This filmed television public service announcement was funded by the federal government to encourage all of us to conserve energy. This filmed television public service announcement was funded by the federal government to encourage all of us to conserve energy. Just six months before, there was an oil embargo causing severe gasoline shortages in America.Filmed in June of 1980 on 16mm film. Message: Don't waste your energy resources..(Note: Desert Sun added to enhance the effect of the hot dry desert)TRIVIA: Casted Uncle Sam in Auburn, Alabama. He was University student and it was amazing how much his facial bone structure matched Uncle Sams. Rented the film camera package in Atlanta including large beach unbrellas and water coolers to protect us on-set out in the desert in New Mexico. Worked with the New Mexico Film Commission over a period of about six months planning the trip. I was in search of desert sand dunes and such. The Film Commission suggested a site about 60 miles south of Albuqueque. I took along a production assistant as well and hired the makeup artist out in New Mexico to work with us. Flew out there, to make a long story short the New Mexico Film Commission never told Me that the Desert location was a National Wildlife Refuge..once on site, I had to contact the Federal Government to come out and provide the proper release forms to allow us to set foot over the barbed wire...and then, discovered once in place, probably a half mile from the rental vehicles that every afternoon in June, every year, a sand storm comes in and completely takes over beginning about noon. Nevertheless, had to get another permit for the next day...extend hotel rooms and change our flights back east to stay a couple days longer to get the shots I needed and to be completed each day before the sand storms returned. Amazed Me that the Film Commission didn't warn us about all of that. Anyway, we made it through and completed the shots I had planned and returned and completed the project on budget.Now, at the same time I was in New Mexico in June of 1980 to film my little thirty-second energy spot, Hollywood's "The Legend of the Lone Ranger": http://youtube.com/watch?v=tGjxiJOye3... was also being filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Director was William Fraker. The well known Hollywood Director of Photography. He had been a camera assistant on the black and white television Lone Ranger series during the 1950's. Thus, the New Mexico Film Commission was more concerned about that Hollywood production than that of a small film crew from Alabama and Georgia. Interestly enough, the next year when I was working on gaining acceptance into the IATSE Film Camera Union, I worked on Burt Reynolds "Sharky's Machine" for a period of about three weeks over it's 80 day or so production schedule in Atlanta, Georgia. I was supposed to be tested on the cameras once the production concluded. William Fraker was the Director of Photography on this film. As time would have it, Mr. Fraker and I happened into a conversation one day during a break in shooting, and he asked me what other kind of projects was I interested or had been working on. I then proceeded to tell him all about my trip to New Mexico the year before and what had happened with the lack of support by the Film Commission there and Fraker just busted out laughing and indicated they were not much use to him either! The First camera assistant on "Sharkey's Machine" was Keith Peterman. He invited me to join him and his dad on a couple weeks shoot in Philadelphia after "Sharkey" wrapped. He said it was just a short low budget thing with unknown actors. His father was going to be the Director of Photography. Well, I could not make it to Philadelphia for the shooting. But, the film later turned out to be "Flashdance". That turned out to be basically, first music video look for a feature film with the music driving the concept. It was a great success! His father's name is Don Peterman. I was very gratful for having had the good fortune to work with, watch and study Burt Reynolds, William Fraker, Keith Peterman, and Julian Wilson(The dean of Assitant Cameramen). Julian actually was my mentor on the 35mm Panavision and 35mm Mitchell camera line. He also made me aware of a subject many young filmmakers never heard about or even know of and that is "Set Etiquette": http://magazines.humber.ca/finecut200...Such highly experienced and well-connected professional associations gave me the knowledge, wisdom, and confidence to move right into shooting 35mm projects...Filmmaker, Tom C. Lenard(Producer, Director/DP-Editor)copyright, 1980 All Rights Reserved