Reel and Slide (Mar-Dec 1918)

REEL and SLIDE 19 Shall Our Film Be One Reel or Two? Stetson Hat Company Film Production Showing "How Felt Hats Are Made" Described One Reel Most Popular Unit in Big Cities — Two Reels in Towns, Their Experience By William H. Schneider (Assistant Secretary, John B. Stetson Company, Philadelphia) I HE John B. Stetson Company has had considerable experience with moving pictures,' not wholly actuated by commercial purposes, but also actuated in its film ventures by a desire to illustrate the art of hat making for the entertainment and instruction of the general public. Fortunately, our industry is one that lends itself to visualization and the result has been a picture that is constantly in demand. As everybody wears ha1;s, the subject is one of direct interest to the average person and thus a popular keynote is struck at once. We believe, judging from our experience, that the one reel subject is the best unit for circulation in theaters located in the larger cities. On the other hand, the smaller towns seem to prefer the two-reel subject. However, we are sold on the one reel 61m for a purpose like ours as enjoying the greatest average popularity, especially where national distribution is the aim and intention. Some years ago the Lubin Company, searching for educational subjects, asked permission of us to produce a film showing how Stetson hats are made. This was long before it became the practice of large concerns to circulate films visualizing the processes in the manufacture of their products. The Lubin people circulated the films through their exchanges and we secured two prints for ourselves, which were shown to our employes at our factory and later at the Pan-American Exposition. Some of our dealers asked for the films and we had several additional prints made to supply this demand. Subsequently a number were placed with the Bureau of Commercial Economics at Washington and were routed through the United States and Canada. We made no effort to increase their circulation. Cut Two Reels Down to One Motion picture photography had in the meantime made such progress that our -film became obsolete. All the Lubin films were recalled and after "shopping around" among the producers, we contracted with the Dyer Film Company, New York, who produced two reels. We found that in certain districts there was some objection to two reels and we were obliged to cut them to a single reel. The films show the progress of a hat from the raw fur to the finished product. As a preliminary, the fur-bearing animals — beaver, hare and nutria — are shown as they appear in life. We were particularly fortunate in being able to film a pair of beavers as they were building a dam, as well as a large family of South American nutrias. Views are given of the various departments, beginning with the preparation of the fur skins ; cutting the fur and preparing it for use ; forming the hat bodies ; sizing and blocking them ; finishing, trimming and packing. Panoramic views are shown, followed by "close-ups" as the story proceeds. We have been told that the films are of exceptional brilliancy, interesting, and that they have been wellplanned, so that it is possible to follow the subject intelligently. From the Stetson production, "How Felt Hats Are Made. No characters have been introduced and no attempt has been made to feature "stunts." It is surprising how few men realize how much work is necessary in making a man's quality felt hat. Comparatively few know that they are made of fur. We have issued a descriptive booklet, but to many men reading is a task, particularly of a subject that is interesting only to those who really want to know, whereas, animated pictures, irrespective of the subject, are bound to interest some of the spectators and the remainder look at them by compulsion, so to speak. K the photography is of a high standard, a good impression is made and the pictures will hold for at least part of the time the attention of that class of people who are not generally interested in educational films. A good thing will attract anybody. That being true, it naturally follows that nearly all of those who see all or part of this film and, particularly if they had no previous knowledge of the method of making Stetson hats, will, when they think of hats, have cause to remember Stetsons. What the Dealers Say of Films Frequently we receive letters from dealers who have exhibited the films that would indicate they are valuable. One firm says : "We are doing a big business as a result of showing the film." And very often we are told that the pictures are a "revelation." For the present we are circulating the films to those who request them. Our traveling salesmen interest the dealers in the films, and many requests for them are received through this source. The fact that we had the film was advertised in one of the hat trade papers and as a result we circulated a number of reels to dealers. Other requests come to us in various ways from schools, colleges, religious, social and fraternal organizations. B^hB a ^iS^^~^^^^-'^^'^' ^ L. ~^«^fil^^^^^^^^^H ■■ *^ 47 ^f/-!^::/' '"" ■■'""* '■ ■ PS! ' '» . -tsu ^1 ■1,'i, The making of felt hats, showing the process from beginning to end.