of the paper in their own mills in Newfoundland, its arrival at
their London wharf, and the spectator was then transferred to the
printing-plant, where the complete editions are turned out rapidly by
the latest machines. The publishing to catch early trains to all parts
of England was, unfortunately, omitted. This is done outside in the wee
hours, when it is too dark for filming purposes, so it had, instead,
to be done at their Manchester branch, where they print a big northern
edition at daylight.
Prizes of $15, $10 and $5, respectively, were offered for essays on
the picture written by schoolchildren under sixteen. There was also a
similar competition for adults. All this was announced in their daily,
and schoolteachers in and around London were circularized, advising
them when and where the picture would be shown in their vicinity. They
were asked to kindly bring it before the notice of their pupils, which
they did.
Motion-picture exhibitors availed themselves of the opportunity to run
the film for three days and Saturday matinee free, owing to the advance
advertising accorded the picture and its attractive qualities. At the
Saturday matinees the children attended in full force.
I understand, on very good authority, that the fifteen hundred feet
(one and a half reels) cost $750 to produce, while the six positive
copies used for circulation purposes were furnished for the inclusive
sum of $600. The campaign was such an advertisement and circulation
stimulant that its evening companion, the _News_, followed it up by
inaugurating a series of weekly children’s matinees, admission being
in return for a coupon cut from the paper. Theaters were bought out for
each separate occasion, the amount varying according to capacity and
location. The program comprised six reels of educational and comedy
films, a house in a different locality being bought out each week, and
a new variety of pictures shown. The publication in question did not
employ a film of its own, but relied upon the advertising received in
connection with the shows as being sufficient.
With a little adjustment, to suit the particular line of business,
there is nothing to prevent the London _Evening News’_ plan from
proving equally as effective on this side of the Atlantic.
XI.
SALESMANSHIP DEMONSTRATIONS BY THE FILM
Motion-picture publicity is so pliable that arranging with movie
theaters to put on a film of your product in the making and equipping
salesmen with a reel and apparatus to demonstrate before prospective
customers does not exhaust its uses.
I have unearthed a New York manufacturing concern in a large way of
business who have fathomed the all-important matter of deriving the
fullest value from their movie-advertising investment. They utilize
their film to teach salesmanship to the employees. A large room
has been rigged up as a miniature picture theater, and every week
half-hourly pictorial demonstrations are given to the staff. The film
depicts most thoroughly the manufacture of goods sold by the firm.
It requires no great stretch of the imagination to realize that
to attempt this knowledge in the ordinary way is oftentimes a too
lengthy and intricate task, but the motion picture is so competent in
simplifying the essential details that, after seeing the movie several
times, even the veriest novice can talk intelligently to the likely
buyer on every little point in connection with the making of the goods.
Such clinching arguments make it easier to effect sales, and should the
prospect imagine that the salesman is attempting to convince him with
a lot of hot-air talk, there remains the actual film to back up his
arguments.
An engineering firm I have come across in my travels make use of
their private theater to take their out-of-town customers through the
manufacturing processes of their wares. They being middlemen, the
information thus obtained is passed on to the dubious consumer, with
invariably satisfactory results.
Practically every manufacturing firm that has adopted--or intends
so doing--the film as a branch of their advertising campaign may
profit by applying the plans herewith outlined to their own special
circumstances.
XII.
EQUIPPING A PRIVATE MOTION-PICTURE THEATER FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES
The manufacturer who intends adopting the motion picture as his
advertising offspring for all time will find it necessary to install
a private theater in his office building or manufacturing plant,
according to what he may decide suits him best. This miniature theater
can be made to serve three useful purposes. One is to try out each
new advertising film before putting it into circulation and to be
on guard for defects calling for improvement. The second is to give
regular demonstrations before the employees, so as to keep them up to
efficiency pitch. Thirdly, it is always available for giving shows for
the edification of prospective customers.
The authorities throughout the country are getting exceedingly strict
anent the showing and storing of films, so the room selected for the
purpose should be made as fireproof as possible, for films are mighty
inflammable.
Although no actual case has come before my notice, it might be
interesting to compare the example presented by the wealthy homes in
Cincinnati. There are private motion-picture theaters there owned
by the well-to-do. Both architects and fire insurance men view the
innovation in the light that no ordinary fire insurance policy holds
good under such circumstances. Were there a fire to result, the fire
insurance company having a claim on the same would fight the case out
in the courts to be immune from compensation.
The danger from fire, however, is considerably lessened if the proper
precautions are taken. But, after you have equipped your private
theater, it is best to call in your fire insurance agent to investigate
and discover what his company’s action will be in the matter.
A miniature projecting machine will suit you just as well as one of
the standard machines, which cost three times as much and consume more
current. The only difference is that the standard machines are larger
and have a longer throw on a bigger screen. But your theater will
necessarily be a miniature one, and this makes it ideal for a small
projector focused on a medium-sized screen at a close distance. The
cost of the average miniature projector--there are several makes on
the market--is $100. Apart from lessening the danger from fire, such
a machine can be easily connected with the electric-light current at
present available.
There is a dandy film booth listed in the catalog of a large
motion-picture accessory concern for $50. It is portable and made of
steel, the size being four feet wide, five feet long and seven feet
high. Only twenty minutes is occupied in erecting it or pulling down.
This, of course, need only be done when the floor space is required for
some other purpose when the theater is not required. Inside the booth
the operator can manipulate the machine with perfect safety, for if the
film was to catch fire, the blaze would be confined to the booth and
the operator could quench the flames quickly with a fire-extinguisher.
The screen that gives the best results and is used in the majority of
motion-picture theaters is that known as the “Mirroroide.” There are
several grades, but the best is a medium silver white. These screens
are guaranteed for five years against deterioration, peeling or
cracking.
The size of your screen will depend upon how your room is situated. I
should not advise a too small one, for it is desirable to display all
the selling points in as advantageous a way as you can. I therefore
advocate a screen of not less than four feet by three feet. The
material for same costs $3.25 per square yard.
You will, of course, have to make provision for seating accommodation,
and it is optional whether you purchase some special theater chairs or
use those you have already in use.
A competent operator will expect from $20 to $25 per week salary, but
as you will only need the services of one for part time, I suggest that
you have one of your mechanical staff act in that capacity when his
services are needed.
The steel vault or safe is the best storing-place for films when not in
use.
XIII.
INTRODUCING COMPETITIONS IN AD. MOTION PICTURES
The one element in motion-picture advertising films I have found
lacking is enterprise. I do not mean to say that this is the case of
the pictures themselves, but in the principle of the whole proposition.
Compare the printed matter gotten out by the big advertisers. What do
you discover? Why, numerous devices to attract readers. A photographic
firm offers several hundred dollars in prizes for the best photographs
taken with their camera. A food manufacturer wants to know of new
receipts for his standard line, so he pays liberally for such
suggestions. Another food concern will give an attractive present for a
certain number of labels taken from the packages of their goods. These
are but a few examples of what, in my mind, constitute enterprise.
All this attracts the interest of the public and acts as a direct
booster for the goods thus brought into prominence, but just because
you can obtain the attention of motion-picture audiences with little
effort, that is no reason why you should let ENTERPRISE go by the
board. Your constant aim should be to go one better than your
competitors and, at the same time, arouse the most sluggard to action.
There is a certain glamor about an article being offered free and money
to be had for a little effort, and the opportunity to strike out along
new lines at the movie theater is awaiting your prompt attention. No
advertiser has attempted what I am going to propose. Neither would you
attempt what you have done before through the press and dealers for
the simple fact that this new publicity medium possesses a technique
of its own. This, you can see, necessitates a different proposition
altogether.
One way of gauging the precise lines you should pursue is by keeping
track of what the ordinary motion-picture producing concerns are doing.
This is why I advise frequent visits to the theaters, in which you can
combine pleasure with business. If these producers have experienced the
fact that enterprise pays, after long and diligent study of what the
fickle public wants, it only goes to bear out my assertion that users
of motion-picture advertising should emulate their example.
It also carries much weight in establishing friendly relations with the
exhibitor, for the average one is no great lover of advertising films
unless offered a fee, and even then his enthusiasm is of the watery
kind. But, however, if offered a photoplay of the nature which forms
the basis of this article, gratis, he knows that the joint boosting of
him and the advertiser is a sure tonic for a full house. He, therefore,
may be relied upon not to let the chance go begging and have it snapped
up by his rival a few blocks away.
The $10,000 offered for the solving of “The Million Dollar Mystery”
film serial caused a furore throughout the country. Briefly, the plan
was this: Through the installments, each getting more complicated than
its predecessor, a million dollars disappears, and the thief and his
hiding-place can not be located, although spectators are led to suspect
certain characters and places. The mystery is only known to those
higher up, the correct solution capturing the big money prize. The
extra installment, which was put out after the judging was finished,
informed competitors whether they were successful or not. Now, can not
you detect the possibilities of the idea? Supposing somebody hides
something in your advertised goods and you have all the action revolve
around that situation.
The Universal Company recently experienced great difficulty in
selecting an appropriate name for a certain feature film drama, so they
released it devoid of a title and launched an advertising campaign
announcing their intention of paying $50 for the one accepted.
A no small amount of enthusiasm was created by the Cines Company in
their plan to remunerate the best scenario with a thousand dollars,
with several smaller prizes for the ones next best in merit. Almost
everybody is writing photoplays nowadays, and it would be a dandy
idea if you were to launch an extensive advertising campaign linking
press, dealer, film and exhibitor. You could then offer a substantial
cash prize for the best photoplays written around your products. The
interest can be sustained when the films are put out, by inviting
criticisms with the bait of additional prizes. The latter was done with
excellent results in the Cines contest.
XIV.
BRINGING OUT THE INDIVIDUALITY OF DRY GOODS BY MOTION PICTURES
The motion picture is the ideal channel for enterprising dry-goods
manufacturers who want to bring out the individuality of their goods.
Printed matter, no matter how attractively gotten up, leaves a lot
to be satisfied, both in appeal and the results. First of all, you
have got to get your stuff read by discriminating buyers, and that
is no easy matter in these days, when the mails are swamped with it.
You have got to humor those skeptical folks who want to be shown that
your statements are correct. They have been deceived so many times
by unscrupulous advertisers that even the honest ones come under
suspicion. To sum it up briefly, motion-picture advertising is a
vehicle for pictorial treatment. Your reader sees the thing in actual
reality, instead of pen paintings or still photographs.
Movie audiences have come to regard films as next to life itself, and
no fraudulent advertising has crept in on the screen to shatter their
illusion.
You interest your readers with little effort. At home he or she can
toss your costly literature in the waste-basket without even giving it
the once over. Or, come to that, if it is a magazine or newspaper ad.,
there is a whole mass of matter claiming attention at the same time.
Your ad., therefore, stands precious small chance of gaining attention.
But at the motion-picture theater the situation is entirely different,
for your audience is already waiting to be tackled. Their attention
is literally glued to the screen. No matter what species of film you
adopt to get over your arguments, then the spectators will give it the
self-same attention. They can not do otherwise, since only one thing
appears on the screen at the same time, and the hall is too dark for
them to do anything else. It is hardly likely that they will vacate
their seats if they have not seen the whole program. So the results
depend mainly on how your appeal is presented.
Becker, Mayor & Company, of Chicago, preferred to do theirs with the
aid of a film carrying the interesting title of “The Sheep Industry.”
It opened with scenes of sheep grazing on Montana plains, and then
dealt with the whole operation of making clothes--in their way, of
course--from the time the sheep were sheared until the clothes were
on the back of the customer. It was a rather intricate subject, but
it was put over in a clear and entertaining manner. The selling talk
that came to the surface out of the mass of material was this: The
sanitary conditions under which the “Graduate” coats were turned out,
and the several hand operations which ensure perfect-hanging sleeves,
smooth shoulders and the coat keeping its shape; hanging the clothes
in the stockroom as a precaution against wrinkles. Then followed a
typical retail store stocking the well-known “Graduate” and “Woolly
Boy” brands. Their arguments that their clothes were made of all wool
and hand-made assumed a deeper meaning, adding the desired convincing
touches.
Perhaps you would prefer to have your statements woven into a comedy or
dramatic photoplay, and so avoid the direct advertising element. Well,
the Printzess concern had one produced in three reels, taking about an
hour to show, but incorporated industrial stuff like that mentioned.
Personally speaking, I should advise the advertiser to get out a short
film at regular intervals, about a reel in length. You can then take
each thing separately and release a film at intervals, and so maintain
the interest. You wouldn’t think of having one big splash at press
advertising and then do no more, would you? The same principle holds
good in filmland. There is nothing that gets the goat of a picture-goer
quicker than having to see the same film more than once, and it should
have the run the ordinary films are given--one day.
Harken back to the Printzess campaign, their story possessed a very
weak plot, and it was the many interesting incidents that made the
picture entertaining. Reduced to the bare outlines, here is the story:
A society leader accepts an invitation to attend an informal ladies’
costume pageant. She promptly gets her dressmaker busy on new gowns,
for her wardrobe did not fulfill her exacting demands. When they are
completed, however, they turn out misfits, and there is no time for
alterations. In her dilemma, she conceives the idea, suggested by a
magazine ad., of buying a ready-made gown at the nearest department
store. To her delight, she obtains a stunning dress that fits
perfectly, and creates a sensation at the pageant. She is declared the
best gowned woman, a gold mesh-bag being the prize, and gains the title
of “Her Royal Highness Miss Printzess.”
When the Printzess people heard of the honor paid them, they invited
her to inspect their plant in Cleveland, Ohio. She has a sister in the
town, which gives her a good motive for making the trip. After being
shown over the works, she is full of admiration for the workmanship of
Printzess dresses. Back at home, she muses over fashions, which are
visualized by beautiful living models, attired in gowns shortly to be
introduced.
Like with publications, one must, of course, discriminate between the
good and the bad. What Becker, Mayor & Company did was to arrange
matters with their string of retailers and loan each the film. They
naturally knew the best theater suited for their purpose, and got the
exhibitor to show the film for a small fee at the evening show. When
each was through with it, the film was despatched to the retailer in
the next town, until the whole territory was covered.
If you want to do this everywhere at the same time, it means a little
more expense in having copies of the film struck off. Pictures of
ladies’ underclothing can hardly be shown in the ordinary way. The
Gossart corset concern surmounted this difficulty by showing it only
at matinees, to which ladies only were admitted. The film showed the
corsets being fitted on living models.
XV.
BOOSTING CITIES AND PLEASURE RESORTS BY MOTION PICTURES
The first aim of the city boosters and Chambers of Commerce is to
get the public to visit their communities. How, then, can this be
accomplished? The usual way is by distributing attractive literature
setting forth everything calculated to “lure” the visitor, but, in
the majority of cases, the efforts of the publicity man fail to have
the desired effect. “It is all very well of you to inform me of the
advantages of your city or pleasure resort,” the man in the street
might say, “but how on earth am I to know whether it was not written by
somebody with a tendency to exaggerate? Again, I have to picture things
before my eyes from cold print. Why not, therefore, have this done for
me?”
It is for this precise purpose that the motion picture has made itself
conspicuous as an advertising medium--one differing from all others.
An exemplification of what can be done came to the limelight when
the Western Michigan Development Bureau had a series of films,
comprising three reels altogether, taken to boost western and northern
Michigan. The principal features of the pictures were the scenes of
such prosperous towns as Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Petoskey, Cadillac,
Manistee, Frankfort and Charlevoix. These show the industrial
buildings, shipping industry by lake and rail, public parks, commercial
and residential portions and recreation resorts. Additionally, the
rapid development of western and northern Michigan was covered, as also
were the excellent roads, fertile agricultural lands recommended to
prospective homesteaders, fruit orchards, and the various industries.
Among other towns to employ motion pictures in a similar way may be
mentioned Pittsburgh and Santa Barbara. The latter distinguished itself
at the San Francisco Exposition by arranging a forty-minute show at
intervals during the day. A lecturer heightened the interest in the
films. The exhibit covered a floor space of four thousand feet.
The St. Louis municipal authorities made use of a motion picture
several months ago to educate ignorant foreigners and their offspring
to know the main features of their city in particular, and America in
general. These American citizens in the making are now able to say a
good word for their home town when called upon. The film was exhibited
free in suitable places, like a Catholic church, police station, Jewish
synagogue and a public school. On the first evening over two thousand
children, of Italian, German, Greek, Irish and Russian parents, were
present, along with their guardians. The picture depicted scenes of St.
Louis, New York Zoo and American industries.
Because America can learn from England is my reason for citing the
case of Blackpool, which is the Coney Island of Europe. In this case
a photoplay was employed, a comedy of fifteen hundred feet, to be
exact. A glance at the synopsis below will reveal its mirth-provoking
possibilities. I was not able to see the film, so present the version
gotten out by the advertising manager.
The plot is laid by August and September, the famous clowns of the
Blackpool Tower Circus, inviting their old uncle and aunt to see the
sights of Blackpool.
The scene opens at Talbot Road Station, where the elderly relatives
are cordially welcomed and escorted to the Promenade and Sands.
Donkey-riding, paddling and sea-bathing are indulged in, and the party
then visits the Central Pier, where the delights of roller-skating and
open-air dancing are enjoyed, to the accompaniment of many ludicrous
and side-splitting situations.
Then follows the tour of the Pleasure Beach. Here we see aunt and uncle
the victims of many thrilling, exciting and amusing adventures--joy
rides on the Velvet Coaster and Scenic Railway, a trip on the Witching
Waves, the descent of the Water Chute, and many other similar episodes,
lead up to the ascent of the famous Blackpool Tower, which may be
described as the outstanding feature of the film.
Other incidents follow, and the picture finally winds up with a
screamingly funny Golf Tournament, in which the whole of the characters
take part.
It is the custom to offer exhibitors a fee for showing an advertising
film, but in this instance the picture was meritable enough as a comedy
to offer a theater in each town the exclusive rights for a special
price. The example of “Fun on the Sands at Blackpool”--for that was the
attractive title--may be followed when you wish to boost some rural or
seaside retreat.
Another point in favor of motion-picture advertising is that, if done
on the right lines, a film does not appear to be an ad. Motion-picture
fans--and there are twenty million of them in this country--have become
so accustomed to seeing scenics and educationals that they would not
realize the true object of city boosters and Chambers of Commerce.
This is a considerable advantage, for folks are likely to evince more
interest in a picture.
XVI.
ADVERTISING RAILROADS BY THE MOVIES
For railroad companies, the ideal advertising medium is the motion
picture. It has something to offer which can not be done justice to
by any other publicity vehicle. How true this is was brought home
to me the other day while traveling on one of the elevated lines in
Brooklyn. Sitting next to me in the car were two young men engaged in
conversation, and I could not help but overhear what they said to each
other.