[QuadList] On-camera interviews (Was Arthur Schneider)

[COURYHOUSE at aol.com]

I would have to say it is more important than running around  collecting 
machines as though they were baseball cards eh?
 
This is a wake up call for all of us.
 
Ed#
 
In a message dated 10/31/2009 7:59:52 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
DCFWTX at aol.com writes:

In a message dated 10/31/2009 7:22:44 AM Pacific Daylight  Time, 
DCFWTX at aol.com writes:



If anyone on the list IS an aging pioneer or knows some in  their area, 
please consider recording your experiences or finding a way to  do a videotaped 
interview with them about their  experiences.




The passing of Art and the recent death of  another former NBC colleague 
(who knew Lenticular and RCA Labs color history)  does highlight the urgency 
to get any and all of these on-camera historical  perspectives under way 
today and now. While we are blessed these days with  long life for many of these 
legends and in many times a conformable  retirement, the stress of 
television does tend to take it's toll on the mind.  By this I mean sooner is better 
with each of these individuals when it comes  time to sitting down with 
them and getting the story on tape. If quad tape is  over 50 years old, and an 
individual was 30 at the time of it's introduction  in 1956 (or so), that 
puts the individual in his 80's. Hence, time is of the  essence.

One of these engineers who passed away here not too long ago  had a garage 
full of projects, many of them relating to his 40 plus years at  the 
network. The kids and grand children cleaned out everything that looked  old. It is 
unknown how much irreplaceable documentation and/or equipment was  lost 
before I got over there. This story is repeated many times over every  year. 
About 10 years ago, I helped a widow of one of the engineering legends  here 
in Los Angeles at both their home and his storage area sort through some  
things. Talk about a pack rat going back to VR 1000 days!  And I don't  think 
he ever got his day on camera for such recollections. Very  sad.

So, the lesson learned here with all of these unique individuals  fading 
away is to get on with these interviews immediately. The group in N.  
Hollywood (not the TV Academy) has been talking with producers, directors, and  
engineers over the years, many of them going back to the live days in NYC and  
The West Coast.


David Crosthwait

 

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