Very First Half-Inch Videotape Festival Ever, The

Very First Half-Inch Videotape Festival Ever, The

Interviews Live television programs Video equipment Video recordings

This one-off special on the video portapak was broadcast live from the WGBH studios in the early 1970's. For this work video makers using the portapak were invited to bring their works into the WGBH studio, where the pieces were played back from and shot off of monitors. Host Russell Connors and others interviewed participants (including representatives of Top Value Television and a young Bill Viola) about their work. Television viewers were encouraged to call into the station with their comments and were given contact information for the participants. The work shown represents the explosion in the use of video after the invention of the portapak. Produced by Henry Becton and Dorothy Chiesa. Directed by David Atwood. The "Television Workshop" created several shows that were broadcast on WGBH without being a part of a series sponsored specifically by the Workshop. Additionally, they were commissioned to create shows showcasing video art for national broadcast and created several shows in collaboration with existing series at other stations, such as WNET''s "American Playhouse."