Business screen magazine (1938)

independently must be screened by the company's board of reviewers and ]M'onoiinced acceptable before this company will undertake the distribution of the films through its theatres. It is interesting to note that in any number of important cases this company has turned down suggested scripts and even finished productions because of the type of scenarios involved or because of the absence of production excellence. For the most part, the successful films now in use are fast-moving one minute "newsreels" — that is, factual presentation of one or more news elements about the product with offstage, newsrecl technique type of announcer or commentator. Some films, where the story lacks news elements or where the news elements do not lend themselves to photographic presentation, are produced in cartoon animation. It may be noted in this regard that there are frequent cases where the .story can be told more clearly and more simply through the u.se of this audience-appealing type of technique. Some advertisers build their playlets around the plot — using actual dialogue instead of offstage voice. In every case a great deal of attention is given to the proper selection of actors, sets, photography, etc. The majority of advertisers select the socalled "national" approach. That is, they prepare a series (from three to thirteen playlets) and, working in conjunction with their sales force, route the campaigns over the entire country market by market. A variation of this is the "local market blast." Some companies whose physical set-up and profit margin is such that they cannot accomplish intensive cooperation of this type simply use "minute movies" as a bla.sting device in a number of "lough" local market situations. The third use of the medium is the cooperation with a certain dealer outlet in each city. In the latter case the playlets are made 80 feet long, instead of BO feet — allowing for a 10 foot dealer signature to be tacked onto the end of the message. This dealer signature features the name and address of the important dealer outlet. Naturally this signature changes with each town. In the case of specialities, such as Westinghouse refrigerators, the purpose of this is to get across the advertising message and then tie it up closely with the local outlet to direct traffic to the place of product distribution. Evidence of this type of advertising when correctly handled as a potent sales weapon may be found in the list of jjeople who are consistent users of the miiuite-length screen subjects. A li.st would include — Plorsheim Shoe Company, Westinghouse Elec. & Mfg. Co., Miles Laboratories, Inc. (Alka-Seltzer) , The Hubinger Company, Paul F. Beich Company. Shell Oil & Refining Co., National Carbon Company, and Proctor & Gamble. Many of these companies have used this medium on an increasingly large scale over a long period of time — in fact, one of them is now finishing its sixth consecutive year. • Despite Occ.\sional press fanfare to the contrary, the news about agency film activity might almost serve as an indictment of this phase of agency service, so poorly equipped for counsel are the majority of the top-ranking agencies in regard to commercial motion pictures and sound slidefilms. With a few notable exceptions, the agencies are reliving the early days of radio, their ostrich-like attitudes only occasionally interrupted by visions of million-odd circidations of theatre screen advertising at a minimum of effort, television, and the verbal kibitzing of self-appointed spokesmen of the Hollywood "entertainment" producers. The intelligent counsel of advertising agencies based on their real understanding of the film medium and it possibilities would not only serve to advance the commercial picture medium beyond those barriers which misconception raises but, of equal importance, would earn commission revenues which clients are now hardly justified in jiayiug for inexperienced and iniinformed advice. The agency venturing into this field today finds a small but thoroughly able group of jiroducers dealing directly with the user. If it finds both client and producers indifferent, the circumstances are very much of its own making. But where do we go from there.? There are about thirty agencies of varying rank and size who are sufficiently active in the use of films to be regarded as "well-informed". From there on the field stretches away into a wilderness from out of which must come an informed majority if the functional po.ssibilities of films are ever to be thoroughly and profitably explored. What lies ahead in the field of public relations, in the permanent organization of dealer education programs and in the development of the powerful merchandising potentialities which films alone possess will not be found out by a few isolated personalities already producing during certain periods at peak capacity which permits of little investigative research. Nor will the <lemands of business and the public be answered until this service Personnel is increased. Here, then, is an opportunity for which agency organization was created. How is it being solved in existing setups? A few top-ranking agencies with experienced executives in charge of production-buying de partments offer one solution to agency particil)ation. In that category, the term" film department" can be acceptably api)lied in the Fuller. Smith and Ross Manhattan and Cleveland offices; the New York oflSce of the J. Walter Thompson Company; Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborn, New York; and on a lesser .scale in the activities of Lord & Thomas, New York; N. W. Ayer, New York: Beaumont & Hohman, Cleveland: Ruthrauff & Ryan. MeCann-Eriekson. Young & Rubicam, Roche, Williams and Cunningham, Chicago: and G. M. Basford, New York, all of whom have had recent experience in the super-vision of films. The list is by no means final for Lawrence G. Gumbinner. New York: .\ubrey, Moore & Wallace, Chicago; William Esty, New York; Grey Advertising Agency: Blackett-Sample and Hummert, Chicago; and several others have counselled and actively cooperated with producers and clients in building successful screen programs for group, theatrical and inter-organization circulation. The majority of these agencies, very sensibly, have no |)ermanent production staffs and in most cases, have acted in the capacity of "liaison" contact in this producer-client relationship. Certainly no agency has sufficient volume to match the personnel of the major commercial producers and the prospect of having to pursue the complex details of jiroduction through to the final phase of distribution has justifiably seemed an unnecessary waste of cxp<'nsive executive time. One producer calls attention to the real function of the agency which he classifies thus: "The agency's close relations with its clients — its knowledge of their merchandising problems, places them, if they know enough about the medium, in a ]>osition to recommend its use for specific purposes. Thus, the necessary contact .selling work is greatly reduced. Finally, the cost of research and creative work is greatly i-educed wluii we work cooperatively with agency men who already have the basic information needed to complete presentations, outlines and scenarios." Finally, the need for field statistics and general information has been felt for .s(Mue time by such groups as the America7i Association oj Advertising Agencies and the Association oj Naiional Advertisers. The establishment of a bureau to answer these needs will help. OF AGENCY FILM ACTIVITIES 18 ♦ IX •