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Friends. (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/lemmyshitpost@lemmy.world
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[–] 15 points 3 months ago* (10 children)

I want to watch IT Crowd but anything with laugh tracks loses me immediately :/

Is there a tool for removing laugh tracks on shows that are good but need to tell you when they did a funny?

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  • [–] 21 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    Like most British TV comedy series, it was recorded with a live studio audience, rather than a "laugh track" added later - so there's probably no versions that exist without it.

    There's a chance that it's a 5:1 mix rather than stereo, and might have the audience on a different channel to the main dialogue - which would then be fairly easily to remove in something like Audacity.

    Otherwise your options are turning the sound off and reading text subtitles, or using an "llm-powered" vocal remover.

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  • [–] 17 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Not to mention how awkward laugh track comedies usually are when you get rid of the laughter, with everyone just standing in silence for a few seconds any time something funny happens.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago

    That's why you get about twenty retirees and sit them in front of your tv. Then you tickle them with a feather duster when you want them to laugh, that way you have your own live studio audience. Just remember to press record on the camera you're filming the tv with

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  • [–] 10 points 3 months ago

    Can't recommend anything I'm afraid. But I will warn - I've seen edits that remove the laughing from I think it was Friends? It really ratchets the awkwardness to 200% with all the actors pausing for silence, I'm not sure what's worse.

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago

    I'm about to blow your mind: the IT Crowd has a live studio audience. One of the specials goes over each cast member and shows bloopers and such, and you can see them in several shots. I believe they also talk briefly about the audience, though it's been a while. If I remember right, they would take the audience reactions of two takes and sort of merge them together.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (1 child)

    I don't understand the struggle some people have with laugh tracks. You can just use your own judgement and decide for yourself if you find the things funny or not.

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  • [–] 8 points 3 months ago

    Not sure about others, but for me if the comedy is largely unfunny I find the laugh track to reflect an overscaled and nonsensical appreciation of this comedy which is somewhat grating. It makes the whole scene dumber to a varying degree.

    On the other hand, if the comedy is good I can very easily overlook a laugh track as it paces the laughter more closely which seems to bother me far less.

    [audience murmurs]

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