A man sits in front of the tube, remote in hand, while thousands of quick-cutting images of Canadian tv shows and familiar faces flash on the screen followed by the tag line ‘Try it on.’

The 30-second teaser currently airing on cbc, Baton/ctv, Global, tvontario, wic and ytv is the first in what the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television hopes will be an ongoing campaign promoting Canadian-produced television shows.

The campaign had its genesis last September when acct president and ceo Maria Topalovich formed a national promotion committee to raise the profile of Canadian tv production.

She appointed Roger Ivey, manager of production at Global, as chairman, called in reps from a variety of broadcasters, and laid her objectives on the table: to launch a campaign aimed at Canadians of all ages promoting Canadian-produced television programs, the people in them, those behind the scenes and the annual Gemini Awards which honor them.

Next Topalovich asked her newly formed committee, ‘If we produced something like a promotional psa campaign with this mandate in mind would you all air it and participate?’ The answer, ‘Why not?’

The committee determined what was feasible and set out to accomplish it with little money and an equally tight deadline.

The Directors Film Company Robert Quartly was brought on board to refine the collaborative creative efforts of the committee and direct the first spot.

With such a huge topic, so many broadcasters, tons of material and a ridiculously tight time frame, Quartly asked himself, how do you say something about great Canadian television in 30 seconds?

‘The challenge was taking a huge concept and making it something simple to look at and get. That vehicle was achieved by using one visual – the box with the light flying out of it to the man in the chair holding the channel changer,’ says Quartly. ‘I think that simply is an icon of the concept. The challenge was to make it all [streamline] into a simple form.’

With the Geminis now over, the plan is for Quartly to create some longer spots using previously shot footage for a year-long campaign.

Individuals and companies donating their time and talent included dop Rene Ohashi, Flashcut editor Tim Kirkwood, Kodak Canada, William F. White and d.a.v.e., which looked after the film transfer. Elaine Ford was the colorist at Command Post/Toy Box and Sean Cochrane was the Henry artist.

The committee is comprised of Ellen Cole, director of communications at tvo; Dave Hamilton, director national publicity and promotions, Global; Helen Kampfmuller, publicist, network promotion, tvo; Magda Krpan, pr coordinator, ytv; Rick Lewchuk, vp advertising and promotions Baton/ctv; Citytv/ ChumCity International propaganda supremo Mary Powers; Larry Schnurr, manager production services, ontv; and Chuck Thompson, director of television promotion, English broadcast communications, cbc.