Business screen magazine (1946)

Executives Learn As Their Time Permits Using Panacolor projectors containing the entire BNA Films' "Effective Executive" series, Government Employees Insurance Company managers learn at their own desks as their schedule permits. THE BUSY EXECUTIVE, beset by countless crises clamoring for his time. Top priority for everything. And toward the bottom of the hst, seldom getting any closer to the top, is the frustrated training director attempting to bring together a group of executives for a management training seminar. "A training film? At a time like this'?"" is the familiar refrain. "At your own time, in your own office," was the surprising reply of Nancy Dickey, training coordinator for the Government Employees Insurance Co., (GEICO), Washington, D.C., the sixth largest stock auto insurer in the U.S. Her trump card was the new Panacolor motion picture projector. GEICO"s middle and top management were recently able to view the Peter F. Drucker full color film series produced by BNA Films on The Effective Executive. Instead of being called away from their desks to attend a viewing in an auditorium, they saw the five-part series in their offices, at their convenience. "So far we"ve reached 40 of the 110 executives here from manager up,"" explained Nancy Dickey. "For seven weeks the Panacolor projector was in use every day. As word of its presence got around, others called asking to be fit into the schedule. We expect to reach most of those 110 executives.'" To evaluate the projection system and the film content, a form was left with each executive who used it. The evaluation form asked several specific questions about both the machine and the film. Each executive returned a completed form with 100 percent saying they were interested in seeing more films in this format. Ted Culp, assistant vice president of the Claims Department said: "There are usually four or five films each year that I'd like to see but can't because of more important commitments. Chances are unlikely that I'd be able to get away right now to see the Drucker series. But I was able to see it right in my office." "I wouldn't want to take the time and ef GEICO executives loading cartridge containing the five films in the BNA "Effective Executive" series into the Panacolor projector. Remote control on desk top permits instant random access control of the program. fort to see a training film," pointed out Stacy Williams, assistant vice president and claims counsel. "But I did get to see one of the Drucker films on the Panacolor machine. And I got as much out of it as I would have in an auditorium." "Flexibility is the chief advantage here," explained Gerry 0"Neal, director of marketing. "I was able to look at the presentation off and on all day between various meetings." There were a lot of interruptions," said Donn Knight, director of staff services, "but the important point is that I saw the Drucker films and was still on hand to take care of all those interrupting matters. I saw all five films. Normally, I wouldn't have had time." Minding the store while watching a training film sums up the reaction of GEICO executives to the projector. Nancy Dickey achieved a breakthrough among the hardest group to reach, top management, with the machine that looks like a television set, works like a cassette tape recorder and features unique control capabilities. The Panacolor projector has as its heart "prism optics," an advanced motion picture shutter system developed by Panacolor's Dr. Leon Wells and engineers at Zeiss Ikon, West Germany. They designed a unique "prism core" assembly by bonding 12 symmetrical lens elements to an optical prism. A continuous capstan-driven film transport mechanism similar to those employed in tape recorders gives the projector the quietness of the tape recorder, plus the control abilities of reverse, frame-by-frame movement, and stop on frame. Film for the projector is contained in a hand-size magazine that holds the equivalent of one full-length sound motion picture of up to two hours duration, or six different films, each up to 20 minutes long. The film format consists of 12 rows of pictures and 12 tracks of optical sound reproduced on 70nim film. Printing economy is the principle advantage to this format, and the resulting film size takes up less storage space and is more rugged than 16mm film. "We gave each executive a short demonstration on how to operate the machine," Nancy Dickey said. "Then we left them alone to use the machine at their own convenience throughout the day." The push button controls allowed users to stop the film at any time for interruptions, or study a particular frame. They reversed to go over a point, proceeded frameby-frame, or in slow motion. "We were able to stop the machine at any time and discuss the presentation from the standpoint of applications within our department," said Ross Pierce, GEICO's assistant vice president of operations who called an associate in to view the Drucker series. "The executives felt it was a very relaxed way of viewing a training film," Nancy Dickey pointed out. "But most important, it made it possible to present some ideas like Drucker's to people who just didn't have time for classroom presentation." • 22 BUSINESS SCREEN