American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

people illustrate in vivid imagery the tactics, techniques and doctrine of combat survival. The Army Pictorial Center is similar to many other military in¬ stallations, containing such fami¬ liar sights as a barracks, medical dispensary, Military Police Pro¬ vost Marshal, Post Engineer, Offi¬ cer and NCO clubs, a post news¬ paper (appropriately named In Focus) and the inevitable Post Ex¬ change or PX. But, the big, blocklong main building housing the five giant sound stages — one of which is among the largest in the United States — make it consider¬ ably different from other Army posts. The Center is comparable to a major Hollywood studio, with all the latest equipment and talent necessary to produce highly pro¬ fessional motion pictures and tele¬ vision recordings. Although the Signal Corps has been actively involved in training film production since about 1909, it was not until 1942 that the pre¬ sent well-equipped plant was ac¬ quired. It was purchased from Paramount Pictures Corporation for $500,000 in what one APC of¬ ficer terms ’‘the best real estate deal since the Indians sold Man¬ hattan for $24.” How does an Army training film come into being? Edward L. Scheiber, Deputy Chief of the Production Division (that part of the Center which co¬ ordinates and supervises all pro¬ duction) illustrated and explained to me how this is done with a series of graphic illustrations on a chart in his office. First, subjects are proposed by the combat arms — Infantry, Artil¬ lery, Armor— or by the various Technical and Administrative Services like the Signal Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Military Po AIR VIEW of Army Pictorial Center, Long Island City, N.Y. 1 — Motion Picture Studio (formerly Paramount's Long Island studio); 2 — TV studio; 6 — Finance & film depository building; 12 — Film vaults; 13 — Film lab and technical maintenance building; 21 — Paint shed; 23 — Film storage; 24 — Enlisted men’s barracks; S-25 — Self service build¬ ing; $-27 — TV maintenance; S-28 — Post Engineer. (U.S. Army Photo.) lice Corps, Intelligence Corps, En¬ gineers, Ordnance Corps and the Women’s Army Corps. A script is then prepared by an APC writer working closely with the originat¬ ing agency’s technical adviser. The resulting script is then cir¬ culated to interested agencies and finally is approved by a panel pre¬ sided over by the Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Operations at Department of the Army level. Army Pictorial Center supplies the time and cost estimates and the re¬ questing agency furnishes the necessary justification. A Project Officer (producer) is assigned to take charge of the pro¬ duction and a director is selected. Together, they begin to coordinate with the various branches of the Production Division that will fur¬ nish the technicians and equip¬ ment: camera, editorial, sound, film, stock shot library, anima¬ tion, art, props, grips. The shooting schedule is made up and a cost breakdown is pre¬ pared. The Project Officer and Di¬ rector begin casting the players. Professional actors are engaged through the Screen Actors Guild for all films. Military personnel are used only for technical demon¬ stration and only then if they have an acceptable screen presence. While the cast is being selected and rehearsed, sets are built and ON LOCATION at Ft. Benning, Georgia, APC camera crew shoots escape and evasion scene for film dealing with code of conduct. Camera¬ man is Harry C. Kreider. (U.S. Army Photo.) props assembled. The shooting gets under way either on location or on the sound stages at the Cen¬ ter. Considerable location work is done at various Army installa¬ tions throughout the United States and overseas; however, maximum use is made of the studio. Back¬ ground projection and stereoptican Continued on Page 358 AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JUNE, 1963