By ROBERT GOLDRICH
and low-ends of the spotmaking spectrum are beginning to surface. The former consists of public service campaigns from The Advertising Council. Pleas for pro bono PSA airtime have frequently fallen on deaf ears. In a new twist, such work will instead begin to fall upon def eyes.
As reported by SHOOT’s Carolyn Giardina in this week’s DTV and Advertising Supplement, Barry Rebo of Rebo Associates, New York, has been named high-definition television consultant to The Ad Council. Rebo is charged with the development and implementation of a plan to bring HDTV format versions of upcoming public service spots from The Ad Council to the nation’s digital broadcasters.
Deemed a win-win situation by Rebo, the scenario satisfies the needs of retail outlets, local broadcasters, and the spot production and post community-all the while promoting the civic-mindedness of Ad Council endeavors. Although HDTV set penetration is minimal, the road to correcting that runs through consumer electronic retail showrooms. HD fare for demo purposes is essential to captivate the buying public during peak retail selling hours. Ultimately, the sale of more sets will eventually make HDTV a viable ad medium. And The Ad Council PSAs will provide production and post houses with the chance to explore the creation of DTV advertising.
"Our aim is to help all parties in the equation move forward," related Rebo.
Meanwhile, as alluded to earlier, another experimental pursuit is also translating into exposure for ad fare-but in this case, it’s low-end, usually amateurish work. But ironically, it’s the amateurism that’s part of the messages’ appeal. A man peddles a sofa. Another tries to sell a motorcycle. A kid looks to raise money for summer camp by putting some old furniture on the sales block.
These makeshift spots are being shown during a half-hour (11-11:30 a.m.) weekday program that recently began a three-week pilot run on the Pax TV station in West Palm Beach, Fla. If the flyer pilot proves successful, Pax may place the program-Pax People TV-on its network of 100-plus TV stations nationwide.
The proposition is inexpensive on two levels. Five days of :30s cost $27.50 if the item being sold is less than $500. For bigger ticket merchandise, the ad time buy jumps up to $62.50. Nothing off-color or of a political nature is allowed.
And Pax TV gains potentially entertaining programming that’s literally produced on the cheap. The West Palm Beach TV station time slot in which Pax People TV is running would normally be reserved for infomercials.
The mix of elements in the pilot program has potential; a little bit of "funniest home video"-type appeal, some blooper overtones, and a sense of kitsch. There’s something charming and often inherently funny in people from different walks of life making their own sales pitches while gaining a half-minute of quasi-celebrity status.
In a newswire story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Pax TV executive VP Steve Sohmer, who conceived the idea of Pax People TV, contended: "There are some things that belong on television. I’m a big ballet fan-the ballet doesn’t belong on television. But this thing works. There’s something ‘television’ about it."
“Memoir of a Snail” Takes Top Prize At London Film Festival
The Official Competition jury said: โOur jury was incredibly moved by Adam Elliotโs Memoir of a Snail, which is a singular achievement in filmmaking. Emotionally resonant and constantly surprising, Memoir tackles pertinent issues such as bullying, loneliness and grief head-on, creating a crucial and universal dialogue in a way that only animation can. The jury is delighted to recognize an animated film alongside its live-action peers.โ
Rounding out the winners of this yearโs films screening In Competition are:
- Winner of the Sutherland Award in the First Feature Competition โ On Falling (Dir. Lauraย Carreira)
- Winner of the Grierson Award in the Documentary Competition โ Mother Vera (Dirs. Cรฉcile Embleton, Alysย Tomlinson)
- Winner of the Short Film Award in the Short Film Competition โ Vibrations from Gaza (Dir. Rehabย Nazzal)