Rabies Outbreak (1976) - Public Information Film
Although Rabies never really gets talked about much these days, it's still a serious infection, it's just that us, western spoiled-types are all vaccinated, as well as domestic warm-blooded animals and livestock. Old news, maybe but, if you live in a poor country in Africa or Asia, you can still be killed from it. It's fatal from the word go. That doesn't mean this overly-charged PIF isn't immune from some of the classic scaremongering that was going on in PIF's in those days. You can get rabies from basically any mammal, but why is so much to blame on the dogs? This PIF warns of all domestic animals being a danger, but 1 poor dog is the centre of the piece, revered like a killer. Dogs get most of the stick because, out of the 2 domestic mammals that are allowed to roam freely, not from a farm, cats are more controlled in their behaviour, although not perfect. Dogs like to put just about anything into their mouths out of curiosity or whatnot.
The situation of the film, poses like it's a nuclear fall-out zone. Rabies areas are cordoned off, all foxes are to be killed, no free moving of mutts and felines and worst of all, no cat shows and dog shows! Better off without them actually. The dog featured, faces execution as non-verbally told by the PIF.
Showing posts with label Public Information Films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Public Information Films. Show all posts
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Great Idea! Let's have a Wife-beater Advise Kids on Strangers!
Strngr Dngr!
Gotta love the 80s, eh? "Punch", of "Punch and Judy" fame, advises the kid audience to never trust strangers, demonstrating this, by not climbing into the Crocodile's motor. The West country voiced policeman warns the children if knowing where they are, when alone, and not to take rides from strangers, otherwise your a "naughty, naughty, naughty man"! The Crocodile sounds a bit like the other puppet croc from CITV's late-80s show "Round the Bend".The PIF was made in 1980, and does, even then seems a bit dated to be using such a politically incorrect technique. But that's why we love that age!
Gotta love the 80s, eh? "Punch", of "Punch and Judy" fame, advises the kid audience to never trust strangers, demonstrating this, by not climbing into the Crocodile's motor. The West country voiced policeman warns the children if knowing where they are, when alone, and not to take rides from strangers, otherwise your a "naughty, naughty, naughty man"! The Crocodile sounds a bit like the other puppet croc from CITV's late-80s show "Round the Bend".The PIF was made in 1980, and does, even then seems a bit dated to be using such a politically incorrect technique. But that's why we love that age!
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Son, Get Yourself up that Attic and Fix that Water Leakage, Then You'll Know How I Felt Working in the Loom Mills Boy!
Pipe Bursts (1969) - UK Public Information Film
Late-sixties Public Information Film addressing how a family should check up on any burst water pipes in their home. A rather feeble matter, but still awe-strikingly important in an age drinking stale milk could've become a Public Information Film. We first see a family having a spot of Breakfast to some nice, soothing Elevator music, when all of a sudden water pours from the ceiling onto the father's bespectacled face, and no, the Eric Morecombe similarity is not not lost on me. Although the film promotes public safety in a way, a more modern concoction wouldn't show the kid -despite looking the eldest- on his own, fixing a pipe in the attic! Lazy dad.
Just when you think this is quite genteel for a PIF, the well-spoken voiceover gives the family a verbal slapping of the wrist, for not checking water leakage beforehand, and the creepyness factor is restored, the usual and sometimes effective mood of PIF's of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, when the family are just staring and smiling at the camera in pure unadulterated silence, after the announcer's bitter tone of words!
Late-sixties Public Information Film addressing how a family should check up on any burst water pipes in their home. A rather feeble matter, but still awe-strikingly important in an age drinking stale milk could've become a Public Information Film. We first see a family having a spot of Breakfast to some nice, soothing Elevator music, when all of a sudden water pours from the ceiling onto the father's bespectacled face, and no, the Eric Morecombe similarity is not not lost on me. Although the film promotes public safety in a way, a more modern concoction wouldn't show the kid -despite looking the eldest- on his own, fixing a pipe in the attic! Lazy dad.
Just when you think this is quite genteel for a PIF, the well-spoken voiceover gives the family a verbal slapping of the wrist, for not checking water leakage beforehand, and the creepyness factor is restored, the usual and sometimes effective mood of PIF's of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, when the family are just staring and smiling at the camera in pure unadulterated silence, after the announcer's bitter tone of words!
Thursday, 28 January 2010
1970's Escalator Safety Public Information Film
1970's Escalator Safety Public Information Film
In this PIF, mostly aimed at children about the dangers of automated escalators, showing how dangerous it can be, to stand near the edge of a moving and functioning Escalator step at the side, warned by yellow lines, and the groove at the back. A very good slogan here, of "Stand Still, Stand Steady, Stand Clear". In a quite scary way, it shows how an escalator can chomp a kid's wellington boot, in bone-crunching fashion. These retro escalators now look pretty scary themselves, looking fairly jagged at the top, where your suppoesed to stand!
It's funny how back in 70's and 80's were so PIF-mad, nitpicking at the smallest of dangers, in which these days, the Government can't be bothered to educate, despite the fact it's an on-going process of new generation after new generation being born, now clueless how to act on the monstrous obstacle of escalators. I don't see the yellow lines at the sides much now either. Populism and sensationalism has reached PIF's now, where it's only the bigger issues that come screaming and kicking out of headline news. You don't hear of people getting killed on escalators on the news, so it don't matter.
Escalators have been in some form since the 19th century, firstly modelled by American Nathan Ames in 1859, however it didn't work. The first working escalator, developed by Jesse W. Reno, and it was first installed along the Old Iron Pier at Coney Island, New York in 1896. Since then, escalators, especially for elder people, have made life easier in airports, shopping centres and so on. Just make sure your laces are tied well. Accidents are rarer now, but people have died by exploding and collapsing escalators, strangled by their own clothes as loose thread gets stuck in the machinery, as well as a nice haircut right down to the scalp. Careful now, yeah?
In this PIF, mostly aimed at children about the dangers of automated escalators, showing how dangerous it can be, to stand near the edge of a moving and functioning Escalator step at the side, warned by yellow lines, and the groove at the back. A very good slogan here, of "Stand Still, Stand Steady, Stand Clear". In a quite scary way, it shows how an escalator can chomp a kid's wellington boot, in bone-crunching fashion. These retro escalators now look pretty scary themselves, looking fairly jagged at the top, where your suppoesed to stand!
It's funny how back in 70's and 80's were so PIF-mad, nitpicking at the smallest of dangers, in which these days, the Government can't be bothered to educate, despite the fact it's an on-going process of new generation after new generation being born, now clueless how to act on the monstrous obstacle of escalators. I don't see the yellow lines at the sides much now either. Populism and sensationalism has reached PIF's now, where it's only the bigger issues that come screaming and kicking out of headline news. You don't hear of people getting killed on escalators on the news, so it don't matter.
Escalators have been in some form since the 19th century, firstly modelled by American Nathan Ames in 1859, however it didn't work. The first working escalator, developed by Jesse W. Reno, and it was first installed along the Old Iron Pier at Coney Island, New York in 1896. Since then, escalators, especially for elder people, have made life easier in airports, shopping centres and so on. Just make sure your laces are tied well. Accidents are rarer now, but people have died by exploding and collapsing escalators, strangled by their own clothes as loose thread gets stuck in the machinery, as well as a nice haircut right down to the scalp. Careful now, yeah?
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Basil Brush and Roy North Tell to be Wary of Inflatables...at the Beach!
Basil Brush and the Airbed (1976) - Public Information Film
Cue some bad jokes and a "jolly joust with the waves" from Roy North and 1970's children's TV megastar puppet at the time, Basil Brush. Not a great PIF, but a great pull towards the kiddies at the time. This short PIF, tells us not to go out with our inflatables (hmmm) into the sea when the wind and tide is looking dreadfully at ill ease. Some inane musings here, Roys mutters "I'll have a nice peaceful flirt on my hair bed"? The PIF's all done in one shot/scene, nothing much else to say...
Basil was a witty but mischievious fox glove puppet voiced by Ivan Owen throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's from his first appearance back in 1963. Owen modelled the voice on Terry-Thomas, a posh, eccentric english film comic actor of the 1950's mould. The character's peak was throughout the 1970's, starring in "The Basil Brush Show" for 12 years. As Brush's career fizzled out, along came the new children's puppet star Roland "Yeaaaaah" Rat. A quite successful revival of "The Basil Brush Show" returned in 2002, however, Ivan Owen died in 2000. He was taken over by the more voicework of Christopher Pizzey. I prefer the original voice, because the new one seems more toned down.
Roy North was the adult presenter accompanee to Brush in the same show from 1973-1977. He has also starred in West End theatre plays and Pantomines.
Cue some bad jokes and a "jolly joust with the waves" from Roy North and 1970's children's TV megastar puppet at the time, Basil Brush. Not a great PIF, but a great pull towards the kiddies at the time. This short PIF, tells us not to go out with our inflatables (hmmm) into the sea when the wind and tide is looking dreadfully at ill ease. Some inane musings here, Roys mutters "I'll have a nice peaceful flirt on my hair bed"? The PIF's all done in one shot/scene, nothing much else to say...
Basil was a witty but mischievious fox glove puppet voiced by Ivan Owen throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's from his first appearance back in 1963. Owen modelled the voice on Terry-Thomas, a posh, eccentric english film comic actor of the 1950's mould. The character's peak was throughout the 1970's, starring in "The Basil Brush Show" for 12 years. As Brush's career fizzled out, along came the new children's puppet star Roland "Yeaaaaah" Rat. A quite successful revival of "The Basil Brush Show" returned in 2002, however, Ivan Owen died in 2000. He was taken over by the more voicework of Christopher Pizzey. I prefer the original voice, because the new one seems more toned down.
Roy North was the adult presenter accompanee to Brush in the same show from 1973-1977. He has also starred in West End theatre plays and Pantomines.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Foil-top Milk Bottles are No Good for Harsh Winters!
UK Public Information Film - Frost Warning (1969)
With the harsh winter we're having, almost to Russian standards, this seems a good time, to compare how the 1960's braced themselves for a winter chill, with this animated small clip of a PIF. The milkman was a cultural icon back then, so milk bottles are focused on, to send home the message, as they are vulnerable to the cold, with the foil-top milk bottles.
With the harsh winter we're having, almost to Russian standards, this seems a good time, to compare how the 1960's braced themselves for a winter chill, with this animated small clip of a PIF. The milkman was a cultural icon back then, so milk bottles are focused on, to send home the message, as they are vulnerable to the cold, with the foil-top milk bottles.
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Jimmy Hill Tells Us to "Think Bike"
Jimmy Hill Says Think Bike
Now, I'm not going make any Jimmy "Chin, Chin, look at that Chinny McChin" Hill chin jokes, honestly, but the quoted nonsense, which you seen a few words ago, could make for a pretty catchy novelty pop song. Now this is a PIF,(Public Information Film, that is)that warns car motorists to check, check and check again, the opposing traffic, and to have pity on the poor motorcyclist. This can also be address similarly to cyclists too. However, motorcyclists can come out of nowhere like a flash. This a real hard-hitting PIF, with much credit going to the stuntman motorcyclist, who damn near looks like he may've broken his neck, as the momentum of the motorbike hurtles him forward and upside down onto his head and over the engine of the motor. Jimmy Hills mulls over the crash seen on his little TV, delivering his analysis in his accustomed Football-punditry manner, also over-seeing a replay of the crash.
The "Think Bike" campaign were a series of TV adverts shown in the mid-late 70's, which were a tremendous success, with the lasting message of "Think Once, Think Twice, Think Bike".
Now, I'm not going make any Jimmy "Chin, Chin, look at that Chinny McChin" Hill chin jokes, honestly, but the quoted nonsense, which you seen a few words ago, could make for a pretty catchy novelty pop song. Now this is a PIF,(Public Information Film, that is)that warns car motorists to check, check and check again, the opposing traffic, and to have pity on the poor motorcyclist. This can also be address similarly to cyclists too. However, motorcyclists can come out of nowhere like a flash. This a real hard-hitting PIF, with much credit going to the stuntman motorcyclist, who damn near looks like he may've broken his neck, as the momentum of the motorbike hurtles him forward and upside down onto his head and over the engine of the motor. Jimmy Hills mulls over the crash seen on his little TV, delivering his analysis in his accustomed Football-punditry manner, also over-seeing a replay of the crash.
The "Think Bike" campaign were a series of TV adverts shown in the mid-late 70's, which were a tremendous success, with the lasting message of "Think Once, Think Twice, Think Bike".
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Youtube Public Information Films Sweepstake
The last in the series of the Sweepstake posts, designed to give you a taste of the vast choice of clips/shows that will feature here on this blog:
Public Information Films or "PIFs", are either adverts, 5-30 minute short films, advising you the citizen how to either evade danger, not to take what is unhealthy for you, or just generally advising you on new features, like the motorway, back in the day.
Fireworks: Don't Be A Dummy 1988 Public Info Film
80's scare-mongering at it's scariest and finest! Short but downright goosebumps ridden advert-sized PIF. The eerie, hard hitting sounds pound right through you, as the images of children's faces, and then speeds up and and climaxes with a firework exploding, then to portrayed as exploding in the face of a child. What's happening is an indoor experiment of how a loaded firework can do when aimed at child's eye, represented by a grey mould of child's face. Then it gets even more creepy as non-appearing kids shouts "don't be a dummy, don't throw fireworks!" Other firework PIF's followed in the 80's and 90's but nothing as wonderfully deranged and as directful since. I haven't seen firwork PIF's around much these days. Maybe I'm not up at the right times to see. However, after this, firework PIF creators should've just packed up and left, because nothing will surpass this as getting the message across, and a re-introduction of ad would be welcome, come any November.
Public Information Film Charley Says.....Strangers
The "Charley Says" animated series is one of the most well-known of UK PIFs. It ran, especially the "Strangers" episode for literally years. Produced in 1973, it ran through the 80s and possibly the early 90s too, if my memory serves me right. The boy was voiced by an authentic 7 year old boy, who was the son of the producer's (Richard Taylor) next door neighbour. Charley is the name of the cat who in most episodes bar 1, to advise the boy away from danger. The boy seemed to be able to understand what Charley was saying, which were weird, mangled meiows, voiced by Radio personality and future television entertainer Kenny Everett.
Peter Kay on Public Information Films
A flashback with many clips from at the time, future insanely popular stand-up comedian, Peter Kay. Kay has engineered alot of his gentle comedy around nostalgia and that include TV nostalgia quite a bit. Before he made the big time, you could see him many times on certain nostalgic shows like the "I Love" BBC series. Was there to make his face more known on TV, or for his passion for nostalgia? I would say a bit of both, but turning more to passion for nostalgia, he engineered a career from it, for the holy mother. Mentioned are "Splink", the road safety PIF by Jon Pertwee, and David Prowse as the Green Cross Code Man.
Public Information Films or "PIFs", are either adverts, 5-30 minute short films, advising you the citizen how to either evade danger, not to take what is unhealthy for you, or just generally advising you on new features, like the motorway, back in the day.
Fireworks: Don't Be A Dummy 1988 Public Info Film
80's scare-mongering at it's scariest and finest! Short but downright goosebumps ridden advert-sized PIF. The eerie, hard hitting sounds pound right through you, as the images of children's faces, and then speeds up and and climaxes with a firework exploding, then to portrayed as exploding in the face of a child. What's happening is an indoor experiment of how a loaded firework can do when aimed at child's eye, represented by a grey mould of child's face. Then it gets even more creepy as non-appearing kids shouts "don't be a dummy, don't throw fireworks!" Other firework PIF's followed in the 80's and 90's but nothing as wonderfully deranged and as directful since. I haven't seen firwork PIF's around much these days. Maybe I'm not up at the right times to see. However, after this, firework PIF creators should've just packed up and left, because nothing will surpass this as getting the message across, and a re-introduction of ad would be welcome, come any November.
Public Information Film Charley Says.....Strangers
The "Charley Says" animated series is one of the most well-known of UK PIFs. It ran, especially the "Strangers" episode for literally years. Produced in 1973, it ran through the 80s and possibly the early 90s too, if my memory serves me right. The boy was voiced by an authentic 7 year old boy, who was the son of the producer's (Richard Taylor) next door neighbour. Charley is the name of the cat who in most episodes bar 1, to advise the boy away from danger. The boy seemed to be able to understand what Charley was saying, which were weird, mangled meiows, voiced by Radio personality and future television entertainer Kenny Everett.
Peter Kay on Public Information Films
A flashback with many clips from at the time, future insanely popular stand-up comedian, Peter Kay. Kay has engineered alot of his gentle comedy around nostalgia and that include TV nostalgia quite a bit. Before he made the big time, you could see him many times on certain nostalgic shows like the "I Love" BBC series. Was there to make his face more known on TV, or for his passion for nostalgia? I would say a bit of both, but turning more to passion for nostalgia, he engineered a career from it, for the holy mother. Mentioned are "Splink", the road safety PIF by Jon Pertwee, and David Prowse as the Green Cross Code Man.
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