Audience Starter Pack

How to make the best of your situation in line.

The process varies from show to show, but here are a few things that are extremely helpful to have during the process. Each item is handpicked from our personal experiences in studio audience lines, both guaranteed and standby.

Battery Pack:

A Battery Pack is an extremely important part of any standby experience, and any vacation in general. We recommend this one by Anker. Standby lines take several hours sometimes, and they are super boring most of the time. So, obviously you will be doing a ton of Snapchatting, Instagramming, and all of that good stuff. Accordingly, your battery is going to drain faster than you can imagine.

Umbrella:

You will likely be sitting on a sidewalk, or another area where you could be exposed to rain, snow, or other weather conditions. There is nothing worse than being wet, cold, and not being able to leave for hours on end. We recommend this one because it is really portable, and very durable.

Travel Chair:

Some lines, like the line at the Tonight Show, let you leave after you get your standby number, and come back later to see if you got in. For lines like this, we think having a Chair is the best thing you can do. this one is very compact, and can easily be tossed in your car. When you’re sitting on a sidewalk for over 4 hours, you realize how great a chair really is.

Water:

Bring water! It is important to stay hydrated, but not too hydrated. You don’t want to lose your place in line to go to the bathroom.

Snacks:

Food is a great asset in the standby line. You can get pretty hungry after hours of waiting, and you don’t want to see your hero on an empty stomach. If you happen to have enough to share with other standby members, they will be eternally grateful. Make sure that you eat before getting in any standby line.

Bring a sweater:

I know – this seems like an odd tip, especially if you’re doing a standby line in the Summer. But, the sweater will come in handy when you are inside the studio (hopefully). Most studio’s are kept very cold, regardless of the season. Notably, the Dr. Phil’s, Jimmy Fallon’s, and Ellen’s studio’s are quite cold. You will be so glad that you happen to have a sweater that goes great with your outfit.

Don’t bring anything with you that you wouldn’t bring to an airport. You will have to go through a metal detector at almost every studio. If you have anything that they forbid, like a weapon, you will be turned away, or worse.

Don’t bring a camera. Most studios do not allow people to have camera’s with them. You may be turned away, or have it confiscated. It is not worth it. You can usually bring in your cell phone though, even if it has a camera, but they will make you turn it off before entering the studio. They will also tell you that if you use it for any reason during the show (including intermissions), you will be kicked out. They are serious. They really do have people who watch the audience to make sure you follow the rules. At the Tonight show with Jimmy Fallon, the second a commercial break begins, several interns run down the stairs and then turn to face the audience. They just stand there and watch you the whole break, making sure that you are following the rules. Don’t mess with them.

All of the items mentioned in this post can be quickly accessed using the links above, or right here:

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