Movies for TV - Early Television Foundation

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properly marshalled, should not need to be edited since the waning
interest of one section will be revived by the appearance of the next.
The it people watching at home see it in pace with those present.
However, something like a royal wedding, in which the crowds
may have to wait for some time between appearances of the person-
ages in their carriages, is all the better for editing
which removes the
tedious waits between action shots. There is another side to this also
and that is the fact that time on the air which has little or no appeal
shows poor production. In the case of the wedding, or similar event,
a film crew can be sent to record the whole thing and the editor will
cut out those parts which do not have any action. Another such
event well suited to television, but especially to delayed televising via
film, is an air show. In this particular type of event there is very often
at least one race starting or finishing while some other action is tak-
ing place. If live presentation is used, one of these events has to be
missed, but if film cameras are there recording, both the films can
be combined and excellent continuity obtained for the whole show.
There are many examples of the uses to which film may be put
in television programming apart from those given above. The only
limit to them is the individual producer's ingenuity in devising
means of using the medium, always bearing in mind the fact that
the simpler the operation, the more likely it is to be accepted by the
audience and go off without a hitch. In addition to those examples
cited above, film inserts may be used to provide settings for ex-
teriors, such as foreign scenes, period plays, or to establish moods,
such as an idyllic love scene with birds and hearts ! More practically,
film inserts may be used to set the moods for such events as a storm,
with angry waves dashing against a cliff or breaking over a ship at
sea, or perhaps for the eruption of a valcano smouldering after or
before the cataclysm. A particularly effective suspense shot can be
inserted by a shot of lava slowly and sluggishly flowing down towards
the central character or scene. The slow, inevitable approach of the
mass suggests a relentless monster or approaching doom.
Flashbacks to another time in which the players appear in
different costumes are out of the question unless a film insert can be
used. The time taken to change clothes precludes such quick changes