Business screen magazine (1938)

♦ Now THAT the figures for the first six months of 1939 are in,,a report to executives on the progress of the commercial flhn medium offers plenty of encouraging data: ♦ Distrilnition figures show wide extension of facilities throughout the country; actual case records (reported elsewhere in this issue) report theatrical bookings for one sponsor in the neighliorhood of nine thousand: another showed a sponsor's film to a total of '21,75:5 audiences with a total of 7,178,490 persons in attendance. Equally fine records are being attained by professional projectionist organizations and by sponsors themselves where equipment is carried by representatives in the field. Since distribution is the key to film success, it would seem that the doors are opening wide for even wider use of films next fall. ♦ Reception of frankly commercial film subjects such as Union Pacific, and Wcllx-Fdiyo by enthusiastic movie fans from coast-to-coast furnishes illuminating evidence against the prejudices of a few self-interested and self-appointed Hollywood oracles. ♦ Announcement of improved projcrtion equipment at lower prices b,y all sound motion picture projector manufacturers and increasing spread of equipment in the field was another noteworthy trend indicating increasing film use. ♦ The addition to our advertising pages in this number of outstanding .sound slidefilm projector manufacturers may also be noted for the benefit of sponsors. The national reputations which these firms bear, their extensive manufacturing facilities and years of experience in the sound field augur well for the future of this type of equipment. The makings of a great national drive for production and use of the sound slidefilm are present and as first announcement of the part which Business Screen can play in pointing out extended use of the medium, we liring yt)u the news of an entire section of our October publication to be devoted to the sound slidefilm. Reports from executives and particularly interesting articles on the checking of effects and the results of the medium among sales organizations will be included with the extensive discussion and charts on the uses of slidefilms in the field of business. ♦ The progress of color has been cumulative with the report now showing that quality rather than economy still rank first in the commercial user's ratings. Xoteworth.v productions in color for the period are the Technicolor films for National Biscuit and Westinghouse: a series of "minute movies" and the Ciuecolor production for Hills Brothers Coffee now showing at the San Francisco Fair. ♦ The usefulness of the "documentary" type of profhietion continues to be recognized though the popularity of this type of factual film reporting will be diminished by the activities of propaganda organizations loudly sponsoring such films. The communistic bugaboo is more pitiful than important l)ut the use of the stamp has undoubtedly influenced its popularitj'. RIGHT OFF THE J ^' e In the clothing business Ihey call 'em schlagers. . Gyps, in the furniture business, turn out borax. But in the commercial film industry we haven't got a name for the guy who calls himself a j3ro<lueer because he once pointed a news camera at Garbo. But when he says he'll make your next picture for only S792.23 (look, he has the figures!) liecause the film in his camera is smaller and takes twice as many jiictures and because his overhead is very, very low, etc., etc.. the wise business executive who appreciates the power and usefulness of the successfully applied film medium ought to have a tag for this kind of bird. In Hollywood they call 'em fly-hy-nighls and a hastily dishejl up mess of their so-called entertainment is a quickie. You can't call 'em amateurs and you can't blame the equipment they use. No well-informed amateur would attempt to produce the kind of big-league motion pictures and slidefilms it takes to achieve success and results today. Professional projlucers use all kinds of equipment but ihey know and smart buyers knou that it isn't tvhat you put in the camera thai affects the majority of picture costs but what you put before it. That means adequate talent, expertly written scripts, sets, props and the like. It wouhln't cost a hundredth less to shoot the average production in sixteen millimeter stock but even if it did, professional studio equipment, professional sound and image results today demand thentre-quulily technique earned through years of experience. So put some kind of tag on the guy who says he can <lo it cheaper and kick him downstairs. It will save you a lot of money in the long run and put you that much closer to the kind of real results we spend most of our time telling about in these pages. OffCc oelln EDITOR Jul V '2.5. 19:S9 Number Eight 15