Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

OUTDATED MASKS SAID TO MAR SOME TV FILMS Studio aide says many producers are unknowingly letting product identification and credits extend outside edge of home television screen by using unsuitable equipment in shooting of commercials. A CLAIM that many tv producers unknowingly are using out-of-date masks to frame the shooting of their commercials and films — thereby causing product identification and credits to extend outside the edge of the home tv screen — has been made by Sol Dolgin, assistant to the president, Roland Reed-Gross Krasne Tv Commercials, California Studios, Hollywood. Mr. Dolgin told B»T that the industry has failed to modernize its camera technique to meet the demands of the greater proportion of rectangular viewing tubes now in home receivers and as a result the sponsor is not getting his entire message across. He explained that the standard mask still used in tv filming was designed to fit the older round viewing tubes, which were considerably covered at each edge by the set maker to effect a rectangular screen. When a commercial filmed for the old round screen is received on the newer rectangular tube, now in the majority, a good share of it is not visible because of the changed proportions, he said. "Often the viewer thinks his set needs adjusting when he can't get quite all of the picture," he explained, "but really what is wrong is that the film was made under an oldfashioned standard of masking that no longer applies." Roland Reed-Gross Krasne cameramen have been alerted to film commercials well within the new proportions, he said. This new policy also is designed to meet the additional problem of varied projection standards in use among tv stations, he explained. "The projectionist always wants to avoid blank spots along the edge of his picture, so he crops off even more, and at each station it is different." A Growing Problem Dick Feiner, the company's vice president in charge of distribution, said he hoped the tv film industry would cooperate to solve the overlap problem, which he felt was becoming more noticeable even in live production. He said the sponsor is entitled to his full money's worth of commercial delivered in the viewer's home, not just on the film itself. Mark Armistead, a major rental supplier of television film cameras in Hollywood, told B«T his firm became concerned about the masking problem three years ago and spent six months of research on the subject but could not convince the industry a change was necessary. He said the view finders of his cameras have been modified to show both the standard theatre scale and the proper tv proportion. It costs $200 to modify each camera, he said. W. F. Kelley, managing director of Motion Picture Research Council, explained the picture-area issue has been under study for many years and a compromise mask was agreed upon several years ago and adopted by the American Standards Assn. last year. He admitted it was based on the round-tube concept, but said producers usually are aware of the differences in station projection standards and variances in the home receiver screen, hence are "conservative" in their filming to take care FILM Tv Into Books BECAUSE of continuing demand for scripts of its Science in Action tv series, originating at KRON-TV San Francisco and distributed nationally by Television Programs of America, California Academy of Sciences is publishing a series of illustrated books based on the programs. First volume, titled "Science in Action" TV Library, is due off the press Jan. 15; second volume, April 15. Books are published for Academy by Merlin Press, New York, will sell for $3.50 each. of them. Mr. Kelley said three concepts are employed in describing picture area: projection area, useful action area and useful insert area. He acknowledged that the variations of practice in filming and projection are difficult to resolve in any compromise standard, but said the other big problem is what the set owner does to his viewing area through adjusting of the various controls. That is a factor that is hard to standardize, he indicated. Five Account Executives Appointed in TPA Expansion ADDITION of five account executives to the sales staff of Television Programs of America, New York, was announced last week by Michael M. Sillerman, executive vice president, as part of an expansion program. New staff members are Bennet H. Korn. formerly sales executive for Du Mont-owned television stations, assigned to TPA's newlycreated New York City division; Francis A. O'Driscoll, previously eastern and central sales manager for Official Films, who will have a roving assignment for TPA; Dave Baylor, formerly vice president of KCSJ-AM-TV Pueblo, Colo., assigned to the Cleveland territory; Walt Plant, formerly manager of the Horace Heidt orchestra, assigned to cover the Northwest, and David Willis, most recently with Ziv Television Programs, appointed TPA's Detroit representative. Roach Predicts Record Year For Tv Film Studios in '56 WITH more than $9 million of tv film production scheduled and $4 million more in the planning stage, Hal Roach Jr. sees a record year in 1956 for Hal Roach Studios, Hollywood. Plans have been approved for construction of two new sound stages to augment the seven now in use at Roach. The stepped up production activity, which includes the production of seven series and preparations to film five new properties, will result in a 25% increase in personnel, Mr. Roach said. He expects to see two definite trends during 1956: (1) The entrenchment of the one-hour dramatic anthology on film, which will demand a completely different technique and will come close to the feature-length movie. (2) Acceptance of film shows for daytime programming, with two and three hour programming on film becoming a reality. Selznick Movie to NTA NATIONAL TELEFILM Assoc., New York, has announced it has acquired "Intermezzo," starring Ingrid Bergman and the late Leslie Howard, from David O. Selznick, raising the number of Selznick feature films purchased by NTA to 11. 1. George Gobel KPRC-TV 2. HitParade KPRC-TV 3. Robert Montgomery KPRC-TV 4. Medic KPRC-TV 5. $64,000 Question Station C 15. Fireside Theatre KPRC-TV 16. Caesar's Hour KPRC-TV 17. Ford Theatre KPRC-TV 18. Perry Como KPRC-TV 19. City Detective KPRC-TV 20. Wyatt Earp Station B * ARB — October, November, 1955 KPRC-TV HOUSTON • CHANNEL 2 JACK HARRIS Nationally Represented By Vice President & General Manager EDWARD PETRY & CO. Broadcasting • Telecasting January 9, 1956 • Page 51