Reel and Slide (Mar-Dec 1918)

REEL and SLIDE 39 OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SCREEN ADVERTISERS' ASSOCIATION OF THEj,WORLD OFFICERS JOE BRANDT President New York R. R. Hollister Ist Vice-President Dayton, Ohio Tirey L. Ford 2nd Vice-President W. A. Harris Secretary W. F. Herzberg Treasurer The following address, on "Film Distribution Problems," by Mr. Harry Levey, manager of the Industrial Department of the Universal Film Mfg. Co., was read before the Screen Advertisers' Association in convention at San Francisco, July 7: The weak link, if not actually the missing link, .in the industrial film field has been distribution. Twenty years ago, when motion pictures were really "in their infancy," industrial subjects were among the first made, especially in England. But at that time the public would pay money to see ahy kind of picture that moved and the photoplay had not been invented. Followed then the screen drama and its high personal interest, its story development and its thrills quickly wiped out public demand for any other kind of picture. This demand is steadily returning. The popularity of the news weeklies and of good travel pictures attests the public's interest in "things that really happen." But through all the years of motion picture progress American manufacturers have been making records of their processes and telling their story in pictures. Mostly when they had them they didn't know what to do with them. They gave a few private showings or secured some local distribution and the films were put away to stay. The possibility of local distribution opened the way to local merchants and the short trailer, distributed by personal arrangement with the exhibitor, came into vogue. Its scope and appeal were, however, extremely limited and the problem of industrial film distribution remained sub.^tanlially ;insolved. * * * Interest in processes of manufacture was revived by their inclusion in the weekly film releases known as magazines, which four or five diversified subjects were included in a single reel. In this length — from 150 to 300 feet — and industrial or other process subject, sandwiched as it was between lighter topics, proved decidedly popular and interesting. The scenes were short and the more pictorial phases were selected. Added to this recent improvements' in photography and the increased use of the closeup and a decidedly effective step forward was made. The magazines again opened the subject of screen advertising. Was it not possible to present a rnanufactured article so interestingly that the public would accept the advertisement as part of the regular screen diet? This has been established as the case. Just as the public is interested in the advertising columns of the newspapers and magazines, and as effective display is a factor. so cleverly presented advertisements proved, if not an actual drawing card, at least an acceptable small part of the daily program. As these magazines had a large, established and paid circulation the problem of getting distribution for short-length industrials was solved — if the subjects were sufficiently interesting in themselves. That, of course, was largely a matter of the ingenuity of the industrial producer. As a matter of actual experience we have found few articles about which there is not some genuinely interesting film story to be told. But the problem of getting circulation for full reel and multiple-reel subjects was not so easy, even though they were treated with ingenuity. It became plain that distribution through the Harry Levey, Chairman Executive Cominittec. regular film selling channels was not wholly effective. The units were too small and too irregular to use the established machinery of the exchanges. The solution lay in enlarging the method of the local merchant with his trailers — in special personal contact with the exhibitor and in having something to give him that his patrons would be interested to see. Offhand, this sounds very simple, but it has not proved so. Nevertheless, the problem of distribution has actually been solved and we are now conducting national campaigns of advertising through the films. A very large part of the success of these campaigns lies in a recognition of the value of indirect advertising. I am aware that the majority of advertisers believe that the only way to sell their goods effectively is the direct punch — the hammering home of the name and merits of their goods with loud proclamation. There is, as you know, another way. By means of a tieup the article to be advertised becomes of secondary prominence, though not necessarily of secondary importance. For example, a drama may be built on which the future of two lives is in the balance. It is almost a matter of life and death. There is tense suspense and moving dramatic conflict. The emotions of the spectator are at a high pitch. But there is a key to the solution of this human problem — some simple thing. Let us say that it is a special kind of soap. The mention of that soap might come first in the last few feet of film and it might seem entirely casual. But the whole story has hung upon it and so it has the emphasis of every bit of emotion that has been developed in the progress of the drama — the casually mentioned cake of soap "goes over with a punch." And it will not be forgotten. * * * That is the indirect appeal and it is an extraordinarily effective one when skillfully used, either in writing or in pictures. An example of this method of presentation that we now have in national circulation is called "Over the Roads to War." It is the story of the part that roads of France and of America are playing toward victory, showing the moving of troops over the magnificent highways of Europe and our own use of our all-too-few military highways for the moi'ing of supplies. But this picture also shows the part that automobiles are playing in the use of roads for military purposes and it follows the travels of a test fleet of automobiles through the eastern states. The trip itself covered historic ground and is intrinsically interesting, but it has a secondary value. The test was not of cars, but of tires, and the film showed that with more treatment rubber tires will last much longer than they do ordinarily, thereby, saving rubber for war purposes. These facts having engaged our attention, we are interested to discover that the tires are Firestones and that it is part of Firestone policy to advocate the conservation of rubber not for its own pocket, but for the benefit of the nation and our allies. Thus "Firestone" is insinuated into our consciousness unforgetably, and at the same time we have learned much of value and been engagingly entertained. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP Screen Advertisers' Association of the V\/orld Harry Levey, Chairman Executive Committee, Care of Universal Film Mfg. Co., 1600 Broadway, New York Kindly send me the Pledge of Standards of Practice and all particulars necessary for my becoming a member of the Screen Advertisers' Association of the World. Name Date. Firm Nature of Business.