The World's Largest TV Studio (1972)

1972, 59:04 min, b&w, sound. In 1972, TVTV brought their low-budget, free-form journalistic techniques to the floor of the Democratic Presidential Convention in Miami. Using lightweight, 1/2-inch Portapak equipment, which allowed them greater mobility and spontaneity than the networks, the TVTV crew moved around the Convention floor with ease and speed. They came away with shrewd, sardonic portraits of the politicians, delegates and voters, providing an irreverent picture of the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering. TVTV's close coverage of the California delegation, as well as the successful battle to unseat Chicago mayor Richard Daley and his delegates, exemplifies the collective's verite methods. Presented without commentary, TVTV's candid, close-up coverage offers a revealing look at one of the foundations of the American political process.