• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Something I'm wanting to know about daytime serials

B

bmasters1981

On daytime serials like Another World, when it came time at the top of the show to fade out of the cold open and fade into a show opening like the 1981-87 "ring-tunnel/block-letters" opening, how was that handled? Did the director say to the TD something like, "Play opening, play music," and then as the AW title moved into place, cue Bill Wolff to deliver the opening billboard for a P&G product like Dawn, Crisco, Duncan Hines, etc.? It's probably a silly question, but I thought I'd throw it out here.
 
Once the days of "live" soap operas were over, the shows were recorded in pieces and everything was edited together. The show open and any billboards would have been (and still are) part of the editing process. Pretty much like any other show, but with a quicker turnaround due to daily instead of weekly episodes.

Virtually nothing on TV (except live news and sports) is done in real time any more. Even talk shows get edited after the studio session.
 
You've just about got it. The animated intro was on film; the music on a separate tape (pre-1972 or so, AW and most other soaps employed live organists,) and the product ID's were on either art cards or 35mm slides. As Wolff would say, for instance, "brought to you by Crisco, blah blah blah, AND Tide blah blah blah," on the word AND, the director would say "Change!" and the TD would bring up the visual for the second product. Of course, these guys were real pros and did this five days a week, so it was second nature and generally went smoothly.
 
JeffM said:
You've just about got it. The animated intro was on film; the music on a separate tape (pre-1972 or so, AW and most other soaps employed live organists,) and the product ID's were on either art cards or 35mm slides. As Wolff would say, for instance, "brought to you by Crisco, blah blah blah, AND Tide blah blah blah," on the word AND, the director would say "Change!" and the TD would bring up the visual for the second product. Of course, these guys were real pros and did this five days a week, so it was second nature and generally went smoothly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that response! I had been wondering a lot about it since I first saw the AW "ring-tunnel" opening as a little boy, and have become reacquainted with it over time. Somewhat OT, but I looked up Dawn and Crisco and Duncan Hines on Wikipedia, and discovered that Dawn is the only one that is still a P&G product; Crisco and Duncan Hines were sold to J.M. Smucker and Aurora (now Pinnacle) Foods respectively.
 
Last edited:
P&G has sold off all of their food division in recent years. The last product to be sold was Pringles Potato Chips, which are manufactured in Jackson,TN. it was sold to Kellogg's in 2012.
 
Mediafrog+ said:
Once the days of "live" soap operas were over, the shows were recorded in pieces and everything was edited together. The show open and any billboards would have been (and still are) part of the editing process. Pretty much like any other show, but with a quicker turnaround due to daily instead of weekly episodes.

Virtually nothing on TV (except live news and sports) is done in real time any more. Even talk shows get edited after the studio session.
Click to expand...

Was Bill Wolff's announcements done live while the show was being taped, like i'll give a example, Johnny Olsen on the Match Game or Price is Right back then? Of course he'd be in a utility room just off the set. Remember, the animated intro was on film; the music on a separate tape (pre-1972 or so, AW and most other soaps employed live organists,) and the product ID's were on either art cards or 35mm slides. I'm assuming that Wolff would have a color monitor so he could see the show being taped, i've seen Rod Roddy seated in front of a monitor during The Price is Right in his booth.
 
Last edited:
JeffM said:
You've just about got it. The animated intro was on film; the music on a separate tape (pre-1972 or so, AW and most other soaps employed live organists,) and the product ID's were on either art cards or 35mm slides. As Wolff would say, for instance, "brought to you by Crisco, blah blah blah, AND Tide blah blah blah," on the word AND, the director would say "Change!" and the TD would bring up the visual for the second product. Of course, these guys were real pros and did this five days a week, so it was second nature and generally went smoothly.
Click to expand...

Would a 35mm slide look like this...

Another World - July 1 - 3, 1968.mp4_000496195.jpg
 
danderson6500 said:
Was Bill Wolff's announcements done live while the show was being taped, like i'll give a example, Johnny Olsen on the Match Game back then? Of course he'd be in a utility room just off the set. Remember, the animated intro was on film; the music on a separate tape (pre-1972 or so, AW and most other soaps employed live organists,) and the product ID's were on either art cards or 35mm slides. I'm assuming that Wolff would have a color monitor so he could see the show being taped, i've seen Rod Roddy seated in front of a monitor during The Price is Right in his booth.
Click to expand...

To respond to my own post, editing then was a no-no, especially during the early years of tape. So, i'd assume that Bill Wolff did his announcing as the show was being recorded/produced – live to tape, much like Johnny O on TPIR, Jay Stewart on LMAD, Mel Brandt on The Doctors, etc.
 
The technical director, sometimes called a switcher, is the person who actually switches video sources or adds effects like lower-third names or a split screen, all on the director’s cue.

In some operations, such as smaller market TV stations, the director might also TD.
 
Nice to see the VIT signal at the top of the frame (although it may not be totally complete, probably due to how the picture was taken of the video).
 
JeffM said:
You've just about got it. The animated intro was on film; the music on a separate tape (pre-1972 or so, AW and most other soaps employed live organists,) and the product ID's were on either art cards or 35mm slides. As Wolff would say, for instance, "brought to you by Crisco, blah blah blah, AND Tide blah blah blah," on the word AND, the director would say "Change!" and the TD would bring up the visual for the second product. Of course, these guys were real pros and did this five days a week, so it was second nature and generally went smoothly.
Click to expand...
Not to bump this, but on Price is Right whenever Barker said "you have a chance to win this!" the TD would switch to the big door, and Johnny Olsen would say "a new car!" like if Bill Wolff on AW did the "brought to you by Crisco" stuff. Same thing with Mel Brandt on The Doctors, Alan Berns on Guiding Light, etc.
 
danderson, I remember seeing Olson at that monitor on Price late in his life, as well as Roddy later on. Continue to RIP, Johnny and Rod.

oldies fan, what's a "VIT"?

ixnay
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom