Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

FILM CONTINUED Why they shoot films overseas, and why saving money isn't why KRASNE Any saving in the cost of day-to-day shooting of tv films abroad is quickly dissipated by the added expense of doing business so far from home base, according to Philip N. Krasne, partner in the tv film production-syndication firm of GrossKrasne Inc. "Hollywood is the best place in the world to make tv films," Mr. Krasne declares. "Unless there's an overriding reason for doing the production abroad, it's much better, much easier and no more expensive to do it at home. Producers who think they can go anywhere else and get saleable product more cheaply are in for a big surprise." Last summer, Gross-Krasne entered into a coproduction arrangement with Kenya Productions Ltd., British company with permanent production facilities in Nairobi, where two tv series, African Patrol and The Adventures of a Jungle Boy, are in production for American syndication by G-K. From this experience, Mr. Krasne notes: Actors: Leads and main supporting players, cast in London, work in Nairobi under a portal-to-portal plan which, despite the lower salary scale, gives each London actor total earnings more than his Hollywood counterpart would get for the identical role. Casting: Parts are cast in London under the supervision of Guy Thayer, executive vice president of Gross-Krasne Ltd., G-K's English subsidiary, and Donald Hyde, vice president who was producer of the Lone Wolf and O. Henry Playhouse tv series, to insure that characters and accents are of the kind that are readily accepted by American audiences. Messrs. Thayer and Hyde also supervise all scripts for the same reason. Production: Kenya Productions does the physical production, but Hal Klein, formerly G-K production supervisor, has been in Nairobi since last May as the G-K onthe-scene representative. Editing: All film is processed and edited by G-K editors and Mr. Krasne gives the films a final inspection in Hollywood. Transportation: Round-trip plane fare, London to Nairobi and return, amounts to about $1,000 per actor. Air freight costs for shipping equipment from here to there and for sending film back also add up. In addition might be added a sizable item of executive supervision. Mr. Krasne went to Africa last summer to set up the physical operation, a task which entailed working out a sort of lend-lease arrangement for approximately $150,000 worth" of equipment. His partner. Jack Gross, has been spending about half his time in London, as part of what Mr. Krasne calls "the insurance (actor in getting the quality product we're after." The authentic jungle backgrounds needed lor these jungle tv programs provided the main incentive for going to Africa to film them. Mr. Krasne says. "We could have stayed in Hollywood and used stock footage and a stage jungle, but if we had we'd have wound up with "B" pictures broadcast at "B" times, before 6 p.m. or after 1 1 p.m., and we'd have to sell them at "B" prices. We're asking, and we're getting, top prices for African Patrol because it's a good enough show to play in top time. We couldn't do this with an African series made anywhere but in Africa." Mr. Krasne predicts that this series on its first United States run will gross about the same as O. Henry Playhouse did, $1.6 million. He does not expect widespread reruns, but does expect some, and rather quickly, in some markets. There is one economic advantage in filming abroad: the foreign-made films are not subject to the rerun fees required in contracts with the U. S. guilds, saving up to $2,500 per episode by third rerun, Mr. Krasne estimates. "To make top quality adult programs of the type we are having made takes the kind of budget that needs a worldwide market to be repaid. We couldn't absorb the entire costs out of the proceeds of U. S. syndication alone," Mr. Krasne states. Films made under a British production set-up automatically qualify as "quota pictures" in the United Kingdom, he says, pointing out that 86% of tv film playing time in Britain is restricted to British-made product, with only 14% left for imported pictures. "This means $5,000 per episode in film rentals that would otherwise not be available," he says, noting that with only a limited amount of quality British-made tv films there's a "healthy sellers' market." The situation is quite the other way for U. S. tv films, which are forced into intense competition for the limited amount of British air time available to them, he explains. "Our only U. S.-made tv series to get into the United Kingdom was O. Henry Playhouse and we got only $2,000 an episode for it, which is the top price for American tv films as far as we know." By providing most of the financing for the African films, Gross-Krasne receives the United Kingdom rentals on them, in addition to exclusive distribution rights in the Western Hemisphere, which so far means the U. S. and Canada, although G-K is planning to invade Latin America in the near future and eventually to get worldwide distribution for its tv films. "We believe that adventure films with a South African background have a universal appeal," Mr. Krasne states. "In African Patrol there are all of the elements that make good westerns popular as adult escapist entertainment, played against a background that is more strange and therefore more exciting than the too-familiar western hills and prairies. Jungle Boy, which is being filmed in color, might be described as an African Lassie, only the boy's pet is a cheetah instead of a dog." With no particular wish or intention of specializing exclusively on "adult Africans," Gross-Krasne believes that this is a field that can profitably be worked for some time to come. Production is now well along for a third series, based on the adventures of Trader Horn. Page 54 June 2, 1958 THIS SHOT of an Arab dhow at anchor in Mombasa harbor, Kenya, is an example of the authentic background material which draws Gross-Krasne crews overseas for the African Patrol series. Broadcasting