Panoramic View, Aisle B, Westinghouse Works

Cameraman Billy Bitzer used the same technique here as he did when filming Panoramic View Aisle A, namely to attach himself and his camera to an overhead crane and start cranking as the camera slowly glided along the length of the factory. It's a simple idea, and this film serves to show how even a simple shot can lose it's impact if it isn't done right.

In Aisle A the camera's view of the factory reaches further into the distance and the crane therefore seems to move more slowly which not only gives the viewer more time to study the activities taking place on the vast shop floor but also lends a somewhat dramatic quality to the shot. Here, the camera is angled differently, at more of an angle so we see less of what is taking place in the distance - and the impact of the shot is weakened considerably.

This is still an interesting film however, compared to the general quality of actuality films from the period. What does hit home is the sheer number of people required to keep a company on the scale of Westinghouse running smoothly. Today, their numbers would have been vastly depleted by computerisation.