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Front
MICHELLE BENDER
The somewhat hitter irony of the cobbler who lacks shoes for his own family has an unfortunate parallel in the film laboratory and services industry. Repeatedly, spokesmen contributing to this month's BUSINESS SCREEN Roundup Report on page 21 mentioned (along with other current problems) the lack of communication among themselves and their colleagues— all professional audio-visual communicators in the industry.
The reasons for this situation are diverse and vary from one area of the United States to another. Nevertheless, the most frequently suggested obstacle to effective inter-communication was the intensity of competition between labs.
Instances in which price cutting had taken place at the expense of quality were cited. Under these market conditions, even if restricted geographically, it is unlikely that industry cross-fertilization or mutual help will occur.
We believe this is unfortunate — both for the industry as a whole, and for those utilizing its services — because the need for more cooperative communication is so apparent. Several spokesmen expressed a desire to regularly discuss new equipment, processes, and general ways of economizing. One individual suggested the establishing of a credit clearing house among film processors for laboratory clients who want work done extra quickly, or for COD accounts. Another respondent described an informal arrangement already operative within his market area among film music distributing companies: they have united to "catch" music users who do not obtain proper licensing, or who disregard copyright limitations. He hoped for an expansion of this communication channel.
To what extent such communication should be encouraged is a difficult and subtle question. The nature of the information exchange and the purpose for which it is used must fall within an acceptable range, to avoid possible violations of anti-trust laws covering restriction of trade and price-fixing.
Despite this qualification, we believe that a more cooperative local spirit among film lab and .services people, comparable to that of an informal trade association, is a worthwhile goal toward which to strive. Its achievement would be beneficial to the industry, and ultimately, to the customers it serves.
PRIL. 1971