Business screen magazine (1946)

"If ihcy arc still making films ,, uay they did in 1950," Martin D ly says, "they don't fit in very with our philosophy today." I \T"s Film and Media Develop01 it Section of the Information Depi ment. located in New York, is a ralized source of information on lis and other media, as well as a Juction coonlination and superijn center for all the Bell System ipanies. Film Director Martin ffy and his supei^'isory staff: Langsan, Film Production, Gene )6, Film Research and Distrihution. Rohert Randall. Media Developit, operate on three levels of ac rhc section produces tilms to order the Bell System companies and AT&T operating departments. For mple, a company or department iht come to the Film Section for ice on whether a film could help solve a certain problem, and if so. It type of film would do the best and what sort of budget should allocated. The section then proes, with appropriate technical asance, a product that will meet their ds. rhe section produces films for pubinformation purposes. The objec li\e here is to give lu'lievable and honest picture of what the Bell System is all about. This is now being done in small bites in contrast to a tendency some time ago to do the overall picture every time and use a crowbar to fit in this or that particular message. At present, the section is working in such areas as operators, phi)ne men, how telephones are tested, etc. The objective of all this is to show the Bell System for what it is mainly through its people. 3. On the third level, the section produces experimental films, such as Opcrulor. and the widely acclaimed new film, Gcncralionx, or the group of five films now being shown in colleges with great success under the group title. Quintet. The Bell System was one of the first companies to employ testing of films, and is today conducting more extensive pre and post-production research than ever before. Audience Studies, Inc., in I.os Angeles, does most of the testing for the company. It runs tests each night in a theatre in Los Angeles with an audience of .KM) looking at such fare as TV commercials, sponsored films, and TV pilots. Measurements are made of ( 1 ) audience interest, which is done electronically with hand-controlled meters; (2) fulfillment of objectives, with extensive questionnaires: and (3) In-depth studies of before and after attitudes through group interviews. All these measurements are made and presented as evaluations in a large detailed book on each film tested. AT&T often makes changes of weak spots discovered in films iluring production and will sometimes remake whole sections of a film when audience measurement indicates it is necessary. Testing is one more step in the company's determination to meet its audiences with material tailored for today's attitudes, in the language of today. What do the Bell System films accomplish? Hxact statistical evidence of accomplishments is difficult to determine, but there are good indications that films play a most important role in the company's training and public information activities. It is known that the popularity of the modern Bell System films before group audiences and as fare for TV viewers and theatre audiences has never been higher. Reliable estimates indicate that the Bell films play to some 200,000,000 persons a year, which is a considerable part of the company's contact with the public. Super Quality Super Service Super Sound Super Delivery Send today for your free copy of this informative "Colbum Comments on Super 8" booklet. GEO. W. COLBURN LABORATORY. INC. 164 NORTH WACKER DRIVE • CHICAGO, ILL. 60606 • 332-6286 COMPLETE lABORAIORV SERVICE FOR 16ll«M / EDITING ' RECORDING , WORK PRINTS ' SUPER 8. 8MM t 16MM RELEASE PRINTING / TITLING 35MM SLIDE AND FILMSIRIP SERVICE iptember/October. 1971 25