Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1931)

256 MAY 1931 Continuity of amateur industrials ARTHUR L GALE A discussion for personal filmers on their planning How valuable commer MORE than one hundred and twenty seven first rate industrial and advertising films have been made by amateur movie makers. Almost an equal number are now in the process of production, cially an amateur film may be is indicated by the experience of one company whose amateur made industrial closed a contract with an European government. The film was screened for all of the department heads of the government and, since no outsider is allowed, to address such a meeting in person, the film accomplished a task that would otherwise have been impossible. The amateur producer of the film writes, "Incidentally, the picture has revolutionized our selling plan for it has enabled us to approach people in a way that would not have before been practical. We have discovered things about our product as a selling proposition that we did not know until the movie had revealed them to us." Two hundred copies of this particular a m ateur industrial are now in use. The amateur movie maker who is not using his camera in his business is losing a vital commercial advantage and, possibly, the most potent sales agent he could have. And with the modern developments in amateur movie equipment, every business man who is a movie maker may now turn out a business film at relatively small cost and with little trouble. When first approached, the production of an industrial film may seem a formidable task. How to begin and what to film are the questions that immediately come to mind. Such questions cause no hesitation in making a film of a weekend trip or scenes of the family, but an industrial film, particularly if it is an advertising subject, is an entirely different matter. Even before the prospective maker of an amateur industrial comes to the question of continuity, he lowing Galloway faces the necessity of making a number of decisions in order to decide upon the general type of film that will best serve his purpose. He cannot, for example, begin filming casually, trusting to clever editing to bring out his sales points. No type of movie demands such careful planning as does the industrial or publicity film. However, if the movie maker planning an industrial film applies the same type of thinking to it that he applies to any other business problem, the difficulties in making the necessary decisions will be overcome. It is only because there is tendency to look at advertising in movies as a matter alien to other business problems that there is any hesitation. In order to discuss methods of selecting the type of film most suitable for a particular business, it is convenient to separate industrial films into different categories. First, there is the industrial film made by an amateur for his own satisfaction and pleasure, in much the same spirit that he would make a film record of a vacation. Such films are more entertaining than one might realize and they offer a great deal of satisfaction in the making. Second, there is the industrial film record, the purpose of which is to analyze the operation of machines, scientific apparatus or perhaps the movements of a workman. Such films are most often made in order to secure increased efficiency. Often they are made with time lapse mechanisms or slow motion. For example, the operation of a steel lathe may give slightly imperfect results, the cause of which cannot be determined by inspection of the lathe in action because it moves too rapidly. A slow motion picture may detect the fault. Naturally such a film offers little continuity difficulty unless it is a question of setting the film analysis into a longer reel. Third, there are films made for the purpose of publicizing or advertising products or for direct sales appeal. Such films make up the far greater part of industrial subjects for they are useful to business of all types and may be employed in a very limited fashion or on a large scale. Here Strength and safety are messages of this unusual angle shot