"Audience Associates" is an agency much like "Audiences Unlimited" - it distributes free tickets to live tapings of TV shows.

"Audiences Unlimited" seems to have a larger operation going, with a wider selection of show tickets available, but this smaller outlet seems to be picking up steam and emphasizes game shows and talk shows, in addition to sitcoms. As well as a chance to appear in big movie crowd scenes.

You can get tickets here for shows such as "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The New Price is Right," (with Drew Carrey), "Let's Make a Deal" (with Wayne Brady), Craig Ferguson's "Late Late Show", "Deal Or No Deal" (with Howie Mandell), "Jeopardy", "I Hate My Teenage Daughter " "Rules of Engagement", "Wheel of Fortune", "Bill Maher Live" & "Dr. Phil".

Both companies have websites where you can order your tickets, and both allow you to print out tickets online.

But if you prefer the phone to the Web, the two different agencies have different ways of giving out information about the shows over the phone. When you phone "Audiences Unlimited " you reach a 24-hour recording which lists the shows for which tickets are available. There is no recording at "Audiences Associates "; you reach an actual person, tell him one or two dates when you would like to see a show, and he'll tell you what shows are available for those dates.

And recently, they've begun offering something new: opportunities to appear as unpaid extras in upcoming movies. - at their BeInAMovie.com site.

They've offered the chance to be in "Spider-Man" (the Times Square crowd scene), "Seabiscuit" (the race track scenes), "Rat Race", "Anger Management" and others, plus upcoming films such as "Cheer Up" (with Tommy Lee Jones), "Dodgeball" (with Ben Stiller & Vince Vaughn), "Coach Carter" (with Samuel L. Jackson & Ashanti), "Bee Season" (with Richard Gere) and "Clubhouse" (with Dean Cain & Christopher Lloyd).

 Getting there: The Audience Associates office is located near the corner of Melrose Avenue & Gardner Street (near Tommy Tang's restaurant), in the center of the hip Melrose shopping district. It's between Fairfax (on the west) and La Brea (on the east). /

From Hollywood & Vine, go south on Vine Street (about a mile and a quarter) to Melrose Avenue. Turn right (west) on Melrose, and go a mile and a half west to Gardner Street.