“We’ll just strap a safety harness on the photographer, and put him out on the skid of the helicopter with a camera.” This remarkable and seemingly unthinkable stroke of genius, probably uttered over drinks shared by a TV photographer and a helicopter pilot, jump-started a TV news niche that ultimately formed the career of WXIA photographer Bruce Mason.
Mason’s niche made him the faceless figure of numerous WXIA promos, a cameraman seen clinging precariously to an aircraft flying a thousand feet above the Atlanta skyline. It also gave him a moment of international notoriety.
As Chris Sweigart first outlined in his blog, Mason was the object of a quiz on a Japanese TV show called “Show by Shobai.” The segment translates roughly into “World’s Super Master Quiz.” The segment aired in 1995. The video (uploaded to Youtube by Sweigart, courtesy of Mason) is embedded below. Below that are some translation highlights.
0:07 – Segment title roughly translates: World’s Super Master Quiz
0:09 – Question: This cameraman stands on (blank) to film.
1:19 – “Elephant”
1:36 – “Hint: What vehicle does he ride on top of?”
1:48 -“Airplane” “On top of an airplane”
2:00 – “Helicopter step” “Step . . . s-t-e-p”
The segment is notable for its graphic clutter, its use of snap-zooms, and the curious absence of 1990s era Skycam pilot / reporter Bruce Erion. The staged “look — up in the sky!” reaction shots are priceless.
As noted in this space earlier, WXIA now shares helicopter services with WAGA. Aeriel video is now shot from a camera mounted on the belly of the aircraft, remotely operated from the cockpit. Bruce Mason has a new niche: He does community-outreach show-and-tell programs, typically coupled with remote weather live shots at schools on 11 Alive news at noon.
Japanese / English notes courtesy of Sara Wellman, a Spanish teacher / linguistics freak at Peachtree Elementary in Gwinnett. Wellman taught English in Japan for a year. Arigato! どうもありがとう
Posted by Inkstained71 on October 14, 2009 at 12:52 pm
That’s crazy…is that allowed anymore?
Posted by SqueezeBack on October 14, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Bruce is so young in that video! What a great guy…he is as funny and nice as he is talented.
Posted by longgone on October 14, 2009 at 4:25 pm
The pucker factor was enormous with the doors open and standing on the skids. I remember it verrrrry well.
Posted by John Arenberg on October 14, 2009 at 6:12 pm
So, who was filming from the helicopter that was filming the guy filming from the helicopter?
Posted by Steve Barton on October 14, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Big thanks for linking that Tom Waits video. Liked the song before, and the video is great.
Posted by arky on October 15, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Was that video recorded for some other segment or promo and then bought by the Japanese show?
Posted by Matt on October 17, 2009 at 6:56 am
It was because of that man that I got into the tv news business. I wanted to be a camera man hanging off the side of a chopper when I was a little boy. I did get to do it when I became a big boy.
Posted by Ken Babebg on October 19, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Worked with Bruce in 1978-79 at 27 Up and Coming(Real slogan) in Tallahassee. Awesome guy and hilarious. Glad to see he is still making people laugh all over the world!
[ Good to see you on the site, Ken babe-- a man known as the Scheeze is in the house as we speak... - LAF]