Ed Resnick

Cameraman
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his four-and-a-half-hour interview, Ed Resnick (1915-2002) recalls being a cameraman for 26 years with local Los Angeles television station KTLA, starting in 1944 when the station was experimental W6XYZ. He talks about his work behind the camera on in-studio shows such as Time for Beany and Musical Adventure with Korla Pandit as well as on-location shows such as City at Night. Resnick describes in detail two landmark KTLA news stories: the Kathy Fiscus story of 1949, in which a three-year-old girl fell down a well and the cameras stayed on the story for over 20 hours, and the atomic bomb tests at Nevada's Yucca Flats in 1952. He details other remotes done for the station, including sports events and big band shows. He recounts in detail the pioneering efforts of Klaus Landsberg, who was in charge of KTLA and who was its key innovator until his untimely death in 1956. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on March 31, 2000 in Palm Springs, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"[There was] the test pattern, which was an Indian head with the words, 'Experimental television station W6XYZ' underneath it. An announcer would say, 'Now we'll go on with the show,' and then there would be a switch to a guy sitting at a desk. There was no name. It was just television. Period."

People Talking About ...
Ed Resnick
Highlights
Ed Resnick on shooting the atomic bomb tests in Las Vegas for KTLA
06:08
Ed Resnick on being hired by Klaus Landsberg to work on an experimental television test stage
05:54
Ed Resnick on KTLA's early use of a helicopter for reporting news stories
07:28
Ed Resnick on the conclusion of the Kathy Fiscus story, the effect it had on television, and Klaus Landsberg's direction of the broadcast
03:26
Ed Resnick on advice to aspiring cameramen
03:27
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his family living through the Great Depression; on realizing he wanted to be a cameraman as a child
On his career as a meteorologist; on getting into working at the movie studios
On being hired by Klaus Landsberg to work on an experimental television test stage; on working for early experimental television station W6XYZ under Klaus Landsberg; on getting on camera for the first time at W6XYZ and how the station worked

Chapter 2
On the technological state of television in 1944; on the programming of early television; on the mechanics of operating a camera in the early days of television and early remotes
On being cameraman for the local Los Angeles series City at Night; on Klaus Landsberg directing shows for W6XYZ; on W6XYZ becoming commercial station KTLA; on KTLA covering a factory explosion in its early days

Chapter 3
On the erection of KTLA's transmitter on Mount Wilson; on KTLA covering the factory explosion in 1947 and the Kathy Fiscus story in 1949
On the conclusion of the Kathy Fiscus story, the effect it had on television, and Klaus Landsberg's direction of the broadcast; on the early KTLA shows Judy Splinters and Time for Beany; on KTLA's early broadcast facilities

Chapter 4
On KTLA's early use of a helicopter for reporting news stories; on shooting the Rose Bowl for KTLA; on shooting Korla Pandit's Adventure in Music; on the advent of videotape in 1956 and how it was used by KTLA in the early years
On shooting the atomic bomb tests in Las Vegas for KTLA; on the logistics of shooting the atomic bomb tests, which were broadcast live on KTLA; on the crew of KTLA's broadcast of the atomic bomb test

Chapter 5
On technological advances in television cameras over the years and the advent of color; on shooting stories for KTLA's news broadcasts; on KTLA after the death of Klaus Landsberg, and Landsberg's legacy
On news events he shot for KTLA news in the '60s; on leaving KTLA in 1970; on shooting television commercials; on advice to aspiring cameramen
Shows

City at Night

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Ed Resnick on being cameraman for the local Los Angeles series City at Night
05:17

Judy Splinters

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Ed Resnick on the early KTLA show Judy Splinters
01:41

Time for Beany

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Ed Resnick on the early KTLA show Time for Beany
02:34
Topics

Cold War

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Ed Resnick on shooting the atomic bomb tests in Las Vegas for KTLA
06:09
Ed Resnick on the logistics of shooting the atomic bomb tests, which were broadcast live on KTLA
06:12
Ed Resnick on the crew of KTLA's broadcast of the atomic bomb test
02:41

Historic Events and Social Change

View Topic
Ed Resnick on shooting the atomic bomb tests in Las Vegas for KTLA
06:09
Ed Resnick on the logistics of shooting the atomic bomb tests, which were broadcast live on KTLA
06:12
Ed Resnick on the crew of KTLA's broadcast of the atomic bomb test
02:41

Technological Innovation

View Topic
Ed Resnick on being hired by Klaus Landsberg to work on an experimental television test stage
05:54
Ed Resnick on working for early experimental television station W6XYZ under Klaus Landsberg
03:47
Ed Resnick on getting on camera for the first time at W6XYZ and how the station worked
04:23
Ed Resnick on the technological state of television in 1944
03:23
Ed Resnick on the mechanics of operating a camera in the early days of television and early remotes
04:54
Ed Resnick on the erection of KTLA's transmitter on Mount Wilson
06:22
Ed Resnick on KTLA's early broadcast facilities
04:23
Ed Resnick on the advent of videotape in 1956 and how it was used by KTLA in the early years
01:05
Ed Resnick on technological advances in television cameras over the years and the advent of color
04:02

War

View Topic
Ed Resnick on shooting the atomic bomb tests in Las Vegas for KTLA
06:09
Ed Resnick on the logistics of shooting the atomic bomb tests, which were broadcast live on KTLA
06:12
Ed Resnick on the crew of KTLA's broadcast of the atomic bomb test
02:41
Professions

Camera Operator

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Ed Resnick on advice to aspiring cameramen
03:27

Production Professionals

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Ed Resnick on advice to aspiring cameramen
03:27
Genres

Children's Programming

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Ed Resnick on the early KTLA show Time for Beany
02:34
Ed Resnick on the early KTLA show Judy Splinters
01:41

Commercials

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Ed Resnick on shooting television commercials
05:57

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

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Ed Resnick on shooting Korla Pandit's Adventure in Music
02:14

News and Documentary

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Ed Resnick on KTLA covering the factory explosion in 1947 and the Kathy Fiscus story in 1949
09:19
Ed Resnick on the conclusion of the Kathy Fiscus story, the effect it had on television, and Klaus Landsberg's direction of the broadcast
03:26
Ed Resnick on shooting the atomic bomb tests in Las Vegas for KTLA
15:02
Ed Resnick on shooting stories for KTLA's news broadcasts
01:45
Ed Resnick on news events he shot for KTLA news in the '60s
03:26

Sports

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Ed Resnick on shooting the Rose Bowl for KTLA
03:01
People

Bob Hope

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Ed Resnick on W6XYZ becoming commercial station KTLA on a broadcast hosted by Bob Hope
05:01

Klaus Landsberg

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Ed Resnick on being hired by Klaus Landsberg to work on an experimental television test stage
05:54
Ed Resnick on working for early experimental television station W6XYZ under Klaus Landsberg
03:47
Ed Resnick on Klaus Landsberg directing shows for W6XYZ
02:39
Ed Resnick on the conclusion of the Kathy Fiscus story, the effect it had on television, and Klaus Landsberg's direction of the broadcast
03:26
Ed Resnick on the death of Klaus Landsberg and his legacy
05:46

All Interviews

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