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January 25

H.O.P. ?

Is anyone a Deion Sanders fan? I see in his Twitter, he seems to frequently put "H.O.P." in his messages. For example: "1 of our coaches/equiptment manager whom we hadn't seen in a month showed up to the meeting 15 pounds heavier than he was a month ago. H.O.P". What does that mean? Maybe it's just something that's just speficic to him? Unfortunately, googling for this doesn't help a whole lot, not least because it seems to default to searching for the word "hop". TresÁrboles (talk) 04:20, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Never mind: just googled on "Deion Sanders" and "H.O.P." People say it means "Hold On Playa"; I guess it's his catchphrase. TresÁrboles (talk) 04:53, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Academy Awards - Sound Editing vs. Sound Mixing

Every year, the Oscar show tries to explain the difference, but I just can't quite rememeber. What's the difference between the Academy Award for Sound Mixing and the one for Sound Editing? --70.167.58.6 (talk) 15:45, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Just a bit of a WAG here, but mixing refers to the combination of several independent sounds into a single sound. It involves balancing and timing sounds from different sources, see Mixing console for a common piece of equipment to do this. I think that sound editing refers to the process of combining the soundtrack with the film so they fit together seamlessly, i.e. the words match the actors mouths, the sounds created in foley match the onscreen action, etc. --Jayron32 16:27, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

True Grit Supporting Actress

Why is the girl who plays Mattie in the True Grit remake being nominated for Best Supporting Actress? She is the main character, she is in every scene, she is the narrator, and she has the most speech. It seems unfair she won't be able to win for Best Actress. 134.126.191.109 (talk) 16:41, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

According to Paramount's "award consultant": "This is the standard place where you put a kid who's never done a movie before," "Whenever you're working with a child, it's more about honoring her place in the industry as a kid, and she's still a kid. To put that much pressure on a kid would be a bit much." (LA TImes). See also Tatum O'Neal and Anna Paquin who were both submitted in the supporting actress category (and both won), despite their prominent roles. Apparently Keisha Castle-Hughes's studio had also submitted her in this category, but the Academy decided to give her a nomination as a leading actress. The award consultant's comment: "Keisha was playing opposite a whale," "Hailee is part of an ensemble cast. 'True Grit' is also Jeff Bridges' movie and he's carrying it as a lead actor does." By the way, True Grit isn't narrated by Hailee Steinfeld, it's narrated by Elizabeth Marvel (as the adult Mattie Ross). ---Sluzzelin talk 16:51, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Note that according to that LA Times article, the ~~decision~~ recommendation to voters to nominate her in that category was made by "Parmount [sic], the Coen Bros., Steinfeld's parents and the movie's producers" as a group, not as a requirement from the Academy or anything. I agree with 134 that the nomination is incorrect; I think the comments from the "award consultant" about her age are patronizing, and Paramount most certainly simply wanted to nominate her in a category where it thought she could win. If she had been nominated in Best Actress, she would have had to compete against actresses who already have lots of fans, and lots of Academy voters have residual admiration for because of their past work. Steinfeld has no previous fans and is therefore less likely to win, despite the quality of her performance. Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:03, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

PS: Hours after posting the above I read Roger Ebert's online column on this in which he wrote, "Although she obviously played the lead in True Grit, 12-year-old Hailee Steinfeld was nominated for best supporting actress. Academy rules say if you receive votes for both categories, your nomination comes in the category where you have the most votes. Paramount encouraged voters to choose the supporting category, where Steinfeld becomes the front-runner, and not [Best Actress], where she didn't have a chance." Comet Tuttle (talk) 01:36, 26 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Timothy Hutton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Ordinary People, even though his character was by far the main character of the movie. It was once again the case where a young actor got the Supporting Actor nomination. Corvus cornix_talk 20:47, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Talk show tickets = always free?

Hello! I am from Sweden, and I have became interested in American talk-shows lately. I am now wondering about the tickets; after a google, it a lot of sites, such as this one, http://talkshows.about.com/od/morningshows/p/TixInfo1.htm, claim that ticktes to talk-shows really does'nt coast any money at all; they are free. Is this correct? Or is this just for some talk-shows and not others? Are there no other criteria from getting a ticket other than simply being first in line to them? --85.226.41.143 (talk) 19:08, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

YMMV, but as far as I know, tickets to all television shows in the U.S. are (almost) always free, on a first-come-first-served basis. Shows want an audience for effect, so in essense they are almost always willing to give tickets away for free just to avoid having any empty seats. Generally, if you show up the day of the taping, you can often get in only a few hours early, but if you contact the producers of the show they will send you tickets to the show through the mail at a time convenient to your schedule (to avoid having the annoying situation of showing up and not having any seats). I have several friends who live in or near New York, where many such shows are taped, and its a pretty normal thing for New Yorkers to poke their head into the studio to see if their are any tickets availible for that day's taping. It is, after all, free entertainment. --Jayron32 19:19, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

While this is generally the case for any show recorded live (including game shows, some sitcoms, etc.), there are also other factors. Some shows are very popular (like The Oprah Winfrey Show or The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) and thus have far more people interested in tickets than the number of tickets available. Some have age requirements, like The Daily Show. Of course you have to be able to be in the taping location on the day they are taping, so that means being flexible in your travel (especially since, as you indicated, you're from Sweden and would be interested in an American show, if you were so inclined). All that said, it's also quite possible to be in the right place at the right time and get a seat.

Case in point: my mom and I were visiting the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando one year, and were taking the studio tour when we passed over a set filming a version of Let's Make a Deal. The tour guide said they had some extra seats for a show they were about to start filming. We both said "why not?" and were in the studio audience within minutes! For another example, the morning news programs that film in New York, such as Today, are broadcast live 5-6 days a week and are recorded from studios with windows onto the street, to say nothing of the numerous segments taking place outside amongst the visitors throughout the show. For those, you just need to be there and to brave the elements!

In general though, it's best to visit the website of the show you're interested in, as they'll have info on how to request tickets to attend a taping and what you'll need to know about your day at the studio. --McDoob AU 93 19:38, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

There is (or at least, used to be) a ticket booth at the entrance to Universal Studios Hollywood where free tickets to upcoming shows are given away. They're usually for things like The Price is Right, but you can occasionally get tickets for pilot episodes currently being filmed. You have to go to NBC Studios in Burbank to get tickets to The Tonight Show, they're free, but you have to stand in line. You can also go to the CBS Studios in LA for tickets to their shows. Corvus cornix_talk 20:51, 25 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

A lot of shows will say things like "If you plan to be in Los Angeles and would like to attend a taping of our show, please contact yada yada yada", meaning presumably if you give them enough notice they will either mail you the tickets or hold them at will call for you. --Jayron32 04:20, 26 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you very much for your replies! So talk-show-tickets are always free? Well, I suppose they make their money by their watchers, though I can't say I know much about that. --85.226.41.143 (talk) 17:23, 27 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

They make their money primarily by advertising. You'd actually be surprised how small the audience really is on most of those shows. Their usually in a tiny studio with like 40-50 people in the audience; so it REALLY matters if there are empty seats (since it stands out if there are empty seats) so for TV-viewability, it makes more sense to ensure a full house at all costs. --Jayron32 18:25, 27 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I remember having attended the Bozo the Clown show in Chicago where the tickets were free - but their waiting list was 10 years long. Parents would have to apply when their first child was born and guess how many children they would have by the time the tickets came. (We ended up with one extra ticket and brought a friend.) The studio was so small (and the audience, too) that we were instructed to wave with both hands when the camera was on us to make the crowd seem larger. Rmhermen (talk) 19:55, 27 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

At least you got in. My mother requested tickets when I was too young to remember. She finally got them when I was in my teens and no longer wanted to go. Dismas|^(talk) 02:07, 28 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

You should have gone anyway, just to be part of history. Pity the folks who ordered tickets 10 years in advance and the show got canceled. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:22, 28 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Supply and demand figures into it. In the early days of the New York Jets, when they were called the Titans, the owners used to pay neighorhood kids a quarter to come into the Polo Grounds and make the crowds look larger, for television broadcasts. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:22, 28 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]