Business screen magazine (1971)

We Need Public Relations DcsiKntr liliii-in.ikcr Pun Iiirlak (Icfl) ftaes over a slory hoiinl with public relal'wns executive lhi\ut Pinion, tit the article, Simon tells how film and public relations people can help each other and do a better job for the client by working together. i.iR By David H. Simon, President SIMON/Puhlic Relations, Inc. Los Angeles. California Ask many inforn):ili()n film people abnul public rel.-'tions and they'll tell you it is somebody else's bag; they don't use it, are not mvolved in it, and don't need to know much about il. I he fact is. though, that they do need to know about it. And depending on how you define it. they arc already involved in it. In its broadest sense public relations deals ^^ith communications as it relates to all of the various publics of interest to a given corporation: therefore everything the film man turns out. no matter for what audience, is in effect a public relations tool. Whether a report to the mililary on the status of a contract, a training film for employees, a sales film, or whatever, it's object is to influence one or more of the corporation's audiences. In addition, the industrial film is — in itself — a tool which the public relations expert can use to generate visibility through the press, employees, financial analysts, customers and the plant community. — For example, a well thought out industrial film is of broad interest to service clubs at a weekly program. And the press will cover such events. — Il can be used as a briefing for visiting financial analysis from brokerage houses. And they may use quotes from the film in their market letters and bulletins to brokers. — How one company solves a pollution problem might be portrayed on film and shown in other cities to governmental and comnnmity leaders. And again, the press will cover such events. — The making of a film itself should result in a press kit with stills from the movie and where appropriate, it should be distributed to suppliers and customers — who may want to include pictures involving their products in their house organs or press kits. Thus, whether he reports to the Public Relations Director, the Marketing Manager, or directly to top management, the film man is dealing in public relations. I-'urlhermore. the free lance film man, or those attached to smaller organizations, may be able to broaden their own horizons and make more subslanlial contributions to the firms they serve if they conside incorporating other aspects o( public rcta tions in their activities. One way to do this is to add a PI specialist to an existing staff. But in man; cases a more practical way is to utilizi the services of a competent outside PP counseling firm with a program special!* tailored to your firm's particular needs Free lancers can offer such services ass(Kiation with their own by bringing u the PR counsellor when they find a clicn who needs one. If the PR firm does i good job for the client, it is sure to rcflec well on the firm that recommended them And there is another, more subtle ad vantage: since the PR firm deals with th' client on a continuing basis over a Ion; period of lime, he is likely to know a „ soon as the client is contemplating tb ^ next film — in fact, he may be the oi* '. who suggests to the client the 'need fo another film. .And when Ihat lime come* the PR counsellor is surely going t remember how he happened to get th program in the first place. Thus, although the film man cannot camp on the df)Oi step of every client he's served in the past he has a "friend at court" who sees tb client on a day-to-day basis— and wl will assure Ihat he get first crack at th next film requirement. gj For the film man on a company staj ^ bringing in outside counsel may well in crease the scope — and the level — of hf responsibility, presumably with the ullimat reward of increased title and compensa lion. And certainly with increased man agemeni recognition of his contribution. Because his scope in communic:itions broad, the public relations expert may se, ways of reworking 10 or 20 percent of Im to create a new movie for a completely different audience. And certainly, PR per. pie are adept at petting full mileage ou of the film once it is produced by consideu ing such projects as articles and new releases in appropriate magazines an newspapers about the film. What kinds of activities are involved i a public relations program'? There are a many answers as companies since ever good counsellor carefully designs each pre gram to meet the needs of the coiti pany. Target audiences can include enployees. shareholders and the financi c<immunily. customers and p<itenli:d cus t WO Chapter Chatter Technical Rep. for the Arriflex Company of America. This latest model "APEC" (Arri precision exposure control) and a 12 to 120 zoom with built-in. one-hand operation. Another great progr:mi idea for you other program guys! SAN JO.SE: In I cbruary. this chapter in Northern California held a prestigious showing of the I.ee Mendelson lilm Productions 16mm color film "I'm 17, I'm pregnant and I don't know what lo do." The film's producer-director, David Crommie and his wife, Karen who was associate producer participated in a discussion and question and answer \e\\ion pertaining to the film after the showing. The film was produced under a grant I mm the James Irvine Toundation to the Children's Home Siniely of California and if available lo local TV stations for a half-hour showing on public .u-rvice lime. The film presents with sensilivltv and leelinn the prohlemy of \ingle girl\ with hiibiei: the alternatives of a forced marriage, aborlitm, or keeping the child vrr.uis adoption. These problems come into sharp focus in a series of confrontalioiis between different girls working out their solutions to the same problem. Children's Home .Society workers and prospective adoptive families portray themselves in the film, while the girls are plaved by young actresses who developed their characters from actual case situations in the agency's files. Most of the dialogue was improvised. SAN FRANCISCO: Also in February the Northern California Chapter held an evening of archives and beer entitled "How To Do Your Own Type Film With Someone Else's Money" as filmmaker Bob Charlton discussed his recent film for the Olympia Breweries. The Pacific Film .Xrchivcs and curator Sheldon Renan ;ilso were hosts for the I irst mccliiig of the >ear hcKI on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Charlton's film was made for the 7.S|h .Anniversary of the Olympia Brewcries and "blended" the progress of the company with the historical events of ihat period. It contains a refreshing approach to the typical documentary and should add to his list of film honors. Bob was winner in the latest IFP.A "Cindy" awari' with his film entitled "Fntertic" made fc the Bonneville Power .Administration. Sheldon Renan discussed the Pacifi Film Archives' many programs to th public, its role as study center for siudenf and information center for filnini.iker^ He was followed by a computer film callc "Matrix" by John Whitney and the IB\ Corporation. CHICAGO: The .Midwest Chapter ate roast bet, jj' at their Februarx dinner meeting and jofl^ McDonald System. Inc.. latest trainin film "New Dimensions." This multlpU image production, conceived and scripted b\ Jan Ware Davenport and produced h Jack Tilles. is being used at McDonald Hamburger Vniversity in h'lk (irove Vii lage to train managers to Utok at the business from the customer viewpoint. S effective and promising are earlv rractior lo the film that manv other uses are bein anticipated. Jan Davenport and Ralph t Nelson, manager of creative services ff McDonalds, were on hand to describe ih intent, production and use of the film i Hamburger I 'niversilv. already well know for its effective audiovisual programs. \( 28 BUSINESS SCRE