Ozzie & Harriet (1 Viewer)

Why are you saying that I'm upset? All I asked is why the interviewer wouldn't ask that most obvious question. Its called good journalism. I'm not a blind fan with no curiosity, sorry. And I'm sorry but after seeing this guy's picture, he doesn't strike me as being someone who I would look to for a project of this nature. Hey, I hope it happens but the reality of it suggests otherwise.

The "most obvious question"?? C'mon....Probably one person in a thousand cares anything about that. Okay, we've found the one person on this site.
Perhaps we can find a guy who looks like Mitt Romney to head the project instead?

 

[JoeDoakes]

The "most obvious question"?? C'mon....Probably one person in a thousand cares anything about that. Okay, we've found the one person on this site.
Perhaps we can find a guy who looks like Mitt Romney to head the project instead?

Yea, I don't care about that question. Mr. Nelson is not asking for that much money and as Neil points out, there is not a huge amount of profit potential from the project. It's interesting that Ozzie kept multiple copies of each show. Maybe at least one is in good enough shape for a clean transfer. Personally, I would be interested in hearing a lot more details about the preservation effort and how much thought has been given to what it would take to make them available to the public.

 

[Berkshires]

Originally Posted by Neil Brock /t/314965/ozzie-harriet/30#post_3861193
And I'm sorry but after seeing this guy's picture, he doesn't strike me as being someone who I would look to for a project of this nature.

Why, because he's young? Because he has long hair and a beard?
Quite the contrary, I think he could be the ideal person to head up this project. As an heir to the Nelson estate, he has a financial incentive to work hard for the success of the effort. And as a son and grandson, he has an opportunity to honor his family by extending the life of their work through the digital media, while passing it on to his own future children and grandchildren.
Whether it will play on TV Land or PBS, I couldn't say. I don't know what those channels will be programming three months from now, much less three years from now. And I think there are other channels too, or at least there were the last time I turned on the tv to watch anything other than a DVD. I have a feeling there will be an audience for this show for many decades to come.
I think this project is well worth doing and I wish Sam Nelson and company all the best. I hope fans of the show will have the opportunity to own every episode.

 

Here's another interview excerpt from Sam:
http://www.examiner.com/pop-culture-in-national/my-god-what-an-incredible-asset-sam-nelson-tackles-ozzie-and-harriet
How did you become the estate manager for Ozzie and Harriet?
It probably started about four or five years ago. I had been working at Capitol Records in A&R in catalogue for about five years with these legacy artists – incredible talents like The Beach Boys, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and my dad.
I helped put together some pretty big projects over there that were very successful. It was the first time my dad had really shone in a long time, perhaps 30 years. Capitol was extremely surprised that he still had the voice.
While putting those projects together, my Uncle Dave got in touch with me. His health wasn’t great, but we weren’t sure how bad it was at that point. But I think he saw the success of the projects I had worked on through Capitol.
Being at Capitol and working on all these artists, I was like, My god, I’m basically doing all this work for something that I should instead be pursuing for my own family.
It was kind of a nice synergy when he called me in and said, “Listen, I want you to be co-captain with me on Ozzie and Harriet.” I think he felt confident with me in that position, and it was a good choice. It was perfect timing for me, and I dove right in.
What did you discover during your research process?
While Uncle Dave was still alive, I got into the vaults and began researching and collecting all the material. I was blown away how much material there was.
My grandfather, Ozzie, was meticulous. He kept three copies per episode (and per episode was six different reels) in the day and age when film was the only thing there was – no DVD players or digital recording to preserve anything.
So you can imagine the episodes alone that were available, not including four decades of radio/television Nelson family history in these vaults.
There were also sponsor spots, incredible commercials done by my family. These include Coca-Cola, Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, Hotpoint appliances (owned by General Electric), and Kodak. I would love to be able to consolidate all of those and release them as bonus features or on a separate DVD.
Ozzie later produced a syndicated series called Ozzie’s Girls that ran during the 1973-1974 television season. I found the full season, so the idea is to ultimately use these episodes as a bonus feature on a DVD.
In addition to that, I located home movies, interviews, backstage footage, photographs, and music going through 1974 (Ozzie succumbed to liver cancer on June 3, 1975). You name it, it’s there. There will be a lot of performances from my father that nobody’s seen, so this project makes it especially exciting for his fans.
All of that stuff will be cleaned up and presented to the people. It’s kind of the chicken or the egg here. Because of the vast amount of material, it will be an extensive process getting all the footage ready for release.
The thing that’s amazing about Ozzie and Harriet is you can ask most people my age, “Do you know who Ozzie and Harriet is?” And most people will say, “Yeah I do.” But then you say, “Do you know what it is?” And they have no idea.
I thought, My god, what an incredible asset this is. Most companies spend their entire careers trying to brand something, but we have that. The show is much bigger than people give it credit for. I have a very big vision for it as a brand in the next two years – it’s not just a television show.
Now it’s just a matter of building a foundation. While looking through this mountain of Nelson stuff that was slowly deteriorating because it had been left alone for so many years, I began brainstorming about how to bring some life into it.
Where did you locate all these forgotten materials?
On January 11th of this year Uncle Dave passed away due to complications from colon cancer. So I had definitely had a task in front of me, as it was just me alone having to deal with everything.
There was consolidation, moving materials that had literally been forgotten in Arizona for 35 years. It had kind of been known that there were three or four “storage units.” Some were legitimate, but some were garages. I wouldn’t house an old jacket in some of those places, let alone 435 episodes of a television series.
I guess Uncle Dave and his management felt comfortable that the materials were safe, although they were in really bad shape and not doing well. When he passed, all of that information was handed down to me. It was a little bit of a mystery up to that point. They held their cards close to their chest about everything that way.
So I kept consolidating everything, and then I got to the point where I said, “It’s a new age today. We’re in an incredible position that the show has been out of the public consciousness for two decades, but people still inherently love the show. How can I make this work so we have people helping us on the one end and breathing new life into the show?”
What is your ultimate goal with Ozzie and Harriet?
First of all, the company needs to be rebuilt, so it’s not arbitrarily floating around like it has been this whole time. Actually, it was more of a trust or holding house. There was no hierarchy, no CEO, not even a true name for it.
The initial obvious stages would be a DVD release, a comprehensive box set. After the DVD release, broadcast in a multitude of capacities in any way, shape, or form. From there, I’d like to extend the show even further. The series carries a lot more weight that just being a television show – it has musical, historical, and sentimental components, respectively.
People inherently grew up with the show, so there’s this connection to it in a way there isn’t with other shows. The proof in the pudding. I put this project together on a whim to get folks involved. That it’s been successful thus far in such a short time is a testament that there is a desire out there for all things Nelson. And I want to do it right.
As things get building here, there’s a lot of work to do with Ozzie and Harriet. So I’ve got to get out of the corner and start getting more into the limelight. Hopefully people will start recognizing me as the face of Ozzie and Harriet. But I still like being a fly on the wall.

 

[DeWilson]

Seems Sam has a handle on things

 

[Neil Brock]

It sounds like these films were not stored in climate controlled underground vaults but rather in storage units that were at the mercy of the elements. I don't think 45 years worth of 120 degree temperatures could be very good for film prints. Maybe not as moronic as people who store their videotapes in damp garages or basements but close.

 

It sounds like these films were not stored in climate controlled underground vaults but rather in storage units that were at the mercy of the elements. I don't think 45 years worth of 120 degree temperatures could be very good for film prints. Maybe not as moronic as people who store their videotapes in damp garages or basements but close.

Sam said in earlier interviews the films were stored in different parts of the country. From my experience transferring film for over twenty-five years, hot and humid is much worse than hot and dry. I don't know how many times I have had film with vinegar syndrome which was stored in Hawaii or Florida. At least the films in Arizona were in low humidity. If you watch the video on the site, there is a building with "Climate Controlled Film & Tape Storage" painted on the side. Hopefully, at least one set of the shows was stored there. Once again, the details we have are really too sketchy to make any determination.

 

[Steve...O]

Thanks for the continued updates, John.

Regardless of how the ultimately plays out I will give Sam Nelson a lot of credit for the drive and inititive he's showing here. It's mighty impressive and as Gary and others have said before, having a well placed advocate for a particular series/movie is crucial to it seeing release. Sam has a good future in the entertainment industry on the business side should he choose that route.

There's a lot of good info in that interview. The interview asked a question that I've wondered about as well:

 

[Gary OS]

I just have to "amen" Steve's comments above. We all know how critical it can be, and how much of a difference it can make, when an influential advocate is working for a release. I saw the vitality of that over a decade ago while following the progress of Doug Denoff (the son of writer Sam Denoff) as he worked hard to see The Dick Van Dyke Show released onto dvd. From that day to today I've been made aware of the need for advocates. At least The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet has a strong advocate in its corner! That's a major positive in my book.


Gary "fingers crossed that this project comes to fruition as soon as is humanly possible" O.

 

[Neil Brock]

Just curious, but what happens to the money that you folks are contributing if/when this project comes crashing down to earth? I'm sorry to be the voice of reality here but we are talking about an endeavor that would cost millions of dollars. The amount stated as the donation goal is barely enough to pay for digi-beta tape stock for that many shows. Forget the costs of transferring the film prints. Or the millions in licensing fees to the songwriters and music publishers. Ricky didn't write his music nor did Ozzie publish it. All have to be licensed and paid for. And no DVD company is being mentioned so it sounds like he thinks he's going to sell it himself. No distributor. Okay. And then, even if he manages to raise the several million dollars needed to bring the shows to DVD, any of these cheapo PD companies can then just take all of his hard work and copy and steal the remastered shows and put them out themselves. Because that's what happens to PD shows. Just ask some of the companies that spent a fortune to master silent films, only to have them pirated by others. And there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it.

 

Just curious, but what happens to the money that you folks are contributing if/when this project comes crashing down to earth? I'm sorry to be the voice of reality here but we are talking about an endeavor that would cost millions of dollars. The amount stated as the donation goal is barely enough to pay for digi-beta tape stock for that many shows. Forget the costs of transferring the film prints. Or the millions in licensing fees to the songwriters and music publishers. Ricky didn't write his music nor did Ozzie publish it. All have to be licensed and paid for. And no DVD company is being mentioned so it sounds like he thinks he's going to sell it himself. No distributor. Okay. And then, even if he manages to raise the several million dollars needed to bring the shows to DVD, any of these cheapo PD companies can then just take all of his hard work and copy and steal the remastered shows and put them out themselves. Because that's what happens to PD shows. Just ask some of the companies that spent a fortune to master silent films, only to have them pirated by others. And there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it.

Ah, Mr. Sunshine returns....
I contributed to the project and I hope it is successful. If it doesn't work out, I will be disappointed but it's not the end of the world. Thanks for worrying about us, Danny.

 

[DeWilson]

Just curious, but what happens to the money that you folks are contributing if/when this project comes crashing down to earth? I'm sorry to be the voice of reality here but we are talking about an endeavor that would cost millions of dollars. The amount stated as the donation goal is barely enough to pay for digi-beta tape stock for that many shows. Forget the costs of transferring the film prints. Or the millions in licensing fees to the songwriters and music publishers. Ricky didn't write his music nor did Ozzie publish it. All have to be licensed and paid for. And no DVD company is being mentioned so it sounds like he thinks he's going to sell it himself. No distributor. Okay. And then, even if he manages to raise the several million dollars needed to bring the shows to DVD, any of these cheapo PD companies can then just take all of his hard work and copy and steal the remastered shows and put them out themselves. Because that's what happens to PD shows. Just ask some of the companies that spent a fortune to master silent films, only to have them pirated by others. And there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it.

You've got valid questions - why not email Sam and ask him?

 

Sam Nelson was live with a telephone interview on the Stu Shostak internet radio show this evening. Sam said that one group of prints was stored in the same facility as the "I Love Lucy" shows, and that the O&H account was actually #1, the first account there.
http://www.stusshow.com/

 

Here is a message from Sam today. The original Kickstart goal was $10,000. The total now stands at $28,141 with 236 people donating. The project will be funded on November 3.
With only 45 hours left to go here on Kickstarter, I just wanted to thank you all again for such remarkable support over the last 45 days. The behind the scenes mechanics are already getting underway, and I have just been notified that the first 5 episodes have been assessed and cleaned , and are being digitized as I write this. This is the beginning of something big, and to everyone who contributed, from the largest donations down to the smallest, YOU are the ones who made it happen.
Also, and just to mention, T-shirt voting thus far has been a huge success, but you can still put in your last minute votes. Two designs are presently neck and neck, so if you want to include your input, check out the designs here: http://www.youtube.com/user/oandhofficial?feature=mhee#p/u/0/xx_6pOQtq7Q then go check out the $3 reward option here on KS. I will reveal the winner at 2:45pm NOV 3rd. Cool Beans! As we get going with reward send outs, Ill be in touch with you all about t-shirt sizes too.
Thank you all.
Be in touch very soon
Sam

 

The Kickstart project ended today with a total of $32,121 donated by 261 backers. Sam Nelson's original goal for Kickstart was $10,000, with a $55,000 total project goal, meaning the final goal is now 58% funded. Hopefully, down the road, we will see this iconic series finally released with high quality DVDs.

 

[Neil Brock]

The Kickstart project ended today with a total of $32,121 donated by 261 backers. Sam Nelson's original goal for Kickstart was $10,000, with a $55,000 total project goal, meaning the final goal is now 58% funded. Hopefully, down the road, we will see this iconic series finally released with high quality DVDs.

So if he gets $55K, where is he getting the other couple of million dollars he's going to need to get started?

 

"So if he gets $55K, where is he getting the other couple of million dollars he's going to need to get started?"
Like someone posted earlier, if you're so interested in these kind of details, why don't YOU email Sam Nelson and find out. None of us have the answers to your questions.
By the way, is that really your picture on Wikipedia for the "Doubting Thomas" entry?

 

[Steve...O]

I want this project to succeed, but Danny is right. This project is going to cost a lot more than $50k.

Put another way, if it truly was just $130 to put an episode on DVD the studios would be putting a lot more product out there. Heck, the whole run of Gunsmoke would be out by now. According to an industry insider on the Steve Hoffman forums:

I think Viacom spent a year and a couple of million dollars to do all the I Love Lucy shows....The Twilight Zones were done very well, all from mag tracks, great transfers, all from camera negatives. I think those had a budget of around $10K per show, but they were done about 7 years ago.

I am willing to give Sam some benefit of the doubt because he does seem like a bright person with an appreciation of the legacy he's been left, but common sense says that there is either more to the story than he's telling or he's already gotten alternate funding and is using kickstarter as a way to get free publicity, especially among the younger crowd.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

I want this project to succeed, but Danny is right.  This project is going to cost a lot more than $50k. 
 
Put another way, if it truly was just $130 to put an episode on DVD the studios would be putting a lot more product out there.  Heck, the whole run of Gunsmoke would be out by now.   According to an industry insider on the Steve Hoffman forums:
 
 
 
I am willing to give Sam some benefit of the doubt because he does seem like a bright person with an appreciation of the legacy he's been left, but common sense says that there is either more to the story than he's telling or he's already gotten alternate funding and is using kickstarter as a way to get free publicity, especially among the younger crowd.   
 
Regardless, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

I guess I'm beating my head against the wall here but I'll say it one more time, neither myself or other members of this forum have any idea of how this project is being put together. If you have been following things, in an earlier interview it was stated by the interviewer: " You're now cleaning up and getting the old episodes ready for release with a bunch that are already done. So, apparently Sam is not starting from scratch now. Who says Sam is paying "list price" for transfers anyway? He worked for Capitol Records for over five years, his uncle was in the television commercial business, his sister and brothers are in the entertainment business. He may have contacts we never dreamed of. Even the guy above says there may be more to the story or Sam has gotten alternate funding. I'm sure he didn't pull these numbers out of a hat.
You assume that since so-and-so series cost (insert $ number here) to transfer, O&H will as well. There are simply too many unknown factors for anyone to know how much Sam is paying to get the transfers done. Why don't we just put (I'll use my pet phrase again) this ridiculous conjecture aside and see how this unfolds in the future. I've been going back and forth with Danny for a month now and sure would like to see the crystal ball he has which makes him omniscient. If the day comes that this whole O&H thing collapses from all the reasons Danny has droned on and on about, I'll come on here and say I was wrong. But until then, none of us knows diddly-squat.

 

[Steve...O]

Has there been any updates from Sam Nelson on this project?