Sales by the Film.
Keen competition in manufactured articles has brought about increasing difficulties in the sales of machinery. The manufacturer has learned, by sad experience, that it is sometimes impossible to convince his prospective customer of the superiority of his product over that of a rival firm, without actual inspection. Size prevents him from carrying his machine to the customer, and distance will not permit the customer to go to the machine. In this dilemma the progressive manufacturer has joyfully hailed the advent of the motion picture film which enables him to display every step in the manufacture of the machine or articles, and every phase of its operation.
When the maker of machinery, plants, and equipment asks the average person to look over blue prints and written descriptions, and thus form a conclusion as to the worth of his products, he usually finds himself in a difficulty. It is mentally impossible for the general run of people to visualize or imagine a plant or machinery in working and running order from an inspection of drawings and written descriptions, no matter how graphic or conclusive they may be.
Machines are generally too large to be shipped around for inspection by the prospective customer. It is physically impossible to ship all plants and processes, and very frequently the prospective purchaser cannot arrange to visit a place where machinery can be inspected. The modern motion projector is light in weight, small in size, and can be easily operated. Films can be shown at any place, at any time, and are the ideal method of demonstrating the salesman’s wares. Some manufacturers are making a speciality of these portable projectors, which may be tapped to the lighting circuit and used in the office of the prospective customer, with a blank wall as a screen.
This method of exhibition has been hailed with delight, and the number of manufacturers availing themselves of this medium of salesmanship grows in number day by day.
VI
PRODUCTION
One writer gloomily said, recently, that every cinema was in a bad way, and inferred that the films were a failure; the distressing shrinkage of the audiences signified the general non-approval of the tone of the films submitted. It is not that the people have not the money; in spite of the stress of the times, cinema theatres are the best patronized places of amusement, and the fact that these companies are paying a dividend (anything from seventy-five to ninety per cent.), spells, in one word, “success,” which means a good turnover and good profits.