Some favorite 1” analog, broadcast TV ads for Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. I directed and photographed these commercials from 1995 to 1998.
All footage was shot on 16mm or 35mm motion picture film. 35mm for staged production scenes & 16mm for a “documentary” feel inside the hospital. Of course, everything in the 90’s was standard definition.
During film-to-tape transfers, we’d increase the grain effect from the 16mm negative and add an effect that simulates double printing each frame. An overall blue color grade was added to the 16mm to null out any red blood during operating room procedures.
Atlanta’s Cinefilm processed the color negative. Film-to-tape transfers were handled by colorist, Brent Clenny at Nashville’s Elite Post. Dennis Morabito was the principal writer & Paul Jorgensen was the hospital’s production coordinator. Don Wadsworth was our voice actor.
For 25 years, I directed and photographed almost every Eat’nPark TV campaign. During that time, Cliff Miller was the driving force behind Eat’n Park’s advertising. First as Creative Director at Ketchum Advertising, then as Eat’n Park’s own VP of Creative Services. It was Cliff’s idea to use Eat’n Park’s iconic “Smiley Cookie” as a key part of the company’s image & logo. (Cliff retired from Eat’n Park in 2016.)
From 35mm standard definition to HD digital, I thought it’d be fun to look back at a dozen Eat’n Park’s TV commercials from 1990 to 2015.
On Friday, April 7th, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted England’s popular 70’s & 80’s rock group, YES. Cheering in the audience was John Brabender, one of the country’s best known political media experts, ad agency owner, and long-time super-fan of YES. Brabender also led a crusade to get his favorite band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Every once in a while, a project comes along that’s completely different and fun to shoot. With hits like “Roundabout”, “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, “Long Distance Runaround” and many more, YES, is truly a super group from the 70’s & 80’s. Yet they still have a huge, cult-like, devoted following that sells out every performance.
For the group’s U.S. tour, Brabender asked Glenn Przyborski to direct and photograph several short videos that would play on YES’ concert video screens. They were tied to late 70’s nostalgia, including an homage to a scene from the movie “Almost Famous”. The videos were played before the band’s performance and to signal the end of intermission.
The videos were edited at Phenomenon by Thad Christian. John Brabender created the original concepts.
SmithFoods of Orrville, Ohio is a family owned company, founded in 1909. They supply premium dairy and other food products throughout Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.
The Innis Maggiore Agency of Canton, OH chose Przyborski Productions to produce SmithFoods’ latest TV campaign. The concept called for casting 5 children and 5 adults who could be those same kids, only now in their 40’s.
Glenn Przyborski directed and photographed the commercial in 4K digital. Props and wardrobe stylists selected kid’s clothes and table props that were popular in the mid-to-late 80’s. Back then, all TV was standard definition, so we rendered the opening sequence in the 4 x 3 ratio of older TV sets. After several visual tests, we decided not to alter the color or contrast of the opening sequence.
The commercial runs throughout Ohio and selected portions of the Mid-West.
