Business Screen Magazine (1963-1964)

scenes from here und try to add them over there, without jeopardizing the whole. Every block — every scene — is ESSENTIAL to the whole, every block is doing its job. It has form and style. It's a nice, tight film. The Test: Kun Vonr Own Films "Silent" Try this test with some of your own films. Run the film silent. See if it makes good story sense without the sound. Look for a sequence at the end of the film that "makes the point " — that really "wraps it up" — that gives a strong sense of completion, and 1 repeat, without narration. If you don't find these things, the chances are that you have a picture that at least leans toward the illustrated lecture, that you're depending too much on words to tell your story. Let me emphasize again right here that I'm discussing the sales film, the public relations film, the one designed to sell a product, concept or 'im.ige.' I'm not talking about the teaching film, the training film. Words Are Cheap; Good Design Worth Price Now. let's be honest. There are a couple of disadvantages to making this properly-built film. One. it's going to cost more You can't design and build an original structure — which is what every film should be — without spending more money. The illustrated lecture is a cheaper film because it is comparatively easy to make. It's been done thousands of times before, the pattern is well established. It uses a lot of words, and words are cheap. Second, the correctly-designed film is going to take more time to produce. You can't bang it through, you can't rush it to meet a fantastic deadline. If it's going to be a really original piece, it's going to take time. Third, you're going to need some courage. That fear that we talked about before is going to come up. because you'll be dealing with something fresh and original, but as yet untried. But if you want to make more efficient use of your film dollar, if you want to sponsor truly exciting films that will persuade your audience, arouse it. charge it with the emotions that will make it buy. you've got to take these risks. .\ Producer's \'ie\\ of Film Procurement Well, you say. how can we reduce these risks? How can we be reasonably sure that we're going to have this kind of film, instead of a costly flop'.' Let me try to give you some |iractical suggestions. FIRST, select a few producers who are reliable, financially stable, and who have experience. To save your time, you might want to get them all together in a group meeting. Tell them why you believe you need a film, and what job you want the film to do. Then, tell them what your budget is. Don't make a secret of this. This. 1 think, is of a paramount importance. Because if you request competitive bids, a lot of bad things happen. The producer tries to guess how much money he'll have to work with, and then tries to design a good film to fit it. But he's not sure he guessed right. And so. to safeguard his profit margin, he falls back on the old. sure control of usinu words, words that Do Your Talking Pictures MOVE or Just TALK? are cheap to change, instead of telling the story with pictures. And so you wind up with the same, tired illustrated lecture. Furthermore, you're liable to receive bids that range all over the place. This has confused many a sponsor. It shouldn't. There are an infinite number of ways to film any given subject. But instead, if you state your budget, the amount of money you will pay for the picture, the producer is on sure ground. He will compete not on the basis of price, but on the basis of quality. In this way. you can be sure of getting the highest quality film for your money. In this meeting with the producers, ask them to select the writer and director who will work on your picture. C'Vl to Kno\\" the Writer and Director rhis is the SECOND step; interview the writers and directors they have selected. Spend time with them, take them to lunch. Do a real depth interview of them, and see some pictures they've written and directed. It doesn't matter whether they were produced by their present employers, as long as they worked on them. Now I'm assuming that the writer has the talent and the experience to give you a good film. But over and above that, where the writer's concerned, try to find a writer with some genuine INTEREST in your subject, or better ^still. CONVICTION. If he hasn't this, you'll never get any feeling into your film, any emotion. Try to find a writer who is really dedicated to your subject and who can get excited about it. Just a word of caution: some e-xcellent writers are pretty poor talkers. You have to try to get inside them, sort of sense them out. It may not be easy, but by all means, interview the writer. Need an Outline or Treatment? Buy It By this time, you'll probably have a pretty good idea of who your producer is going to be. THIRD step: Perhaps, before you award him the job. you might ask him to submit his outline, or film treatment. Naturally, you should expect to pay for this, because he'll be well into the creative when he does a treatment. Let's say that you accept his treatment, anil award him the contract. Many producers at this point go right into script. Personally. I prefer to go into storyboard, with only suggestions of what the narration might be. Doing a storyboard at this point forces the writer to think in terms of visuals. and that is what you want. Let the shooting script come later. Here's Place to .Analyze the \'isuals The FOURTH step. then, is to analyze his storyboard very carefully. This is the first visual presentation of your film, and it's an excellent index of the things we discussed before. Test the storyboard for good, strong visual continuity, its ability to tell the story without narration. See that the scenes follow each other logically, that one grows out of the other. See that each scene is essential: you can test this by just covering it up. and judging if it's really necessary. If it doesn't advance the story, then it's so much dead weight. And finally, look for a sequence at the end that will wrap up your story, giving meaning to the whole, like the punch line of a good joke. If this end sequence is correct, it will deliver the emotional punch you want. By the time you've approved storyboard, you should be prepared to relinquish just about all further controls. You've guided the producer up to this point. You've pointed the writer in the correct direction during the talking stages, you've applied controls during the outline and treatment stages. By the time the writer is into storyboard — and by the way, this is still in the writer's province — the form of the film should have taken pretty definite shape. If you start to make extensive changes at this time, you may be upsetting some delicate planning. Reall> Good Pictures Have a Style Now. just one more point, hut it's a big one: the question of STYLE. .■\ good film must bear the stamp of ONE MAN. and that man is usually the director. If the director's the writer too, so much the better. But it is principally the director who will give your film a style. Style in film is a subtle thing that most people won't even notice. But they'll notice the lack of it. and they'll sense that something is wrong. Style will give your film unity. .■\ quick summary: Buying is an emotional act. and the wellmade film is one that arouses the emotions to buy. There is a fear, however, that a film will say the wrong things, arouse the wrong emotions. Consequently, control is applied. This control is applied in the area of words, because we are familiar with wurds. and they are inexpensive. This results in films that are top-heavy with narration, the illustrated lecture. But the illustrated lecture squanders the true power of film; its structure does not permit emotion to develop. The true film is one that tells a story without words: it has a beginning and an ending, it has form and a punch line. And the practical suggestions, how to be sure to get a true film: Select a few reliable producers, and tell them your budget. Don't ask for competitive bids. Interview the writer, and try to find one who has a particular interest in your subject, even a conviction about it. Test the storyboard carefully for visual continuity, and a punch line. And finally, don't apply too much control. A film must bear the stamp of one man if it is to have style and unity. One added thought. There is terrific competition today for the public's time. Don't squander your film dollar. Take courage, and put faith in your producer, your writer and your director. Make an outstanding film that appeals to the emotions. It will sell for you. S" NUMBER 2 • VOLUME 25 • 1964. 55 EEsaq