Movies for TV - Early Television Foundation

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FUNDAMENTALS
Titles are like the chrome trim on an auto. If the car is first-rate,
it is well polished, well finished, and smooth; on a cheap, highly
mass-produced model little flaws will be noticed, such as failure
to burnish the edges thoroughly before plating, with the result
that under the shine is a rough spot. A television production is like
an auto: it is in the public eye all the time and the chrome trim
and finish tell a lot about how much care was put into the prep-
aration and presentation. Sloppy, hard to read, and very ordi-
nary titles of the five for a dime variety indicate the routine attitude
of, "Well, it's only a title, it doesn't mean much." Watch
the works of the well-known producers irrespective of what sta-
tion they are on; the title will have as much personality as the
show itself. Look at an ordinary movie; even a "B" grade film
will have titles which belong with the rhythm of the film. Tilting
is a subject which perhaps should have been included in the chap-
ter on editing except for the fact that it is an operation performed
away from the shooting stage.
Taking the four titles and working backwards,
there is the
title which says "The End." This is the finish of the production.
Why
take it first? Because it can be the most remembered. In its
place it is just as important as the main title which tells what the
production is going to be. In the latter case, it must be designed I
to tickle the fancy and make the viewer stay tuned in to see what
is coming. In the former case, the last title is the last impression
the viewer has of a production and if it is badly out of keeping it
will only tend to arouse resentment instead of respect for the show
which has just ended. To digress for a moment: in this field of
television with its tremendous power of attraction and its handi-
cap of leaving nothing to the imagination, psychology plays a tremendous
part. It is entirely possible, in the author's opinion, that
eventually big television stations and production companies will
have staff psychologists who will pass on the effect on the public
of various things which the producer wants to do. Any good film
or stage production has a number of technical advisers to ensure
that all the details are correct, so why not an adviser to prevent