Films that Work

Only available in hardback: ISBN 978 90 8964 012 3The history of industrial films - an orphangenre of twentieth-century cinemacomposed of government-produced andindustrially sponsored movies that soughtto achieve the goals of their sponsors,rather than the creative artists involved -seems to have left no trace in filmic culturaldiscourse. At its height the industrial filmindustry employed thousands, producedseveral trade journals and festival circuits,engaged with giants of twentieth-centuryindustry like Shell and AT & T, and featuredthe talents of iconic actors and directors such as Buster Keaton, John Griersonand Alain Resnais. This is the firstfull-length book, anthology, and annotatedbibliography to analyse the industrial filmand its remarkable history. Exploring thepotential of the industrial film to uncoverrenewed and unexplored areas of mediastudies, this remarkable volume bringstogether renowned scholars such asRick Prelinger and Thomas Elsaesser in adiscussion of the radical potential and newpossibilities in considering the history ofthis unexplored corporate medium.