How Video Post-Production Effects were done in the 80s

Continuing the theme of effects videos, here is a nice one about 80s era video effects.

Early Lighting Effects at The BBC

Via youtuber Marc Campbell

This is a video of some beautiful lighing effects work at the BBC 

more on the history of lighting effects coming very soon

Showtime Video Equipment

Various Pics from ebay auctions of rare Showtime/Magnavox video effects equipment

VIDEO KALEIDOSCOPES

here are some interesting machanical/optical video Kaleidoscopes from galaxyglassworks all motorized with composite video outputs 

some of these are one of a kind or small production runs

the "INDUSTRIAL POP" at $1200 seems pricey but if you compare these to custom other hand made electro mechanical devices it's not to crazy 

"SCANDINAVIAN" the more complex at $2000.00

Video Delay Lines

most video delay lines are just passive filters that provide very short (usually nano seconds) delay times to correct signals between sources over long cables runs and other related problems. However there are other ways to achieve real video delays for video installations and the like. I have a Korg Entrancer which does 6 seconds of delay, some DVD recorders have functions that allow them to output a delayed signal and there are commercially available studio units used for broadcast delays on live TV. There is also this, while still expensive its small form factor could be an advantage for cramped installations or live stuff.

Scanimate Letter H

From the youtbe description by NantoVision


"1977, a neat little segment about the letter H, narrated by Luis (Emilio Delgado) and a little girl named Heather. With no new episodes of The Electric Company being made that year, I guess CTW had to think of something else to do with their trusty Scanimate machine. Personally, I wish they had used it more."





more on the scanimate here and here 

New Video by Bildheinzer

here is the latest of his RGB audio reactive effect units 

Elite Video Processor

Elite Video Processors often pop up on ebay US 
and they also have the unusual "flesh tone" control

EMS Spectron/Spectre

famous British video synthesizer sold around 1974 more info here



Sans Soleil or Sunless by Chris Marker (of La Jetée fame) is an amazing film and also uses a spectron for some effects and here is a video made with a Fairlight CVI and a EMS Spectre by youtuber WarrenABurt
imagine running one with a VCS3!

JVC JX-C7 video correction unit

The JVC JX-C7 is another pretty standard video correction unit
more details here

Vintage Archer Analog Video Processors

Super chilled out video from a man named Kevin demoing some analogue video correctors that can get a little glitchy and interesting at the far end of the potentiometers

Sansui AV-77

The Sansui AV-77 is a fairly common AV unit that has a few video effects and some useful video features. picked up a unit in perfect condition the other day and had to look to see what I could find on the net www.audioinfo.net has some useful info and some screen shots of the device in action

while this unit has some cool retro colorizing effects I would not advise it as your first or only effects unit purchase. I also would not advise buying one with a view to circuit bending due to the fact it runs off an internal transformer so there are mains voltages running inside YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Where this unit comes in to its own is as a source switch (that also contains a few effects). I plan to use mine with a few of my other old bits of video gear (before going to one channel of my mixer).