Building theatre patronage : management and merchandising (1927)

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276 Building Theatre Patronage large or prepared by a master artist. Of course, hand-lettering can be more precisely placed on the theatre layout because no allowance must be made for type widths and shoulders; but hand lettering for titles is available in the standard cuts supplied in the exchange. As far as text is concerned, standard body type is more legible than the average hand lettering. Why, then, the theatre "artist"? Printing materials are available at the newspaper office or at the local printers'. Display materials — illustration and hand lettering — are available in the cuts supplied by producer-distributors. What individual theatre can afford to pay for art work comparable to that produced by the best commercial artists in the country? Standard Cuts. These artists are hired at considerable expense to prepare the art work for the standard cuts supplied to theatres. About 70 per cent of the leading commercial artists of the country are in New York City. Many of these contribute the art work of the leading producer-distributors. These artists are selected according to their skill in particular styles of illustration. Thus, one is selected for landscape drawing, another for silhouette, another for costumes, another for action, another for male forms, another for female forms, another for profiles, etc. Then others are selected for different styles of hand-lettering according to particular requirements. Besides these master artists who are given a particular assignment, there is the regular art staff of each producer-distributor art department. Consequently, monotonous uniformity of layout, technique and illustration is avoided. The theatre using only one artist naturally gets a certain monotonous uniformity. It is interesting to know that the cost of art work and photoengraving for the standard cuts available for the average feature photoplay released by the leading companies is over $1,000. Yet the results of all this expense are available for individual theatre use at a cost which is calculated in pennies rather than in dollars. Despite all this, we find individual theatres neglecting this material and resorting regularly to some home town "artist." This means extra expense of "artist" salary, cost of photo-engraving prepared locally, and cost of electros or mats.