Comments for Stop The Credit Crunch

Comment on Positive signs in meeting with the BBC by Judy Simmons

Judy Simmons — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:29:42 +0000

I am an Equity Member, now doing freelance Voice Over work, having started my career as a professional dancer. My Father now retired, has worked in TV production all his working life, first with the BBC, then with Thames Television, mainly as a Lighting Director. When credits were first introduced for production staff, my Father was very pleased as they showed not only the names of the actors, but also who was responsible for creating and producing the programmes, which definitely helped to establish the reputations of the individuals on the creative teams working behind the camera. My Father actually went on to win a BAFTA Award for his lighting on the Thames TV Drama series, ‘Rock Follies’ back in the late 70’s.

As these names are not printed in any of the TV guides, the only way one can tell who has written, produced, directed, or designed the programmes and done the make up etc is by the credits that run at the end of the programme. As most production staff are these days on temporary or freelance contracts, it is more important than ever to show their names attached to their work.

The speed with which most credits are run is ridiculous, as no one can read them properly – they need to be slowed down or made bigger, so that the names can be clearly seen.

I am certainly backing the efforts of Equity’s delegation in this case.

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by F. Russell Clampitt

F. Russell Clampitt — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:04:42 +0000

There may be an answer to this problem:

BBC NEWS 24 has a strip/ribbon at the bottom of the screen for news headlines and breaking news. This is almost always present and does not detract from the visuals and sound and is widely accepted by the viewers.

It could be possible, by mutual agreement, to include such a feature towars the end of a programme incorporting an unobtrusive colour and typeface agreed by all concerned. If the format remained the same, the colour stayed the same and the typeface and size stayed the same then it would soon be ignored by those uninterested in its content. ‘Simples!’ as the meercat says.

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by Liz Gardiner

Liz Gardiner — Sat, 15 May 2010 22:40:10 +0000

It’s an insult to anyone in the industry to have their work dismissed in this crass manner. I’ll often watch a programme and recognise a face that I can’t put a name and credits are the way to solve this.
If I want to know what’s on next I can read a paper. I certainly don’t want to listen to a voice-over trying to interest me in the next programme when I’m still watching the one that has credits rolling. Do they think our attention spans are so short that we won’t notice that credits are racing?
How long has this racing been going on; who’s bright idea was it and why for one minute did they think it was a good one. More dumbing down I suspect.

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by Maurice Roeves

Maurice Roeves — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:42:41 +0000

One could not get a perfect example of disgraceful credits than at the end of that excellent three part drama/doc of BBC’s ‘5 Daughters’. The Producer and the Director had their names very prominently displayed and for a good reading time but then everything did a fast ’shrinkl’ for the cast list which zoomed past! A total insult to the excellent work that they (the cast) had put in!

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by John Halstead

John Halstead — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000

I along with so many other people do find it infuriating that I cannot read the credited names of people involved in programmes. Often we know the writer, who the leading actors are, because they are listed in the opening credits. But who the director might be, the designers, casting directors, and others involved is only available at the credits.
If we want to view a programme we will probably have found out when it is on. From newspapers trade magazines or on the internet. To have our involvement in a programme cut so short by blatant crass voice overs is very offensive. Why not use images like they sometiomes did in old films and have the actors faces under their names. Or repeat scenes with the credits superimposed over them. Or use out takes as some modern films are doing. Then the viewer has a choice and is still ‘in’ the show.
A particularly crass moment was at the end of Dr. Who, on April 24th when during the last dramatic minute, we had to endure over the action, a highly coloured logo advertising the Dorothy show. surely a step too too far. It was infuriating. It was rude and showed a complete disregard for the viewers involvement in the story.

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by Nigel Adams (agent for North West Actors)

Nigel Adams (agent for North West Actors) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:33:35 +0000

Good luck with this campaign, Equity! Crunched and fast rolling credits show a total lack of respect for actors and technical crew who deserve recognition for their work. You wouldn’t have a painting in a gallery and cover up the artist’s name. You wouldn’t have a book without the author’s name clearly showing. You wouldn’t watch a football match and hear the commentary “that bloke in mid-field”. Why on earth should it be different for actors?! The “who reads the credits anyway” comments by BBC1’s former controller Lorraine Heggessey (or perhaps I should say “thingamijig” or “whatsherface”) showed an alarming ignorance and contempt for the very people who kept her in employment. Come on BBC, ITV and all the others – show some respect!

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by Melanie Short

Melanie Short — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:47:43 +0000

I totally support the need for legible (slow!) credits before/during/after a programme. As a viewer I often want: to see who someone was, recognised an actor but couldn’t put a name to them, want to see locations used and so on. It’s infuriating for the credits to be minimised and speeded up so that even if you have recorded a programme, trying to view on pause is almost impossible.
What is the point of each programme having theme music if some announcer is going to lower the volume and talk over it?!
And why do we need to be reminded which programme is coming up next/later? Most TV’s have info buttons don’t they?!
When I trained at college we loved inventing new ways to present the credits. With the technolgy available now, it must be fascinating for people to produce them- but what is the point if they are just ‘frills’ which no-one takes seriously? How disheartening.
It would also be good if news programmes could include some of their production staff – even if it is just once a week/month/year. These people work so hard to ensure news items go out on air – adhering very tight deadlines -but no credits are made other than the presenters & heads.
please bring back the credits in glamorous style!

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by LLEWELLYN WILLIAMS

LLEWELLYN WILLIAMS — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:58:16 +0000

It is a pleasure, nowadays, to see old movies containing credits properly (AND LEGIBLY) laid out. The style of a mass of modern credits is often so ‘tricksy’ or ‘arty’ that even if given 30 seconds to view each page, one might still be only halfway through deciphering it before it changed! Why do the TV channels not get the message that crunching them up to display trailers, often with ‘voicevers’, is not likely to achieve their purpose; those who are not interested in credits having already ’switched over’, whilst those who ARE become irritated or infuriated at this disturbance, so that the content of any ‘trailer’ message is ignored.
Sadly, this is a only a pointer to a society that no longer understands ethics and, in business, is ‘competition-paranoid.’
And, please don’t get me started about these childish , chanting, ’sing-song’ announcer/presenter’s voices, giving no ’sense’ to what they are saying ,and making me wish often that computer voices were used instead!

Comment on STOP THE CREDITS CRUNCH by Jean Rogers

Jean Rogers — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:39:02 +0000

This is a fantastic step forward in the fight for the right to be associated with the work we as actors/directors/designers do in TV and film. Casting directors have said for years that they like credits at the end of programmes to identify performers who they are interested in suggesting for future work. The public too are interested and many of them are angered by the cavalier way credits have been treated. Since 1997 I have alerted Equity to our members’ and the public’s concerns. There have been a number of meetings with the BBC and suggestions of creative ways to do credits in order to hold the attention of the zap-happy contol button freaks who the broadcasters want tame at our expense but things just seem to get worse and there is still no sign of the new red button technology we were promised. Now you can join the fight and bombard the broadcasters and the media with your fury! So be creative too with new ways to show credits but also spread the word! Good luck. Jean Rogers Equity Vice President.