Tony Wade's Television Factory: Glitter or Gold?

Tony Wade's Television Factory

Note*** ALL the videos below are now on my You Tube channel-http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTonywade

Please visit and comment if you feel like it.

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"SURVIVORS OF THE 60's"

An archival television recording of interviews and reminiscences of people who went through the massive socio-cultural changes of the 60's.

For better or worse, arguably the 60's changed the world.

I am compiling a videotaped record of the people who lived it, and/or changed the 60's.

We will be shooting all over the world, but mainly in the Westernised countries of Europe, UK, North America and the South Pacific.

The tapes will be used to create a mammoth documentary series on how the 60's influenced the world.

This oral/visual history will consist of interviews with regular people, 'stars' and anyone with something to say.

Visual elements needed are home photos-stills/movie/video/archival material, and updated shots of now.

The project is in the formative stage. I need input from people willing to contribute their time or personal interviews, to this aural/visual archive.

The people that 'made' the 60's, are now in their 60's.
This massive TV documentary needs to be done NOW!

Aural history, is how the bible was passed down, and how we will more personally remember each era.

It is working for every decade since radio & television were invented.

Lets's do it for the 60's. We after all, have the technology.

NEEDED:
-PEOPLE WILLING TO TALK ON CAMERA
-VIDEOGRAPHERS
-IDEAS

I need interested parties and willing participants, to contact me at:

tony@yesterdaystudio.com

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THE BODY OF THE BLOG!

Welcome to my first blog. Actually it will be a video blog, not filled with my tiresome musings, but hopefully resplendant with creative television programs and other visual detritus.

I am a Television Producer/Director/Writer by trade. 1967-??

The blog will have thoughtful, insightful, superbly crafted, award-winning motion pictures, devoted to humour and information, presented in an entertaining manner.

It will also contain some home movies shot between 1969 and the present, as well as a few television programs that I have produced and directed over the years.

I have done about 2137 documentaries, TV series and episodes since 1967; most of them I don't have copies of, as I didn't, and still don't, own them.
I mostly worked for networks and production companies in Canada.
Before 1985 much of it was shot on film, before we had home video to record them off air.

In 1973, I interviewed 2 veterans of the Boer War, 1899-1902.

After the film had been on the air, the network, CTV, threw the film away!

This was historic original footage of guys who fought in a war during Queen Victoria's reign. (They were about 97 at the time of the interview).

I still can't believe that CTV could chuck an important piece of history into the bin...Bastards!

What I do have are from old VHS or Betamax that happened to be lying around in boxes. Some of it is not in great shape.

Please check out the titles here, then go to YOU TUBE and view them on my channel-http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTonywade

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FYI, please check out the WADE FAMILY HISTORY at my son Adam's site... http://www.adamwade.ca/

"It is a sordid account of wanton disregard for human values and great skill at wrecking ships off the Cornish coast since 1137 AD. ;-)"

(We love it. Adam Wade is continuing the job done by Jean Wade of Yakima WA. and Arthur Wade of Trevalga Cornwall England, who have done a fantastic job of research over a period of 80 years)

My eldest son Markus, is motorcycling around the world...Check out his travels and adventures...

http://www.flibbertgibbet.com/hoipolloi/?p=1392

Saturday, 22 November 2008

Glitter or Gold?

Michael Olajide was a Vancouver boxer with brains. Michael 'The Silk' Olajide.

Yea, he was flashy and good looking but he was also well educated, unlike some of his colleagues.

In 1987 we went to Las Vegas and got involved in the hype and hope surrounding his IBF Middleweight Championship fight with Olympic Gold Medal winner Frank Tate from Detroit, at Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino.

This was a trip. Everything was glitz and glamour. Penthouse suites and babes. Even for us, the media bozos, we got our chances.
Being accredited media at a title fight in Vegas, gives you accreditation that goes beyond just showing up with a camera crew.

I got accosted by a 'Silk' fan who wanted to be 'friendly' because I was shooting a doc with Mike...Go figure? I had to work, so I didn't avail myself of that opportunity.

Frank Tate was a basic tough guy from detroit, who had all the personal pizzaz of a used car hubcap. He had however, won the gold medal at the Olympics.

Olive, Mike's Mom, was a wonderful lady and became a really good buddy at that time.
Yes she was shattered that Mike didn't win, but she was very proud of her son, that he gave his all. A classy lady.
He did have a bad night, that night.

The fight ended at about 10.00 pm and our crew went to the casino.

Greg Schofield (Soundman) and I, played Blackjack until we couldn't see what was left of our chips anymore, then we grabbed a cab to the airport.

The flight back to Vancouver was early in the morning and I hadn't yet been to bed.
The show had to be written and edited that day (Sunday) for airing on Monday, so I went from the airport to the edit suite at CBC.

By about 8.00pm that Sunday evening, I was so bagged that I left the edit suite and had a drink at the Media Club across the street.
Suitably refreshed, I worked with my favourite editor Paul Wong until about 2.00 in the morning and the show was done.

It's amazing what you can endure when you are younger.

Michael Olajide is now living and working in New York City where he co-owns a fitness/health club called Aerospace. (He is still flashy and good looking)
[11 mins]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee93d2b5191fe464

For MAC/Mov: http://www.motionbox.com/video/show/3097d1b01c18e5c0be

Awards

-Can Pro ', (2 awards),” Best documentary” and “Best of the Festival”, "THE LAST STREETFIGHTER”, The History of the Georgia Straight", VTV & CTV Network, Canada

-The Webster Awards, Certificate of Merit, "THE LAST STREETFIGHTER", VTV Television, Vancouver, CTV Network, Canada

-Canadian Mining and Metallurgy Association Awards, Honorable mention, "RED DOG MINE", CBC Television, Vancouver

-Anik Award, "BILL REID-MYTHICAL ICONS", Best Information Series, 'Pacific Report', CBC Television, Vancouver

-New York Festival Award, Bronze Medal, Best Children's Special, "10 CARROT DIAMOND", Philmer Productions/CBC Television, Vancouver

-Anik Award, "GLITTER OR GOLD?", Best Information Series, 'Pacific Report', CBC Television, Vancouver

-7th Annual B'nai Brith Media Human Rights Award, "APPREHENSIONS", Aboriginal kids should be in Aboriginal homes, 'Pacific Report', CBC Television, Vancouver

-AMTEC Award of Merit, "BARRY BROADFOOT'S PIONEER YEARS", ACCESS TV, Edmonton

A Newspaper Column from The Times, on Who I Might be?...I Was an Opening Batsman at school

Anyone that has opened the batting for the school cricket team - and you'll probably need to be aged over 30 to appreciate this, because state school cricket barely exists anymore - will get the point.

Opening batsman is a lonely job, a pressure job, the sort that plays with your head. The guy with the ball in his hand is their best, their fastest, bowler, and if you make one mistake, you're gone. Not only that, but you've let the team down as well. And that matters to a kid, just as much as losing the bank's money matters to an adult.

So this may be an old-fashioned attitude, but I'll take that opening batsman, with a few GCSEs and a bit of instinct to hold his nerve, as much as I would any graduate. I'll take the goal shooter in netball, the striker in the football team, the child that stood up and played solo in front of the whole school on parents' day, too.

And if that child later takes this strength of character and an aptitude for the job into his adult life and uses it to make money in a recession, just because he doesn't have the right background and does have an estuary English accent, it doesn't make him a spiv. There is nothing wrong with having the balls to make a few quid. Indeed, some of the spoons might like to try it.

Martin Samuel...The TIMES of London, October 24th 2008

My Television Philosophy

I am the self-styled "King of Low Budget Television"
Everything I have done was produced for minimal or no budget.

EXAMPLE: 'The Last Streetfighter'...TOTAL BUDGET was $17,000, including EVERYTHING, (Above and below the line costs, including our pay, Tom Crighton and I, which was 0)

Why did we do it for that money?
Because we wanted to get it done.

How did we do it for that money?
We were able to persuade the key creative people to work for minimal dollars and shot/edited on time and on budget with no dicking around. We also had to forgo such things as a sound-mix.
Stock footage was provided by 'a friend' at CBC for a bottle of Scotch.

John Collins, my favourite cinematographer, gave us a super deal. http://johncollinsvideo.com/

Not an ideal budget, but the program won 2 Can-Pro Awards, (Best Documentary and Best of the Festival)

If I ever get my hands on a BBC-type budget, I might have a minor heart problem...

Don't get me wrong, I made very good money working for CBC and others during my network career.

I am NOT a low-budget filmmaker, but some projects just need to get done no matter how much you don't make on them.

My TV Credo:
Well prepared pre-production:

Well-lit, conventional shooting with 'rock and roll cam' kept to a minimum:

Totally prepared editing 'script' before post-production:

TV is a team sport: Allow input from anyone: You decide what will work:

Be flexible: Hire the best and they will make you look good.

GO WITH YOUR GUTS!

(NOTE* When I say that I am a professional TV Producer, I am NOT a professional cameraman, although I am improving.
I am presently editing with Premiere Elements 3 and learning Avid Xpress Pro).

[My greatest claim to fame as an ACTOR is playing MARIS in the hit sit-com FRASIER for 11 seasons. Catch my performances on the re-runs of Frasier, everywhere ;-)

At Home-2010