So, who’s it going to be? The three-year-old charmer with the Ghostbusters visor? The man in the Musky Tale Resort sweatshirt? The plant-eating apatosaurus? Director Jonathan Cohen and his WTTW video crew are scouting the Dino-Rama exhibit at the Chicago Academy of Sciences, today’s backdrop for the taping of a new batch of station-identification spots.
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While Langenber and Wells time the shot so that the prerecorded roar doesn’t drown out the soft-spoken EA and Kay, Cohen patiently tries to relax them in front of the camera. “Hello, Chicago,” begins Ed. “You’re watching Channel 11,” Kay haltingly finishes. Their smiles are pleasant, but forced, and after five takes, Ed and Kay are still not entirely at ease. Kay’s eyes dart off-camera to see Cohen’s reaction. A few takes later, Ed starts unconsciously mouthing his wife’s portion of the ID statement while still trying to keep a smile on his face.
The FCC requires that a station visibly or audibly identify itself. WTTW’s ID used to consist simply of the station logo burned onto a 35-millimeter slide depicting some pleasant image–the Chicago skyline, perhaps, or a couple huddled under an umbrella.
- Do not try to sound like an announcer.
It did not take long to recruit subjects. Lynn was waved down in mid-jog on Clark Street. Vince was sidetracked from his way to work at Walgreens. Joe, an interpreter at the Field Museum, was waiting at the museum’s entrance. He wanted to spend part of his day off at Dino-Rama. Cheryl, her three-year-old son Ian, and her brother Scott were also biding time before being allowed into the exhibit.
With Ian placated, the cameras rolled again. “Hello, Chicago,” announced Cheryl. “You’re watching Channel 11, WTTT,” flubbed Scott. Cut!
Inside the Dino-Rama exhibit, the rolling continues with a succession of high school students, museum staff members, and parent-child combinations. Cohen prefers individuals or couples to group shots. Two or even three people can play off each other.
