Business screen magazine (1946)

"Everyone in industry is getting a video tape center, audio visual center where they make sales training films, presentations and commercials." — Thomas J. Valentino, Jr. Vice-President Thomas J. Valentino, Inc. 10 to 15 years ago." explained Frank MeGcary. of Motion Picture Laboratories, Memphis. Tennessee. Norman Lars Bebell, president. Bebell & Bebell. New York, concurred. Reporting on recent capital investments, he said, "We borrowed $300,000 ... and spent $450,000. There is no such thing as building a small lab. You just don't buy a machine for $20.(K)0 or $30,000." "But competition forces you to have the best product at the best price. In order to give customers the best quality, we must have the finest equipment at the best price," said Byron Roudabush. Byron Motion Pictures. Washington. D.C. Realizing this necessity, laboratories have continued to invest in equipment, much of which is related to the film industry's growing activity in 8 mm and super 8 mm guagc film. This activity is evidenced by Alfred Bruch. president of Capital I Film Laboratories also in Washington. D.C. "We're all geared up for it." he said. "We expect an avalanche of business from educational sources." .Also concerned with 8 mm film processing equipment is Reela Film Laboratories. Miami. Florida. The company has just added their second 16 mm-to-super-8 mm optical reduction printer. The demand, according to Ted Sack, for super 8 mm commercial reprint has been sufficient to warrant adding this equipment. "The new equipment we're looking to has to do with 8 mm magnetic sound, so that we can speed up the transfer of sound tracks to 8 mm prints." added Frank McGeary. A Super-8 mm printer is scheduled for purchase in early 1972 by Cine Magnetics Film Laboratory, but this year's purchase will be a second 16 mm printer. Although the trend toward the wider use of 8 mm film — along with the processing equipment entailed — bears watching, some film laboratories have planned investment in "In January '71, things were virtually back to normal, or a trifle under." — Melvin Gold President Manhattan Audio Co. other types of equipment. Videotron, Glenview, III., for example, plans to install a 3-M Color Transfer machine this year. According to Jack Cook, the new equipment will dinible volume. High speed equipment — a new 16 mm-to-8 mm optical reduction printer, a magnetic sound transfer system for 8 mm, and a new Eco 3 color processor — has been added by Calvin Laboratories, Kansas City, reported President William Hedden. .lamieson Film Company, in Dallas, manufacturer of processing machines, plans to add the 35 mm color negative-positive capabilities it currently does not have, reported Bruce Jamieson, president. New York's Manhattan Audio Company recently implemented two electronic post sync systems in its sound studios. It appears, then, that throughout the United States, film laboratories have found that continued equipment investment is a necessity, despite a slower economy. SPEED VERSUS QUALITY The race for speed and quality in film lab production is growing more acute. At times, one factor seems to I be working against the other. As one ■ spokesman for a major lab in New ' York City put it. "1 believe that some of the business we've lost is due to sloppy work." Another lab representative emi phatically states that his company has refused to install new equipment that provides only more speed. "We want the quality as well, or else the investment is self-defeating," he added. The need for speed has become increasingly more pressing. Film producers demand it to meet client pressures. It's the element over which infighting becomes highly competitive. Some labs have met this demand for speed, without regard for quality. In other words, they cut corners to obtain business during tough economic times. However, labs taking this route may have cut off their noses to spite their faces. Other labs claimed that both ends — speed and quality — are achievable through investments in the right kind of equipment. Such investments have been made recently by some of the nation's leading firms. Cine Magnetics Film Laboratories has added a high-speed supcr-8 continuous reduction printer which, management maintains, has totally revolutionized their lab. In 14 APRIL, 197i 23