Recently, I wrote about the beginnings of NBC’s historic lot in Burbank as the Peacock network completed its move to nearby Universal Studios. The look back on NBC Burbank’s sixty-two year history wouldn’t be complete without exploring some of the technical history NBC engineers made over the years….
June 20, 1948…Ed Sullivan Comes To Television On this day in 1948, CBS debuted “Toast Of The Town” from The Maxine Elliott Theater (CBS Studio 51). In the first photo, you see what looks like a set for a puppet show…it is not. When you watch the opening of the show at the link, you […]
Letterman School Of Broadcasting…Camera Operation 101 By request, here’s the clip of Dave picking an audience member and putting her to work behind of the their RCA TK44s. Enjoy and share! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wli9BOL6FQ8 David Letterman selects an audience member and she operates a TK-44 on-air. Source
A Tribute To Instant Reply Inventor…Director Tony Verna This video from WCAU in Philadelphia has some very interesting footage at the start from the 1985 Live Aid Concert with Tony Verna directing the US portion of the world wide broadcast. WCAU is where he started and as you’ll see, he blazed quite a trial. Anyone […]
Take Me Out To The Ballgame…With 13 Cameras! If you’ve ever wanted a really in depth look at how major league baseball is done, here you go! This three part, behind the scenes, tour in Cleveland shows us how this days game with Atlanta is done from start to finish on June 15, 2007. This […]
I have a Smith Splicer. Got it on eBay.
I remember two things about “An Evening with Fred Astaire.” (1) Barrie Chase and early-onset stirrings of lust. (2) RCA put a fold-out insert ad in TV Guide, which was a color photo of the bottom half of a 21″ screen during “An Evening with..” During the show, they paused the action and you were supposed to put the photo up on the screen to see what the show would look like if you had a color TV. Early interactive advertising and sort of like “Winky Dink and You.”
We still used the Cut & splice method of videotape editing at Channel 8 in Houston in the mid 1960’s. Only one or two guys could do it successfully.
I loved the opening dolly move from the feet to full frame. And……all the shots were perfectly framed with no recovery needed. Especially the pre-framed shots of crosses. Really very fine camera work.
Many years ago I was helping to put together a TV show called “Television, the first twenty five years “. We had a copy of this tape.
Another extremely interesting post ! Again and again thank you Bobby
Some friends worked on a Kovacs retrospective and the editing house made them buy a VTR head because the physical spliced did such damage to the heads.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u5TdRhNLOPk&autoplay=1
I liked how long the director stayed with a shot. I HATE those directors that think they have to cut every two seconds. That gets really irritating.
Great post. Thanks!