La Cinématographie Française (1937)

294 3°, that the annexed industries: printing, studios, and equipment manufacturer, give a useful concentration to the continuai perfectionment of their material and their methods. There is no jerk ness in the French Production. Since the advent of the talking film the French Production has turned out: Feature films: 1930 .... 94 1934 . . . . 126 1931 139 1935 ... . . . 112 1932 .... . . 157 1936 116 1933 . . . . . . 158 1937 . . . III Without any effort other than financial, it could produce the double. However, in spite of the fact that impetus in the work is not lacking, prudence remains the rule. The quantity of films produced varies according to the money recuperated by the renting and the sale of films. Exhibition puts a brake on Production. Without however, damping the ardour, since the production only récupérâtes 90 percent of its expenses and keeps up, however, each year, the expenditure necessary for the making of its 1 1 0 feature films, of its documentary pictures and of its 5 newsreel éditions. What is the cost of the feature films? The figure will surprise our fnends overseas. The French hâve, as well as the taste for independancy, the genius for economy. The cost of the.r last important films, such as, those rewarded at the Venice Biennial, does not excecd 4 million francs ($ 1 33,000 or £ 26,670). A good average fi'm costs, in 1937, from 2 million to 600,000 francs ($ 86,700 or £ 17,340), DISTRIBUTION IN CONTACT WITH THE CLIENT EXPORTATION IMPROVES Official theoriticians examinmg, a few years ago, the organisation of the Cinéma in France, established a magnificent plan in which they suppressed the numerous distributing agencies and replaced them by one official agency, charged with the transport of films and their réparation after use. An officiel bank colîected the percentage or the receipts and divided it amongst the film producers. These, naturally, made standard films in an unique and standard studio. This idea is an utopian scheme. But in that which concerns the distribution, it is not only false, but also dangerous. For, in France, the coountry of indepencent producers and cxhibitors, the distributing agencies are essential organs of liaison and adaptation. They are able salesmen. They get from a film ; whether it be excellent or chfficultly saleable, the best outputs on our exigious market. The distribution is a regulating wheel. Th ere are two types of distributing organisations in France and North Africa. One is the company with headquarters in Pans, which has its own exchanges in the following régions: Paris, North (Lille), East (Strasbourg) , South East (Lyons) , South (Mar seilles) , South '7/est (Bordeaux) and North Af nca (Algers) . In this category are included the 7 French branches of the major American companies; the French branches of the 2 main German companies and 6 French companies. These centralized orgamsms possesses in Pans and in the key cities, exchanges with film depots and workshops for venfymg prints, and a very important staff of salesmen. They chstnbute nearly the whole of the American and German films (272 in 1936), of which they are the importers and the owners, and a third of the French films (37 in 1936), which are often rented only on a percentage basis. The other type of orgamzation is the régional distributor, possessing his own capital and Personal team of représentatives. In the past, lie boughl films for lus région. To-day he merely assures the renting in the name or the Producer. But, as this renting generally takes place while the film is being made, as a minimum guarentee is fixed and commercial drafts are issued, the distributor is at one and the same time an important financier and an employée, having an interest in, and being responsible to the society that produces the film. An indépendant society that makes a film may tlius, either give the film into the trust of one of the distributing societies with régional exchanges, or rent it though the intermediary of the indépendant régional distributors. The indépendant distributors number 40 in the Paris district and 6 or 8 in the key cities of one of the distributing societies with régional thirds of the films made in France and a lesser quantity of foreign films, Their turnover is about 350 million francs for this year. They use about 100 million feet of positive film, and are the base of the work in the printing laboratories. The French exportation used to be very brilliant. Actually, while not as brilliantly successful as its great American rival, which disposes of a world wide and well cared for market, prospected by direct exchanges, it conserves a prépondérant place in Belgium, m French Switzerland and in its colonial Empire. The absence of direct French agencies abroad has made it:elf very strongly felt since the advent of the talking film. Its turnover, estimated at 30 million francs per year (one million dollars) , is not, in reality, superior to the figure reached in the last years of the silent film. The French Production possesses a good team of professional exporters, connected with an important number of foreign buyers m the countries of Central Europe, of the Mediterranean, of South America, of Japan and the countries of the North. In Canada, a FrancoCanadian film assures a regular market. This exterior progress is 1 mited by the official or tacite closing of the frontiers and by the interdictions on the exportation of money. In the révision of the assets of the French industry, the figure of exterior business, the net profit, remains, however, very praiseworthy, and the contact maintained modestly by the Paris exportation agents may be rapidly kept up by a System of direct agencies, if an important film takes them in hand or if the State favours them. CONSTRUCTION OF EQUIPEMENT IMPORTANT EXPORTATION I he quality of the Debrie and Eclair caméras, to mention only the two most important manufacturers, is well known to the professîonals. The material used for print.ng projection (standard and sub-standard size) , the sound equipment, the equipment of the studios, are a very important industrial branch in France. The manufactunng of equipment for the Cinéma Industry occupies about 30 firms, representing an immobihzation of more than 50 million francs, by their machinery alone. The exportation complétés their acth ily on the home market in a very strong proportion. I he împorting companies for the sound projection and recording equipment are equally numerous. The sub-standard film has extended considerably. Pathé-Rural, alone, has 2,500 commercial posts in France. Twelve firms specializing in the 1 6mm film are developing rapidly. I he use of these sub-standard sizes in the sciences, in éducation, and newsreels having been doubled in the last three years. ALL THE FORCES OF THE CINEMA INDUSTRY LINED AT THE STARING POINT In order to realize exactly the position of the French Cinéma Industry in 1938, it is well to hâve looked backwards, to hâve examinée) the expériences made by its rivais, to hâve measured the interior forces it possesses, in its staff, in equipment, and method of work, at the begining of 1938. The new men who hâve joined the trade in France since the development of the talking film, as well as those who fought for it during the previous difficult years, may be proud to belong to a corporation, which in 40 years has created a new kincl of entertainment, whose artisans and traders hâve determ.ned the form and spread the taste of it throughout al! the countries of the world, and which, in spite of being handicapped during 5 years by the war, in spite of foreign markets lost, has instinctîvely regrouped its forces on its small ternir, iy, and as far as Creative genius is concerned has regained the first place and once again serves as an example and quide in the way it had traced for îtself. The French Cinéma is, to-day, commercially balanced. On the base of its stable home market, of its foreign markets, Consolidated by the very value of its films; by its technicians, by its players, and its traders, it once again recovers faith in itself and prosperity. Do not envy it. It deserves it. P. -A. Harlé.