LIGHTS Continued

sidine, Buster Keaton, Cliff Arquette(Charley Weaver), Andre Baruch andmany other personalities whose namesand .YQi~ ariOfamili1!!:t2 million~B.e-cently, Holland-Wegman ventured intotelevision syndication by purchasing ex-clusive rights to the man recognized bymost experts as the world's greatest bgwl-er, Don Carter. A series of 65 five-minuteTV bowling tip shows were producedlocally for sale through a subsidiary com-pany, Saturn Productions.

Another venture which holds greatpromise is a unique photo patrol systemfor race tracks. The all-electronic systemwas developed and perfected under thedirection of Shel Holland, executive vicepresident, in test installations at the near-by Buffalo Raceway and Batavia Downstracks. It features a video tape systemthat enables judges to review an entirerace just fiveseconds after the horses crossthe finish line. The system has just beenaccepted and endorsed by state and na-tional racing associations and is beingsold and promoted through anotherwholly owned subsidiary, HoIland-Weg-man Television Inc.

With the development of compact,portable, self-contained 8mm prQjectors,Holland and Wegman confidently pre-dict a big growth in the 8mm businessfilm market. The projectors, in effect,make every salesman carrying one ofthese units a walking sound film studio,equipped to screen at desk-top conven-ience under normal light a brief filmgraphically demonstrating the construc-

20 · BUFFALO.lalll/ary,1964

tion and capabilities of a piece of heavy reputation for solid performance. Theindustrial equipment, a new product, or first employe to be hired by the firm,sales and marketing presentation. James I. Allan, is still on the job serving

With the exception of sales promo- as production manager. Other long-timetion films, the production of "soft-sell" employes include Palll Ent and John

films lor..u..'" on f.."" l"IPVi~i.~~. _-GatCl'r ~Iegt''\flflel:~, Zc.1,tlI6"_ M.count for a large part of Ho land-Weg- Pike, seDior wnter-dlrector; Jim Lmnan,man's business. Most TV stations we1- chief sound engineer; John "Bud" Bjar-come good, non-commercial films which now, art and animation director; Billare either entertaining or have a message Nailos, a jack-of-all-trades set designer.of interest. Stations have a certain studio manager, editor and cameramanamount of free time to fill and, if ac- whose professional experience includesc'eptable film is available, most will show stints working on the sets for the Holly-it at no charge, providing there is not a wood production of "Spartacus," the "AI-direct sales message. r ~ such film pro- fred Hitchcock Presents" TV series, andduced by Hell? gman for an oil "77 Sunset Strip." Earl Rowell directsrefining comr lJas -'been shown, to operations in the film processing labora-date, by ') ~aching an audi- tory, which also serves many large in-ence esti~at~iI' a~ ,u')O people. The dustrial photo departments, and com-distribl'tion and plachig ol'.ms of this mercial productions such as TV wrestlingtype 1~ another client sen 'ce performed films. The lab also proeesses footballby the j. .:al film producers. ' movies and provides an expedited film

Then" ..LOrule of thumb for esti- service for scores of high school and col-mating ..~. ~ .£osts, says Holland- lege football motion picture programs in

Wegman. The we produced a 28- New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.m" ,. that was budgeted at From their oldest employe - 76-$75,\Jv" about $2,700 per minute. year-old Bill Nicholson, who came outThey also nave produced a IS-minute of retirement to join the firm back in thecolor film, for $6,000, or about $400 per days when they cleaned Ollt the oldminute. Both were researched and writ- coach house - to one of their newest.

ten by the Holland-Wegman staff. One Charle's H. (Chuck) Wagner Jr., whotook nearly a year to write and produce, switched from a career in advertising tothe other a few weeks. Both were effec- selling for Holland-Wegman. the II-year-tive and did the job intended. Costs are old company is deeply enmeshed in thedirectly related to man-hours and ma- economic mainstream of the community.terials, with man-hours .accounting for It is also quickly but steadily causingan estimated 85% of production costs. more and more leading businessmen and

In an industry that demands the best business enterprises to look to Buffalo asin people and ideas, Holland-Wegman a market source for services demandinghas assembled a work force that has a creative, business-oriented skills. END

project was undertaken by Edward J.Wegman, for 13 years a staff announcerand featured radio and television per-sonality with WREN and WREN-TV,and by Sheldon C. Holland, then man-~~Il Aircr~(l Corp:s PhotographyDept. The results won an award for the

ad agency and sparked the founding --on Dec. 31, 1952 -- of HoIland-Weg-man Productions Inc., now the largestcreator and producer of business motionpictures and slide films between NewYork and Detroit.

A yellow brick coach house, locatedat the rear of an estate at 233 North St.,initially served as the film company'soperating base and studio headquarters.In just three and one-half years, how-ever, Holland-Wegman outgrew the oldcoach house's 2,000-sq. ft. facilities andleased 5,000 square feet at 197 Delaware.Again, three and one-half years later,mushrooming business dictated a moveinto even larger quarters at 207 DelawareAve., where the firm remodeled the entireballroom of the Mars Hotel at a cost of

$100,000 and opened an 18,000-sq.-ft.studio considered one of the finest in the

nation. Facilities include a three-storyhigh sound stage, 50 by 70 feet, whichcan accommodate up to seven differentsets at one time. Also, there are modernoffices, editing rooms, sound recordingstudios and art and animation depart-ments, all equipped with the finest tech-nical facilities available.

Some 20 skilled creative craftsmen,several of whom have been with Holland-

Wegman since its earliest days, make upthe staff of writers, directors, cine-

matographers, editors, sound recordingengineers, artists, animators and labora-tory technicians, as well as script girls,secretaries and other personnel.

Holland-Wegman's client roster readslike the "Who's Who" of business, notonly in the Niagara Frontier but the en-tire Northeast. The Buffalo company hasproduced films for Corning Glass, West-inghouse, Eastman Kodak, Bausch &Lomb, General Electric, Carborundum,Ingersoll Rand, Sylvania, HammermillPaper, Masonite, National Gypsum,Xerox, and Hooker Chemical Corp.

A solid 20% of the firm's business is

in the non-commercial field, serving themotion picture needs of such non-profitgroups as the Cleveland, Rochester andBuffalo & Erie County United Fund,Massachusetts General Hospital, Amer-ican Society of Internal Medicine, NewYork State Bar Assn., Oberlin College,Hobart College and the State Universityof Buffalo.

While Buffalo may be off the beatentrack as a film source center, Holland-Wegman finds this situation more of anasset than a liability. The film competessuccessfully against other major studiosin such large metropolitan centers asNew York, Detroit and Chicago whilemeasured against one common yard-stick that knows no geographical bound-aries: Creativity.

"Here in Buffalo," explains Ed Weg-man, "we are insulated against the cross-pollination that can and does stiflecreativity. Film buyers like and demandfresh, different, original treatment oftheir subjects. We have a competent

staff of skilled artists who can handle

most any assignment that comes along,but we also have working arrangementswith nationally known writers and otherartists who are readily available to uswhenever particular projects requiringtheir specialized talents and knowledgeare required.

"Of equal importance," he continued,"is the fact that we are businessmenas well as film producers. We have athorough knowledge of the problems inbusiness today -- sales, sales promotion,advertising, public relations, -- becauseof our constant exposure to these prob-lems with some of the finest companiesin the country."

As president of the firm and pastpresident of the Buffalo-Niagara Sales& Marketing Executives Inc., Wegmandisplays a keen awareness of problemsplaguing the business community, "Wehaven't set ourselves up as business con-sultants, even though this is often whatwe are," he says, "Rather, we play themore tangible role of 'problem solver'by communicating effectively with cus-tomers, stockholders, employes and thegeneral public through the use of motionpictures or sound film strips, so thatpeople will be motivated to think whatour clients want them to think and dowhat they want them to do -- buy, sell,invest."

Some of the leading names in broad-casting and entertainment have workedwith and under the direction of Holland-

Wegman personnel in the production ofbusiness films and TV commercials.

These include Chet Huntley, Bob Con-Continued

January 1964 . BUFFALO. 19