Detroit Means Business B-Roll: Ren Cen, Computer Class, Financial District, and Robotics (1981)

2015.007.081
detroithistoric...
Silent color 16mm film containing footage shot for "Detroit Means Business," of the Detroit Renaissance Center at dawn, a computer class, exterior shots around Detroit's downtown and financial district, and a robotics demonstration at the Autofact III convention.
The reel opens with a series of shots of the Detroit Renaissance Center, as shot from an elevated position to the northwest with the sun rising in the background. The camera repeatedly zooms back and forth from the sun to the building. In one of the later shots, the film is backwards, so that Towers 600 and 700 appear to the right of the main structure.
The next series of shots take place in a computer classroom, where adult students use a word processing program. Each computer is outfitted with an acoustic modem. One student has a Wayne State University jacket, indicating a possible setting for the class.
The next section of the film consists of exterior shots around downtown, with an emphasis on signs and buildings connected to financial institutions. The sequence begins with a pan from the entrance of the Manufactures National Bank on the north corner of Michigan Avenue and Griswold Street, up to the neighboring 1001 Woodward building. Then, in a shot south along the west side of Griswold Street, just north of Fort Street, people walking along the sidewalk below the City National Bank Dow Jones average sign on the side of the Dime Building. Next the camera gets a close-up of the Commonwealth plaque at the Dime Building. Afterward, people are shown walking along the west side of Griswold in front of the Ford Building, as taken facing south. A brief shot follows of people walking outside one of the entrances to the First National Building. Then, the National Bank of Detroit sign above the northwest entrance to the National Bank of Detroit Building is shown, with the windows of First National Building visible in the background. A shot of people exiting the National Bank of Detroit Building follows. Then the camera pans down the Fort Street face of the Detroit Bank and Trust Building at 211 West Ford Street.
Following a brief shot of loading dock, the final sections of the film show a General Electric robotic arm and claw demonstration at the Autofact III convention at Cobo Hall.
The film is wrapped on a plastic core and housed within a 35mm tin along with 2015.007.080. The tin is marked "F 752 7460 - 752 2818, IA 487 8725 - 487 9502, C 954 4845 - 5640, C 954 2419 - 954 3214, C 954 4034 - 954 4481."