NOTES FOR SATURDAY MORNING MEMBERSHIP AUDITION 9/16/71 I. INTRODUCTORY A. Welcome. Request fill out of JA cards. Explain interview numbers. Introduce Advisers. B. Explain Agenda. Presentation designed to explain the show, the jobs available, the commitment necessary, benefits of measurement. Question and answer session, asking advisers or returning members. Application form, with personal information and a quiz to determine creative potential. Personal interviews with membership committee. II. Beyond Our Control A. Presume most are relatively familiar with the show; will spend five minutes to show you what we do; up to you to decide if this is the sort of thing you want to be involved in. Slide #1-BOC is often called the "TV show about TV"...called a few other things, too ... we try to break free of the normal confines of TV to produce a show that is genuinely different from anything else on the air. We try to use the television medium as a springboard for satirical commentary on a broad spectrum of American culture. In the early days of BOC ... five years ago ... we spend most of art time doing parodies of TV shows:
Slide #2-we did our version of the game shows ... like LET'S MAKE A SWAP, that showcase of contemporary gluttony... and kiddies shows like UNCLE SALLIES SWEET SHOP... with three second cartoons and endless commercials;
Slide #3-other game shows from the first year: THE NEARLY-WED GAME, in which couples trade suggestive remarks on the eve of their weddings... and THE MATING GAME ... self explanatory, I think.
Slide #4-we've done our share of soap operas ... like these scenes from DAYS OF OUR WEEKS ... and DRAMATIC HOSPITAL .
Slide #5-and shows like THE TRITE GALLERY ... and ROWDY ROOM SCHOOL.
Slide #6-relevancy was the big thing in television a few seasons back, we did THE YOUNG PLAYERS ... about three young mechanics who opened a storefront plumbing clinic ...
Slide #7-we've done a number of versions OF THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB over the years ... and this year we've turned to country music
Slide #8-for the PORTER MULEHOLE SHOW and the Mulekissers band. In addition to television, we work on movies:
Slide #9-we've done a number of movie parodies in various guises, often introduced with elaborate fanfares and trademarks.
Slide #10-our stereotyped World War Two movie WAS "GUTS AND/OR GLORY," highlighted by this touching scene in the field hospital ...
Slide #11-the same year we did TARZAN'S RUM VILLAGE ADVENTURE, devoting entire half-hour show to one subject.
Slight #12-this year, we parodied Channel 28' s Creature feature delivering our own CRETIN FEATURE and its presentation of " THE RUNNING PILE . "
Slide #13-and we've also dabbled in ultra symbolic, 100 percent obscure underground movies. In other categories,
Slide #14-we've done a few sports specials, including a report on the cretin track team ... that's their team photo ... and CHAMPIONSHIP WRASSLING.
Slide #15-this year, we moved into foreign films, with a dubbed-from-Italian muscle movie called HERCULES AND THE HARD JOB.
Slight 16-another first this year: a full program devoted to the story of rock group, which chronicled the rise to fame of rock band BLOODY PIE.
Slide #17-we're large on music in all forms, as a matter of fact. Our weekly ROCK OF AGES reprise of popular music is one of our long-running features. We work with a lot of different styles of music ... the greasier the better ...
Slide #18-our version of "BOBBY SOCKS TO STOCKINGS" ... and "YOUR GRADUATIONS MEANS GOODBYE " here
Slide #19-"TELL LAURA I LOVE HER" ... and a dixieland jazz session with big Al Hurt. A good portion of our CREATIVE output goes to parodies of television's most enduring art form: commercials.
Slide #20-in five years, we've warehoused quite a few products... like these tranquilizers, and our OWN EXCREMENT CHEWING GUM ...
Slide #21-we've had several deodorants ... ITCHUM this year ... CLOG a few years ago ...
Slide #22-you might remember our parody of the Gilbert's sports personality commercial... our spot for US 30 DRAG CHURCH.
Slide #23-we've gone after record ads on TV several times ...then there have been under of bits that are harder to categorize...
Slide #24-like our heart transplant operation and our visit with the Great Cranston, Master Of A Thousand Shadows. As you can see, the BOC program format gives us a great deal of flexibility... as a matter of fact ... the only common denominator of our of all of our material is
Slide #25-simple good taste, which comes from our desire to avoid offending our sensitive viewers
Slight 26-by presenting only the highest quality, conservative humor. We never fail. (well, almost never...)
Slide #27- that's what Beyond Our Control is ... definitely a different show that viewers never fail to welcome into their homes with eager anticipation. (well, almost never ...)
That's our show.... and that's what we'll be doing again this year; if it's not the sort of thing you'd feel comfortable doing, then it would probably be easier to drop out now. III. WJA-TV organization A. This group organized under JA, for a lot of good reasons: puts the project on a businesslike basis which is important to an understanding of commercial TV: here to tell you about how pay our bills and stay on the air is Joe Dundon.
B. Joe's presentation IV. Production
A. Seen what we do and how we do it ... now what most you are interested in ...-how we do it and how you can fit in.
B. Kim's presentation. V. Questions and answers
A. Now take any general questions and answer... ask advisers ... or returning members of the company.
B. BE CERTAIN the following have been covered: THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MINIMAL ATTENDANCE... NOT A PART-TIME JOB, BUT AN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY ... THIRTY WEEK OBLIGATION ... ... STRONG ENTHUSIASM NECESSARY FOR MORE THAN MINIMAL INVOLVEMENT. VI. MEMBERSHIP SELECTION A. We have about 24 openings available this year ... and about three times that many people eager to participate ... so have to exercise some selectivity. The selection process is two parts.
B. Written quiz. Give you a two-part form ... first part is general info on you for our records ... part two is a quiz. Most crying need is for creative people ... people who think differently .. we consume so much material (especially after five years) that we are in great need of creative people ... devised quiz to measure creative potential ... somewhat facetious since we do a show that is humor oriented ... keep that in mind when you fill it out ... remember we're looking for the answer that will surprise us ... first answer that occurs to you will probably occur to everyone else in the room, so look for another answer ...
C. Personal interview. after the test, you'll have a personal interview with our member committee ... that's what you're number is for. The membership committee is comprised of six people: 3 advisers ... and three people who were in last company and are returning. They were selected on the basis of the extra effort they put into the company; theory: they will pick good people--ignoring personal feelings--because their prime interest is a good show. Those three are the only people from last year guaranteed membership in the company; all others from last year are competing for membership.
D. Returning Members. If you were in last year's company, fill out the first sheet on the information form only... leave it with of the people working here today and then you can take off: no need for personal interview.
E. The interviews will take considerable time and will involve plenty of waiting around... once you're in there it will only take a few minutes. Meantime, we have a radio and some magazines with articles about BOC.
F. If you're accepted, we'll call you and we'll probably have a meeting next week; if you're not accepted, will drop you a note of regret in one week. We suggest you join regular JA company if your not accepted into the TV company. A lot of people who came to us last year and didn't make it into this company joined another JA Company ... and stuck with it until the end of the year, so they must have found something they like. |