Business screen magazine (1946)

Civilian film library directors, located at Army headquarters and mojor training installations, advise Army training personnel on available films for specific needs; visit classrooms to assist in training film utilization and demonstrate new equipment and techniques as they ore developed for military training needs. All photos on these pages U.S. Army Photographs. Film Distribution in tlie Army Training, Orientation and Informational Films Reach Military Personnel Worldwide Through 260 Exchanges 1IKK THE BOX-OFFICE in the1 atrical production — Army film dislrihution is the payofif. To paraphrase Nathan Bedford Forrest." "If you dont show "em. they aint no good to nobody." In the Army, however, the returns are not dollars hut human lives — combat ediciencN — the know-how that spell> life or death in battle. Film Distribution in the Army spreads the production of the Signal Corps Pictorial Center world-wide wherever there are .\merican soldiers to be trained, oriented, and ■Nallian Bedford Forrest ivas [he Confcder.itc {icncral to whom tlic famous remark "Get tliere Fustcst with the Mostest" is attrihuted. informed. It is an integral link in servii'ing the Army Training Program— supplying some 260 central and sub-exchanges with a variety of training, indoctrination, information and education films. These films are used by military instructors at all levels in the continuous training of more than one million active duty .Army personnel. Reserve and National Guard components. It is organized and geared to meet peacetime needs and Mobilization Da\ requirements. The payoff in time, effort, and mttnev spent on producing Army training films comes when the trainee learns. To achieve its teach by James A Moses, Chief, Film Distribution & Utilization Branch Army Pictorial Service Division, Office of the Chief Signal Officer ing mission, the Iraiiiiiig film nuist lie matif a\ailable with projection ctpiipmeiit at the right lime in the right |ilace. and exhibited under lomlilions conducive to learning. Since the primary objective is a belter trained soldier, the Army must be concerned \\\l\\ the ulilizalioti as well as the distribution problem— a problem v\hich is not normally the concern of commercial film tlistributors. Four Functions in Distribution Distribution is one of four equally important functions: Distribution. Exhibition. Utilization and Evaluation. Hence, the word "distribution,"' as it pertains to this particular function within the Department of the Army, includes many more operations than simply distributing prints from one point to another. The Distribution and I tilization program does not stop with the delivery of a print and projection equipment to an instructor. The Post Director follows the print into the classroom to check on physical [jrojection arrangements, and advise instructors on presentation techniques. The Film & Equipment Exchange Directors are highlv trained audiovisual educational specialists. Their consultations with training personnel are augmented by Instructor Orientation Courses conducted by the exchanges. Since there is a large turnover in military training personnel, the Instructor Orientation Program is continuous to insure greater audience learning from each film. Thorough Followup on Films The utilization aspects of the program are concerned not onlv with presentatit>n techniques, but in collecting and anal) zing utilization in ft)rmatioii lui tin tibn >[Mtnsf)ring agencv. the production agency, and the film tlistrilititirm agency. This utilization information is obtained from a <,)uarlerly Film Library Report, antl from in.structor and trainee-audience reaclitjn surveys. Inbirmalion about Army-wide prints and showings is transferred from individual exchange reports to IBM cards in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Consolidated reptjrts are prepared which show at a glance, film titles, number of prints of each title, location of all prints, and the number of showings Above: Central Film Libraries coordinate film shipments between post film activities, serve as efficient control centers. per subject. Ibis provides information for reallocating prints and as feed-back information for analysis and evaluation to help determine future requirements and improve future production and utilization techniques. The distribution pattern for each new film is determined at Department of .Army level where consideration is given recommendations Army Film Distribution Operations: Booking of prints requires careful coordination to insure maximum utilization while eliminating any possible duplication of training film print orders. W ^^ -^c. BH^\^t*^^ "^ w '^^^^^^^^^j kTl ^^c Film Library personnel are "walking encyclopaedias" on ail matters pertaining to films. They ofFer advisory service to Army training instructors; must know film content, related references. 1 1 ■ Post Film Libraries feature over-the-counter service to Army training units on the Post and the Civilian Components and other authorized units within tneir service area. 48 BUSINESS SCREEN MAGAZINE