Movies for TV - Early Television Foundation

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FILM COMMERCIALS 303
Another problem in connection with technical proficiency is
the real lack of control which employers have over their men in
the way of disciplining them for slack and careless operation. In
cases if the employer tries to dismiss a man the union concerned
rises up in arms and goes to his rescue no matter how
wrong he may have been.
The foregoing is not wandering away from the problem under
discussion, for it directly concerns the choice of the sponsor for
film or live presentation of his commercial. In the long run the
human error is the limiting factor, provided the equipment is perfect.
If we assume for the moment that the film is perfect and
the studio or live presentation has been rehearsed until it is perfect,
we have more or less equal footing for the two or have we?
A perfect film is placed in the projector. What can go wrong?
assume that in each case the equipment is in first-class
operating condition and will not fail.) The film can be placed in
the projector wrong way up and wrong way round through gross
carelessness and laziness. The projector can be out of focus and
dirty; the change-over can be muffed and the film come in early
the leader, or late on the second scene; the film can break; if
it is a sound film the sound may not be switched to the projector
the video circuit. But after all these things have been cor-
rected the film will still have the perfect commercial on it and
the last part will have a chance of atoning for the beginning.
Compare this with a live presentation where comparable errors
have been made in the cut to commercial. In this case suppose the
demonstration is coming from another studio so there will be a cut
j to muff by going over too early
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on video or sound so the listener
see and hear remarks or actions not intended for the air. This
especially so if preparations for the demonstration have been left
the last minute as is so often the case. The cameraman may be
out of focus, may have moved from the excellent position set up
the director at rehearsal; the demonstrator may take up an-
position just a little different from his approved one, but
different enough to ruin the shot, or lighting. Having got over
things, perhaps from a missed cue to open, the demonstrator