Business screen magazine (1938)

DISTRIBUTION SERVICE tally accurate "room" is merely a picture projected on the screen in the hackpround for a perfect illusion. acters appear to be standing in the room with a startling degree of reality thus achieved at minimum cost. BUICK USES NEWSREEL TECHNIQUE • During the summer of U»36 Buick officials faced an enviable problem. They had so many talking points for an advertising campaign that selectivity and concentration of ideas became difficult. The past few years had brought new prosperity to Buick. Sales had mounted and continued to gain. Recent models had found public acceptance. The prestige behind Buick had been rekindled by its newest achievements. Relationships with its labor and its dealers were completely harmonious. Soon to be marketed, the 1937 cars incorporated many and important innovations. Above all, they were strikingly handsome. Executives of Buick wanted to use all this information in telling the story of the 1937 car. To marshal these facts, to use all the sales arguments, a super-newsreel running about forty minutes was planned. Through this medium the ideas could be broken up into segments, each independent of the other. Sincerity could shine through. The finished film was to mirror facts, and, like a newsreel, to stick to actualities clearly, forcefully depicted. Even though the reported news was to pertain to Buick only, the tempo inherent in news films was to be retained. The producers selected by Buick and its advertising agency were peculiarly qualified.They ran a newsreel subsidiary and a business film unit. THOROUGHLY EXPERIENCED IN FILM PRODUCTION AND SELLING and able to furnish and develop original ideas that are tempered with a sound knowledge of the medium. My services are now available to either producer, agency or manufacturer and include a really wide knowledge of MERCHANDISING AND SALES TRAINING. Your investigation is earnestly solicited. Write Box 81, Business Screen Magazine, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago. "Buick News" divided itself into fourteen separate news stories, each running from two to four minutes. Each episode was an independent unit of the whole. The general format of a newsreel was maintained. The main title was frankly imitative of its prototype, familiar to theatre-goers. Subtitles between news stories were inserted. The swift pace of news films flavored the film, gave it vitality and zest. The episodic nature of a newsreel gave it flexibility of use. In late September dealers from all over the country were called to a series of meetings in Flint. The film in its entirety was presented — it heralded the preview of the new car. Distributors and dealers were privileged to buy prints at cost. They found three ways to reach their prospects: 1. Some of them set up small theatres in their own display rooms and ran the newsreel in a continuous performance. {A manual was prepared telling the men in the field how to set up these newsreel theatres at low cost.) 2. Others arranged tie-ups with local theatres, and Buick News became a part of the picture program in these cinemas. Because the complete film ran forty minutes, the outright advertising episodes were deleted and thus the shortened version was acceptable to theatre managers both in length and in content. 3. A silent version of the film was printed in 16mm. size. Buick dealers, canvassing their prospects, found that many, if not most of them, owned projectors. Moreover, they learned that free film loaned for home showings was much in demand by those who owned these miniature machines. None of them dissented from the axiom that the best place to sell is in the home. Hence in this method of film distribution they reached well-to-do prospects with a hard-hitting message under ideal conditions. In Western NEW YOBK State... Buffalo Utica Rochester Binghamton Syracuse Elmira • Try our efficient and economical service for the projection of your motion pictures before groups of all types. • Utilize OUT facilities for physical distribution of sponsored films tor theatrical and non-theatrical showings. Emergency repair service and competent operators cheerfiilly supplied for company owned equipment, "Expensive Films Deserve Extensive Distribution" JOHN E. AtiEN Roth^tTt^ Ywk by SPECIALISTS in FARM PRODUCTIONS FOR 21 YEARS! • C. L. VENARD • (THE VENARD ORGANIZATION) Our films have a larger distribution and enjoy a more favorable acceptance among rural leaders and audiences than those of any other producer. 702 S. AdamsSt. Peoria, llUnois Our 27 year* in coniniercial motion piclure enterprises insure you quality results in production shots, or in distribution of your business films wherever you may desire to exhibit. Saull Sle. Marie, EDDY PICTURE SERVICE LABORATORIES —MIDWESTERN I LABORATORY SERVICE I 16mm Exclusively! p Complete 16mni machine developing of M both negative and positive prints. M SKILLED TECHMCIAiNS. MODERN EQUIPMENT M DESIGNED EXCLUSIVELY FOR 16mm FILM. J ACCURATE SENSITOMETRIC CONTROL M OF ALL PROCESSING. J MAKE OIR 16mm PRISTS OF m CO.\SISTE\TLY HIGH Ql ALITY. I SOUND AND SILENT FILMS § Get our prices and test the high M quality of trorkmanship. I • PAN-AMERICA^^ • I FILMS, INCORPORATED M 306 So. Wabash Avenue Chicago, Illinois liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiM^^ 41