Reel and Slide (Mar-Dec 1918)

20 REEL and SLIDE How Films Recorded Big Cattle Sale By Warren T. McCray {Proprietor, Orchard Lake Stock Farm, Kentland, Indiana) IT is perfectly natural, our farm, as well as our herd, being famous throughout the world, and our annual cattle sale being an event that brings hundreds of people to our place each 3'ear, that we should hit upon the moving picture as a means of advertising. It is also quite natural that we should gladly include in our film some of the ideas and methods that have made our herd famous and our model farm a success. I cannot say that our picture is strictly an advertising film ; it is first and all educational. It not only depicts entertainingly the various interesting features of a modern cattle sale, but it shows also what can be done on a model farm in the middle West — what has been done, in fact. In view of this, our reel will interest not only the farmer and stockman, but the general public as well. The wonderful animals that are shown in this picture represent America's best, and this at a time when the public mind is much concerned with the subject of agriculture and food production. I personally have for a long time realized the vast power of the motion picture as an advertising medium. People like to look at pictures and I know of no more impressive manner of displaying specimens' of high-grade live stock than on the screen. Lantern slides have been used in the past with excellent Results, but the moving picture has advantages that are easily to be seen. What the Film Shows Our film is one thousand feet in length, including titles, and was produced by the Atlas Educational Film Co. We show the preparations made at the farm for the reception of our guests. We meet them at the station with autos and take them direct to the farm. We show how they come in on the trains in great numbers. We show a panorama of the farm, its outbuildings and the refreshment and entertainment provisions. We even made a picture showing the auctioneers in action. At the sale which forms the subject of this film, 75 bulls were sold for $204,125, or an average of $2,722 each. These animals come from a herd famous in Hereford history. Therefore our film includes close-up views of these animals, which are very en Exhibitors Must Sell Screen Space {Continued from page 9) consider the necessity of renting screen space to meet conditions. At the same time they deplore the quality of publicity film that is offered to them. They also talk much of the attitude of the patronage to screen publicity. One exhibitor told me he had canvassed his neighborhood to get the consensus of opinion on this subject and his conclusion was that paid screen publicity must go — as far as his house was concerned. Now, it would be hard to imagine any editor going out among his readers and asking permission to devote certain of his columns to paid advertising. It would be absurd if the superintendent of a street car line asked the public's permission before he sold advertising space in his street cars. It would be fully as unusual if the owner of a big New York legitimate theater were to ask permission of his patrons before he placed advertisements on his drop curtain. There has been a feeling among exhibitors for some months that the average picture show is too brief when the increased prices of admittance are taken into consideration. One feature, a scenic and a comedy, unless they are very excellent, do not satisfy the movie goer. Therefore, a good series of short, wellmade screen ads or a thousand-foot industrial fill in admirably. It is just as natural for the exhibitor to use this class of pictures at the end of his show as it is for the editor of a newspaper to devote his last page to a department store announcement. Timidity and constant fear of public disapproval — which is unfounded — holds the theater owner back. Two Sides to the Question Now, there are too sides to every question. Undoubtedly, the exhibitor cannot be expected to book every publicity picture that comes along. The modern newspaper and magazine edit their advertising columns as carefully as they edit their editorial columns. The exhibitor should make himself familiar with industrial and advertisine productions, see them on the screen, appraise them for what they are worth and accept them for exhibition if they prove up to standard. He would have no difficulty in tertaining even to the layman on account of the money they are worth. Besides that, they are beautiful to look upon. Another thing. Our film assures us of a permanent record of this herd and its offspring for future use. The value of such a record will at once be apparent to any farmer or stockman. Every farmer to-day should realize the value of keeping highgrade stock on his farm. We show why graphically in our moving picture. We are certain that the widespread exhibition of this reel will do much to encourage fine stock raising on American farms. There is no reason why every big stock farm should not make a film record of its best specimens of cattle. There is certain to be a big demand for such pictures, especiallj^ in rural corhmunities — even in the cities. Film Has Entertainment Value By showing people and getting in plenty of action, my opinion is that our film has great entertainment value. You might say the producers even managed to inject a little humor into it. Motion pictures certainly can do much to influence the city man to move to the farm by clearly depicting for him the truth about farming and farm life. Films undoubtedly will give the city man a clearer understanding of the farmer's independence and the fact that farming is a science worthy of the best thought and greatest business skill. That farm life is no longer the humdrum thing it was before the automobile, telephone, electric light, etc., came on the scene to make farm life more interesting and more worth while. At Orchard Lake Farm we appreciate our movies very much. We exhibit them constantly. Verv soon they will go out through the country, carrying the fame of our herd even further than it has gone before. There is no good reason why this idea should not be carried further. There is no good reason why our most famous stallions and hogs_ should not be perpetrated in the picture that moves. Certainly such records would be of great practical value in years to come. A well-made film will show the animals in action by which future judges may compare them when the animals are dead and gone and onlv their records and reputations remain. In conclusion I would sav that the showing of our films undoubtedly will have great advertising value which should be apparent at our next annual sale. People who see it will want to come to Orchard Lake Farm the next time. Manv of them will come. We also anticipate considerable Correspondence from interested neople who want to know more about this famous herd. All in all, I consider the picture an excellent investment. booking such pictures each week. The supply is plentiful and is growing steadily. Some of these pictures rival the so-called best educationals. They are welcomed by the public in general, though the theater man can scarcely see anything outside of the vampire plot, the slapstick comedy and the ruined home as a treat for his audience. He overlooks the fact that good advertising is just as human a force to-dav as drama or fiction. He still thinks, in many cases, that the public as a whole desires melodrama, sex stories, suggestive and absurd expositions of human emotions and the claptrap of the pie-throwing comedy. Picture of Great Service As a matter of fact, the average woman attendant would like to see a new dress fabric demonstrated on his picture screen as she would like to read of it in her newspaper; more so, because the screen does it more efficiently. What is the difference whether or not the corner dry goods store sells this fabric and the screen says so? If the demonstration has been well done — if the goods has merit and the picture is no longer than it need be and full of action, even the men will willingly watch it. The picture is rapidly becoming a disseminator of news, views and knowledge in its immediate community. But without a broader conception of the whole proposition than is now evidenced by the average theater owner, it cannot come into its full power. Rheumatism in One Reel An old darky appeared in the doctor's office one morning, plainly very low in his mind. The doctor, recognizing his old patient, greeted him in his most inspiriting manner. "Well, Elijah, how is the rheumatism these days?" "Porley, porley, sah !" replied Elijah, dejectedly. "Belieh me, Marse Doctor, I'se jest a movin' picture of pain!" — Woman's Home Companion.