Sponsor (Jan-June 1952)

1 panorama Film emerging from fly-by-night en HP he marriage of television and the movies has been consummated. Already, these major developments ensure s\ nthesis of the two media: 1. Fly-by-nighters are vanishing from production circles, leaving the field to TV-experienced moviemakers. 2. Hollywood is learning to adjust its once-grandiose thinking to advertiser needs as independents and major studios hop on the TV program film bandwagon. 3. Sale of program film has been put on an organized basis via a steadily increasing number of syndication firms — though no set price formula has been developed. 4. Advertiser enthusiasm for film is high — where program content makes it logical to use. These central conclusions emerge from a several-months-long sponsor study of film programing. The detailed report on this broad survey appears on succeeding pages under these headings: Production; Syndication; Film buying; Case histories. Accompanying each of these topics are pertinent charts, including a directory of producers; a directory of syndicators; a complete budget breakdown for a typical half-hour mystery film; a list of representative film fare with prices; and the results of a SPONSOR questionnaire to TV stations concerning their TV film needs. Just how fast the marriage of film and TV will produce offspring whose revenue rivals Hollywood's depends on television's own growth. Billings going to TV film will mount in tempo with post-freeze TV expansion. For once there are hundreds of TV stations, each providing a box office for TV film, it will be possible to price programs low enough the first time around to encourage wholesale film use. As it is now, first-run prices of TV film are out of line with what they will be when TV matures. Nowadays, it's as if Hollywood were trying to turn out product for rental to only 109 movie houses nationally. By the time you read this issue of SPONSOR, the FCC may have announced the official end of the freeze. Wayne Coy and others have said mid-March was the latest target date for the big thaw. But, remember, it will be a thaw on paper only and station construction will move very slowly for several years, (sponsor's guess as of 14 January was 12 stations on by end of '52 and events have brought no reason for a more optimistic prediction.) Meanwhile, advertisers in increasing numbers are putting their network shows on film. When new stations arrive, these sponsors will have top-flight entertainment ready to air whether the stations are on the cable or not. And in the interim they are helping to lick the clearance problem which one-, two-, and three-station markets pose by • This section does not embrace film commercials or old Hollywood movies. Future issues will cover these subjects. KEY TERMS: here are trade definitions of words used most frequently in this section Above-the-linc costs The money allocated for producer-director (or solely director), cast, script, and associate producer (if one is required) in the budgeted cost of a TV film production. Bclow-rhe-line costs The allocations for assistant director, unit manager., script clerk, technicians, sets, props, camera work, sound, lighting, film development and printing, wardrobe and makeup, cutling, titles, music, stock shots, special effects, location fees, studio rentals, and taxes and insurance. Buyer Advertiser, ad agency, network or local station ivhich owns, leases or rents a filmed program or program scries for purposes <>l televising. Distributor One engaged in shipping mid servicing of film; can be a syndicator, or an organization exclusively devoted to shipping, inspection, and storing of film. In-the-can The completed film production ready for televising. Pilot reel A sample production of a program series. Producer The top executive authority, or overseer, on a film production, whether he owns the show, is producing it on order as an independent contractor, or acts in that capacity on assignment from a network or syndicator. Syndicator Seller, and, in most cases, distributor, of a filmed program series to a group of markets. 78 SPONSOR