[QuadList] OB Film Vs. Studio Video

[Bill Carpenter]

Yes, Chris,

I had a good friend who was the C.E. of WHDH in Boston in the late 80's, and we had a long discussions related to after they added robotic cameras for the newscasts, that we should make a animated program which would face the Talent and and run on a dedicated monitor, and provide all the functions of a floor director. 
We had a character planned who would count down and up on his fingers, speed up, slow down, and point to cameras, and we probably would have made some good money if we made the program. It was great fun to plan something fun like that, which was really showing how silly the whole thing had gotten once animation was here.

Bill

PS: another C.E. friend used to by a box of "Greenie's", a month and make a show of passing them out to everyone who worked for him, just so he could barrow one from whoever was closest when he was out of his office!




________________________________
From: "Chill315 at aol.com" <Chill315 at aol.com>
To: quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com
Sent: Tue, April 13, 2010 1:01:17 PM
Subject: Re: [QuadList] OB Film Vs. Studio Video

Bill
 
I have seen the decline of the unions in TV because of the inability to go 
with the flow.  There are so many stations that are now basically now only 
union in name only.  The advent of computer technology was the final nail 
in the coffin.  I watched as the unions did not recognize the need to 
adapt.  The UAW did it in the auto industry.  I remember discussing 
with people at a station that I was working at about new machines to replace the 
ACR-25.  The capacity would allow complete automation of the work 
flow.  The reaction by one person was we will strike before 
they can do that.  
 
Stations can no longer have a full time person at very high wages 
stand behind a camera for a couple of hours news a day.  Robotics took that 
and paid for themselves.  Now the server and automation are eliminating 
tape.  PCs are doing the editing.  And the newsroom systems now do the 
CG work.  It has to happen with the fragmentation of the viewing 
market.
 
There will always be the need for the high level engineer at a 
station..  But the old days of having the pocket protector and the green 
screwdriver for every operator died long ago.  
 
Chris Hill
WA8IGN


      
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