Business screen magazine (1959)

by .>t:sii°y Fiii«°li ITsiiilistiii W asliingtuii Cijne?pciiKli-nt of Business Screen Pictured at recent review showing uj "The Door" are (I to r): Col. \V. A . Hamer. vlewiiii; for AF policy: Leonard Turner, of Daniel. Mann Johnson & Mendenhall, sponsors: Raleigh Tanner. Personnel. ARDC Command: Capi. Gordon Cruick■^luinks. SAFOI . evaluating for TV use: Rodney Radford. Motion Picture Chief. AF Ops: Major Stockton Shaw, viewing lor information policy: and Capt. W. Marley, Office, Asst. Secy, of Defense (pub. afjairs) who viewed film for all .services. Aerospace Films From Industry >lolioii I*i4'laii'«>s on llolViisr. SpjUM* .%««' l*rol>l«'m<>> and SjilXv Aro >lsi«l<' by Iniliislry As Air K«»r<'i> S|t4»n!<«»r4'il Film l*i*4»;;>rana Knl4'rs S4'4>«»nfi l4'ar SEViRAL Wf-FKS Ago. in a Washington. D.C. screening room, representatives ol a large California architectural firm and U.S. Air Force officials from the Pentagon met to discuss the workprint of a new 13' j minute color film which may have a signilicant effect on the career attitudes of the coming generation. The film, titled The Door, is unique in that it was mutually planned by industry and the government to provide inspiration and guidance to youth groups. Its sponsors. Daniel Mann. Johnson and Mendenhall. hope that the picture will direct the thoughts of young people into scientihc channels; the Air Force, facing the technological problems of the Aerospace age. hopes so, too. Supplement Air Force Film Program The Door is typical of a dozen sponsored films currently in production or beginning distribution for the Air Force's successful Sponsored Motion Picture Program, which was launched two years ago to supplement the Air Force's regular lilm program. Today, with the Air Force's etficient new approval set-up. lilm .scripts by-pass the tedious maze of government channels and need only obtain the stamp of approval from three Air Force ollicials. And. accordinu to Rodney I B. Radford. Chief. Motion Picture Section of Air Force Operations in the Pentagon, these same three officials follow through from an abstract idea until the production is finished and approved. The Air Force, which has often been compared in size to the top fifty, largest U.S. corporations, is naturally interested in a wide variety of motion picture subjects in addition to those produced as part of its regular film program. Untapped Reservoir of Future Needs Films already sponsored explore the subjects of rocket safety for youth, the area defense concept, estate planning, wildlife conservation, space feeding and other space medicine subjects. For the future, there is an untapped reservoir of subject matter which concerns the Air Force, such as community relations, safe driving, communications, and all of the humanmechanical problems of the Aerospace age. "There will always be a heavy demand for films in excess of those we can either buy or produce for ourselves," says Radford. ■■.'\nd many, many times we've reviewed commercially produced films on Air Force subjects which, had they been produced under the very general policy guidance of the sponsored film program, would have been more useful to both the sponsor and the Air Force." Tools for Education and Information From the Air Force point of view, the privately-financed sponsored films are educational and informational "tools" — for the sponsor the films are invaluable foi public relations, institutional advertising and good will. Summing it up. J. R. McLcod of AV'CO. sponsoi of Down to Earth, a film about atmospheric reentry, said: "I believe that with this animated film . . . we will achieve our objectives of aiding in space-age education and bringing AVCO's work to the attention of millions in a dignified and interesting way." .'\ partial list of other sponsors includes the Koppers Co.. Inc.. Winthrop Phaitnaceutical .Alvin explains re-entry iiuo earth's atnw.tt>here from space in film "Down to Earth: Laboratories of Sterling Drug. Pur-Pak Division of Excello Corporation, and Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, who kicked olT the project twenty-eight days after it was announced by sponsoring a community-relations film about jet-age noise, titled Peace atul Quiet. In some cases, films are co-sponsored by industry as, for instance, a film about satellitetracking which was jointly financed by the General Electric Miniature Lamp Division and Bankers Life and Casualty Co. Sponsor Pays All Production Costs When it comes to paying for film production, the Air Force is not permitted to mix federal i and private money. There are no 50-50 "deals." and the ceiling for film budgets is up to the sponsor. Film costs range from $15,000 to .SI 00.000, and there is one of each in production, with the average budget per picture around $30,000. That this is a pretty solid investment for the sponsor has been indicated from first reports of Peace and Ouici. In the first six months there were 5,359 showings for an audience of 224,142, and an estimated T\' audience of 8,175,000. As has been indicated, the .Air Force assists the producer and sponsoi" in planning, produc Left and Right: scenes from film "Power for Bomarc BUSINESS SCREEN MAGAZINE