Summary
A 16mm motion picture film featuring a television advertisement for the Kodak Brownie 1.9 Movie camera, entitled 'Close-Up'. The entire commercial is a close-up of two men's hands as they discuss the camera over a movie screening at home. Set against a backdrop of fashionable furnishings and homewares, the Movie Camera is presented as sleek and prestigious. It, like the furnishings of the house, appears expensive but as the advertisement repeatedly points out through the dialogue, it is simple to operate and, according to the commercial, cheaply priced at 15 pounds. The message it is driving home is that this is a quality piece of engineering at a reasonable price.
Unlike other Kodak commercials at the time, this one does not feature a narrator. Instead, the naturalistic conversation between Ron and Geoff provides all of the details of the features, pricing and availability of the camera and Kodachrome colour film. Even a variation of the commonly-used Kodak catch phrase of the time is slipped into the conversation when Geoff concludes "Of course. If it's made by Kodak, we KNOW it's good".
The commercial was produced in 1959 for Berry Currie & Hawkins Advertising, who were commissioned by Kodak Australasia.
This film is part of the Kodak collection of products, promotional materials, photographs and working life artefacts collected from Kodak Australasia in 2005, when the Melbourne manufacturing plant at Coburg closed down.
Kodak manufactured and distributed a wide range of photographic products to Australasia, such as film, paper, chemicals, cameras and miscellaneous equipment. Its client base included amateur and professional photographers, as well as specialist medical and graphic art professionals who used photography, x-ray and other imaging techniques.
Description of Content
Kodak 1.9 Movie Camera 'Close Up' advertisement. It is a conversation between two friends, Ron and Geoff, in Ron's house. Ron turns off the projector and begins discussing the 1.9 Movie Camera with his friend, Geoff, who stubs out his cigarette and continues to ask questions. Ron, pouring coffee, then proceeds to pass the camera to Geoff and they demonstrate the features before putting sugar in their coffee.
Physical Description
16mm cellulose acetate motion picture film; Black and White; Television commercial (TVC); Optical sound; 1961
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Ms. Kate Metcalf - Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, 2005
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Acknowledgement
Courtesy of Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd.
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Organisation Depicted
Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, 173 - 199 Elizabeth Street, Coburg, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1959
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Agent
Berry Currie Advertising (VIC.) Pty Ltd, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1959
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Producer
Cambridge Film Productions Pty Ltd, Pelham Street, Carlton, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1959
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Recording Details
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Content Summary
1, 00:00:04 HH:MM:SS, Leader countdown and Cambridge Film Productions intertitle.,2, 00:00:21 HH:MM:SS, Slide projection screen with film of a helicopter in flight. A man in the right hand foreground looks on. Lights come up and the camera pans down to the man's hands turning off the projector, and then the camera pans across as he turns on lights and pours coffee. His friend stubs out his cigarette in the ashtray.,3, 00:00:42 HH:MM:SS, Close up of Ron passing movie camera to Geoff. Geoff passes camera back to Ron, who shows where film is loaded. Ron: "The Brownie 1.9 Movie Camera". Geoff: "Hmm. Doesn't look to complicated" Ron: "No. It's very simple. Just turn that dial to suit the light, aim through the viewfinder here and press on the exposure lever" Geoff: "Motor runs well" Ron: "Yes. And just as easy to load as any roll film camera. Nothing complicated.",4, 00:01:04 HH:MM:SS, Close up of camera on Laminex table with roll of 16mm film. Geoff puts down a Kodachrome box on top of that and Ron passes Geoff his coffee and puts sugar in his own. They lift the coffees away. The lights dim and white text comes up on screen. Geoff: "Film cost much?" Ron: "That Kodachrome film you just saw was made in full colour for the same price I usually pay for black and white snapshots." Geoff: "Where did you ever find such a camera for only fifteen pounds?!" Ron: "The chemist around the corner. He's a Kodak dealer". Geoff: "Of course. If it's made by Kodak, we KNOW it's good".,5, 00:01:35 HH:MM:SS, End.
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Format
Motion Film, 16 mm, Black & White
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Language
English
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Classification
Manufacturing & industry, Photographic products, Promotional materials
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Keywords
Photography, Manufacturing, Advertising, Motion Picture Films, Motion Picture Film Cameras, Television Production
