Sponsor (July-Dec 1950)

must be repositioned for each of the -'I frames "1 |j|m which go In in a -iTond. This ensures smooth action. but multiplies the labor enormousl) since there nun be as mans as eight cigarettes to move for each of 1.110 fiames. Cost of a one-minute stop-motion commercial like the Luck) Strike film is $5-7,000. Man) advertisers use stop-motion merely as an adjunct to live-action. Koiison has one commercial in which a man fumbles for a match while making a phone call inside a booth. The announcer interrupts him with: "What you need is a Ronson Penciliter. . . ."" The penciliter "magically" appears in his hand, courtesy of stop-motion, and he lights up a cigarette. If stop-motion can tell a product sloi\ more effectively than animation or live-action, fine. Hut ever) TV director and advertising man queried advised againsl fane) effects for their own sake. Simplicity is still the primary aim. Trick effects like wipes. pop-ons. write-on-, and the like are justified, however, when a series of titles WSJS 7)*euwi* I A 15-COUNTY MARKET With Over $440,000,000 : RETAIL SALES Sales Management 1950 Survey of Buying Power WINSTON-SALEM AM-FM NBC Affiliate Represented by. HEADLEY REED CO must carr) the visual burden of a commercial. Take the Philco Radio & Television Company film opening to their TV program. Its purpose is to introduce Philco models, at the same time emphasizing Philco's world-wide reputation. Animation House did this b) opening the film on a view of a star-spattered sky, then narrowing down to a shot of the "earth" with the word Philco rotating around it. 'Ihis opening scene was relative!) inexpensive, yet put over the idea to Philco's complete satisfaction. A similar opening was filmed for the Speidel Company, makers of watch hands. Instead of the name Speidel appealing all at once, the name appeared to write itself on a letter at a lime. This was done h\ starting with the whole word and wiping off a letter at a time from the end of it. then re\ ci sing the film. To vary the end of the Speidel film, the letters appeared to '"pop on" one at a lime. Both trick elicits dressed up an otherwise routine commercial. As has long been obvious to advertising agency TV specialists and film producers, there are no specific rules lor a good commercial. Qualities like simplicity, sincerity, and technical excellence are the lime-honored attributes ol an effective, commercial. Hut each advertiser's film interpretation of these generalities will depend mainl) on the product he has for sale and the waj in which he chooses to sell il. I Itimately, the success or failure of a film commercial lies in the hands of his agenc) and film prodm er. For this reason. SPONSOR canvassed film-wise agencymen and producers, asking: What things should an advertiser or agenc) look for in hiring a film producer? This is the composite answer. The producer should be : 1. A man with actual television film experience; HolUwood film technique must be modified for TV. Some of the differences are the lower-key lighting required for TV (a 20 to one lighting ratio rather than the contrastv 40 to one ratio common on film), and the more careful planning required to get the action on a small screen. 2. A man who is primaril) interested in TV film work, rather than one who appeals to he busier doing other types ol commercial film. Chances are good thai such a producer looks on T\ commercials only as a sideline, can't 54 SPONSOR