The following is the first of Playback’s new On The Spot column, a space for commercial production industry folk to ruminate, pontificate, just plain talk about a series of job-related subjects.

In this issue, executive producers from some of Canada’s biggest advertising agencies answer questions about the job from junior producers. The rationale is that producers, hired on contract progressively more often, are working without the benefit of an agency support network and may wing it on occasion rather than ask what might be thought a stupid question.

Contributing agency execs include Marie Robertson, executive producer at bbdo; Lesley Parrott, executive producer at MacLaren McCann; Bev Cornish, executive producer at Vickers & Benson; and Second Unit/Institute of Canadian Advertising executive Winnie Alford; and a little help in the post community with question #4.

Q: Does the waiver fee of $675 for the use of an American voice apply to each voice in the commercial that we are recording or just to the commercial itself?

A: The waiver fee applies to the commercial itself. For example, if you had three u.s. voices in one commercial, the waiver fee payment would be a total of $675. However, if you had three u.s. voices in the three commercials you were producing on the same day, the cost would be 3 x $675.

Q: We have a commercial that we produced and broadcast last year under the National Agreement. This year, the client wants to air the commercial for four weeks only. Can I change the contract to short life?

A: No. A national commercial cannot be changed to a short life.

Q: When you make a deal with American performers, is it normal that you pay the agent’s fee on top of the deal that you make with him or her?

A: This is often the case with u.s. performers, but not always. It depends on the arrangement that specific agent has with his/her performer. It is important to check everything at the beginning of negotiations.

Q: What is the difference between a Harry, Paintbox, and a Henry? What is a Flame? Is it the same as Flint and what can it do that can’t be done with a Henry?

A: Harry, Hal, Henry, and ‘Paintbox’ are all Quantel products. Flame and Flint are Discreet Logic software products. Harry has become pretty much obsolete since faster, more efficient platforms such as Henry and Flame have arrived. Harry can still get the job done, although it’s much like comparing Wordstar on your old pc to the latest version of Word on a new pc.

The Paintbox is rarely a standalone box anymore. It generally exists in some form as a component of a larger platform such as Henry or Flame. These days when someone refers to ‘paintboxing’ rigs out of a scene, it usually involves some painting, traveling mattes, some roto, color correction, etc.

All of the devices mentioned deal with digital video; the source material is held within the system on an array of hard drives, meaning there is no generation loss when compositing multilayered effects shots.

Harry can deal with effects one at a time, i