Business screen magazine (1967)

Watch for Handtraps A Film Help. Prrvfnl Injuries LAST FALL, in plants throughout the U.S. Steel Corporation, employees picked up paper I and pencil — and watched a movie I — The Handlrap Test. It was a I new 20-niinute motion picture in I color which was shown over a I two-month period to all company employees. I The film was sponsored by I USS for one purpose — to help I workers prevent hand and finger injuries on the job and off. Some 4S5.000 hands and fingers were disabled in industrial accidents last year. Such injuries were the number one safety problem in American industry. In fact, one of every four disabling injuries involved the hands. The Hamllrap Test — patterned after the recently televised National Driver's Test — quizzed viewers on their knowledge of causes of hand and finger injuries and their reaction to potential accident situations. The test was not for grading purposes, but to remind employees of the many potential hazards to hands and fingers, and to determine how well the average USS employee recognizes "handtraps." The film, prcxluced by Matt Parrel! Productions. Inc., of New York, used USS employees and plant and mine locations in its filming. In the film, employees were vividly reminded of "pinchpoints" — places where hands and fingers can be caught between two objects. "Pinchpoints" are a part of everyday life, the film points out. They are everywhere — at home, at play, at work — kitchen drawers, auto doors, machinery in motion. But pinchp<iints in themselves are harmless. It's only when we get a hand or finger in a pinchpoint that it can become a "handtrap." The Hamllrap Test was produced to help U.S. Steel people recognize pinchpoints so handtraps will be avoided and hands and fingers will be protected. S.'i prints of the film were used in showings throughout all U.S. Steel plants. • f\ F All the communication ^-^ skills in the repertoire of the average man or woman, the one used most ( and paid attention to least ) is that of listening. The amount of time devoted to instruction in the art of listening is miniscule. An unusual motion picture, currently available for outright print purchase, represents a vital step towards correcting the imbalance in favor of the eye at the expense of auditory sense. Are You Listening? ( 12' ; -minutes. 16mm b&w) was produced by Henry Strauss & Co. It not only diagnoses major causes of the "non-listening" disease but also provides a basis on which effective programs of curative value can be developed. Listening Can Be Neutralized The films premise is that people are prevented from listening by certain emotional or intellectual distractions. Even the skillful listener can fall prey to one of several "conditions of interference" in which his skill is neutralized. In structure as well as the nature of its subject matter. Are You Listening? is a very useful tool for business, supervisory, and a wide range of other group uses. Five dramatic "case histories" provide substance for effective and objective listening as they present subtle but forceful background on what happens when people fail to listen. Show Causes of Non-Listening The five cases show five different causes of non-listening in operation. In each case the effect is one of dissatisfaction — no matter what the setting nor who the participants. .\ supervisor is insensitive to the feelings and opinions of employees. The morale in his unit sinks to an all-time low. In another case, a meeting is held at which the leader pays attention only to himself. Participation drops off to nothing. Then, we observe an evaluation interview which produces nothing but ill will and evaluates just plain nothI ing. No one is listening. At another interview there is every appearance of listening, but we come to realize that "listening is more than meets the ear". It is not something that takes place on the surface. It is. rather, something that tKcurs deep within each individual giving meaning and importance to someone else. In this instance there is little more than wasted time. Finally, we eavesdrop on a situation in which a prospective airline passenger attempts to con "Thc act of listening is one of thf "She screens out unwanted sounds; inoxl important of all litiman funt fillers ami distorts, because of things lions anil one of the most difficult." which she doesn't want to hear." ARE YOU LISTENING? This New 12->linule Pielure ("an Help Its Viewers Improve Upon the Mo8t-Ur>r<l. Bailly-Neglerteci Communiralion .Skill vey something of his uncertainty to an employee of the airline. The point is beautifully made that listening is not simply a matter of hearing what is said. Nor is it something that can be accomplished with one-half of one's attention. We "see" listening as a truly full-time effort. Binding these separate cases together, providing the philosophic thread that makes a unified whole out of distinctly individual parts, is some exciting documentary-style footage of people in various attitudes of listening and not listening. "Wc begin life by listening. \Vc Iciirn to talk Inj li.steninp . . ahsorh ideas; grow hy listening." of paying close attention and of screening everything out, of involving themselves and of cutting themselves off. The scenes are apt visualizations of the ideas about listening that abound in the film's narration script : ideas w orth bringing to life. Are You Listening? was originally produced by the Strauss organization for Pan American World Airways for use in their Sales and Service training programs. llo« Yon Can Obtain This Film The film is now available for general distribution as well. The purchase price of .4 re You Listening? is SI 40 which includes a well organized discussion guide, invaluable for small group or classroom showings. Previews can be arranged at a cost of SI 0.00, applicable towards purchase. Henry Strauss & Co., 31 West 53rd Street. New York City, are the sole distributors. • Seagram's Holiday Promotional Show Features Unusual Visuals Seagram-Distillers Co. demonstrated its Christmas and New Year's holiday packaging and advertising plans during October and early November last fall at 32 meetings held for the company's own and distributor salesmen at strategic locations throughout the country. Three traveling stationwagon units with Powerhouse slidefilm and 16mm sound motion picture projectors, 20-foot wide screen, and designed for one-man operation, were used to put on the meetings. Seagram wanted something spirited this year for the annual salesmen's show — something with fun. a lot of pacing, get-up-and-go sales excitement — but at the same time not taking itself tixi seriously. The presentation, said to be extremely successful in pleasing its audience and motivating them for the big holiday season, combined motion pictures and slides on one wide-screen, with content material provided by puppets, hill-billy singers, pop art, Super-Salesman himself, a cast of 20, an original score and many more elements. Slide changes were cued to a script and made manually, while the 16mm projector ran continuously. Both picture sources were blended into a freshly new and smoothly integrated presentation, all put touether bv X'isualscopc. Inc.. New Y^rk. , 17lh PRODUCTION REVIEW 1 23