Author Topic: Studio 6B: Exposed (Read 5491 times)

Veejay7 · « **on:** March 28, 2009, 07:42:41 PM »

Hi everyone,

First, an apology. I meant to follow-up to my "Studio 6B" post from last weekend immediately, but I was unexpectedly called away. I didn't really mean to be quite so 'mysterious' about it.

Here are the photos of the model I built of the Concentration NBC set.

In layout, angle and proportion, I believe it to be an accurate recreation. Short of an NBC veteran actually looking at it-- or blueprints-- it's the best I can create, based on about a dozen photographs of the set, and the video of the final minute of the final episode.

Below are the unretouched photos.

The set is designed as it looked on the final episide-- with the giant "mystery logos" behind the contestants, and the 'earthy' texture surrounding the prize-board and contestants.

The cameras: RCA, TK-44B, which were in service for NBC in the early 70's. And no, the NBC Snake logo was never placed on the 44's. NBC COLOR was the first treatment, followed by the red/blue trapezoid on white with 'NBC' in black.. that was about 1976. In the model, they're 3" tall.

I work in television, so I realize how the cameras fool the eye, but still I'm amazed at just how small the set was. The gameboard-- no bigger than about 32" x 40". The whole set would almost fit in my two-car garage.

I grew-up with this game show, and decades later I still have a fascination with it I can't quite explain or rationalize. I hope you enjoyed the trip back in time.

Veejay7

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geno57 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2009, 02:22:13 AM »

Once again ... Fantastic! Look! The prize doors even open!

BrandonFG · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2009, 02:29:44 AM »

Just one minor correction...this particular forum doesn't allow pics to display in posts, but here's the links to each individual photo...very impressive!

Photo 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

GrandGame1440 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2009, 02:38:37 AM »

WOW...yeah, I think thats the only word I can come up with. Are you working on any other models? You did an amazing job on that.

TheLastResort · « **Reply #4 on:** March 29, 2009, 08:42:45 AM »

Geez, cell phones were HUGE back then!

Chief-O · « **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2009, 10:09:35 AM »

Wow. I have to admit, I had a hard time believing the posts I'd seen mentioning that these were a model, and not real photos from backstage. That just goes to show how impressive this model is. Same can be said for the mini TK-44's!

DrBear · « **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2009, 10:35:10 AM »

[quote name=\'Veejay7\' post=\'211406\' date=\'Mar 28 2009, 06:42 PM\']

The cameras: RCA, TK-44B, which were in service for NBC in the early 70's. And no, the NBC Snake logo was never placed on the 44's. NBC COLOR was the first treatment, followed by the red/blue trapezoid on white with 'NBC' in black.. that was about 1976. In the model, they're 3" tall.[/quote]

Yup, it was 1-1-76 that NBC changed over. I recently was watching the first season of Saturday Night Live (1975-76) on DVD, and with the shows starting in January, the "snake" was out and the N was in. They still used the same credit roll, but pasted the new logo over the old at the end.

Quote

I work in television, so I realize how the cameras fool the eye, but still I'm amazed at just how small the set was. The gameboard-- no bigger than about 32" x 40". The whole set would almost fit in my two-car garage.

As a non-TV person that's always what surprises me whenever I walk into a TV studio - how small everything is. When I was a kid and used to draw sets of TV shows, I probably had them way too large; they would have to have been filmed in a blimp hangar. It's the lack of perspective of anything else; the only way to figure it out is to use the perspective of how the humans look.

jmangin · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2009, 11:46:02 AM »

Wow, that's pretty impressive!

chris319 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2009, 03:04:59 PM »

Wasn't Concentration done in studio 8G for the most part? I believe 8G was the last studio in 30 Rock to be converted to color, which explains why Concentration was in B&W for so long. 8G was later home to Phil Donahue and Rosie O'Donnell's shows for many years. Those studios are fairly small, too, being converted radio studios that only measured about 45' x 75'.

(MOMENTS LATER)

Well here you go:

Quote

Studio 8G, a converted radio studio, measures 48 feet by 87 feet.

http://www.eyesofageneration.com/NBC_Camera.php

tvrandywest · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2009, 04:48:43 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'211518\' date=\'Mar 30 2009, 12:04 PM\']
Wasn't Concentration done in studio 8G for the most part...
[/quote]
When I visited, circa 1970, Concentration WAS in 8G.

The studio is now back in use for TV after laying virtually dormant for years. Up until very recently the NBC tour paraded folks through a corner of the unused studio to sit in front of a green screen and play newscasters.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

joe_capitano · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2009, 05:45:19 PM »

[quote name=\'Veejay7\' post=\'211406\' date=\'Mar 28 2009, 04:42 PM\']The cameras: RCA, TK-44B, which were in service for NBC in the early 70's. And no, the NBC Snake logo was never placed on the 44's.[/quote]
It took me awhile to find it, but if you look at this 1971 photo, you'll find the snake logo was used.

Impressive model, regardless.

chris319 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2009, 05:58:02 PM »

Quote

It took me awhile to find it, but if you look at this 1971 photo, you'll find the snake logo was used.

Where do you see the snake logo?

BrandonFG · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2009, 06:28:16 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'211539\' date=\'Mar 30 2009, 05:58 PM\']

Quote

It took me awhile to find it, but if you look at this 1971 photo, you'll find the snake logo was used.

Where do you see the snake logo?
[/quote]
It's blurry, but it looks like the lower left corner on the left camera.

joe_capitano · « **Reply #13 on:** March 31, 2009, 02:46:48 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'211539\' date=\'Mar 30 2009, 02:58 PM\']Where do you see the snake logo?[/quote]
Look under the letter "C" in COLOR on both cameras. The snake is there in the black box. If you look closely at photo #4 you'll also notice there's a square impression where that logo was placed.

aaron sica · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2009, 03:26:03 PM »

[quote name=\'TheLastResort\' post=\'211421\' date=\'Mar 29 2009, 08:42 AM\']
Geez, cell phones were HUGE back then!
[/quote]

Please WHOOSH me if deserved, but that's actually a cordless home phone. However, it does give a good idea of the size of the recreation (echoing what everyone said about it, I will..Great job!) of the set.
.