Radio annual and television yearbook (1954)

Film's Place in Color TV As Viewed by Producer c^^^sc;^^^ By JOHN L. SINN President Ziv Television Programs, Inc, THE position of film in black and white television is now self-evident. The trend toward filmed television that began four years ago has proceeded at an accelerated pace. The exact proportion of filmed shows to live shows is unimportant all agree that film is a tremendouslyvital and important part of black and white television programming. But color is just ahead, and commg faster perhaps than most people realize. What will be film's position in color television? Before we speculate, let's study the facts as we know them. The Ziv Company has been a pioneer in the field of color films for television. Since as long ago as early 1949, we have been shooting color film on a regular production basis. During those four years we have used every existing color film stock. We have exposed these various emulsions under every conceivable lighting condition. We have tried all of the time proven techniques, developed by the motion picture industry, and pioneered new lighting and photographic techniques especially suitable to the television medium. We have run literally hundreds of tests in conjunction with the laboratories to determine the proper method to obtain prints from our negatives in order to achieve maximum results in telecasting. We have had an opportunity now to run many of these tests over the television color system. We have been able to see for ourselves exactly which tests looked best on the color tube. In short, based on the actual production of 228 films in color, plus 286 separate and additional color tests, we have developed a technique of lighting, photography and printing which we call Zivcolor, which produces an excellent color picture. Zivcolor produces as well a fine compatible black and white picture. Our engineers and cameramen believe that it is superior to the black and white picture from black and white prints. As a result, we now have the proof positive that color film made under the proper conditions is perfectly adaptable to the color television system. This is the resounding affirmative answer to the question you have heard so many times during the past two years — "Will color film work in color television?" To all of us who have been literally head over heels in color during the past 18 months, another point has become clear, too. There has always been a wide gap between the production values possible in the best television film as opposed to the best television live shows. In color television, this gap becomes even wider and more pronounced. Painted backings and scenery look false. Process shots look faked and unreal. The wonderful color that exists naturally in the finest exterior locations just cannot be created artificially. Therefore, the mobility that has always been one of the great qualities of film, the ability to take cameras into distant exteriors, into practical and exciting interiors far removed from the studio, these will enable us to bring to the tube, through the medium of color film, an area of color excitement and interest beyond the reaches of the live camera. And just one final word of caution. Let the entire industry not forget that color is a wonderful adjunct, a great and wonderful new addition to this modern theater that is television. But it is not an end in itself. A bad play in black and white will not suddenly become a good play simply because it is in color. Although the audience will find eye catching interest in the fact that the leading lady is wearing a beautiful red dress, they will quickly become much more interested in what that leading lady says. A good play on the other hand, becomes more thrilling and impressive by the addition of color presentation. We have seen with our own eyes one of our "Favorite Story" productions, which won much critical acclaim everywhere in black and white, ibecome even more dramatic >and satisfying in color. 794