Business screen magazine (1946)

think. And yet if that great new idea is presented first at the seemingly appropriate middle-level to the audiovisual manager or the personnel director, it gets lost even more surely, because Palmer's Law of Corporate Gravity proves that ideas only move downward. So what to do? It's obvious . . . SELL THE MEDIUM. And SELL THE MEDIUM TO THE EXECUTIVE SUITE, where projects really originate . . . sell the medium by making these men fainiliar with it; by getting them to see films, regularly and consistently over a period of time. Ott Coelln and I used to talk about Executive Breakfast Meetings where producers would show selected films. The Film Councils looked hopeful, and Eastman's current "Movies Move Things" looks fine — but nothing has ever brought business film to the eyes of the idea-originating top executives with any consistency. I think there is a way to beat this. I sounded off on it to lAVA some years ago, without visible effect, but I still bet it will work. .And it's something that the individual producer can initiate and — this is vital — keep pushing and implementing until the AVP starts saying to the VP, "Let's try a film." (Of course the job may go to the Jam Wilding guy who sails with the Chairman's brother-in-law, but at least we will have struck a blow for progress). So — In any big organization there is a middle-level man who is concerned with film. Often he's the person you've been pitching for jobs: hopefully an lAVA type with some film savvy; perhaps a man in the public relations sector. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to persuade him to start an internal Film Familiarization Program; and then over the months and years, work with him to keep it going. Actually he ought to welcome your idea, because as his campaign goes on he will gradually build up a personal closeness with the executive suite; with a growing recognition of himself as an individual, and the importance of his function. The CEO may even start calling him George. So here's what George does to carry on his Program . . . He familiarizes himself with the key top men in the company, and with their areas of responsibility. He keeps alert for problems and trends which fall in those areas — and for films which might bear on them . . . and then he secures a print, and memos the particular executive to the effect that, "We have come across a new film which you might like to look at. In Living Color, featuring candid state ments of the black and chicano attitudes toward the Equal Employment Opportunity program; running time 12 minutes; very direct and interesting. We've got a print for the next three days, and I will set it up in your conference room at any time Mrs. Benson tells me will be convenient for you." Mrs. Benson calls, the Man screens it, maybe even says. "Tom and Walter ought to see this," and we've accumulated three more exposures to the everyday tool utility of the film. Obviously, George will need to keep current with what's available in the way of appropriate films. He'll read regularly the relevant trade periodicals, scan the Modern and Association-Sterling promotions, pick up suggestions from colleagues, and so on. And remembering that the top men nowadays are concerned not only with business problems, but with the relationship of their organizations to society, George will also be alert for good films in the "hot topic" areas such as Environment and Drug Abuse, as well as films on significant economic subjects, rele "... the President leans forward after one of George's screenings and says. "I wonder if a movie might help with getting the field men to go along with the Model F program" vant scientific advances. Las Vegas, and the like; whatever subjects relate to the executives' interests and hook into their curiosity. He'll even keep their personal concerns in mind — for the VP whose boy is in Little League he'll offer to send home the Action Baseball loops with a Technicolor projector; offer "Revolution in Relevance" for his wife's Career Education night at her PTA. Once in a while perhaps he can offer a luncheon screening in the executive dining room of something really special, such as "Why Man Creates." In short, in addition to his job-description routine, George becomes an in-house film-nwcliiiiii salesman. An important thing he sells is the new feasibility of bringing films to their target audiences. His executive "prospects" now think of film only in terms of its darkened-room-andskilled-operator cumbersomeness, so George will imobtrusively show his pictures in a variety of the new delivery vehicles — on the conference room table without dimming the lights; right on the CEO's desk without making him move from his chair; viewing a shortshort in the hand-held cordless little Private Eye, even demonstrating one or two of the video cartridge and cassette devices. Object, to help top managers realize that nowadays not only can film messages be direct and crisp, but they can be delivered to the eyes and ears of the selected target groups or individuals easily and cheaply in exactly the right spots, from cafeteria to locker room to foreman's cubicle to prospect's desk to machine-side. AV dealers will happily supply the demo projectors and hunt up appropriate films in the proper cartridges. Obviously, all this calls on George for a new exercise of imagination, alertness, and just plain sweat. That's where we come in as George's silent partner; encouraging, contributing, and keeping the program alive and active over what will inevitably be a long haul. But worthwhile — for George because he will gradually build himself into the staff Authority on communication matters, and to us because of our increasing closeness to the man who, when a film project idea comes down from upstairs, sets the budget and selects the producer. And of course there's always the possibility of an unexpected sudden payoff, like when the President leans forward after one of George's screenings and says, "I wonder if a movie might help with getting the field men to go along with the Model F program?" So much for George and the future. But, to conclude, what can we do to get more business into the house right now? A lot. The key word is BROADEN. BROADEN our prospect contacts. Set up a sales program and follow it through — make three cold phone calls every morning, maybe send out a periodic Newsletter (useful copy, not an ego epic); clip items about prospectpersonnel promotions et cetera and send nice letters; anything to keep our contacts reminded of our name and our business; ail of course leading into our regular schedule of in-person visits. BROADEN our prospects' consciousness of the business film as a multiple-function medium and with the medium's unique capabilities. (You're welcome to lift a Parthenon Datafilms ad from a prior Business Screen Production Review issue, captioned "18 Jobs You Can Do Better With Film" and "Five Unique Powers of the Film Medium" — ask me for a Xerox). BROADEN our prospects' familiarity with the new 8mm "deliverj' vehicles" . . . maybe make up a 15-minute demo reel of short excerpts from our own productions (each illustrating a different film usage) and show it in one of the new carryaround projectors. continued on page 48 September-October, 1973— BUSINESS SCREEN | 31