Variety (July 1957)

I * i .' t * M !il • ! TV FILM ANNUAL 51 Wednesday, July 31, 1957 ____ P^ARIEff TV FILM COMMERCIALS PRODUCED SINCE JAN. 1,1957 KEITZ & HERNDON, Dallas. Rad K. Kaitx and Larry F. Harndon Jr., In charge. (Continued on page 54) * To signify some or all of -the total number of commercials are in color, t To signify whether any of total Include animation. The New Battle In Film Cora ls By WALTER LOWENDAHL (Exec r.p.. Transfilm Inc.) They’re at it again ... the prophets of doom . . . this time ready to bury all independent pro¬ ducers of tv film commercials, es¬ pecially the New York fraternity. The major Hollywood film compan¬ ies have decided to extend their operations to include Madison Ave. as well as Wilshire Boulevard. While we N.Y. producers waged our own private war, each boasting better production facili¬ ties- than the next, Hollywood stepped in touting the biggest facil¬ ities of all. Then came the old game of economic attrition. Some of the majors began delivering spots at less than cost.' Some smaller independents closed. Others are now feeling the squeeze. We in N.Y. now realize that the battle of facilities is but a skir¬ mish. The real battlefield is marked Creativity and Personalized Serv¬ ice. This is where we can outdc our West Coast competitors. Wi already have the definite advantage of being in a better geographies', position to offer personalized ser¬ vice. The heart of American ad vertising is right here In N.Y. whili 3*000 miles separate most agenciei from the “Hollywood touch.” Creatively, few tv spots haw risen above the commonplace, W< believe that agencies are aware o this and are most eager for crea tive assistance from producers. Un fortunately, the price factor ha» reduced the highly creative staff.* oi many producers. Talent canno* be bought at cut rates and this ad agencies know best of all. In those instances where pro ducers have been given the wides creative latitude in the productior of commercials, the results Jiav« been refreshing This practice will increase and once it is established competitive bidding among pro¬ ducers will disappear. The pro¬ ducer will > no longer be compar¬ able to a printer, a mere trans¬ ferrer of storyboards to film. Ha will conceive as well as executa commercials. We realize that advertising agen¬ cies will not make this move for iis. If we prove that we can de¬ liver creatively inspired commer¬ cials, our position will be strength¬ ened. We at Transfilm made oui first move when we reorganized *our production setup for the ex¬ press purpose of rebuilding our creative talent force. Now, as we add talent from the industry, we are also reaching or* beyond the tv field to create opportunities for talent not now in the industry. The tv commercial is still very much the infant and can be developed beyond our most imaginative dreams as an advertising power. { Facilities Not the Issue } We believe that all producers will have to approach competition on this level. Extensive facilities, such as Hollywood boasts, are not really the issue. The facilities in New York have been more than adequate these many years and have been increasing steadily to meet future needs. Close examina¬ tion of the great majority of com¬ mercials proves that massive stages are unnecessary and that the av¬ erage N.Y. sound stage fills the bill. For the occasional “spectacu¬ lar” commercial, which most of us have done, there are sufficient large rental stages available within taxi distance of Madison Ave. Hollywood lays claim to great theatrical motion picture skills which abound there. Impressive? Yes. But, do tv commercials call for such theatrical skills? In most cases, no. The only similarity be¬ tween a successful Hollywood mo¬ tion picture and a tv spot is that both are on film. If we are to equate all motion picture techni¬ cians merely because they work with film, we must also equate all other artisans solely on the basis of the similarity of their tools, and not their skills. Advertising on film is a distinct specialty. The N.Y. film producer who was experienced in the pro duction of films for selling, trail* (Continued on page 88)