American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1927)

December, iy27 AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER Nineteen Labor Turnover in Studios President Clark of A. S. C. Sees a Way to Prevent Great Waste "While the motion picture economists are delving into cost sheets, organization, operation, maintenance, transportation, production, materials, overhead, etc., I would respectfully call their serious attention to the consideration of the overturn of labor in the studios as one of the greatest sources of waste if not indeed, the greatest." So said Daniel B. Clark, President of the A. S. C, in an interview the other* day with an eastern fiscal representative of a well known production company. "The matter of personnel or labor turn-over," continued Mr. Clark, "is, it seems to me, of vital importance in our industry which from its very earliest days seems to have been in a state of flux. "The personnel of units, studios and even administrative offices seems never to be permanent, so that even the greatest executive is not sure of a long tenure of office and the lesser operatives, down to the humblest understrapper, has not known very far ahead just where he was "at." "This condition of uncertainty of employment has made for unrest and unrest has in turn bred inefficiency and laxness in work. "Of course, I am cognizant of the fact that, because of the peculiar nature of our industry, it is impossible to maintain a hard and fast organization, especially in so far as the actor element is concerned, for the public demands variety, but in the case of technical operatives and executives and certain other employees it would seem to be only common sense for a producer to desire to build and maintain an organization as nearly permanent in its personality as possible. "Such an organization should be notable for efficiency, through loyalty, harmony, spirit of co-operation, contentment and esprit de corps. This is obvious. "Some economists have gone deeply into this subject, among them Professor Mangus Alexander, of Harvard University. This student of the economics of industrial organization, after investigation of many cases, has arrived at the conclusion that it costs an average of $72.00 to replace an ordinary employee of the grade of laborer; upwards of $500.00 to replace skilled labor and as high as $10,000 to replace an important executive. Applied to motion pictures, these figures would be astounding. They are amazing as they stand to any one new to this subject. "In treating of this subject in his fine work, "Principles of Industrial Organization, Dexter S. Kimball, A. B., M. E., says: (Concluded on Page 24) three orders of ham and eggs, toast and coffee inside me and forgave everybody. If we had had three Akeley cameras, we could have used them all, on account of the fact that they were a great adjunct to the making of the "Old School" pictures with their running fights and sword play. The Eyemo is also by now a standard requisite in the making of motion pictures in the flowery kingdom, at least I am presuming so, if the Japanese directors and cameramen there are as insistent in their demands for it as they were when we left there. It is a creditable fact that once the advantages of any innovation has been demonstrated to them to their satisfaction, they are real enthusiasts, frequently too much so. They are prone to overdo it and work a good thing to death. During the six months that we were in Japan we supervised the making of between fifty and sixty pictures, ranging from six to twelve reels each. There are three thousand moving picture theaters in Japan, seventeen showing straight foreign pictures, about thirty mixed foreign and domestic, and the remainder show Japanese entirely. There are about sixteen producing companies and over fifty million feet of film of all descriptions are annually imported. There's a thrill of satisfaction when you buy Christmas Seals THERE'S a thrill because you know that you are doing good for others and yourself, because Christmas Seals help finance the work of stamping out tuberculosis. The Tuberculosis Associations have already helped to cut the tuberculosis death rate by more than half. During 1 928 these Tuberculosis Associations will conduct a campaign on the early diagnosis of tuberculosis. This means further health protection. Buy your Christmas Seals today. Put them on your Christmas mail and help spread their joyous message of health on earth. THE NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES HARRY D. BROWN Cinema Studios Supply Corporation 1438 Beach wood Drive HOHy 0513 HOUy 0514 Brown-Ashcraft Carbons and Other Studio Lamps Studio Equipment FOR RENT 1 Mitchell Friction Tilthead and Tripod 3 Mitchell Cameras 2 Bell & Howell Cameras Equipped with Astro Lenses. F 1.8, F 2.3 8 Mitchell Magazines Extra Lenses Baby Tripods J. R. LOCKWOOD Hollywood Address Producers Film Laboratories, 861 Seward. GL. 6115 523 N. Orange St., Glendale. Glend. 3361 -W JOE NOVAK, A. S. C. Free Lance Akeley Specialist Phone: WH. 3920