Canadian Film Digest Year Book (1976)

N.A. Taylor cont’d rates. In order to justify such higher costs the network must cater to the lowest common denominator in tastes, so as to attract the largest possible viewing audience. It is all a vicious circle. This does not apply to the same extent in Canada, where the CBC is not necessarily dependent on advertisers or ratings. Nevertheless, TV stations, in Canada, are feeling the sting of cable. Motion picture theatres, in the past, have shown a surprising ability to survive the multiplicity of afflictions with which they have been beset. Radio, TV, undersupply of attractions, constantly increasing overheads to mention just a few. Now, the adoption of the multiple and comparatively small auditoria has enabled a dexterity in booking which has helped result in increasing attendances. This, in turn, tends to increase the length of run, in many places, and reduces the number of films required to fill a booking schedule. Nevertheless, good ‘‘attractions.. are always a must and always in short supply. Theatres face other problems in the period which lies ahead. Consider, for example, the question of demographics. In recent years, the greatest part of our audiences, had been teenagers and young unmarried people in their 20’s. As the post-war crop of babies grew into their teens, the proportion of such people to the general population grew and we benefitted accordingly. From now on, the trend will be reversed. People are marrying at a later age and having less children. In point of fact, in some areas, zero population is being neared. Therefore, in the future, we face a demographic chart which will show a proportionately smaller percentage of young people and a general population of relatively higher mean average age. This may affect our business. If people are marrying later and bearing children later, it follows that they should be gregarious for a longer period and should, therefore, continue to patronize movies. Our present crop of teenagers and young people are accustomed to movies with more sophistication and a greater degree of permissiveness than in the past. When they settle down and become, homebodies, so to speak, will they be satisfied with the kind of entertainment they can see on TV? Not long ago, a virtual entertainment revolution was predicted with the introduction of video tape cassettes. The forecast was for apotential billion dollar business and film producers were envisioning an entirely new auxiliary market. For many reasons, the concept failed to materialize and millions of dollars were lost by the companies which had ventured into the field. CBS alone, is purported to have lost forty million dollars on the system which they had sponsored. Now there is a great deal of talk about the introduction of the videodisc records which will re-produce sound and coloured pictures through the TV set. RCA is sponsoring such a system and so is Phillips along with MCA both highly respected entertainment giants. At this point, no prediction can be made as to what effect this may have on the theatre business or any other aspect of the motion picture business, for that matter or whether, as a 8 medium, it will be successful. We have had to learn to live with inflation. Spiralling wages, taxes, and other operating costs have forced admission prices up. Traditionally, experienced exhibitors have been reluctant to raise admission prices because they were very sensitive to the possibility of a reduction in the number of tickets sold in some relation to price advances. Nevertheless, we are no longer the prime time-waster entertainment medium and must act in a manner which good business practice dictates. Now, something new has been added the wage and price guidelines and controls. Hopefully, we shall be able to live with these. In this issue, an entire section is devoted to Canadian film production particularly feature films production. An examination of this section will rapidly assure one that Canada has an enormous reservoir of people with the necessary skills and talents for feature film production. We have done exceedingly well in the documentary field, particularly through the National Film Board and other forms of production have managed to get along. However, in the feature film field, Canada, has yet to make its mark. There has been great criticism of the feature film production section of the motion picture business since the formation of the Canadian Film Development Corporation, some eight years ago. That organization has continually .been castigated and film makers have been berated and belittled. It is not possible to create a viable feature film industry in one decade or even two. But that is no reason to assume that Canada, one of the great trading nations of the world, should be without one. In recent years, we have been striving very hard to assert ourselves culturally, and surely this is one of the forms our expression should take. Wouldn't it be more prudent to assume that we have gotten off to a bad start and try a new approach? Ten years ago the writer wrote a series of articles for the Canadian Film Weekly on Canadian Feature Film Production. At that time | said, and it is still true, that the basic requirements for a viable and continuing industry were financing and subsidy. Both of these assists can be worked out without being a charge to the tax-payer. England went through its period of learning and suffering and we must do the same here. But we should and can have a feature film industry in Canada. There is now a great deal of talk about a feature film quota. This is a useless and damaging exercise and will do little to help establish a film industry in Canada. It will not cure the illness it will only add another. Last year witnessed the rejuvenation of the Canadian Film Awards. In 1973 a great plan was ruined by the antagonistic stand taken by some Quebec Film makers. Therefore, in 1974 no affair was held but in 1975 a comeback of imposing proportions was made at Niagara-on-the-Lake. In 1976 the affair will return to Toronto and already plans are in the making and there are promises of a great and important event and vital to the film industry. cont'd on page 99