Business screen magazine (1938)

OF BUSINESS FILM MAKING • Are you the camera "bug" in your firm? Do you, when visiting the "movies" envision the possibilities of this entertaining medium for the attraction of buyers to your product or the training of your salesmen, etc.? Then if your organization is small or large, turn that interest into profit through this A. B.C. approach to the use and making of motion pictures and simple, economical sound slide films. A great deal of publicity may be too often given the glamorous feature-length type of advertising films. These possess national interest and of course, have an important place to fill: but there is plenty of good work being done by very economical pictures which find a useful and valuable niche in the activities of many smaller business organizations. Clearly, among smaller concerns having limited capital and a limited potential market, the national motion picture campaign is out of the question. Again — where the "3-A" organization may divide its costs many ways — due to its expansive national markets — thus securing splendid, nationwide coverage at a low cost-per-person . . . the small company would find even the initial production investment too costly. The question of using motion pictures in smaller organizations, then, simmers down to a discussion of the factors of primary costs. That movies and slide films can be successfully exploited by small (industrial or commercial) organizations of this country may be seen through an examination of facts: They are being widely and successfully used among firms of even less than $50,000 capitalization. Producers will tell you that there are many factors which aft'ect the price of a film production. Some of these may be controlled with careful planning. An organization may thus, through a careful advance consideration of all possible factors, find access to a film campaign in keeping with its usual budgets. Let us first consider a few of the items affecting costs. Then we may also see how, in the actual examples cited, similar programs may be applied to small or "middle-sized" concerns. Sound or Silent: Sound films are, of course, more expensive than silent ones. A good silent film has possibilities for certain uses but of course sound offers the perfection worth striving toward. Motion Picture or Sound-Slide: Sound-slide films are less expensive than motion picture [jroductions — or at least, less in cost than sound motion pictures. These are being used with a high degree of success in many ways, and in many industries. They are particularly useful for sales-promotion and sales training. Good producers frankly admit certain advantages in each medium, and advise whether or not the sound-slide method is advisable. Feature Pl.wers, or "Unknowns": "Big name" players naturally boost costs. Sometimes they are used where nothing whatever is actually added to the significance of the picture. With well-known, widely advertised commodities "big names" mean "box-office." In other cases, they ma.y be too costly. Technical productions seldom need names. However, real talent is always worth the price. Animation, Color, Stop-Motion, TimeLap.se, Other Effect.s: Special processes such as the alxjve naturally add to the cost of the film. The manufacturer should not arbitrarily decide upon their use; sometimes a hard-headed decision to use these, or not to have a film, has allowed other more practical-minded competitors to "scoop" the manufacturer with a film which sta.ved within a limited budget, but which substituted other, less expensive methods. One or more of these processes may, of course, be neces.sary (As color, in Over the Counter and Off the Shelj — selling advantages of good, colorful packaging.) Choice of Sets: "Natural sets" may often be substituted for built-up sets — as scenes in your own laboratories, workshops, etc. Similarly, costs may be cut, when necessary, by eliminating unnecessary but costly scenes. Filming Processes — Use of 35mm. to 16mm. Reduction, or Straight Production on IOmm. The advantages of 35mm. are apparent; 16min. is gaining favor for certain fields of use and is worthy of study by the small user. Length of Production: Executives sometimes decide that a long production is necessary, simply because it requires a corresponding length of time to "put across" a given idea in, for example, a sales-meeting. Producers, however, know many short cuts. Running time of a film naturally determines much of its cost. Use of "Royalty Music", Orchestras vs. Recordings, etc.: The above items, very clearly, aft'ect costs. Again, the producer is in the best position to decide upon the relative importance of a "name orchestra" vs. unknowns, etc. Treatment, Choice of Subject Matter, etc.: A script may be rewritten, or a "thematic idea" changed to get over the same basic idea, but saving greatly in costs. Many manufacturing concerns have learned that the extensive experience of producers is valuable in this respect. How A Number of Smaller Organizations Have Solved Cost Problems ♦ The D. F. Gallagher Co., of Boston, Mass., some years ago decided that its methods of constructing and erecting "prefabricated steel buildings" were worthy of publicity. Directmail advertising was — and is — used, but it was difficult to show in printed literature the various operations, and to portray the relative importance of each. The market for such buildings is. of course, a limited one. Therefore a widespread motion picture campaign could not be considered. Finally, it was decided that (Please turn to Page 28)