Variety (April 1953)

Wednesday, April 15, 1953 P’SSnSrf TV-FILMS 27 TV Copywriter Tips: Shun Gimmicks, Hark to Film Ed, Fuse Audio-Video By LESLIE HARRIS - ( Radio-TV Director , Colgate) t et’s look at the copywriter who refuses to accept the fact that he S has a co-author — camera. T^eausc he still hasn’t abandoned S techniques, he doesn’t get optimum value from TV commer- cials. While the majority of commer- cial copywriters have become cam- e a-conscious. there are still a few holdouts. While the commercial Js in the creative stage, they feel that anv collaboration with those con- cerned with actual film production would be, roughly, comparable to a Yale undergrad being invited to join the daisy chain at Vassar. This is a completely unrealistic approach—both from the stand- point of keeping costs down, and creating a. good commercial. Un- less the copywriter has had con- siderable experience in making, screen treatments, it is decidedly to his advantage to enlist the serv- ices of a person with a film back- ground immediately after the basic premise of the commercial has been decided. Not only can a good film editor spot costly and potentially trouble- some sequences in the making; but • by suggesting different approaches and visual improvisations, he can be exceedingly helpful to a writer, in translating his ideas to film.. Actually, there are very few lim- itations which a camera imposes on a writer. But unless.he is familiar with the various devices utilized to overcome the inherent static qual- ity of film,. he is quite likely to find his creative thinking following a fairly conventional pattern. Few wiiters, even those \yith wide film experience, rely entirely, on their own knowledge in making screen adaptations. When it comes to choosing the proper type* of mon- tage, transitional device, clips from existing footage, generally it is much safer to call in the film ex- pert. . . . . Production guidance should not affect a writer’s. creative urge in the slightest, It will, however, prevent him from working out a costly location premise' aboard a trim yacht. It will remind him > that, If the action is confined to the replica of a stateroom with port holes, the illusion of a ship will be retained, but the cost won’t. He can also benefit from the knowl- edge that half a dozen boat manu- facturers will be glad to supply him with free negatives of their craft, plunging through the briny, coming to anchor, or sailing into the sunset. By editing these into his own takes, he will have a com- plete atmospheric commercial, . without having stepped out of the studio. ‘Location* Shots Not Necessary This is, of course, only^a very sketchy example of the many cost saving approaches a good film edi tor can suggest. Actually, as will be discussed later under studio techniques, there is little reason to ever have ai commercial shot on (Continued on page 32) _ % GE Buys Milland Vidpix on CBS-TV General Electric, through Maxon J nc,> has bought the Thursday J, time (opposite Groucho Marx) on CBS Television for The Ray Milland Show,” begin- ri? September. Move leaves v.ob-TV’s evening time complete- ly sponsored, with single excep- “° 1 [* Tuesdays at 8 to 9 p.m. Milland show is a filmed situa «on comedy, with the film star as * mgh school teacher. ■‘fall, too, GE is reportedly njuiiing the possibility of cutting ™, , F \’ ec l Waring Show (now weekly.) to twice a month, with " lr !g Crosby and “G.E. Theatre,” n.,7 !, dram *tlc series, rounding ° Ut the iRictm. > red- m. IATSE’sKHJ-TVWin Hollywood, April 14. Film Editors Local 776, IATSE, won a one-sided victory over the IBEW in*' the NLRB bargaining election at Do» Lee KHJ-TV. In addition to tlife station, Local 776 now has bargaining control at ABC, CBS and KTTV. Local live TV Vs. Pix Syndicates Film syndication outfits, cur- rently enjoying the greatest boom of their young lives, will probably encounter considerably tougher sledding ip the fall. Reason for the expected lull is twofold: new sta- tions have overstocked, and they’ll be going in for lots more local pro- gramming. As the post-freeze stations are going into operation, they are get- ting more and more demands from viewers for local;live shows. This holds especially true in the smaller markets, where the “small 'town” atmosphere still prevails. Stations on the air a short time' report, they’ve found considerable ac- ceptance .for locally built home- making, news, weather, sports and even talent packages. Western localities are starting to demand and get hillbilly shows, for exam- ple. And once football starts, it’s a near certainty that the local sta- tions will be carrying high school and college games. Most of the sales that have con- tributed to the vidpix boom this year have come from stations which at the time of sales hadn’t actually begun to broadcast. Sta- tion managers have since found that their programming require- ments don’t call for the large num- ber of filmed shows they’ve bought.’ In those cases where terms of sale Call for . a year’s use, they’ll play them out and won’t renew; in other cases with longer use clauses, they’ll hold oft on playing the films for next. year, thus limiting new business; There’s one other factor in the picture. That’s top names. Be- sides their own local boys; the pro- vincials want top stars they’ve seen in the film houses and heard on network radio. They don’t care what the source of the program- ming is—live or films, network or syndicated. BOBBY SANFORD IN SWITCH TO OFFICIAL Bobby Sanford,. who . recently opened his own talent agency, will transfer his activities to Official Films starting Monday (18). San- ford, a former Music Corp. of America exec, follows Hal Hackett also ex-MCA into OF. Latter was recently named OF prexy and board member. One of the hitches around San- ford's entry into the organization is his recently made tie-up with the Jaffe Agency on the Coast. Hackett is now in Hollywood con- ferring with Jaffe officials on trans- fer of activity as well as other busi- ness. EXPECTED IN ’H Hollywood, April 14. There’ll be* an English market opened up for American-made tele- pix by the middle of next year when commercial TV is expected to have been approved by the govern- ment and immediately activated. This note of optimism for both the present 2,000,000 set-owners abroad and Hollywood producers of video- on-ftTm was sounded by Norman Collins, former controller of Brit- ish Broadcasting Corp., and now chairman of High Definition Films of London, Ltd. , “The conservative government is pledged to ‘competitive’ televi- sion, which is our equivalent of your commercial TV,” said Collins, “and the only trouble is expected from the laborites. However, the conservatives had a solid majority in the house and barring any gov- ernmental changes, the granting of licenses for TV competitive to the government-controlled BBC should begin. More than 30 applications have already been filed, but among these are some wild-catters without responsible financial backing.” Collins’ mission in. this country for the past fortnight has been for the purpose of exploring our pro- duction methods, inspecting facili- ties and conferring • with his com- pany’s selling agents in this coun- try, the William Morris agency. This trip, he said, is -one of selling rather than buying. That will come later. He brought with him from London an audition film of a dra- matic subject to serve as a sam- ple of the high quality of High Defi- nition films turned out by what is called “telefilm” as distinguished from our kinescope. As against our standard 525 lines, the British cSmpany utilized from 750 to 900 lines on closed-circuit recording. Like the growing trend toward tele-on-film in this country, Collins sees- a parallel in the English think- ing,* noting, that the big advantage lies not only in improved quality but in permanence. He doesn’t think ^too Well of- our kinnies as compared to the English brand of teleplays, but is won over to our filmed programs, many of which would set well with English view-, ers. Collins is looking ahead to the day when there’ll be an exchange of television programs, the Ameri- can dollar being feuch a “weak pa- tient as not to be moved.” His company and several others will produce enough filmed entertain- ment to keep the bartering active, he said. Canada will also be in the mar- ket for U. 3- films, he believes, once the Dominion is dotted with stations. Just now there are only tw,o or three and 40% of the pro- gramming is commercial. In Aus- tralia a commission is now making a study of commercial TV, and it is anticipated it will go : as the mother country goes, said Collins. In setting up his own companies, High Definition Films and Asso- ciated Broadcasting Development Co., Collins finds himself in com- petition with the government serv- ices he helped to build. FOR VIDPIX BiH Lewis, Bob Angus Pariay 1G, Into $2,500,000 Vidpix Gross In 1 Year ‘Fountain’ Sprayed No Coin on Them, So They Sue Los Angeles, April 14. Billy Dix and Daniel Cypert A TV producers, filed suit for $12,100 in Superior Court against Al Jarvis and ABC for use of 14 telefilms titled “The Fountain of Poetic Thought.” , Plaintiffs, who are partners In Fountain Production, declare Jar- vis was given non-exclusive rights to the series last August and prom- ised them “reasonable compensa- tion.” They want $10,000 as damages and $2,100 for use of the films. Prockter to Europe Oir‘Police Story’ Vidpix Bernard J. Prockter, president of Prockter Television Enterprises, Inc., sails today (Wed.) on the Queen Mary for a month of Euro- pean business, overseeing produc- tion Of 13 half-hour “Police Story” television shows and investigating other program possibilities. Accompanied by Everett Rosen- thal, production veepee, Prockter will return -to New York on the 1<|1$ <Jf ^Jrpneqi tyfoX i a I Gordon’s Europe-Made Catalog of 250 Vidpix For U.S. Distribution Paul Gordon, indie film producer, arrives in the U. S. at the end of the month with a catalog of some 250 vidpix produced in Europe, which he’ll start peddling. *to sta- tions here. Gordon, together with German producer Hans H. Kaden, has been producing the films in Berlin under name of European Television Corp. Catalog includes 13 one-hour drama series, “Continental Date- line”; 13 half-hour biographies of composers; .13 quarter-hour con- densed operas; and 26 quarter-hour puppet and fairy tale plays. Gor- don intends to set foreign deals fol- lowing his American j al i n Dodgers Compete With Selves on TV The iamed daffiness of the Brook- lyn Dodgers has extended to tele- vision, although this time it isn’t exactly their fault. Dodgers, whose games are carried by WOR-TV. N. Y., will be performing on film on the competing WPIX, before each game of the rival Giants and the Yankees. Curious situation occurs through the fact that Dodgers w.ere filmed for a syndicated show by’ indie pro- ducer Leonard Key. Show,' a 10- minute quizzer named ‘‘Call the Play,” features clips of the Dodg- ers performing various plays. Idea of quiz is to stop the clip, phone a member of the audience and ask him what decision he would make on the play. Clip is then finished, showing correct decision. WPIX bought the film for a pre game slot. It’s now carrying all three New York teams as a result. Program’s sponsored by Sun Vac- uum Stores weekdays, Koolvent on Saturdays and Sunset .Appliance Stores on Sundays. Hal Tunis emcees. ‘WORLD PREMIERE’ 30G VIDPIX ROLL Hollywpod, April 14. Pilot film of a new dramatic tele- film series, “World Premiere,” goes before the cameras at Gold- wyn studios today (14) on a three- day schedule, carrying a $30,000 budget. Co-producers and part- ners in the projected series are film biz vets James Geller and Skirball. Latter is acting as exec producer. Audition film will be.adaptation by Richard Maibaum of Pearl Buck's “Lesson, in Biology” with Joanne Dru and MacDonald Carey starring, Arthur Lubin directs. By DAVID B. KAUFMAN Hollywood, April 14. Parlaying $1,100 they borrowed a year ago into a gross biz of $2,- 500,000, telepix producers Bill Lewis and'Bob Angus, youngest such team in the telefilm field, have netted approximately $100,- 000 in their first year of opera- tions in an illustration of what can be done in the comparatively new TV pix biz in Hollywood. The youngsters hit the jackpot with the Volcano Productions. Angus is 31, and his partner, Lewis, 33, The two were film editors on Dragnet” when they decided to form their own production com- pany March 18, 1952. All they needed was cash. So with $1,100 borrowed on Lewis’ car plus $75 they had they were in biz. Team immediately had Liggett & Myers* teileblurb account for Chesterfield and actually shot some blurbs be- fore forming their company. While they had enough coin to shoot they didn’t have enough of the green stuff for lab costs, opti- cal effects, etc. .So Lewis fast-talked the lab* sound people, optical effects com- pany and General Service owner James Nasser into deferments so that they could complete the blurbs. They delivered a batch to the*agency, and were on their way. Grins Lewis today of those early penny-pinching times: “I had to talk everybody out of their money. 1 was the heavy, but Bob passes out the checks and gives the raises.” Volcano next landed the “Ad- ventures of Harriet” vidpix show, and with 40 pix pacted, was well on its way. At about the same time the team got the Hotpoint and Lis- terine blurbs to add to their fast- growing business, and at this point they moved out of the tiny ante room which was their quarters, into a suite of offices at General Service. Since then Lewis and Angus have canned a telefilm starring Ann Blyth gratis for Father Han- na’s Boys Center; shot a pilot, “The Chase,” for NBC-TV, and do another pilot, “That Wonderful Age,” at Motion Picture Center April 15. They’re so pressed for space they shot “Chase” at Re- public, and “Age” goes at Motion Picture Center. In addition, they’ve signed vet western writer Luke Short to pen a series, “Ricochet,” for them, and will roll this new one hext June, with Angus directing. Sheldon Reynolds Sneaks ‘Theatre’ Vidpix Series Before N. Y. Audience A pilot film of a new Sheldon Reynolds vidpix series, “Theatre,” was sneak-previewed last Friday (10) at the Gramercy Theatre, New York City. Starring Claude Dauphin, the French actor, the pic was run in the film house to get an audio track of audience reaction. Re- sponse was termed good by Rey- nolds. Producer, in the U.S.A. for four weeks, leaves the end of this week for Stockholm, Sweden. Telenews Film Library Telenews has started a new film library service, registered under the name of “The Build-A-Show Film Library,” which it will intro- duce at the upcoming Los-Angeles v.;b : c-». vJ -j s SWG Opens Talks On Vidpix Pacts Hollywood, April 14. Television negotiating committee of Screen Writers Guild met today (Tues.) with Revue Productions and Jack Chertok Productions for discussion preliminary to vidpix companies inking Guild's minimum basic agreement covering telefilm scribblers. Contract sought would be identical to that signatured with Alliance of Television Film Pro- ducers. In addition to freelancers’ pact, Chertok asked SWG to begin talks aimed at finalizing a pact for his cfafF writer? SWG has similar negotiations skedded with Alliance producers, regarding their staff scribblers, and negotiations are also under way with a number of indie telepix companies. SWG has set up a TV advisory committee to police and implement its Alliance pact. Committee will handle all TV matters' and make video recommendations to the exec board. Morgan Cox is chairman, with Ema Lazarus and Curtis Keijyon ■PP'Viqe 5 I 3 t v>