13x04 - The Sign Painter's Dream

[bunniefuu]

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♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

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♪ And ways to grow ♪

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♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Signs, signs, signs!

They're everywhere!

Traffic signs...

Billboards...

Commercial signs...

Street signs...

Store signs...

Movie marquees.

Why are there
so many signs?

They're fun to look at,
but each has a purpose.

Some are helpful,

Telling you
when to stop...

And when
it's o.k. To go.

Other signs are there
to sell you something.

They're like tv commercials
on the street.

Souvenirs!

Get your souvenirs!

Souvenirs!

Look at this--
a walking, talking sign.

Let's see.

"Zoo,"

"Van,"

"Ears..."

"4," "Sail."

It says,
"souvenirs for sale."

Here's a sign that gets
its point across.

There's more than one way
to do that.

There's lots of traffic
at my house,

So I reserve
a parking space.

To know what I'm up to,
check my chart.

I let people know

My quiet time is a must.

I'm planning a very big future.

There are signs
everywhere

That the environment's getting
healthier and healthier.

I know
there's one sure sign

Of a great time.

[Children cheer]

I always thought

No one could resist
a good sale.

What a rotten day.

Some people build signs
to make money.

Others say
something important.

Here's a story
of a sign painter

Who didn't like
making signs

Until he painted one
that changed his life.

It's called
the sign painter's dream.

Clarence was
a sign painter.

People called him
"crabby clarence"

Because he complained
about everything.

Most of all, he complained
about his job.

"This job is so boring!

"I painted the very same sign
just last week.

It's the same old stuff
day after day."

The only time
he was happy

Was when he read
about the revolutionary w*r.

"Why couldn't we have lived
in george washington's day?

"Ordinary people like me
were heroes then.

They did magnificent things
and weren't bored."

Before long,
clarence was dreaming

About the glory days
of the revolutionary w*r.

The next day,
while clarence was working,

A gray-haired woman
entered his shop.

"I need you to paint
a big sign."

"That's what
I'm here for.

What do you want it
to say?"

"Free apples
if you need 'em.

"I'd like it glorious
and magnificent

"So that anyone
driving down the road

Will notice it."

"I can make you a sign
for $300."

"Ha ha! I want you
to make it for free."

"Why should i?

I'm not santa claus."

"But I give away
my apples for free.

"My aunt tillie
used to say,

"A hero
helps people for free.

A slimeball, you see,
will charge them a fee."

"Sorry, lady.

I don't have time
to make free signs."

He stomped back
to his workroom.

Later that evening,

Clarence was mumbling
something about

"Crazy aunt tillie"

When he dropped off
to sleep.

[Snoring]

In his dream,

Clarence found himself
working hard by lamplight.

Suddenly, the door to his shop
swung open,

And...

General george washington
stepped into the room.

With blazing eyes
and a booming voice,

Washington spoke directly.

"Clarence...

"I need a sign.

Can you do it?"

"I, uh, g-g-g-guess so,"
clarence stammered.

"What kind of a sign
do you need?"

"I need a sign
that says,

"Send shoes
to valley forge.

"My men are desperate.

"Some have to walk
in the snow

With rags
around their feet."

"O.k., General.

I can do the sign
for only $300."

"$300?

"Don't give me
a headache!

I want you to make
this sign for free."

"For free?
But--but--but--"

"But--but--but
nothing!

"Remember what
aunt tillie used to say--

"Ye old hero is he

"Who helps people
for free.

"Ye old scoundrel,
you see,

Doth charge them
a fee."

Clarence awoke
with a start.

He sat staring
for a moment.

Suddenly,
he said to his cat,

"We're going to
the shop."

All through the night,

The sounds of sawing,

Hammering, drilling,
and sanding

Could be heard
outside the sign shop.

Clarence hummed
as he worked.

For the first time
in his life,

He was actually
enjoying himself.

At sunrise, clarence's truck
bounced along the road

That led out of town.

Soon clarence saw
a big orchard

Full of ripening apples.

He set to work.

[Hammering]

A little while later,

He strode up to the farmhouse
and banged on the door.

"Who's there?"

Squeaked a voice
from inside.

"It's clarence, ma'am.

I've got something
for you."

"My goodness,"
said the apple lady

As she opened the door
and looked.

"You did it!"

"And you remembered
to make it

"Glorious
and magnificent!

"Now you're a real hero,

And you deserve
a reward."

Clarence felt terrific.

The sign was the most beautiful
he had ever made.

He was glad
the apple lady liked it,

And when she set down

The most perfect slice
of apple pie

Along with a tall glass
of milk,

He'd never been
happier.

From that day on,

People stopped calling him
"crabby clarence."

They admired
the apple lady's sign

And brought clarence
many orders

For other glorious
and magnificent signs,

And now and then,
he'd make one just for fun...

And for free.

Welcome to nighttime

On times square,
new york city,

Home of the world's
biggest, brightest,

Most dazzling signs,

And whether they're pitching
products, movies, or plays,

These signs
don't just sit there.

They sparkle,
glow, flash,

And even move.

O.k., Pete!
Bring her up!

There are 215,326 bulbs
lighting up times square,

And eventually,

Every single one
needs to be replaced.

This is tony rosario.

It's his job to make sure
times square stays lit.

We have a problem.

We have
a letter out.

We'll replace
the bad bulbs
with good ones

And light it
back up.

Tony is part of a team
that lights up times square.

The rest of the team

Is designing and building
these signs.

That team works at a company
called artkraft strauss.

For over 100 years,

They've been creating
the spectacular signs

That light up broadway.

These are called
"spectaculars"

Because they splash
the street

With dazzling light.

Over the years,

The signs' designs
may have changed...

But the technique
and talent

Required to make them
is the same.

Steel...

Rivets and bolts...

Fire...

Glass...

Neon...

And a talented group
of artisans

That know exactly how
to put them together

To make spectaculars.

Every sign starts
with a design

On paper
and with models.

I'm evelyn deering,
the senior designer here.

We take ideas
and make them a reality.

The project
we're working on

Is for
maxwell house,

And their logo is
the big coffee cup.

The big cup will be
made of fiberglass.

It's going to be lit
from inside,

So this will glow.

This is
the technical drawing

All the departments
work from,

What we consider
a master plan.

The sign is broken up
into separate sections.

The sign will be built
in 15 separate sections.

[Levar]
when a master design
is complete,

The steel sections
are constructed.

I'm rose ann collins.

I'm a sheet-metalworker.

We're putting
signs together.

We're connecting it.

We drill,

We tap, put rivets
together.

They have
neon housings in it.

We punch that out
by hand.

[Levar]
now the steel panels
are finished

And ready for the final touch--
neon light.

[Man]
everybody has
a little piece to do.

I'm chris.
I'm a glass blower.

Anything a designer draws,
we can make into light.

We start out

With a 4-foot
glass tube.

Whatever the design is,
we can bend it to it.

We take the tubing

And heat it
over different fires

To produce
different types of bends,

Like curves, u-bends,
or 90-degree bends.

Effectively,
you're bending light.

When we've bent a tube

Into the shape
that we want,

We pump in neon gas.

Now we're pumping in neon

To give it a red color
in the glass.

We seal it off,

And you have
a finished neon unit.

[Levar]
when they've been fitted
with neon tubing,

The panels and cup are loaded
onto flatbed trucks

And driven carefully
through new york city.

Now they're in the hands
of the sign hangers.

What happened?

What happened?

[Levar]
sign hangers are amazing.

They work in all weather

At tremendous heights
to fit the signs in place.

Their jobs
are very dangerous.

Their lives depend
on working as a team.

Tony calvano supervises.

Yeah?

Watch out
for that neon.

[Calvano]
my job's the outside
operation.

Sign-hanging,
electrical--

Whatever's needed
outside,

I'm there to help.

Today
we're finishing up
the maxwell house.

[Man]
until the piece is up,
there's tension.

It's a challenge.

People always take
for granted how easy--

They never think
about how the sign
got there--

The guys hanging off the steel
or making the sign.

People say,
"that's a nice sign."

A lot's involved.

That cup there?

It's a big cup

With a little piece
of milk dropping out.

Bobby, boom in
another foot or so.

Boom down more.

Right down
on the boom.

Easy down on the boom.

Whoa! Whoa!

All right.

That's it.

That's good.

Watch the bolts.

[Calvano]
you look at any sign

That we built.

That's satisfaction.
You can't b*at it.

O.k.

[Levar]
the artkraft team is finished

Except for one
last, exciting touch.

When the sun goes down,

There's a new spectacular

Sparkling over broadway.

So, tony, that's it.

We did it.

Great! Thank you.

I helped light up
times square. Let's see.

Put enough bulbs
together,

And you get a word.

Put the right words
together,

And you get
a sign or a book.

These three are a sure sign
of a good time.

Don't take
my word for it.

I'm sherman jones.

I'd like to tell you

About a funny book

Called
the signmaker's assistant.

It's about an old man

Who made
the finest signs in town.

He had an assistant
named norman.

One day, norman noticed

That people did
whatever the signs said,

So norman painted
a few signs of his own.

Soon, he found out

That his signs
caused trouble.

The signmaker's assistant

Has funny
characters and pictures,

So visit
your local library

And ask about
this remarkable book today.

Signs are here.

Signs are there.

Signs are everywhere,

Including
right here in this book,

I read signs.

Signs help people know
where to go

Or what to do,

Like walk and don't walk.

These two signs
are opposites.

This says "detour."

It means
you're going to go

A different way.

I'm dasha, reminding you

That signs aren't confusing,

Sometimes amusing,

But always worth using.

I read signs,

And so should you.

Toodle-oo!

Letters are everywhere.

They come in different
shapes and sizes.

You can read about them

In the letter jesters.

Some are fancy.

Some are bold.

Some are fat.
Some are skinny.

Do you know

How upper-case letters
got their name?

The letter jesters
explain it.

Typographers are people

Who decide
which typeface to use.

They choose different letters

To show different feelings.

An ordinary dog.

A fancy dog.

I'm shanita.

When you pick up a book,

Don't forget
the letter jesters.

[Levar]
here's something else
you shouldn't forget.

Most signs are created

Because someone is trying
to sell you something--

Some jeans or something
to eat or drink.

The people
who made these signs

Want you to buy
their products.

That's called advertising.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Why not check
on your breath?

Use colgate
dental cream.

♪ So use ajax,
bum bum bum ♪

♪ Foaming cleanser,
ba ba, buh buh buh, bum bum ♪♪

Wow!

Advertisers want
to reach many people.

You can't walk
down a street,

Open a magazine,
or watch tv

Without being bombarded
with advertisements.

They're great!

Delicious.

When and how
did this all begin?

Good morning, sir.

I represent the feathertouch
vacuum cleaner company.

Years ago, companies would send
a salesman to your door

To demonstrate
products.

Sometimes,
that got a little messy.

They needed to reach
more people.

The answer?

Billboards.

Advertisers
put commercials

On signs so big,

You couldn't miss
the message.

Print ads
in magazines and newspapers

Reached millions of readers.

Stand by.
We're on the air.

Then came radio.

♪ How do you, everybody?
How do you do? ♪♪

[Static]

♪ We two boys
without a care ♪

♪ Entertain you folks
out there ♪

♪ That's our
hap-hap-happiness ♪♪

Advertisers could bring
phrases and jingles

Into america's
living rooms.

Wheaties,

Breakfast of champions,
bring

The adventures
of jack armstrong,

The all-american boy.

Everyone was gathered
around the radio listening.

♪ Who's the coolest guy
in town? ♪♪

On television,

Advertisers could add pictures
to commercials.

They started out
as simple animations.

♪ Look for the package
with the ship ♪

♪ That sailed the ocean ♪

♪ Yo ho, yo ho ♪♪

Tv commercials now use

State-of-the-art
filmmaking techniques

To pitch their products.

♪ You got the parts,
you got the smarts ♪♪

Advertising
is big business.

There are hundreds
of ad agencies

Across the country.

Artists and writers
use their talents

To create ads
that sell

Thousands of products
to you.

This storyboard
highlights some...

Caroline jones owns an ad agency
in new york city.

[Caroline]
a concept is the key
to advertising.

You must have something
people will remember.

A concept's
a theme line,

Like "we do chicken
right"

Or "have it your way"

Or "it's the real thing."

♪ It's the real thing ♪♪

As an advertiser,

We're trying
to sell our product.

The truth is,
many products

Do the same thing.

[Levar]
when you see a billboard

Or a tv commercial,

Look behind the entertainment
it provides.

You decide whether
you need and can afford

The product it's selling.

Every sign has
its own message.

Read it,
enjoy its artistry,

And then decide
for yourself

If what it says
is right for you.

Personally,
when it comes to signs,

I like them
big and flashy,

So I'll sign off

On one of times square's
flashiest signs.

Hey! I'll see you next time!

This is great!

I've always wanted
to be big on broadway!

Hey!

Hey, everybody!

Stephanie!

Ed!

Hey!

Up here!

Hey, jill! It's me!

Hey, look!
I'm on the jumbotron!

Today's reading rainbow books
are...

The sign painter's dream
by roger roth,

Published by crown publishers.

The signmaker's assistant
by tedd arnold,

Published by dial books
for young readers,

A division
of penguin books usa.

I read signs
by tana hoban,

Published by greenwillow books,

A division
of william morrow and company.

The letter jesters
by cathryn falwell,

Published by tichnor and fields
books for young readers,

A houghton mifflin company.

Reading rainbow