From ABC TV News, the house magazine of ABC, October 1965

Horace has certainly tried his hand at plenty of different things, his previous job being Senior Transport Clerk at the Birmingham Head Office of British Road Services where he worked for over three years.

A mobile canteen was another of his ventures. A rather less successful one, unfortunately, not because it was uneconomical (his hot cakes really did sell like hot cakes) but because the Police and Corporation would not co-operate with his parking problems.

He also helped his brother-in-law to open a factory. Now thriving, it produces cold-drawn seamless tubing; a commodity which always seems to be in demand, especially in the Midlands.

Horace’s Service days were spent with the RAF in Coastal and Bomber Commands, as an engine fitter. He also served with the Middle East Communications Squadron, maintaining private planes of such VIP’s as Lord Mountbatten, Field Marshal Montgomery and Sir Winston Churchill, keeping the aircraft available for immediate service. “The planes—Dakotas—were very comfortable,” recalls Horace. “Fitted out with lounges and cocktail bars.”

During this period of his life he also had the doubtful privilege of being knocked out by the Middle East Middleweight boxing champion in 1946.

Thirty-eight years old, he has been married for 15 years and has a 12-year-old daughter, Fay. His wife Irene, who is a State Registered Nurse, likes travelling and is a keen naturalist.

This interest she shares with Horace, who also enjoys gardening, marquetry and whittling (wood carving to you and me.)

Other distinctions include having been captain of the RAF Squadron darts team, and having represented his squadron in cross country running.

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WE receive many letters each week from members of the public enquiring into the possibilities of working in television — how to apply and what qualifications are needed.

Many highly skilled crafts and trades are involved, such as camera and sound operating, production lighting and make-up, floor managing, wardrobe, set and costume design, and the operation, maintenance and installation of television equipment, not forgetting the development of new techniques and ideas. This adds up to a host of absorbing occupations and in order to ensure that the high standard required for each is maintained, it will be appreciated that education, academic qualification, and experience in other fields allied to television, such as film making, the theatre, and electronics, helps enormously when applying for a job.

If it is not possible to employ fully trained and experienced staff, then trainees with the necessary qualifications are acceptable, and usually their age is somewhere between 20 and 22, although this does not debar older candidates from being selected. In all Departments, a Selection Board is held before a candidate is finally chosen.

All people wishing to apply for technical grades should have as the minimum standard of education, G.C.E. Ordinary Level in at least three subjects, and applicants for the engineering grades should have followed, or be in the process of following, a course of instruction at a Technical College and expect to obtain a Higher National Certificate or its equivalent. For television engineers, the possession of the City and Guilds Final Certificate in Telecommunications is a most useful acquisition.

Finally, television is not for people who like regular 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. hours, with Saturdays and Sundays off. We have to operate a 7-day week programme pattern, 365 days a year, and though the number of hours each person works is between 42/44 per week, they are scattered from early morning until close of transmission, sometimes at midnight, and the weekend could consist of Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday/Thursday, and so on.

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That is the lot of a television director; he never stops talking while the programme is on, and contrary to popular opinion, he doesn’t stand in a little corner in the studio, but sits in a control room surrounded by engineers and screens watching hundreds of different pictures that are never seen on the home set.

Many young people ask how I ever became a director. The qualifications I had when I first went into television were ten years of acting, writing, stage management and production, for both theatre and radio.

This background is essential, for it would be impossible for me to walk into a studio and tell an artist who has acted for many years, how to do her job, if I didn’t understand it myself. The director also needs to understand the many problems encountered by cameramen, sound engineers, designers, wardrobe, make-up, properties, scene staff, floor managers and lighting technicians, because it is to these people he must turn when he is planning his programme, and after the original planning for his show, they then put the machinery into motion to ensure that when the programme is ready for rehearsal in the studio, every facility he requires from a match to an elephant is available to him.

No one person makes a television show; it is team work and team spirit that brings to your homes a programme that is polished, enjoyable and laden with atmosphere.

When viewers see television productions from the studio itself, they invariably say “We would never have thought that people worked so hard to put a programme on our home receiver.” We do work hard, and every day we learn something new from this fantastic medium, and as soon as we have learnt, we endeavour to perfect it. If you are an avid viewer, you have possibly noticed new techniques being employed almost every week from our studios here in Birmingham.

Whilst we have young, creative people working here, our one ambition is to continue improving shows simply to enable you to kick off your slippers, relax in your lounge, and enjoy yourselves.

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Various types of programmes require different styles of presentation. A drama, for instance, is usually treated very realistically, whereas in a musical the backgrounds are often stylised and painted in an entirely different way.

Another aspect of the Designer’s work, and probably the most important, is the planning of the scenes upon the studio floor in such a way that the cameras and microphone booms can move easily and speedily from scene to scene as the show progresses. In a small studio this often creates the biggest problem for the Designer, especially if the production calls for nine or ten scenes.

After reading the script for the forthcoming programme the Designer and Producer usually get together and draw out a rough plot of the sets on a Floor Plan of the studio, after which a Production Meeting is called, attended by the Heads of Camera, Lighting and Sound Departments. For the benefit of these specialists the Producer explains how he proposed to stage his programme and scene by scene, and in some cases shot by shot, the show is plotted at these meetings and problems ironed out. The shape or position of a set may have to be altered slightly in order to get a camera through or to facilitate the lighting of the characters. The Designer then comes away with the ground plan finalised and ready to be put into production. Detailed drawings must then be made for Carpenters, Painters and Scenic Artists. The props, for the dressing of the sets must be discussed with the Head of the Property Department. In the case of a drama, especially a period drama, the Designer must go with the Property Buyer to select the correct period furniture, pictures, etc., and when the settings are erected before the rehearsals, he must be present to dress those sets and give the final touches which are so essential for authenticity. He must be there also during rehearsals to make final adjustments as something which may look satisfactory to the eye may, in a particular camera shot, look peculiar.

The Designer’s work is considered completed only at the end of the final dress rehearsal.

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He works in the closest co-operation with the Producer and must be able not only to carry out the Producer’s instructions but to anticipate many of his requirements.

As the Production Team itself consists of Cameras, Sound, Lighting, Property Staff, Scene Staff, Wardrobe and Make-up, it is the Floor Manager who coordinates their work so that it is carried out efficiently, quickly and quietly. Artists too come under the control of the Floor Manager for they must be shown where to work, their positions must be marked clearly and they must be cued for speech and action.

The Production Schedule for rehearsal and transmission must be strictly followed and here again a Floor Manager keeps his eye on the clock, helping the Producer to achieve everything possible without wasting time: the word which is vital to television production.

Where audiences attend or participate in a Production, the Floor Manager talks to them before transmission, emphasising that they are part of the show and encouraging them to give the atmosphere required.

With everything ready for transmission the Producer settles himself in the Control Room seeing only what his cameras show him but confident that one man will be in full control on the Studio floor — The Floor Manager!

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‘I was sick of secretarial work and I wanted to do something artistic’, explains Alpha newcomer Trainee Make-up Artist SANDRA SYLVESTER.

After a spell of secretarial work at Birmingham University and later with a firm of solicitors, 18-years-old Sandra sat Birmingham Art School’s entrance exam – and passed. However, not fancying a five-year course she applied for a scenic design job at Alpha.

With no vacancy in the department, she was given the chance of using her artistic ability in Make-up where she now enjoys every minute – as can be seen as she works on Announcer JOHN EDMUNDS.

An outdoor girl in her spare time, Sandra’s favourites are water skiing and horse riding.

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If the Editor of ABC-TV NEWS should ever come to Birmingham, may I advise her to bring a large tin of ‘soothing syrup’. She will need it if she is to calm the fevered brow of upwards of half a dozen television executives, 4 lighting technicians, 1 Chief Inspector of Police, 1 Inspector, 1 Sergeant and 3 Police Constables, 1 Station Superintendent and 5 Leading Firemen, and countless bus and lorry drivers, private motorists and pedestrians.

Why? Well it all started so simply. The Editor has asked us to provide her with as much news as we can about our regional activities. We are rather proud of our new-look frontage at Aston and so we thought we would take a picture of it. Better still – let’s floodlight the building for better effect. And that’s how the trouble started.

A very co-operative Studio General Manager in the person of FRANK BEALE provided us with about a dozen assorted lights varying from pups to 5 kW and we lined them up on the pavement just outside the studio.

Splendid – now for the picture.

SNAGS . . .

But it was here where we struck snag number one. The audience and fans who clamour round our studios every Sunday evening for ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ began to get tangled up in the lighting cables and stands. So, we moved all the lighting equipment to the opposite side of the road.

Splendid – now for the picture.

But what about the cable bringing the power to the lights? Won’t that get damaged by the stream of traffic running over it? And that’s where the Fire Brigade was called in – they brought with them the wooden ramps which they use to safeguard their hoses.

Splendid – now for the picture.

With camera poised, our photographer WILLOUGHBY GULLACHSEN was just about to operate his shutter when the traffic began to pile up and his view was blocked completely by a street of double-decker buses.

Out went an emergency call and soon our friends from the local Police Station came along to sort out the traffic chaos.

Well, we got our picture – and here it is below.

Mark you, our troubles didn’t end with us getting the picture. You see, the wooden ramp which the Fire Brigade brought with them was far too wide for our slim power cable, and as no natural bridge was formed, cars and lorries bumped and bounced over the ramp, losing a succession of sump covers, exhaust pipes, number plates and goodness knows what else in the process.

So, Miss Davy, don’t forget that large tin of soothing syrup when you come to see us. Oh, and by the way, will you bring a new exhaust pipe and silencer for a 1961 Vauxhall Cresta with you? You see, I too, went over the ramp a mite too quickly.

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