Part 14

“If the advertising film was about one-reel in length, the exhibitor could just about squeeze it in. This should be shown at one theater for only a day, as the regular fans dislike to see a picture more than once. It will also allow other advertisers a look-in.

“If the ad. story can be told in less than one thousand feet, so much the better. I notice some commercial producers offer to release several subjects by different advertisers on the same reel. I know in the case of press advertising that it is a serious mistake to cram as many words as possible into a small, displayed announcement, but in film publicity the reverse is the case.

“The more material you compress into a film the snappier it will be,” commented Mr. Earle, “though clearness should not be overlooked. The bugbear in the motion-picture industry to-day is padding, and I should be sorry to see national advertisers fall for it. A film may occupy the screen longer, but it will certainly not impress spectators any the more.

“The big advertisement has its place in filmdom if the story succeeds in maintaining the interest from beginning to end, but you must remember that a whole page magazine ad. can be read inside of two minutes, while a feature, its motion-picture counterpart, demands at least an hour of a fan’s time.

“But there is no room for the big feature in the regular motion-picture theater. If I am not mistaken, there will spring up a chain of photoplay theaters in the large cities to which the public will be admitted free. At these ‘billboard stations’ short, regular photoplays will be sandwiched in between the ad. films so as to attract the folks inside.”

Mr. Earle raises some interesting points, which deserve the consideration of every national advertiser.

XXIV.

ADVERTISING FILM CIRCULATION

Motion-picture advertising has presented its crop of new problems, and probably none so involved as circulation. Let us, first of all, compare the film with printer’s ink. To my mind, a motion picture is like a press agent’s story syndicated to a chain of newspapers throughout the country, yet it is different in some respects. A write-up may be released for simultaneous circulation and published in several thousand newspapers on the same day, but this stunt would not be practical in the case of a motion picture.

The regular photoplay producers have specified release dates for their productions, and although several thousand exhibitors may book the same production, their dates will be spread over a period of about six months. Each print supplied by the film manufacturer costs the exchange at least $100. The leading theaters are in a position to pay the high rental demanded for first run, but the exchange has to keep that print working overtime in order to make a profit, so it is hired out to other exhibitors at proportionately reduced rates.

Now, suppose you have a one-reel industrial film produced. The negative, we will say, costs $500, but for every print you need the charge is $100. Now, if you are going to have your film shown at every theater simultaneously, it means that you will have to supply one print for each theater. As the picture will only be retained for a day or so, it is extremely doubtful whether the expense will be justified, so it is best to utilize only one print in each territory. A film does not generally begin to show signs of wear and tear until after about six months’ constant use, and, if we allow one day for each theater, each copy of the picture will be shown in about 156 theaters. Allowing an average audience of one thousand at each of the two evening performances, the film will have been seen by 312,000 people. There are more in these than appear on the surface, for, although a publication may guarantee such a circulation, you have to allow for those readers who skip all advertisements. In the motion-picture theater this can not be done, as only one thing is shown on the screen at a time, and in the darkened hall a spectator can not turn his attention elsewhere.

Another thing which must be taken into consideration is the fact that the one-reel film occupies the screen for eighteen minutes, which is several times greater than the time a reader devotes to a press advertisement.

The film must be charged to the copy writer’s account, for an exhibitor charges from $12.50 to $50 per week for renting out his screen for advertising purposes. A film, I admit, represents a big outlay for the copy writer’s services, but it is a worth while investment.

The Maxwell Motor Sales Company, for instance, had a series of films produced which were presented over five thousand times in America, Canada, Australia and England. It is estimated that they were seen by at least two million people. The circulation was mainly achieved by dealer co-operation, the dealer making arrangements with the local exhibitor and presenting free tickets to all who cared to accept same.

Those advertisers who do not make their appeal to the general public will find that quality circulation is far preferable to quantity circulation. Hoggson Brothers, the New York contracting designers, realized this when they showed their film exclusively to business men who contemplated having buildings erected or remodeled.

The film owned by the Columbia Paper Manufacturing Company, of Washington, D. C., was exhibited by one of their traveling representatives before printers in various parts of the country.

The film which boosted the products of the Peabody Coal Company, of Chicago, was shown at a number of educational institutions, as well as to individuals interested in the coal business.

The Reliable Incubator and Brooder Company took advantage of a recent poultry show held at Quincy, Illinois, to present a motion picture, “taking spectators through their plant and showing their poultry-raising methods.”

Both the French China Company, of Sebring, Ohio, and the National Tube Company were represented at the Panama-Pacific Exposition by motion-picture exhibits.

Under these conditions, the motion picture becomes a catalogue in celluloid. It is more powerful than the printed page, and helps to substantiate the claims of the salesman. Whether it is best suited to general or class circulation is determined at the outset, after which it is necessary to seek the right channels, these being determined by the character of the proposition.

XXV.

COVERING THE MOTION-PICTURE FIELD BY MAGAZINES

Not so long ago photoplay audiences were content to just see the films through, so the players remained mere shadows until the industry advanced a few steps further, when stock companies were formed. Now, this meant that the fans saw the same actors, week in and week out, instead of a fresh face every time, and, very naturally, they began to evince an interest both in the screen players and the brands of photoplays. Then the motion-picture companies were bombarded with inquiries asking for the name of the man with the curly hair, and so forth.

It occurred to one of the film companies that there was scope for a magazine appealing expressly to the fans, and now the motion-picture field is represented by nearly a dozen publications of all sorts and descriptions.

The motion picture to-day has such a tremendous hold that it is estimated that there are twenty million fans in this country. Just think of it--one-fifth of the total population.

It has been truthfully stated that motion-picture fans are the most inquisitive folks in the world. They make it their business to read every word in their favorite photoplay magazine, and this ensures an advertiser’s announcements being read.

I have discovered that the majority of the readers are girls and women, but the publications are taken in the homes and eagerly devoured by the rest of the family.

It has long been thought that motion-picture audiences only comprised the poorer classes, but now the habit has spread to folks in comfortable circumstances. These publications reach the largest city as well as the smallest rural community, and are equally good for mail order or dealer campaigns.