Pharom James Franco did a documentary on it that’s pretty good, but it focuses more on the writers and the week leading up to the show. You can find it online but it’s not currently on any of the major streaming sites
Charlie Werner Did you see the UA-cam videos of the directors in the control room during the opening number of the Tony Awards and the Supporting Actor winner speech at the Academy Awards? The directors were overseeing a dozen cameras and rapidly firing off switching commands to the technical directors.
ua-cam.com/video/iANaJgqq0N8/v-deo.html One of my funnest experiences was getting to watch in the control room during an episode of ESPN College GameDay. It definitely wasn't as frantic as the Tonys or SNL, but they also had a crew of folks crunching stats live to feed to the presenters and graphics folks building graphics in real time.
Wow. This makes me regret how easily I often complain when sketches are bad, I had no idea this is how much work goes into the show. From now on I’ll understand when a sketch doesn’t quite work, and I’ll have more appreciation for every sketch that does.
Damn... On one hand I want to tell you "OF COURSE! What? You think it just happens?" but on the other hand, someone that's actually humble in the UA-cam comments... Gotta respect that.
Aidan - Same, same, same, same...I’m just blown away by this little featurette. This needs a 2-hour feature length documentary!!! I’d watch the SHIT out of it! 😂
This is why, when people complain about SNL actors reading off cue cards and not memorizing lines, we see that there ARE no lines to memorize because they're changing them so often.
....which is, as we can see, a terrible idea and if it were scrapped, then the dialog would seem more natural and not so detached & wooden - SNL's production values have always been sub-standard though, this is just like one of 100 examples :(
That's why SNL is such a great proving ground for comedy actors; they separate the wheat from the chaff by who can make it look natural, even as everything is going to hell around them and the lines are being edited as they read them. It's perhaps better to think of SNL as less of a scripted sketch-show and more of a comedy gauntlet; I have the utmost respect for those who can not only handle the organised chaos of the live show, but thrive within it.
I have been watching creating snl videos, but this one is the most insane so far. I can't believe people manage to do this every week for decades. It is insaaaane. Also imagine taking over this job position after one of them retires. I think its one of the reason people work there for so many years.
that's exactly what i was thinking like all of the "creating snl" videos are insane and amazing and stressful but this one actually made me feel panicked and on edge while watching it. And i agree like it is so important that they have these ppl that are practically experts at it, it's like specializing in a very specific skill it's so hard to find new ppl that are capable at it without having been through it themselves for 10+ years
As a student pursuing a degree in film and television, this series is some of my favorite videos on youtube! thank you so much for sharing the creative process that goes into making this show so successful week after week.
too many people overlook the production crew who deserve the most of the credit for making these shows happen.. I have to give it to the front bench who hold it together.. Television is one of the greatest careers I've had the privilege to work..
I have an unbelievable new respect. Anyone that’s ever worked in television in any capacity knows that this.is.bananas. I knew it was a lot of last minute changes, but I had NO IDEA the director is getting all of this info on the fly. I have nothing but admiration... 22 years in media and I cannot imagine. They deserve so much more credit (I hope they’re compensated well for this stress)
I'm genuinely asking, but has there never been a show where everything went horribly wrong?? I can't imagine that not happening at least once under those kinds of conditions
Read the book "Live From New York: The Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live". There are plenty of stories about how most Saturday Night Live episodes were stressful to produce. I think the episode hosted by Madonna from season 11 and most episodes from seasons 6 and 20 qualify.
A lot of time, usually they let it air when the shit hits the fan but when they wrap up its a storm by Lorne, lots of cast members and hosts were either fired or banned from ever hosting, Martin Lawrence's off the rail women hygiene monologue, Adrien Brody's Jamaican accent which banned himself or Jenny slate saying shit on live TV
I wanna see the full week/a more in depth look! I was reading the article today on Vulture about the whole evolution of the David S Pumpkins sketch and it was so detailed, I wanted to actually see it all happen! haha
*This is why I love television production.* Working a live shoot can be an exhilarating, magical thing, and if you have a good crew the set-up can be great fun, too.
Insane level of production. I had imagined it was crazy but this prove it's at least a thousand times worse than i thought. Which means it is a real miracle every week. Incredible dedication to follow through no matter what. Sharp minds involve and no lazy people here.
I was at the Lena Dunham dress rehearsal and a sketch that was cut was called "Little Buff Boys". It was hilarious and I am both sad and happy it will never be seen again.
I had a panic attack just watching this! 'When its working on all cylinders, its like...music'...Well thank you for making it work like that all these years!! I'm from Pakistan and its my dream to work at SNL ❤
I could literally watch a reality television show that follows the cast and crew every week leading up to the shows and backstage during the shows, and that show would probably be better than the actual SNL
And still you guys make it so enjoyable week after week. Who would imagine this amount of stress with all the happy faces on screen. SNL you guys are the best, thanks for all your efforts.
I love behind the scenes makes Television less glamorous and more realsitic. Thank you for sharing the opportunity. Would love to see more if anyone has the time. Please post more. 👍
The people who run, and star, on this show are talented beyond anyone’s imagination. Hands down some of the best minds in the business to be able to pull of of this off week after week.
I actually worked as a background 3 years ago for one of the skits. A day in the life of working SNL, I give my applause to everyone on board that team.... the main cast, the crew, the band, the technicians, the creative team, and everyone. So much hard work but it all pays off. Everyone was soooooooo nice, funny, and love doing their jobs. When I first got to be on the show, that was such a fun learning experience. I was in the Google Talk skit when Jessica Chastain hosted as part of the little audience (the little Bart Simpson parody). I had rehearsal on Friday which was the blocking & first run through of the skit. Plus, we would have the main crew come in talking about the plan and what do we wear for the live taping. The next day, we would arrive at the Studio early afternoon for a camera tech run through. We then would have a long break. Have to be back by 6pm for Hair and Makeup in preparing for dress rehearsal. 8pm is the dress rehearsal which the audience determines what skits go into the live show. About a half hour after Dress is the final decision of what skits make it in. Luckily for us, Google Talk made it in to the Live Show and we would do some touch ups. Also some of the skits get re-arranged last minute. From there, 11:30pm..... it's LIVE!!! We go out there and do the skit and then once I finish it, you're done. The one part that's sad though is that us background don't get to go up on stage at the end for the GOOD NIGHTS. Still awesome.
Just watching 8 minutes gave my sweaty palms.. hands down to the production team!! It would also be awesome if SNL made a full 2 hour long documentation on this stuff, SO INTERESTING!!! and it makes us appreciate the show a lot more
the more of these snlmaking of videos i watch the more my respect grows tremendously. it is absolutely amazing what you guys put on the screen every week and how❤️
Wow this made me miss college. I'm a Communication Arts graduate and we have Television Production class and it was the best! Our class is supposed to be a production crew and we'd make shows. I remember one time we had to shoot scenes for our variety show and I was camera 1, camera 2, and floor director and a PA at the same time, because our other classmates had classes. It was so fun! I miss the action. :))
wow, mad respect to this art form and the cast and crew. I've done plays all my life and I can't even begin to fathom the organization and flexibility this process calls for.
Wow got guys work SO hard! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication! I never knew how hectic it could be to pull this show off every week! My 🎩 goes off to all of you !! My mind is blown
Absolutely fascinating (and panic-inducing just to watch). SNL has been my favorite show since I was a kid and this gives me a whole new appreciation for everything that goes into it.
SNL is you probably my favorite thing about the world. The fact that these people come together put in this massive effort just to try and bring joy to others is amazing and a phenomenal achievement. I believe SNL is a cornerstone of western culture and the day it goes away for whatever reason, the world would suffer a terrible loss. Whatever they're paying thier prop and set design department especially isn't enough.
Is it really live ? ,that’s unbelievable !!! always thought that would be impossible,that must be just a name ,but respect to all the actors involved,what a responsibility,wow ! ! Big ups to all the crew too .
I wonder how they communicate and get the actors and people on the floor to adjust to the changes during the show. This is the definition of a well oiled machine that can keep operating even while there’s constant chaos.
This was great. I’d like to see a 10 episode exposition of the whole process from how they pick hosts, to hiring talents, to hiring off camera talent, to putting the show on.
This is basically what WWE do. The match rehearsals are on small untelevized "WWE live" shows. The promos are half script half improvisation. Kevin Dunne, Vince and the production team are talking into the earpieces of the commentators, referee's, camera men, ring maintenance crew, ring announcers, time keepers areas etc. Live on TV for 3 hours straight on Monday Night Raw and 2 hours on Friday night Smackdown
I’ve been waiting for this since forever. These guys are incredible! Will never quite understand how they create quality live television by working wednesday-saturday. However now that they have a break, I expect the Larry David episode to be spectacular!
34 seasons... living thought chaos week at a time. I think I would die of heart attack by end of first month. My God how did these people get through is a miracle!
There needs to be a 2 hour SNL documentary
Pharom James Franco did a documentary on it that’s pretty good, but it focuses more on the writers and the week leading up to the show. You can find it online but it’s not currently on any of the major streaming sites
i'd watch a 5 hour one tbh
Reality series!
Franco? Oh, no thanks
Yes !
I can’t be the only one who wants to see a full episode behind the scenes live with directors commands etc
Charlie Werner
Did you see the UA-cam videos of the directors in the control room during the opening number of the Tony Awards and the Supporting Actor winner speech at the Academy Awards? The directors were overseeing a dozen cameras and rapidly firing off switching commands to the technical directors.
links pls
ua-cam.com/video/iANaJgqq0N8/v-deo.html
One of my funnest experiences was getting to watch in the control room during an episode of ESPN College GameDay. It definitely wasn't as frantic as the Tonys or SNL, but they also had a crew of folks crunching stats live to feed to the presenters and graphics folks building graphics in real time.
@@joelluber thanks
Go to a taping!
Wow. This makes me regret how easily I often complain when sketches are bad, I had no idea this is how much work goes into the show. From now on I’ll understand when a sketch doesn’t quite work, and I’ll have more appreciation for every sketch that does.
Aidan Showing humility on the internet! You rock man!
Love this comment
Damn... On one hand I want to tell you "OF COURSE! What? You think it just happens?" but on the other hand, someone that's actually humble in the UA-cam comments... Gotta respect that.
I come back to this comment quite often because of the humility in it
Aidan - Same, same, same, same...I’m just blown away by this little featurette. This needs a 2-hour feature length documentary!!! I’d watch the SHIT out of it! 😂
If I worked there I’d probably have a nervous breakdown
ImpalerGaming I had one watching this video.
I'd work in the set design crew just hanging drywall and shit. I think it would be fun.
This is why, when people complain about SNL actors reading off cue cards and not memorizing lines, we see that there ARE no lines to memorize because they're changing them so often.
....which is, as we can see, a terrible idea and if it were scrapped, then the dialog would seem more natural and not so detached & wooden - SNL's production values have always been sub-standard though, this is just like one of 100 examples :(
That's why SNL is such a great proving ground for comedy actors; they separate the wheat from the chaff by who can make it look natural, even as everything is going to hell around them and the lines are being edited as they read them.
It's perhaps better to think of SNL as less of a scripted sketch-show and more of a comedy gauntlet; I have the utmost respect for those who can not only handle the organised chaos of the live show, but thrive within it.
Got anxiety from watching this.
No kidding
you should watch the set design one.
Was about to say the same thing
Me too!
I agree! I was getting stressed just listening to them talk about how they handle everything after Weekend Update.
superstars!!!
This sounds so stressful but exciting at the same time
Laura Hart sounds like me ;)
yep, i would just be screaming. so much steess and presuse. and even changing on the fly while live airing.
This is a lot of work just to make me laugh thanks everybody for the hard work
Jerminator 83 Not just you watching though, is it?
More like it makes their bank account happy
I have been watching creating snl videos, but this one is the most insane so far. I can't believe people manage to do this every week for decades. It is insaaaane. Also imagine taking over this job position after one of them retires. I think its one of the reason people work there for so many years.
that's exactly what i was thinking like all of the "creating snl" videos are insane and amazing and stressful but this one actually made me feel panicked and on edge while watching it. And i agree like it is so important that they have these ppl that are practically experts at it, it's like specializing in a very specific skill it's so hard to find new ppl that are capable at it without having been through it themselves for 10+ years
And there are staff there now who were not even BORN when SNL started in 1975! Only Lorne.
So... the "S" in SNL stands for Stressful, right?
Stressful Nightmarish Life 😏
no it stands for "Saturday" you coagulated fuck
- Ben Nu Productions - ok woah it was a joke calm down
It stands for cocaine night live
Stressful niggas laughing
As a student pursuing a degree in film and television, this series is some of my favorite videos on youtube! thank you so much for sharing the creative process that goes into making this show so successful week after week.
This really makes me appreciate the show even more.
How do people do this without having a panic attack?
They say it’s normal to cry every rehearsal 😂
Actually bill Hader had multiple panic attacks, even during the sketches but dude's a legend and he worked with it.
I apologize to everyone involved.
That was annoyingly cute😂😂
I'm confused.
I have a high stress job. Today is my day off..... I'm now hyperventilating into a paper bag.
Yeah, that was crazy! I have a new appreciation for everyone involved with that show. My head would explode doing that kind of job.
hipnhappenin 😂😂😂
How have I watched every single Creating SNL but this one?! This was by far the greatest in the series. ❤️
I love that they all talk about Lorne like he’s a god or a mythical creature
I mean, in the miniverse subset of reality that is SNL he technically is
too many people overlook the production crew who deserve the most of the credit for making these shows happen.. I have to give it to the front bench who hold it together.. Television is one of the greatest careers I've had the privilege to work..
I have an unbelievable new respect. Anyone that’s ever worked in television in any capacity knows that this.is.bananas. I knew it was a lot of last minute changes, but I had NO IDEA the director is getting all of this info on the fly. I have nothing but admiration... 22 years in media and I cannot imagine. They deserve so much more credit (I hope they’re compensated well for this stress)
This is a pretty cool behind the scenes video. Thanks for sharing.
Literally getting anxiety just watching 8 minutes of this. Kudos to everyone, beyond incredible what they do
I'm genuinely asking, but has there never been a show where everything went horribly wrong?? I can't imagine that not happening at least once under those kinds of conditions
Read the book "Live From New York: The Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live". There are plenty of stories about how most Saturday Night Live episodes were stressful to produce. I think the episode hosted by Madonna from season 11 and most episodes from seasons 6 and 20 qualify.
A lot of time, usually they let it air when the shit hits the fan but when they wrap up its a storm by Lorne, lots of cast members and hosts were either fired or banned from ever hosting, Martin Lawrence's off the rail women hygiene monologue, Adrien Brody's Jamaican accent which banned himself or Jenny slate saying shit on live TV
Conversely id like to know if there were any episodes that went more or less as planned from the beginning
Can you do a follow round type video with one of the writers? I'd love to see how their week goes!
I wanna see the full week/a more in depth look! I was reading the article today on Vulture about the whole evolution of the David S Pumpkins sketch and it was so detailed, I wanted to actually see it all happen! haha
Damn. I've seen some chaotic production environments, but this is just insane.
The residual anxiety I got from watching this video is enough to keep me up at night for 7 weeks straight
The more I learn about this show the more I realize how insanely challenging and intricate the creation of this show actually is.
No wonder Liz Lemon was losing her mind
*This is why I love television production.* Working a live shoot can be an exhilarating, magical thing, and if you have a good crew the set-up can be great fun, too.
Man I’d love to see a full documentary of these I love it 😍
james franco did one recently
This is the best behind the scenes I have ever seen! Great group of people, great show!
Insane level of production. I had imagined it was crazy but this prove it's at least a thousand times worse than i thought. Which means it is a real miracle every week. Incredible dedication to follow through no matter what. Sharp minds involve and no lazy people here.
My hair would turn gray in a month.
QRS3C273 😂👍🏼
I was at the Lena Dunham dress rehearsal and a sketch that was cut was called "Little Buff Boys". It was hilarious and I am both sad and happy it will never be seen again.
Eric Does The Internet please go on
Eric Does The Internet Yeah go on.
Yeah go on.
Well at least there's a little less Lena Dunham in the world. So there's a positive!
Sometimes Lorne gets it wrong. There’s sketches that were cut for time that I’ll see on UA-cam and think are better than the ones they kept.
I had a panic attack just watching this! 'When its working on all cylinders, its like...music'...Well thank you for making it work like that all these years!! I'm from Pakistan and its my dream to work at SNL ❤
I could literally watch a reality television show that follows the cast and crew every week leading up to the shows and backstage during the shows, and that show would probably be better than the actual SNL
If that didn't add more stress to their already insanely stressful jobs, I would be down for this too
That was basically the premise for 30 Rock
Wow! I really appreciate what everyone does to deliver such a lovely, entertaining show to all of us. So generous and beautiful!
Colleen Tate Shut the fuck up.
That's awesome that you're so grateful an appreciative and more people need to be like that👊
And still you guys make it so enjoyable week after week. Who would imagine this amount of stress with all the happy faces on screen. SNL you guys are the best, thanks for all your efforts.
I love behind the scenes makes Television less glamorous and more realsitic. Thank you for sharing the opportunity. Would love to see more if anyone has the time. Please post more. 👍
The people who run, and star, on this show are talented beyond anyone’s imagination. Hands down some of the best minds in the business to be able to pull of of this off week after week.
May SNL continue for many more years! SNL definitely has brought so much joy and laughter through the years! The show is iconic!
I actually worked as a background 3 years ago for one of the skits. A day in the life of working SNL, I give my applause to everyone on board that team.... the main cast, the crew, the band, the technicians, the creative team, and everyone. So much hard work but it all pays off. Everyone was soooooooo nice, funny, and love doing their jobs.
When I first got to be on the show, that was such a fun learning experience. I was in the Google Talk skit when Jessica Chastain hosted as part of the little audience (the little Bart Simpson parody). I had rehearsal on Friday which was the blocking & first run through of the skit. Plus, we would have the main crew come in talking about the plan and what do we wear for the live taping. The next day, we would arrive at the Studio early afternoon for a camera tech run through. We then would have a long break. Have to be back by 6pm for Hair and Makeup in preparing for dress rehearsal. 8pm is the dress rehearsal which the audience determines what skits go into the live show. About a half hour after Dress is the final decision of what skits make it in. Luckily for us, Google Talk made it in to the Live Show and we would do some touch ups. Also some of the skits get re-arranged last minute. From there, 11:30pm..... it's LIVE!!! We go out there and do the skit and then once I finish it, you're done. The one part that's sad though is that us background don't get to go up on stage at the end for the GOOD NIGHTS. Still awesome.
That must have been amazing experience
I could watch this, and many other behind-the-scene of SNL, every day! Couldn't stop smiling
Sounds like pure chaos and I love it.
I love the guy that says: "Ready 5, Have a great show, Here we go" in the beginning of all these videos.
Just watching 8 minutes gave my sweaty palms.. hands down to the production team!! It would also be awesome if SNL made a full 2 hour long documentation on this stuff, SO INTERESTING!!! and it makes us appreciate the show a lot more
I would love to be a stage manager for SNL. I thrive in environments like this.
Wow. This is incredible to watch. Please post more of this. Amazing how they make it work every week
Incredible. Live production is no joke! Love seeing Behind-The-Scenes videos like this.
INCREDIBLE they're able to pull this off at all! And despite occasional bloopers, I've never seen an episode that didn't seem seamless, and polished.
Shout out to all the SNL folks. This makes me love and appreciate your show even more
having worked as sound and lights designer for a small oap high school production, this looks extremely fun
I only realized i had stopped breathing for the entire video when i took a breath at the end of the video! 😲
This should be made into a feature-length documentary! This is fascinating!
the more of these snlmaking of videos i watch the more my respect grows tremendously. it is absolutely amazing what you guys put on the screen every week and how❤️
THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!
I'm a huge fan of SNL and behind the scenes pieces like this are awesome to see. Keep them coming!
Wow this made me miss college. I'm a Communication Arts graduate and we have Television Production class and it was the best! Our class is supposed to be a production crew and we'd make shows. I remember one time we had to shoot scenes for our variety show and I was camera 1, camera 2, and floor director and a PA at the same time, because our other classmates had classes. It was so fun! I miss the action. :))
Every second of this video became sooooo much more exciting. I got anxiety, I stress laughed, I applauded. FANTASTIC JOB YOU GUYS
I thought there were like 3 studios but now that I see it, it's amazing
You know, if I were running it there would HAVE to be 3 studios.
also, it is TINY. I took the tour at 30 Rock once and it’s insane how they cram it all in.
I never fully understood just how much work is needed for each episode. Makes me appreciate it more :)
Wow. That is totally crazy. Extreme respect to the crew.
0:39 Love the ranger Robbie puppet Keenan used for ‘Puppet Class’ on his desk in the background 😂
It's rare that you get a truly honest piece on TV production. Give us more of that.
People with anxiety (me) can never work here. These people are like god to me for not having a nervous breakdowns in the office.
wow, mad respect to this art form and the cast and crew. I've done plays all my life and I can't even begin to fathom the organization and flexibility this process calls for.
what I learned:
The staff and actors both have insane improvisation
It's stressful just hearing them talk about it. I can't imagine what it's like being there.
Wow got guys work SO hard! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication! I never knew how hectic it could be to pull this show off every week! My 🎩 goes off to all of you !! My mind is blown
Damnnn never knew it was that deep. Anxiety inducing af😢
Wow so much appreciation for those behind the set
Absolutely fascinating (and panic-inducing just to watch). SNL has been my favorite show since I was a kid and this gives me a whole new appreciation for everything that goes into it.
That is impressive, and this is why people still respect SNL after all these years
I'm seriously impressed. When I see the show on tv, they make it look so easy!
SNL is you probably my favorite thing about the world. The fact that these people come together put in this massive effort just to try and bring joy to others is amazing and a phenomenal achievement. I believe SNL is a cornerstone of western culture and the day it goes away for whatever reason, the world would suffer a terrible loss. Whatever they're paying thier prop and set design department especially isn't enough.
Wow this was amazing!! I learned so much!
The craziest part of having all the sets is this is all done inside a highrise office building in the heart of the busiest city in the nation.
This is so damn cool. Y'all do a great job.
Nothing but awe and respect.
This is excellent. I show this to our High School Broadcasting I students every year.
All of this is completely fascinating. Love this series.
I really liked how well you guys recovered when Elvis Costello changed songs live. That was a great performance!
Is it really live ? ,that’s unbelievable !!! always thought that would be impossible,that must be just a name ,but respect to all the actors involved,what a responsibility,wow ! ! Big ups to all the crew too .
They have been working on this show so hard for over 45 years. It’s amazing they are able to pull it off every week
wow. i have always loved this show and always wondered how they do it. this is exactly what i asked for!
I wonder how they communicate and get the actors and people on the floor to adjust to the changes during the show. This is the definition of a well oiled machine that can keep operating even while there’s constant chaos.
This was great. I’d like to see a 10 episode exposition of the whole process from how they pick hosts, to hiring talents, to hiring off camera talent, to putting the show on.
This is basically what WWE do. The match rehearsals are on small untelevized "WWE live" shows. The promos are half script half improvisation. Kevin Dunne, Vince and the production team are talking into the earpieces of the commentators, referee's, camera men, ring maintenance crew, ring announcers, time keepers areas etc. Live on TV for 3 hours straight on Monday Night Raw and 2 hours on Friday night Smackdown
I HAD NO IDEA!!!! mad respect for cast and crew
This is awesome; so glad I found this!
I’ve been waiting for this since forever. These guys are incredible! Will never quite understand how they create quality live television by working wednesday-saturday. However now that they have a break, I expect the Larry David episode to be spectacular!
Lets appreciate the synchronization of every one working together.
This is TEAM WORK. Brilliant!
These people are nuts! How does it ever work?
Wow! This video just made me anxious. I love the show.
Oh my god I've been dreaming about this bts stuff FOREVER!! THANK YOU SNL!!!
I got a little stressed just by watching this video. I love how they work. Lmao
I've been watching SNL since the early 90s, and have loved it ever since
I got stressed just watching this...
34 seasons... living thought chaos week at a time. I think I would die of heart attack by end of first month. My God how did these people get through is a miracle!
Gotta get there! The greatest!
I watch the Jay pharaoh interview on club shay shay he said it was exactly like this!
Thanks for sharing some behind the stage ! I am still surprised HOW they get new ideas for sketches and realise them so fun.
Anxious just watching this