How to prep for taping a special
You’re making TV, not doing standup.
Filming a special: You’re making TV, not doing standup. The real audience is the one at home. So restart jokes, go too long and edit down, play around/riff, and move your big closer to the first ten minutes because no one watches anything all they way through anymore.
That was my answer to this Thread from Jaci Terjeson.
Laurie Kilmartin offered up this advice:
check your eyeline to the camera. I filmed my last special at a half-filled theater. The audience was in front, so I was looking down at them. You want to be looking forward, to where the cameras are, not down. If your audience is below you, you really have to make yourself deliver punchlines above their heads. (Or fill the theatre, which I did not do)
Related: Did you watch my BOLO special yet? Get on it.
Here’s an AI summary of the thread’s comments…
What Comics Wish They Knew Before Filming a Special
I asked: What’s one thing you wish you knew before filming your stand-up special?
Here’s the best advice, straight to the point:
1. Talk to the director early
Don’t assume the technical side will just “work.”
Camera placement, audience audio (mic the crowd!), and editing choices all affect how your set comes across. Be involved.
2. Have a producer—but keep a say
It’s great to have someone handling logistics so you can focus on performing.
Just don’t fully check out—you’ll care about the final product more than anyone.
3. Watch your continuity
Pick a hand for the mic and stick with it.
Keep track of where your water glass is.
Small inconsistencies = big editing headaches.
4. Shoot more than one show
If you can, film at least two sets.
The second show is almost always stronger because you understand the room, timing, and your own blind spots.
5. Learn your “unknowns” fast
The first taping reveals things you didn’t even think to prepare for.
Use that information immediately if you have another show.
6. Stay in the moment (even while being mindful)
Yes, continuity matters—but not at the expense of your performance.
Don’t get so in your head that you lose the crowd.
7. Remember: this is still stand-up
Multiple people said it for a reason: have fun.
If you’re enjoying it, the audience will too—and that’s what actually makes a special feel special.
A special is part performance, part production.
Handle the details—but don’t forget why you’re there.
Related:
I saw a comic who once at the beginning of his taping asked the audience to stand up. Of course, in the EDITING, it looked like they gave him a standing ovation!