Business screen magazine (1942)

FILMS UNITE THE FREE NATIONS A FEATURE SECTION ON VISUAL EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA, BRITAIN. CANADA AND CHINA ■' J-^ Canada^s Answer to Industrial Morale by Geoffrey Hewelcke i^ Your place at the lathe is , just as important as if it were be, hind the gun of a corvette." savs the personnel manager of one Canadian munitions plant to his workers. . . . then he proves it! He proves it with films of ships being built in Canadian yards. Merchant ships these are — and Canada I turned out a million tons of merj chant shipping last year, a figure of which Canadians are proud for it compares well with the eight million Ions launched by the shipbuilders of the United States. The U. S. \. has. you see. twelve times the population of its northern neighbor. Cargoes for Victory The films show these merchant ships sliding off the ways, and presently butting through the slow I swell of the .Atlantic with badly ' needed cargoes of food and munitions— yes — and men of the fightling services — for Britain. The workmen munch sandwiches ■ at their machines and watch tlie screen. They see the German submarine wolfpacks attack the ships. I They see the screen of Canadian I corvettes darting in to intercept the , undersea wolves. They watch YI guns fire depth charges and towering columns of water rise from the .sea as the Canadian escort ships .sow their deadly patterns of exj plosives about the attackers. And :they see the convoys finally win [through. They're pretty proud then. The commentary on the film iihas told them that the Canadian [Na\y. now 500 vessels strong, es'corts nearly 50 percent of all the merchant tonnage reaching Britain 'from this side of the Atlantic. Make Workers Proud \^ hy are tliey proud? Let D. jbhand. personnel manager of Darl,ing Brothers. Ltd.. of Montreal, exiplain. ■■\^ e make pumps. \^ e make ma rine equipment for the Canadian Navy. Our men know that their work is to be found in those corvettes. They feel that they have a real part in escorting those convoys across the Atlantic. It makes them feel good!" Show Them XThat It Does Men are better w orkers when thev feel good about the use of what they have made, according to Mr. Shand. They're more interested in what they re doing. They're proud of their job — and they want to do it even better. Mr. Shand follows up that very natural desire of the men by making the next showing one of technical training films, telling them and teaching them how to be better and more skilful craftsmen! Here is a new approach to the application of technical training films which is being developed in Canada. First morale film.s. inspirational films. Then the technical training films which holds the attention of the men and women workers who want to do their very best in the fight against the ""herrenvolk" that would reduce the rest of the world to slavery! Is Commissioner's Policy It is a part of the new policy instituted by John Grierson. dynamic commissioner of the .National Film Board of Canada, to build up a nontheatrical film audience comprising farmers and fighting men; munitions workers — and housewives, for the morale building films of his organization. It is a tribute to his ability in morale building that he has just been named general manager of Canada's War Information Board, corresponding to the 0. \^ . I., while continuing to head the Film Board. Since the beginning of this year the National Film Board has started going into the industrial plants of Canada to build up film circuits which will bring morale-building pictures to Canada's workers. Modelled in part upon the excellent system of rural circuits whose travelling projectionists bring films to farmers and other isolated residents of Canada's countryside to show them that they too have a stake and an important part in the war. the industrial circuits are now reaching out to the industrial worker. Reaching the Workers They show him what the 700,000 men of Canada's fighting services are doing; how they are using the tools of war which the men in the munitions plants make. They show him how the farmers, the miner*, the workers of the forests and the fishermen have been mobilized for victory. They show him. also, how the housewife, typifying the consumer, can serve in reporting violations of Canada's price ceilings and economizing in the home; how she can reduce the strain on Canada's civilian consumer supply industry. Wlien all circuits are completed, morale films and informational pictures will carry constant reports of all sections of Canada's social structure to every other section. In the meantime however, as organization of the industrial circuits proceeds, reports from field managers indicate that morale films and technical training films are definitely going to be partners in increasing the scope of Canada's industrial war effort. Combined With Training \iTien the showing of morale films is discussed with plant managers so is the showing of industrial training films. Projectionists of the new industrial circuits have standing orders to show any industrial training films which plant managements may have on hand. after the conclusion of their pro grams and providing their time schedules permit of this. The National Film Board has a large stock of industrial training films available. It acts as agent for any government department of Canada which may wish to buy them. But it does more than this. It distributes catalogs of training films and if a manufacturer wants to buy material covering .specific subjects, the NFB will let him view the films it has. When he has made his choice, he is directed to the Canadian agency handling the films commercially. Experts Review Films .\ committee of industrial experts is about to be set up to view competing technical training films in order that the National Film Board's recomendation of any particular film may be based upon sound knowledge. In addition to proprietary training films, the National Film Board also has the pictures produced for the U. S. Office of Education and these are finding considerable use in the Canadian Emergency Training Plan which has turned the technical schools of the country into a source of semi-skilled labor for ('anadian industry. Australia's Film Program •k The Southwest Pacific has more than held its own as an area of wartime film production tlirough the extensive work of -Australia's producers. Recent titles listed by Business Screen included such topics as Australia Marches If ilh Britain, Road to Victory. Australia Has Wings. Fashions for .Men, Defenders of Tobruk, Soldiers Without Uniforms, It's the Nary. Keeping the Fleet at Sea and similar subjects. Production for the armed forces is matched by films for the home front and civilian defense. \\iiinber Seven • 1943 17 r