprised tiered audience seating, while the front half featured a fan-shaped stage. On the left was the location of the live band, and in the center were a set of deep gray sofas and two potted plants in green. Behind them was the entire screen wall.
It was spacious yet somewhat simple, even bordering on rudimentary.
However, a talk show didn't require a grand stage setup; it required an eloquent host and willing guests.
At this moment, the studio lights hadn't been turned on. Only the four lights at the junction of the stage and audience seats were lit. One could see the staff bustling around, maintaining an orderly busy atmosphere despite the silence.
Walking straight through the passageway on the left, circling around the entire backdrop, a different scene came into view. A "T"-shaped corridor presented itself. He had entered through the top stroke of the "T" and was now standing at the intersection.
The latter part of the top stroke of the "T" was a vertically oriented corridor that wasn't very long. About four or five room doors could be seen along it, with the restroom sign at the end. The horizontal stroke on the right extended straight to the bottom and connected to the side door of the stage near the junction of the "T". There were two large doors there, one for the band's use and the other for guest entrances. Further along the corridor, five or six office doors were aligned in a row.
Guided by the staff, Renly turned to the right, walked down, and stopped at a room door. Next to the door, a white card with the words "Renly Hall, Actor" was prominently displayed on a nameplate.
Renly couldn't help raising an eyebrow slightly. So, was this his own dressing room? An exclusive one for a newcomer like him? Such treatment was unexpected!
However, upon further consideration, among the newcomers, being able to appear on a talk show was already a rare occurrence. Even though his rise had been swift over the past six months, almost like a leapfrog, it was only after the conclusion of the Golden Globe Awards that he got the opportunity to perform, wasn't it?
So, such treatment wasn't really surprising.
In the United States, talk shows were one of the most classic genres among various TV programs.
Since its introduction to the United States in 1954, talk shows had become a vital part of American television and entertainment culture. Almost every TV station boasted a renowned talk show brand with a legacy of over thirty years.
For example, the Tonight Show on NBC, the Late Show on CBS, and the rising star of the past fifteen years, the Daily Show, produced by Comedy Central.
American talk shows were a unique format, essentially divided into several parts: monologues by the host to the camera and the live audience, live music performances, guest interviews, and a small segment involving audience interaction.
But what set talk shows apart was their ability to weave in current trends, dissect current affairs, criticize and satirize politics and politicians – a consistent tradition. This made talk shows not just a part of society, but an integral part of life.
According to surveys, during the 2008 election period, nearly half of young Americans aged eighteen to twenty-nine obtained political information related to elections from political talk shows. Among adults, over a quarter stated that their voting decisions were influenced by talk shows. Among these, the most trusted news source among the American public was the renowned late-night talk show The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, surpassing traditional authoritative media like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
These statistics highlighted the unique position of talk shows. In Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest TV shows, two of the top ten spots belonged to talk shows, namely "Saturday Night Live (SNL)" and "Jon Steward Daily Show."
Generally speaking, American talk shows could be divided into daytime talk shows, late-night talk shows, and online talk shows.
Excluding the contemporary era of online talk shows as personal news sources, daytime talk shows aired in the mornings on workdays, targeting mainly seniors, women, and students. Topics centered around health, emotions, family life, and the like, often accompanied by a generous dose of inspirational content. The overall tone was relatively mild. The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show stood out in this category, embodying its essence.
Late-night talk shows were predominantly broadcast during the late hours, attracting the middle class and working professionals as their primary audience. Given the unique time slot, their style was characterized by sharpness, ridicule, boldness, directness, and humor. Political topics remained the central theme, and many times, no subject was off-limits.
Over the past half-century, countless former presidents, presidential candidates, and politicians had appeared on talk shows. Barack Obama was even humorously called "The Talk Show President". In 2009, he became the first sitting president to visit a late-night talk show.
Unlike Asian leaders who aimed to maintain mature and rational images, the American public valued the wit and humor of politicians. Hence, politicians, to cater to public preferences, increasingly chose the platform of talk shows. During the 2000 elections, Al Gore's campaign team admitted to the media that they spent time daily studying content from important talk shows. They analyzed points of contention, areas of criticism, and hot topics, and made corresponding adjustments to their policies and plans, demonstrating the shows' influence.
Without exaggeration, talk shows were an indispensable part of understanding American culture.
And precisely because of this, during Hollywood's promotional processes, talk show appearances became an essential itinerary.
Almost every movie and album's promotional schedule included appearances on talk shows. Considering that talk shows revolved around verbal interactions, they not only required a charismatic demeanor but also the ability to self-deprecate, mock, and jest, most importantly, to be able to take a joke.
Not every newcomer could appear on talk shows casually, and strictly speaking, not everyone could appear on talk shows indiscriminately. Otherwise, if the show's impact fell short of expectations, it could even have a negative effect on the work's promotion.
Andy hadn't anticipated that Renly's first talk show opportunity would come so quickly and that it would be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which was currently one of the premier daytime talk shows. Of course, appearing on a talk show was merely a stepping stone. The show's effect and the audience's reaction were factors beyond what a manager could control. However, undoubtedly, this was another step forward in Renly's career.
As Nathan pushed open the door to the dressing room, Renly was about to follow, but he suddenly remembered something, "Who's the music guest for today?"
Each episode of the talk show would invite two guests, one singer and one actor, or to be more precise, one music guest and one conversational guest. Only in rare cases were both roles taken up by a single person.
"Katy Perry," the staff said with a smile. "She'll be performing "Firework" today."
"Oh, I'll go say hello in a bit," Renly nodded, returning a smile. It would be polite to greet her, and also Ellen DeGeneres.
Once inside the dressing room, Renly got busy.
As a budding newcomer, Renly's team consisted only of Nathan as an assistant. When recording the show, he had to handle all the chores himself. It was a far cry from the treatment given to A-list celebrities.
One of the most extravagant and indifferent to outside opinions was Mariah Carey.
Her personal entourage could number up to twenty-four, including agents, managers, assistants, public relations personnel, bodyguards, hairstylists, makeup artists, stylists, nutritionists, fitness trainers, personal doctors, and more. They even had a nanny dedicated to her pets.
And that was just for an outing to record a show.
This was the reason why ordinary viewers often wondered why those artists living in the spotlight, making so much money, still went bankrupt. The answer lay here – their income was substantial, but their expenses were even more extravagant.
Leaving Mariah aside, first-tier artists usually had an entourage of about six to eight people. This was also why every artist needed a dedicated dressing room; otherwise, they just couldn't fit.
However, Renly didn't have such deep pockets currently to afford a massive support team. When recording the show, he either had to manage things himself or rely on the show's crew.
Since today's appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show was a last-minute decision, Renly hadn't had the time to prepare clothes specifically. Neither did he have sponsors who could immediately offer assistance. Luckily, Eaton Dorman from New York was still on call and had remotely dispatched four outfits for him to choose from, preventing the hassle of last-minute purchases.
Beyond clothing, the show also provided professional makeup artists and hairstylists to prepare Renly for his appearance.
These teams were regular fixtures in the show's production crew. They did makeup for the live band, ordinary audience members appearing on the show, and non-celebrity guests. Their expertise often focused on the basics rather than intricate details. However, for Renly, it was more than enough.
Changing into the outfit and completing a simple touch-up took less than half an hour in total. Renly was ready for the show. Afterward, he walked to the next dressing room's door, and the plaque beside it read, "Katy Perry, Singer."
Renly found this amusing. He wondered if someone like Justin Timberlake's plaque should read, "Singer, Actor, Comedian"?
He wasn't sure if this was a tradition across all talk shows or just a unique aspect of this show, or if it was decided by the guests themselves.
"Knock, knock," Renly tapped on the door and then placed his hands behind his back, waiting for a response.
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