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Author Topic: I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.  (Read 4358 times)

DoorNumberFour

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« on: September 02, 2011, 05:23:21 PM »
Had my first day of video production class today. My teacher, Tom Peterson, explained that his experience in the field of television is quite extensive, going all the way back to 1974...when he was a production assistant on "Winning Streak" with Bill Cullen. Needless to say, he was quite surprised when he saw that I knew what he was talking about!

We stayed for an hour after class and he told me everything he remembered about his work on that show. He told me that among his other duties (bringing the contestants here and there, etc.) he was put in charge of Mr. Cullen for a week of tapings, during which he was responsible for walking him on and off stage, arm-in-arm as if they were having a conversation--to hide from the audience the fact that Cullen had a prosthetic leg due to polio in his youth. (Can we confirm this? I had no idea one leg was fake.)

He also said Bill was a genuinely nice guy who always told him to "call me Bill", and who also had a thing for playfully picking on crew members he liked. Apparently he liked looking at pretty girls in the audience too--once, while my teacher was prepping things on Bill's podium, Bill mumbled to him, "Look at the girl in the third row left. Don't look now, don't look now!" And while they were both trying not to look, they were in hysterics. He says things like this happened all the time on the set.

Re: Bob Stewart...apparently he wasn't too friendly. He disliked talking to many crew members unless he absolutely had to, and even then, he made it clear he didn't like it. When Winning Streak got its walking papers, Tom was moved to Jackpot with Geoff Edwards.

I'll post more little tidbits here as I remember them/as we talk more.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2011, 05:23:54 PM by DoorNumberFour »
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clemon79

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2011, 05:49:29 PM »
to hide from the audience the fact that Cullen had a prosthetic leg due to polio in his youth. (Can we confirm this? I had no idea one leg was fake.)
Yes, he had polio. Yes, it's why he limps. No, his leg isn't prosthetic. There. Done.
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daveromanjr

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2011, 07:29:27 AM »
to hide from the audience the fact that Cullen had a prosthetic leg due to polio in his youth. (Can we confirm this? I had no idea one leg was fake.)
Yes, he had polio. Yes, it's why he limps. No, his leg isn't prosthetic. There. Done.
Wow, that's a little snippy after an otherwise great post.

How awesome is that that you end up having a professor like that? Please let us know what all else he shares, I love hearing stuff like this!

chrisholland03

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Matt Ottinger

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2011, 11:58:15 AM »
This has been another installment of Matt Ottinger's Masters of the Obvious.
Stay tuned for all the obsessive-compulsive fun of Words Have Meanings.

chrisholland03

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2011, 01:48:08 PM »
http://gscentral.net/prof8.JPG
If you're going to do that, this one would seem more appropriate.

But...the rules are to say the first thing that came to mind!

Matt Ottinger

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This has been another installment of Matt Ottinger's Masters of the Obvious.
Stay tuned for all the obsessive-compulsive fun of Words Have Meanings.

DoorNumberFour

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2011, 05:35:55 PM »
Also, something I forgot to mention: according to Tom, they would tape five Winning Streak shows a day. They'd do two shows, break for lunch (when Tom would bring all the contestants upstairs and order Chinese for them), and do another three. Cullen also apparently enjoyed his share of alcohol during his lunch break...Tom tells me Bill would be much more irreverent during the Thursday/Friday episodes (something I referred to as Match Game Syndrome).

He says everybody on set--the crew, the audience, the contestants--had to agree not to speak of Cullen's limp before they took part.

The security was very tight, as can be expected from most any post-scandal game show...while Tom would bring one group of contestants into the elevator leading to the studio, the second group on deck would have to stand with their faces literally against the wall while group 1 passed.

Probably nothing earth-shattering here, but I am personally fascinated by hearing details, no matter how small, from someone who personally worked with Bill Cullen.
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JasonA1

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2011, 07:00:05 PM »
Probably nothing earth-shattering here, but I am personally fascinated by hearing details, no matter how small, from someone who personally worked with Bill Cullen.

As are we. Stupid me, I figured the limp persisted off camera, but your report that he had to walk him on and off was worth the price of admission, so to speak. We're talking about the day-to-day details of a show where there's only 1.2 representative episodes in our fandom (thus far). It's all gold! :)

For example, Mr. Bogart shared with us that the players on O'Hurley Feud heard "Hey Jealousy" in their headphones while waiting to go on for Fast Money. That doesn't make me gasp, but it's interesting!

-Jason
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DoorNumberFour

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« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2011, 07:27:22 PM »
Probably nothing earth-shattering here, but I am personally fascinated by hearing details, no matter how small, from someone who personally worked with Bill Cullen.

As are we. Stupid me, I figured the limp persisted off camera, but your report that he had to walk him on and off was worth the price of admission, so to speak. We're talking about the day-to-day details of a show where there's only 1.2 representative episodes in our fandom (thus far). It's all gold! :)

For example, Mr. Bogart shared with us that the players on O'Hurley Feud heard "Hey Jealousy" in their headphones while waiting to go on for Fast Money. That doesn't make me gasp, but it's interesting!

-Jason

I'm glad it's appreciated! I'm making my teacher a copy of that Winning Streak episode as we speak--he's always wanted to see it, and the fact that I have it is, in his words, "quite terrifying".
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BrandonFG

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2011, 09:03:56 PM »
I am fascinated by behind-the-scenes stories, so to hear your teacher's accounts are nothing short of awesome. Thanks for sharing, and please bring us more! ;-)
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DrBear

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2011, 08:39:45 AM »
Good stuff indeed. Can't wait to hear his reaction to seeing the show - if he's like me, looking back at some of my earlier look, he'll alternate between laughing and cringing.
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knagl

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« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2011, 02:34:09 AM »
Very neat insight, thank you for posting.

chris319

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I have the most awesome video production teacher ever.
« Reply #13 on: September 09, 2011, 05:11:26 AM »
If it means that much to you guys, I'll let you touch the arm that once assisted Mr. Cullen as he ascended the stairs on the set of Password Plus when he guest hosted. Would that make your day?

/What a way to get a cheap feel.