Scope and Content Note

This guide describes and indexes in part a major portion of the film from three collections dealt with under the NHPRC grant: the Vietnam Archives Television Newsfilm, 1965-1972; and the 1968-1972 television newsfilm of two of the Madison, Wisconsin TV stations, WISC and WKOW.

The film described here consists of rolls of varying footage, each containing numerous segments of newsfilm. Segments usually are twenty-five or more feet long and often were preceded by a piece of film leader or of masking tape carrying a brief title or “slug,” e.g. “Council meeting 7/21/69.” For the WISC and WKOW film, these individual segments were physically compiled into the larger rolls, either by the station before transfer to the archives or by the archives from individual segments grouped into roll-size cans by the station. In some cases, the reason for the grouping is clear, e.g. film shot during one day or week. In other cases, the reason can only be surmised. Though some of these film segments may be what was broadcast on the evening news, this identification cannot be deduced from clues present now.

The Vietnam Archives also consists of large rolls, each containing numerous film segments. This film was assembled during production of the award-winning documentary, The War at Home, which examined Madison's role in the anti-Vietnam War movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. While making the film, producers Glenn Silber and Barry Brown contributed over 6000 hours identifying footage from the three Madison commercial stations and making lists of the individual segments' slug titles. The film segments they compiled and described in a booklet, “Vietnam Demonstrations and Related Film,” is the Vietnam Archives film included in this guide. Descriptions in this guide correct occasional errors made in the booklet and sometimes include additional identifications of individuals shown. The booklet however sometimes includes verbatim excerpts from the footage and also sometimes notes the station which shot the footage. It therefore may be of interest to researchers and is available for use.

USING THIS GUIDE

Segment Descriptions

This guide consists of three parts. First and largest are the segment descriptions themselves. Grouped by collection (Vietnam Archives, WISC, then WKOW) and then in order by the roll number, these descriptions note what each segment of film on the roll concerns, its date when known, and form of coverage, e.g. “Studio interviews” or “Features.” Descriptions also note physical features about the segment: its length in feet of film, whether silent or sound (magnetic track or optical), color or black and white, and negative or positive. These segment descriptions cover all film in the Vietnam Archives and all WKOW and WISC film for the years 1968-1972.

The content descriptions were prepared during staff viewing of the film, augmented when possible by the information recorded as film slugs or similar brief identifications from shot log books prepared at the stations. Many segments have only form of coverage indicated with no further description. In these cases, no more specific content information was apparent in the viewing or present in logs or slugs. Roll numbers for the WISC and WKOW film are those used by the stations themselves with the exception of WISC rolls numbered 9001 and above. The Vietnam Archives roll numbers were assigned during the course of this project.

Form Index

The second part of the printed guide is a Form Index consisting of a list of all the segments grouped under the form of coverage headings noted in the descriptions, e.g. “Studio interviews.” Citations indicate the segment date and its station and roll and segment number, e.g. “WISC 328.12” (station WISC's roll 327, segment 12). This list is intended to assist researchers interested in the footage as examples of certain kinds of media coverage and communication or in topics that may be incidental to the goal of the coverage. Because these form headings are searchable in the content descriptions in this online version of the guide, this second part of the printed guide has not been duplicated in this online version of the guide.

FORM HEADINGS DEFINITIONS

The Form Headings listed below have been adopted to describe standard means of communication or repeated events with a quite standardized method of media coverage. Based on terms from Moving Image Materials: Genre Forms by Martha Yee (Library of Congress, 1988), the list includes some additional terms as well as some more specific definitions of terms. The definitions below reflect the terms' application in this project.

Awards ceremonies

Award, plaque, medal, commendation, etc. presented to person(s) in public ceremony

Banquets

Guests seated at banquet tables, tables set for food service, head table seen or implied. A special occasion, not just a meal

Candidacy announcements

Person(s) making formal, public announcement of political candidacy or announcing they will not run for office

Celebrity visits

Well-known “personality” (excluding political figures) arrives and/or departs, scenes at airport, greeting ceremony by mayor or governor, maybe followed by a press conference, presentation of key to the city

Features (Newsfilm)

“Soft” news quality, human interest appeal

Graduation ceremonies

High school, college, technical college, university, police and fire academies, etc. Shows processions, speakers, diploma presentation, views of audience

Groundbreakings

Dignitaries posing with shovels or trowels, digging, cornerstone laying

Hearings

Public proceedings with testimony by citizens, interested individuals, or representatives. Shows official(s) present; people testifying at microphones. Held by municipal, county, state, and federal governments as well as school boards and other official bodies

House fires

Firefighters at scene of house fire or aftermath

Judicial proceedings

Courtroom proceedings including arraignments, trials, people entering or exiting courtroom, scenes in judges' chambers, State Supreme Court sessions, and swearing-in ceremonies (those taking place in court, such as citizenship ceremonies)

Man on the street interviews

Public opinion poll; people asked topical questions in public settings

Meetings

People convened for discussion, planning, etc. Includes deliberative sessions of legislative bodies

News

On the scene reporter giving coverage of news event “as it happens”

On-site interviews

Interview conducted in subject's own surroundings -- office, home, workplace, etc. -- or at the scene of an event

Openings

Includes grand openings (shopping centers, businesses), formal dedications, ribbon cuttings

Panel discussions

Group of speakers taking turns addressing gathering (participants usually seated so they face audience); audience may or may not be shown

Political announcements

Includes political endorsements, political statements. Does not include candidacy announcements

Press conferences

Includes person(s) addressing the media, making statements or announcements (other than candidacy announcements). Shots of TV and newspaper reporters taking notes, cameras, banks of microphones in front of speakers

Promotional materials

Can be generated by the stations themselves or by the armed forces, industry, and others to highlight products, career opportunities, or a cause

Public announcements

Announcements other than those of a political or candidacy nature. Person(s) usually seated facing camera and making direct address

Special reports

Produced after event(s) for in-depth reporting. Topical; issue oriented

Speeches

Speaker is addressing a group or gathering which may or may not be shown. Includes portions of speeches and instances of people who appear to be making a speech

Sports

Includes footage of actual games and practices as well as coaches and others talking about sports

Studio interviews

Interview conducted in TV studio or anonymous setting

Traffic accident reports

Vehicle accident reports, shots of damaged vehicle(s), police, ambulance, wreckers, onlookers often on scene

Unknown

Completely unidentifiable as to participants, events, place, and time

Wire service

Film shot by wire service company (UPI, Hearst, etc.). Story usually national in scope. Many are feature or “soft news” variety

Partial Name and Subject Index

The third and final part of this guide is a partial index to names and topics represented in the descriptions. The descriptions of the Vietnam Archives and the 1968 and 1969 WKOW and WISC film have been indexed by both name and subject headings; 1970-1972 WKOW and WISC film is described in the segment descriptions but not indexed. The index is arranged in one alphabetical sequence. Each entry notes the date of the segment cited and its station and roll and segment number. Some citations include an asterisk (*) before the citation number; this means that the person or topic is not just talked about in the segment but is actually pictured to some degree. For example, a citation with an asterisk under “Elections” may show campaigning or voting activity; a citation without an asterisk may be a studio interview in which possible election results are discussed. Users can go from the index to the segment descriptions for further details. To view the film itself, researchers should note the station/collection and the roll and segment numbers and seek assistance from the reference staff.