The Cine Technician (1939)

Ji 1937-8 II ]•: (IN K-T E (' 11 N I C J A N 1 (■»() low the quickie along with the big American feature. The British picture, crowded nut of what should be its protected field, may still get a showing, but it will have tn compete in the open market without any quota protection whatever, ami indirect competition with films which have already more than covered their production costs in the United States ami which fan therefore sharply undercut the British product. The supporters of the Separate Quota believe that they have a remedy lor this situation. Their proposal is that no one film shall he eligible for both renters' ami exhibitors* quota and that it must be stated at the time of registering whether a film is intended for renters' or exhibitors' quota. The renters of foreign pictures will thus still have to acquire a quota of British made pictures but they will no longer be able to sell them inside the protected market. British pictures made or acquired b\ renters to fulfil their quota requirements will have to compete in the open market on even terms with the foreign produced films. Apart from all other considerations this will tend in discourage the quickie and to improve the quality of the films made or acquired in Britain by the renters. So far so good. The real importance of this provision, however, is that it gives for the first time a genuine scientific protection and a reserved market to the genuine British producer. Now look at Diagram '2. The genuine British produced film Mows straight through to the third column market "Exhibition." where it reaches a genuinely protected market. "But," say the opponents of tin Separate Quota, "if these. British films reach the screen without any foreign competition what guarantee will there be of their excellence '.'" "A film will not make money merely by being protected," reply the sponsors of the Separate Quota, "and if pictures made under exhibitors' quota do not pay. fewer ami fewer of them will be made, if, on the other hand, the public likes them, tin ■ \ will make a profit, capital will be attracted once more into British film production and more will be made. The whole point of the Separate Quota Scheme is that the exhibitors' quota is flexible and will rise or fall on a sliding scale according to whether British producers succeed or fail at the Box Office." The Separate Quota, after a quite short public life. now has the backing of practically every British producer who is not also an exhibitor. Main renters of foreign films have also given it their blessing. All the Trade Unions, representing the workers in the industry, are also behind the scheme. The Separate Quota does not give the British film producer the same certainty of demand as does the Government scheme which calls for compulsory manufacture of a rising number of British films each year, irrespective of their merits. It provides instead a genuinely and scientifically protected opportunity for films to he manufacture voluntarily. The number made will depend upon the commercial success of their predecessors and not upon an artificial and arbitrary scale. The Separate Quota system gives protection to the British producer and then leaves him to stand or fall by the quality and Box Office appeal of his product. The Government scheme compels production, but by withholding any genuine protection withholds all inducements to quality. SYNCHRONISERS REWINDERS HORIZONTAL BENCH film MEASURERS film SPLICERS EDITING TABLES JOINING TABLES MADE AND SUPPLIED BY ANDREW HYSLOP & CO. LTD. 7, CARLISLE ROAD, LONDON, N.W. 9. Telephone: COLindale 6141 . MAKERS OF SPECIAL APPARATUS, AND TO YOUR OWN REQUIREMENTS.