Pest Control Operator
Pest Control Operator
One of Bernie Howard's masterpieces, a corporate film for the Veliscol Chemical Corporation about the pest control operator (who works for "Greenvel Pest Control"). He is portrayed as a crusading hero, encountering pests wherever he goes. Great scene where he shows a client a brochure called "The Hidden Invaders" --interesting Cold War parallels. Includes spraying, inspecting, assorted insect CU's, Chlordane, and a lavender '63 Dodge wagon.
Pest Control Operator
Opening sequence of shots which introduce us to the pest control operator - renaissance man. MS as he steps out of his lavender '63 Dodge wagon and walks towards camera. "He's an entymologist..." MS of him looking through microscope. Wooden display case with insect collection - he selects one. "He's a biologist..." Tilt down from balcony in chemical factory and some white/yellow powder (rat poison?) flows out of a chute. MS as he shakes a big metal drum on a cart "He's an engineer...". Two uniformed men stand near large metal drums with chemicals in them, exchange papers "He's a chemical specialist..." "He's a businessman..." MS of him organizing something on an office wall. MS as he walks towards and past camera - cam follows him from behind as he approaches "Greenvel Pest Control" office. "He's the man known professionally as, the pest control operator". Opening titles.
Pest Control Operator
CU tilt down on little girl in red dress sitting in grass. Cam stops on CU of ground, green inch-worm inching along towards grass. Girl moves it with her finger. MS of man working in garden, stops to look at his arm - CU mosquito on skin, feeding. MS back to ban as he swats the mosquito off his arm. ECU ants on a green leaf. MS of trash can in corner of a room - large roaches running around the floor/baseboards. CU big roach crawling towards crack in the baseboard. Another CU of roach crawling into another tight space. Finger poitning out small insects in dirt. CU hands on a piece of material (a coat?) with moth holes. CU hand ona piece of wood paneling that peeled off of a door - "Termites can literally eat up your home.". CU insect crawling on countertop near sink. CU woman's hand as she swats at it with a tissue. She sprays a ton of pesticide along her kitchen counter and in the sink.
Pest Control Operator
MS tracking shot side view of the pest control man driving. WS as he gets out of his lavender car with the Greenvel logo on it. MS pest guy with housefwife in her yellow kitchen, he's kneeling, looking under the sink. He point out problem areas around the outside of the house, as they walk around it. CU ants in dirt. MS of both of them in the laundry room - he points behind a machine. CU roach on wall crawing behind water pipe. He kneels under sink and points out water pipes and drainin floor.
Pest Control Operator
The housewife pulls back the curtains in her kitchen to reveal a pesticide guy spraying outside her house, and inside along the window. "Skilled technicians launch a 3-way attack..." VS of pesticide man spraying different locations in and around house. Good shots. CU of him placing some gooey brown stuff into floor drain. Pest control operator taps wood moulding in a house and appears to explain what he's doing to another man. CU they pull off the moulding and reveal a termite infestation. Cu termites in wood. MS concrete wall with 'mud shelter tubes' created by the termites.
Pest Control Operator
CU pamphelet "The Hidden Invaders". Two shot of pest control operator with homeowner sitting in 50's modern living room (with wood paneling). They look over the pamphelet together. Cut-aways to CUs of the text and photos of infestations. The homeowner is smoking a cigar. He is shown a drawing of his floor plan on the back of an estimate. Two shot of them again, then CU of the estimate. CU of contract. Pest control guy offers a pen (CU handing the pen over). Homeowner signs and they shake hands. Sealing the deal.
Pest Control Operator
WS Pest control operator's car pulls into lot on a building site. MS side view as he leaves the car and walks away from the camera and meets the contractor - (they are perfectly framed in the center through the car window). Two shot zoom in of them as they discuss applying chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide to the soil. VS of the men on the site, building under construction. VO talks through the process of protecting a new home from termites and other infestations by treating soil, footings and other base elements of the house with insecticides (scary!). And just so you're super safe you can count on the fact that "The chemicals used remain in the soil for many years..." MS pest control guy pulls into a different construction site with lots of lumber ( 2 x 4s and other studs) piled up and VO talks about application process. MS guy as he sprays concrete blocks full of pesticide.
Pest Control Operator
OTS silhouette of pest control operator driving in city street. Texaco station in view as he makes a right turn, 'Remington Rand"store, and a car sales lot. MWS brick residential structure with van parked in front of it and another pest control guy loading or unloading it. He parks in front and greets the guy - they talk on the street. Sequence continues alternating between driver pov shots as pest control guy drives to various locations where he consults with people. Busy city street from driver pov - lots of parked cars on the sides. Dissolve to WS of grain silos, industrial area with train in fron of it. CU sign: "DANGER FUMIGATED OR TREATED WITH METHY BROMIDE" Great. MWS of pest controlg uy with asst. next to box car of train on tracks in front of industrial plant. They are fumigating it. Diss to cattle pen, diss to driver pov in car -bus and taxi pass in front. Diss. To outdoor dump site - water run off and piles of dirt. Diss to garbage truck "Deerfield Disposal Services" dumping on landfill, garbage mound. Two-shot zoom in on pest control guy with another man talking and pointing at dirty canal with lots of debris on steep slope around it. POV from car, both men in silhouette as they approach a burning dump site.
Pest Control Operator
Pest control guy stands surrounded by a group of women "the garden club" who all rely on his expertise to maintin nicegardens free of unwanted pests - of course. He stands against a ghastly red curtain with a sort of batik pattern on it. WS same shows ladies (upper - middle class, dresses, gloves etc.) listening attentively. Diss to him with another man inspecting a residential lawn. CU as they kneel and inspect grass. MS coming home in his lavendar car, he pulls up in front of his house and is greeted by young daughter (8-9 years old) who is holding a kitten (Oh no, not fleas!) He looks mildy annoyed. CU kitten. Shot of daughter holding up kitten to car window. He gives in and pets the kitten. Then slides out of the car and takes the kitten in his hands. Cam zooms in to logo on his car door. "Your pest control operator: Scientist, good citizen, dedicated guardian ofhealth and home, and a source of comfort for little girls and their kittens too."
Pest Control Operator
End credits: A public service film produced by Velsicol, Velsicol chemical corporation. Funny enough there is a typo in these credits. The compamny name is spelled two ways: "Vesicol" and "Velsicol"