Business screen magazine (1944)

:tive and starts to distribute prints to all activiies in the Naval Establishment slated to receive hem. Throughout these various transfers of iniiative, the Cataloging Section maintains the losest possible liaison with each project. As hown by the diagram, all materials accumuited during the production of a given film are ent to the Cataloging Section for review and lie. Such things as production outlines, action )utlines, stor\ boards, scripts, correspondence, nd reports of all kinds represent the source naterial from which Cataloging derives its fund if information. It is while these production tiatcrials are accumulating that the Cataloging lection begins to fulfill its second major funcion — that of disseminating information. Even,' hred of material routed to the Cataloging Secion for file from the more than 700 films curentlv in production is scanned carefully for lints on progress and development. When docimentars evidence points to the fact that a ilm has reached any of several production nileposts, that fact is announced in the weekly 'ilm Log. These announcements have been ound to be important for several reasons. For me thing, it has been found wise to spend some ime and effort keeping officer-supervisors inormcd of new film topics and progress outside if tlieir own fields of specialization. One never nows when a supervisor may have to branch lut into other fields so the broadest possible nformational background is essential. Furthernorc, it has been found possible frequently o correlate production activities where two eemingly vmrclatod film subjects are found to lavc something in common. Dnoo a film has been approved and initial listribution gets under way, the broader projam of dissemination of film information is indertaken through the medium of the film atalog. A complete publication of over 500 )agcs, this catalog presents a wide variety of nfomiation about those films which are availible to the Naval Establishment. Each film isted, for instance, is described in terms of the ollowing ; 1. Navy serial number. 2. Title. 3. Security cla.ssification. 4. Running time. ."). Date of release. 6. Whether the prints are in color or black and white. 7. Whether the film is silent or sound. 8. Description of film content. Further, the organization of the catalog gives an indication of where each film is best adapted to serve the Na\y ind provides several ways in which title .search may be conducted. Anyone using the catalog, for instance. "nay use either the alphabetical, numerical, ^rmy-numerical or subject index depending upon what information is available for starting the search. This complete catalog is issued every four months and is kept up-to-date by means of cumulative monthly supplements. Through the medium of the catalog, a film retains its identity and continues to be of prime interest Id thi' Cataloging Section long after A REPORT ON NAVY TRAINING FILMS bv Jack II. ^IfC'lolland. Lt., L'SXR those concerned with its production have forgotten about it. Once listed in the catalog, in fact, it is never withdrawn. Only upon being declared obsolete is it moved and that move is just to another section of the catalog. Finally, a word might be said about one of the many correlative activities of the Cataloging Section, the existence of which was inferred above by mention of the catalog's "Army-numerical" index. In a word, the Navy shows keen interest in films from other sources— sources such as the Army, the various private and commercial producers of films, and all of the Allied Nations. By exploring such sources, many films have been re\iewed by the Cataloging Section, adopted, and put in use much more quickly than could a film have been produced to fill the same need — and at far less cost. That is the story in a nut-shell. While it has been possible to present but a brief resume of the Cataloging Section's many responsibilities, it is hoped that in so doing, any wrong impres sions about the nature and importance of the work have been corrected. True, it is primarily a record-keeping job with a distinct paucity of excitement, but that fact is lost in the feeling of satisfaction derived from being a cog in the Navy's film program — the importance of which is daily attested to bv the frequentlv heard phrase— "CHECK WITH CATALOGING." 4 FILM production reques|t CATAL06INC PROJECT SUPERVISION PROCUREMENT (SCHIPT scKvices) PROJECT SUPERVISION PROCUREMENT (PKODUCTION SERVICIS) PROJECT SUPERVISION DECLARATION OF OBSOLESCENCE ] ITi'ilill'l'"'^^ ACCUMULATE PRODUCTION MATERIALS IIST IN CATALOG ^^S^ -^' *»*N OUN, :t3