To Celebrate The 1969 Moon Landing Watch Girls Perform On National TV

What is this? To fully understand it, you have to know that virtually every performer on every kind of television show or on any live performance stage anywhere in America, really anywhere in the world, said something or did something or created something after we landed on the moon in late 1969. This clip presents a bit of the behind-the-scenes where alive television show director and crew are putting this performance together in real time. On occasion I was hired to direct a live real-time TV show. I found it unbelievably exciting. Directing a live television show in the 1960s was a very different experience compared to what it’s like today. It was an era of innovation, excitement, but also high pressure and significant technical limitations. The director was heavily involved in the pre-production process. This would involve studying the script, developing a shooting plan, and working closely with the show’s producer, the writers, the set designers, the actors, and the technical crew to ensure that everyone was on the same page. As live television was more similar to theater than the pre-recorded television we’re used to today, casting and rehearsals were crucial aspects. Directors would work closely with actors during rehearsals to guide their performances and ensure they knew their cues, lines, and blocking. Timing was of utmost importance in order to make the most out of the allocated air time. Technological capabilities in the 1960s were basic by today’s standards. Sets were often simple and camera movement was limited. One of the biggest challenges in directing live TV shows was the lack of post-production much of the time. There was often little editing after the fact; everything happened in real-time. Multiple cameras were used and directors would sit in a control room with a bank of monitors, each showing the feed from a different camera. The director would then ’switch’ between these cameras live, essentially editing the show on-the-fly. This required a great deal of concentration, quick decision-making, and a deep understanding of the script and the action in each scene. With live broadcasting, anything could (and often did) go wrong. Actors could forget lines or miss cues, props could malfunction, or technical issues could arise. Directors had to think quickly, remain calm under pressure, and sometimes make split-second decisions to keep the show running smoothly. Directors needed to be in constant communication with the entire team. This was done through an intercom system, allowing the director to talk to camera operators, stage managers, and other crew members. As i said, despite the challenges directing a live television show in the 1960s was thrilling. It was still a pioneering time in the industry and many of the techniques and methods developed during this period laid the foundation for television productions as we know them today.