Jack West has left a new comment about my recent post on radio.
So, when you're a DJ, and you don't have an audience you can hear laughing, how do you know the jokes are funny? The crew? The station manager? It doesn't matter? What?
I guess you have to just believe in yourself. You may get some feedback from listeners but very little.
With me it was the ratings. In Bakersfield at KERN I got a 49 share during my time slot. In San Bernardino, when I did the all-night show on KMEN, the only hour that was rated was 5-6 am and I got an 85 share. I should mention that the day that rating was announced I was immediately given a better time slot.
But all you can do is trust in yourself. I’ve told this many times. Most of my early program directors didn’t think I was funny and told me repeatedly to shut up (until the ratings came out). Thankfully some of my PD’s were supportive. So thanks again to John Barcroft, Bobby Rich, Tom Straw, Bob Whitney, and Jimi Fox.
From Patrick Weldon:
The Everybody Loves Raymond set covers two rooms, and often the action shifts from the living room to the kitchen and back again. If the action moves to the kitchen, what do the actors still in the living room do during that time? Do they interact with each other? Do they just sit there waiting for the action to return? Or are these filmed separately and the actors aren't even on set?
If there’s anything an actor hates it’s to be on stage with nothing to do. Those scenes are filmed separately. If there are no cameras and no lines there are no actors.
BethS wonders.
I wish I could see some of the old TV shows that were one season wonders, but too old for DVDs or not popular enough to rate a DVD - or didn't even get to show everything they had filmed because they were cut off early. I've recently dropped cable and have been enjoying the many old shows that ARE available. I love tracking acting careers by seeing some of their work from before they were famous. Wouldn't you think that the owners of these productions could make a bit of money making their shows from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's available to stream?
This has been a crusade of mine for years — trying to get ALMOST PERFECT on a streaming service. There are 34 episodes and it went into syndication twice.
I guess the studios don’t want to spend whatever it costs to digitize these series.
The other problem is that most of these short-run series are forgotten. Studios don’t even know they’re in their library. Or they don’t know where the negatives or final versions are stored.
Same with movies. How many movies from the 50’s-90’s no longer exist in any tangible form? Fortunately, MANNEQUIN 2 is iconic and will run forever.
And finally, from Matthew Davis:
I am curious about how professionals view others' projects. I listen to a fair amount of tv-based podcasts and they will often say something was directed or edited well. How do they determine that from viewing something they were not involved with? What kinds of things are they looking for?
It works both ways. Being a writer and director I might admire things most people don’t see. “That’s a great camera angle.” “What an elegant way to get out that exposition,” etc.
On the other hand, I’m often rewriting in my head. “This is repetitious.” “There’s a better joke than that.” “That was a weird edit.”
I’m not looking to judge. Things come across my line of vision and I react.
That said, nothing pleases me more than a show, movie, or play that is so engrossing I can just lose myself in it.
What’s your FQ?
from By Ken Levine
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