Part 9

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.