Crediting The Creative Artists

It bothers me that our members lack visibility. In television, unlike other media, the promotional value of the director and writer is neglected. Audiences are attracted by the author of the play or screenplay and follow the careers of stage and film directors, which is not surprising when their names are in all ads and posters and their participation is heralded with publicity -- "a new film from the director (or writer) of last year's triumph".

On the tube if you blink for a couple of seconds you don't learn who created the work. Can't it be standard practice to include names in ads, where there is usually lots of unused space? In recent years the networks have taken back more than five minutes of show time on a two hour program. How about another five seconds to run director and writer credits at both beginning and end of two hour or longer programs? The London Times every day credits directors in the TV listing the same way it credits conductors of symphony concerts. Forget our daily papers, but why can't the weekly TV magazines do the same?

I would have included the real producer in the above, if he or she could be distinguished from the profusion of "honorary" producers.

--George Schaefer