Business screen magazine (1946)

gleanings BY LON B GREGORY Two recent events directed our thinking toward a comment on truth as it applies to today's business fihn. The first was a letter from San Francisco producer Larry Dawson in response to our August "Camera Eye" column. The second was a statement by filmmaker Mike Gray at a Chicago Film Council meeting. Half a continent apart, and in different ways, they each proffered an important statement on sponsor/producer responsibility for truth. No one disagrees that our planet faces serious "growth" pains in the forms of population, pollution and poverty. And, many recent films have called greater attention to this. Dawson noted (and we agree) that neither the audiovisual media nor a recently ecology minded American corporate management are the sole repositories of eternal truth. He points out that the California Redwood Association (a lumber trade group) film. The Forever-Living Forest, "leaves an impression that all is well in the best of all possible redwood forests, and that so-called tree farming will forever preserve our fast dwindling heritage of great trees ... an impression which simply doesn't accord with the facts." Mike Gray told his audience that no matter how inconvenient or painful, it is a filmmaker's responsibility "to search out and present the (whole) truth. "The filmmaker is today's and tomorrow's educator," adds Gray. And, no one can deny the effects of films on people (young and old) today. They are compelling. They are moving. And, more importantly . . . they are believed. This alone should steer the business sponsor and producer away from a presentation of a misleading or half-truth. Unfortunately, it doesn't always. The range and effect of films today cannot be denied. In addition to thousands of showings to small groups in meetings, airports, resorts, schools, industrial plants and ever more on television, a recent survey by AssociationSterling Films shows that sponsored short subjects are being shown in nearly nine out of ten hardtop and drive-in theatres. And, 88 per cent of the theatre owners said they would use more if they were available. The point here is that audiences are easier than ever to reach with meaningful films. As Dawson noted to us, it is "Better we bend every effort to correct — in advance — the problems of our nation and planet than decry the efforts of those who point to the problem." The challenge is to begin to spell out what and how America's future can be assured for the well being of all concerned. "Truth, clearly presented and delivered to audiences is the proper and much needed answer for alert management. We hasten to join both Dawson and Gray in adding, "But let is really be the truth." ^ OCTOBER, 1970