[QuadList] Ampex Head Lines newsletter--Here's a look back to 1959

Thu Mar 3 02:20:31 CST 2011

Where RCA is widely known for its long-running "RCA Broadcast News"  
magazine, Ampex Corporation seems to have adopted a different approach  
to communicating with customers and promoting products.

In the mid-1950's Ampex told the world about Videotape's first use for  
delaying a regularly scheduled broadcast in "AMPEX Playback."

The December, 1956 issue describes the November 30, 1956 recording of  
the nightly CBS broadcast "Douglas Edwards With the News" as it was  
fed live from New York at 4:15 p.m. Pacific time, and the playback to  
the dozen Pacific coast CBS affiliates at 6:15 p.m, Pacific Time.

The newsletter—seen here on a corridor wall at CBS Television City in  
Los Angeles—reported that "At Television City, two Ampex Videotape  
Recorders have already been installed."

"In taping Douglas Edwards With the News, CBS has been simultaneously  
recording the show on both machines—in keeping with regular broadcast  
practices for important shows—providing a second identical tape of the  
program as a "protection" copy. To record this 15-minute newscast,  
less than one-quarter of a standard reel of Videotape is used, since  
each reel will record up to 64 minutes of both picture and sound."

In 1959, it appears that Ampex began publishing a newsletter  
specifically about Videotape and the company's Videotape products.

This is one of a number of publications from Ampex that targeted  
different market segments, including audio recording, instrumentation  
and data, and Videotape.

At that time the term "Videotape" was trademarked by Ampex, and you'll  
see the use of Videotape* with a notation somewhere on documents that  
"*VIDEOTAPE is a trademark of Ampex Corporation."

Here's page one of the third issue of the company's Videotape  
newsletter, scanned and with type turned into editable text by OCR.   
More pages will follow, especially since the sports Videotape story  
jumps to Page 2!

Tape Editors Smooth Wrinkles in Technique
Among Hollywood’s most experienced television editors, it is the  
consensus that many filmed com-
mercials and programs could be done at less cost with tape. With tape,  
they say, quality never suffers. In many instances, it is improved.
During the last year, these technicians have been meeting the  
challenge of successfully editing many taped commercials and shows.  
Volume editing of tape necessitated development and adoption of  
practical methods.
One such system, thoroughly proved in actual use on many top network  
programs and commercials, is outlined here in capsule form:
Begin with the conception of the commercial at the time of Writing and  
the story board.
Break it down into scenes to make best use of the performers, sets and  
the television system. Shoot all segments using the same sets and  
performers at one time.
Use small reels of tape (two to four minutes).
Number each reel. Two or three “takes” can be put on each reel,  
depending on the length of the individual “take.”
Keep a careful record of the reel number containing any particular  
“take.” All reels with only “outtakes” can be erased and re-used.
When all “good takes” have been completed, assemble the reels in the  
order they will be used in assembling each commercial. This procedure  
saves time previously spent in the breakdown of larger reels. By pre- 
planning the tape recording, there is no loss of time in editing.
When musical scoring is used, it should be post-recorded. Make an  
audio composite tape on an audio recorder or on a second VTR when the  
TV tape is played. Then simply transfer it back to the original.

EDITING SYSTEM
A detailed outline of a tape editing system such as that described  
above is available on request.
Write to HEAD LINES. Your copy will be forwarded immediately.

Humble Oil Scores Big With Football Tapes
In the Southwest Conference, they play football only one way-wide  
open. And the fans run 105-degree fevers from September to December.  
So football coverage is a top TV attraction. Humble Oil Company  
(agency: McCann-Erickson, Houston) latched onto a formula for feeding  
a pre-digested pigskin diet to this big, important market area with  
all the action, thrills and clarity of the live game.
The formula, of course, is an edited tape recording of Saturday’s top  
conference battle played back at prime time on Sunday over a network  
of 30 television stations stretching through Texas and New Mexico.
This tape team of Humble Oil, McCann-Erickson and the crews of KRLD  
(Dallas), KPRC (Houston) and WOAI (San Antonio) really know how to  
make their Ampex recorders work for them. On the average, the  
condensed presentation of the week’s standout game contains no less  
than 50 to 60 splices!
Knowing that “second best” will not do for this subject in these  
markets, Nevin Lyerly, KRLD operations manager and tape editing  
supervisor for the (continued on next page)

Prince Charles of Luxembourg (center) visited the Redwood City  
headquarters of Ampex Corporation  recently and appeared on a special  
VIDEOTAPE* recording. The royal visitor is flanked by Neal K.  
McNaughten (left) manager of the Ampex Professional Products Company  
and Phillip Gundy, manager of Ampex International. Immediately after  
the recording session, Prince Charles operated the VR-1000B for the  
playback to view himself on tape.

*VIDEOTAPE is a trademark of Ampex Corporation

Ted Langdell
Secretary
Skype: 	TedLangdell
e-mail:	ted at quadvideotapegroup.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://quadvideotapegroup.com/pipermail/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com/attachments/20110303/a11a2c93/attachment-0004.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IM000787.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 435194 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://quadvideotapegroup.com/pipermail/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com/attachments/20110303/a11a2c93/attachment-0008.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: AHL-V1-3-Nov-1959-001-200x257.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 29091 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://quadvideotapegroup.com/pipermail/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com/attachments/20110303/a11a2c93/attachment-0009.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: AHL-V1-3-Nov-1959-P1-Masthead.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 25306 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://quadvideotapegroup.com/pipermail/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com/attachments/20110303/a11a2c93/attachment-0010.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: AHL-V1-3-Nov-1959-P1-LuxemborgPrinceCharles-VR-1000.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 74416 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://quadvideotapegroup.com/pipermail/quadlist_quadvideotapegroup.com/attachments/20110303/a11a2c93/attachment-0011.jpg>