Business screen magazine (1946)

''Sii<:ar(()alin<:aii(l s('nn()iii/in<!; jiisl won't work anv morel the largest ptirtion ol the Army's film program. Malcil to this ANK activity is a Cio\ernment Owncd-Contraclor Ojvrated facihly (CiOCO). During 1971. the Cieneral Kleclric Company was awarded the prime contract to provide motion picture production services to the Army's own staff of motion picture production specialists. m;my of whom are former APC emplovees. Through GE as the prime contractor, writers . . . directors . . . and even film producing houses have been contracted to provide their respective talents in film proiluction. The kinds of films needed to train. inform and moti\aie loda\"s soldier originate with \ariiHis Army agencies (clients in industrial-commercial parlance) agencies like the (ontinenlal Army Command (CON ARC) which establishes an annual training film program. Once the specific training film subjects are established. CON ARC and AMC work together to convert titles into scripts and scripts into films. And even the look in training films is new and the prevailing caution is: "Don't put the troops to sleep"! Another lion-sized film user is the Army's Chief of Information (CINFO). Here again, informing the soldier has become a different ball game. Credibility has the immediate priority. Sugar coating and sermonizing just won't work any more. Film subjects for CINFO's The Bin I'klurc and the new (.Irccii Scene series have bect)mc more topical and less historical. The finished product must be able to compete with television and entertainment films to which younger soldiers relate. Melodramatic portrayals may still work well for the TV "soaps" but not for Army information films. Yet another "with it" group who are using films to effectively reach the individual soldier is thi. Army's Corps of Chaplains. Drug abuse . . . racial and religious tolerance . . . character guidance . . . social adjustments in Army and civilian life are the kind of subjects which Army Chaplains include in their film program. And controversy is not avoided in favor of piety. Chaplain films develop an empathy which relates to young men and women who challenge the Army and society far more critically than ever before. "Tell it like it is" is still the name of the game. The revolution of sorts taking pi, within the Army establishment greatly contributed to the changi look in films now bearing the Dep; ment of Army Seal. The Arnn w to be shown in roles and aclivi relevent to today's problems. It w; it.s people and the general publici know that the Arms cares abtnit ogy . . . domestic problems ... polarization ... as well as its con ing role in national defense. So films have become exciting and lenging and they reflect a new vital The heavy handed, hard sell appro; has given way to the use of spin si. re techniques . . . more interestiPi; ^i matography . . . less talk and m action . . . music with a now soui All this may be upsetting to some the older Army breed but it's in si with the younger generation u whom the Army knows it must rely Yes . . . Army films have change Making them has changed. The peop who use and make them have ch.inge But most of all. the soldier who se them has changed. And because has, Army films arc now "telling like it is"' . . . and that's a step in right direction for everyone! it a plea Your HeriTace for the preservation of historically significant American architectui created and produced by Cinemake for The National Trust for Historic Preservatk BEST TELEVISION COMMERCIAL OF 19 as judged by home viewers in thirty cities in a unique onthe-air competition f The Seventh Annual Chicago International Film FestK FIRST PRIZE. EDITING / MERIT AWARD FOR CREATIVE EXCELLED at The U.S. Television Commercials Festival, 19! We're pleased that many of ttie films, filmslrips, slide shows, television ■J|ll radio spots conceived and produced by Cinemakers have won awards h«f^ and abroad. Some haven't. But all were effective in communicating their sponsoiL^ • messages to their Intended audiences. That's what we made them f(w|ll cinemakers 162 wesT 56 STreei new vorK, n y. 10019/(212) 765-ii6i 36 BUSINESS SCRE