TeleVISIONS (Autumn 1976)

UW Off-Air: Australia is a half-hour edit of broadcast appearances down-under by San Francisco based art and architecture group Ant Farm. Sorry to say that the artist-ambassadors came up with a zero on their principle mission—to document the sacred green ants on Aboriginal tribal lands. Two weeks in the back-country, waiting for a telegram from the natives which never came. Fortunately, they were able to perform an opera with 22 automobiles and a kangaroo (CAR-MEN), which is part of the “off-air” edit. Next project for Ant Farm: Dolphin Embassy, a “floating interspecies communications station dedicated to long-term human/dolphin interaction in the open sea environment.” Construction is due to begin in early 1977. Further evidence that videodisc home marketing remains in distant future (as reported in TELEVISIONS last issue): The international videocommunications market—VIDCOM—which ran in Cannes in Oct., has tentatively decided to skip 1977 for lack of interest. Only one disc manufacturer—German-based Magnetic Disc Recording—displayed at this year’s VIDCOM., MDR isthe only system which features record as well as playback. Rape tapes: The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Rape is seeking printed and audiovisual materials for a clearinghouse on the subject of rape and sexual assault. Audiovisuals should be sent to Women’s Crisis Center, Catherine McClary or Jan BenDor, 325 E. Summit St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. The Center will pay Seventy-three artists, including NAM JUNE PAIK, LYNDA BENGLIS, PETER CAMPUS, TERRY FOX, HERMINE FREED, JOAN JONAS, MICHAEL SNOW, and BILL WEGMAN, have contributed postage and dupe costs up to $5; amounts over that should be cleared in advance. In addition, you will receive a copy of the directory in exchange. (From Media Report to Women.) Bill Moyers, who acted like a fifth wheel on CBS’s convention coverage, has finished four docs for CBS Reports, which will air starting in December. Producers of Midnight Blue publicaccess erotic series have slapped a quarter-million buck damage suit onto Time-Life, Inc. and its Manhattan Cable subsidiary. The show was cancelled in May because it allegedly flouted FCC obscenity regulations. Videotape Illustrations of mental illness are videotapes for teaching medical students and other interested groups how to recognize and deal with various forms of mental illness. They have been produced by University of Southern California School of Medicine. The six tapes use actors to portray a woman with manic-depressive illness, a man with depression that might lead to suicide, a woman with a personality disorder that makes it difficult for her to make small decisions, a man with an organic brain disorder caused by alcohol and drug abuse and awoman with schizophrenia. — Creators feel the tapes might be useful for helping various groups recognize mental disorders. They express hope that parents, teachers, school nurses, pharmacists, and others in the community will view the tapes and see that treatment is started early for persons showing signs of mental illness. For further information, write: The News Bureau; University of Southern California; Los Angeles, Ca. 90007. Look for new comedy shows off the success of MHMH and Monty Python: “Glitters”, from Norman Lear, is a serial about sex roles. ‘‘Mother’s Little Network”’ is WGBH’s American version of Python now being piloted. “‘Making It In Hollywood’’ is an hour tape produced by Frank and Laura Cavestani and Tom Weinberg, just completed and on the market for broadcast airing. The documentary, shot in 3/4” cassette, focuses on unknown and known actors in Tinseltown with scenes in Schwab's Drugstore, at parties, with agents, and at casting sessions (including the new Mae West movie). While there are no “star” roles, some better-known Hollywoodies like Tab Hunter, Sally Kirkland and Shelley Winters make appearances. “‘Bionic Beaver, Calling Bionic Beaver. Move over Haywire—Tell Cameraman and Bay City Muff Diver to meet at the 66...” So it went as Optic Nerve, the SF videocollective, hit the highways in October to shoot their documentary on independent owner-operators—i.e., truckers. O. Nerve has a CB-equipped Winnebago-like camper rented for two months, during which they have traveled cross-country with major characters and several minor ones in an exploration of the great ‘‘myth of independence.” Shooting ends in December, with a rough-cut by Christmas, they hope. PROJECTS By and For Media Makers Progress reports A series of regional workshops for cable programmers has been launched by the newly organized National Federation of Local Cable Programmers. Started by a group of cable activists who got their start in Alternate Media Center internships at cable stations, the NFLCP aims to develop strong regional grassroots voices for cable producers and community video centers. To date no effective organization has developed, though several failed efforts have been made. Some regions have already met. Others are in mid-process. To find out who’s working in your area and to get on the mailing list, write: NFLCP, 122 North Duke St., York, PA 17401. World’s most extensive test of fiber optics for two-way video services will begin in November near Osaka, Japan. Called HIOVIS, the $17 million government funded project will reach 300 subscribers in the initial field test, offering request TV programs, request data in still-picture, facsimile copies, including a home ‘“newspaper’, computer-assisted instruction, cashless bank transactions, TV shopping and reservations, burglar and fire alarm, automatic meter readings. a i ra bert ae e VIDEO ART INSTALLATIONS: THE TELENVIRONMENT e THE SCOPE OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO WORK e VIDEOPERFORMANCE e THE EUROPEAN SCENE jes ee eee ee ee ieee ee | seer Jovanovich Cc General Books Dept. a Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017 Please send me (¢ $19.95 in hardeover or 7 copies of Video Art copies two-page spreads expressing, evoking, or explaining some aspect of their work, many with photographs from their tapes. Artists, curators, reviewers, and video participants have written articles reviewing some of the major tapes as well as examining: e THE SURREALITY OF VIDEOTAPE e IMAGE PROCESSING AND VIDEO SYNTHESIS e VIDEO/TELEVISION SPACE ¢ VIDEO IN THE MID-70’s Edited by Ira Schneider and Beryl Korot, videotape artists and cofounders of Radical Software, this anthology is essential for everyone practicing or studying video. («$9.95 in paperback. I enclose // check // money order for $ total. (Please add sales tax where applicable.) Your name Address City Zip State =