Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1922)

lamiarv, 1922 MOVING PICTURE AGE 21 G. E. Condra Vice-President, N. A. V. I. is wood-carving or pottery-modeling, it must give these steps with the proper explanation. If a geography film is to be produced, the result to be secured must be clearly formulated before production begins. The details of all educational pictures must be clear, accurate, and necessary to the accomplishment of the educational purpose. If the picture is dead to the pupil, don't try to revive it by titles or rearrangement. In making a film presentation of school subjects it defeats the educational value of the picture to introduce a trivial title or an amusing detail. Experts in education must prepare standards for educational films. Their standards must be clearly formulated, subject to the limitations of the film. Educators need film education Some films that have been evolved entirely by educational experts without the aid of the practical producer are educational misfits. School men make their specifications for textbooks, charts, diagrams, and other visual material ; so it must be with the films. The school material is in a class by itself, and edited for use with children. We cannot use with success the modern fiction or the latest technical discovery without the proper educational setting. The latest film material is likewise impossible in the school, even as entertainment, unless it has regard for educational values. The school film text must be formulated by experienced school men who will adjust it to the activity of the pupil. The film is especially valuable in mass instruction if it is adjusted to the capacity of the group. Putting films or any visual material on a rigid circuit to be rushed from school to school, to be more or less forced into an overloaded school program, defeats the educational value of the film. The ideal that schools must attain is a suitable library of educational reels that may be available when the psychological conditions require it. Action is the prime feature in film education. Each film should present the highest type of action for children to follow. The action of the film must be worthy of child life. Action heing the keyword of the film, it means that the textbook material is not to be represented and placed upon the screen, but rather that the vital activities of life are to be shewn to pupils: Screen material should be more than a condensing of textbook ideas. Al! phases of education cannot be reduced to reels of films. The lantern slide, the chart, and other visual material — each has a definite place. Difficulties of Obtaining Educational Material for Motion Pictures Co-operation is necessary between producers and educators. Educators find it difficult to separate the commercial and the educational film. Producers consider junk as good educational material. Educators must give film producers more definite ideas of educational requirements in the film. If the field is clearly defined and its financial remunerations understood, producers will provide educational film. A few large producers have sought educational advice and their products have shown a very marked improvement in pedagogical quality. Sometimes in the rush for production the educational advisors are mere figureheads. A hack writer produces titles and selects scenes J. V. Ankeney Secretary, N. A. V. I. Charles Roach Treasurer, N. A. V.I from junk. It is given an educational name. But it is a financial loss and a discouragement to producers. The producer who opens his plant to the production of educational film with the advice of those in educational work will be certain to suffer financial loss at first. It will result ultimately that his organization will be in position to supply educational film to a degree that will be profitable. It is the old question of the difference in viewpoint between the newspaper and the textbook, and between the commercial film and the educational film. The commercial film is made for a quick return to the box office ; the educational film aims at entirely different results, with financial returns upon a slower basis. The preparation of educational film must be of such a quality that the film will be widely used and will give definite results. There must be co-operation bctiwen educational institutions. Splendid results might be obtained if a system of producing films could be established entirely under the control of an educational institution or a national organization, the idea being not for profit but to cover the cost of production of educational films. This co-operation will not be successful if any one institution assumes control, and it will not be accomplished by buying the old negatives that have been cast off by commercial companies. The co-operation should be organized on a business basis to provide for all schools to participate in the production of reels and the building-up of their local film library. The National Academy of Visual Instruction ought to formulate definite plans to establish such a co-operation to remove the present high profit and to enlarge the film service. Factors Controlling Educational Film Material Children in the modern school learn many words without visualVivid visualization is the greatest asset of the educational motion picture. It gives reality and action to ideas that play a vital part in school work. Children cannot function with this material unless it is closely related to their needs. To obtain such films requires trained experts to edit, arrange, and title. This means the establishment of an institution which is founded upon sound principles and financed for a term of years. Production must not be confined to a single film or a single subject, but must embrace a large portion of the educational field. Such an organization must buy rcenarios, plans, data, and be an experimental center for a high type of educational research and production. An organization of this t}^pe must hetelosely related to the actual school. The universitydepartment of education, the school of education, the practice school, and the film-production department must work in harmony and together, to produce films that have educational value. Film production in the future will be as important in a great school organization as the printing department. Educational film will function only if the material is stimulative to the child. It must be better than the teacher for it partially takes the place of a teacher. Real educational film material cannot be arranged by those remote from educational activities. Platitudes and generalities regarding educational films have hindered the producer who is anxious to (Continued on page 25) ization