Business screen magazine (1944)

Right Time, Riglit Place and Riglit Film AN OVERVIEW OF ARMY FILM DISTRIBUTION PROCEDURE by Major Dennis R. Williams Fi^ld Service Officer Distribution Division Signal Corps Photographic Center THE BIGGEST Army in world histor>required and built for itself the most exI tensive film distribution system in the vorld. It served 8.000.000 troops in training, in ind out of combat, at reception centers and reIcploynicnt areas, and wherever the War Dejartment's far flung activities were operated in in era of global war. The distribution ot films was and is part of he great battle of logistics. It required the csablishmcnt of channels ol supply, operating )roccdurcs and standards. It required, as well. he training of hundreds of soldiers with no jrevious experience in the handling of film. LV {<lafNM> .-il Iho map of Army Pictorial ScTvici's uorkl wide activities, which appears in 'lii^ is^ur. Kiiucys some idea of the vast network I ( iMtrai Film and Equipment Exchanges opening all over the earth. No map, however, unless it were the size of a large wall, could possibly show the location of all the smaller libraries and sub-lil)raries through which training films, orientation, entertainment and educational pictures have reached our fighting men. These smaller library units were the outfits thai moved on to the newly won beachheads and that operated in the smaller outposts. The Class "A" library or Central Film and Equipment Exchange in each service command or ox'crseas area consolidates all requests for film projectors and their equipment. This central exchange maintains stocks of films and equipment and controls all films and projectors in the command area. In additicm, the Central Him and Equipment Exchange supplies film^ ■nul projectors to all units near it and to remote units in the command not near a sub-exchange. The Class "B" Film and Equipment Exchange, a sort of sub-depot for the "A" exchange, is usually located on a large post. It serves from 30,000 to 50.000 troops with all films and projection equipment. The Class "C" Film and Equipment Exchange sei-ves small isolated units, and performs the same functions as the "'B" Film and Equipment Exchange. The Central Film and Ec|uipment Exchange controls all "B" and "C" exchanges. All exchanges service troops with training, orientation and entertainment films, (except 35mm provided by .^rmy Motion Picture Service), and other visual aids. They provide 16mm motion picture and 35mni filmstrip projectors, opaque projectors and film slides; maintain and repair film and perform minor repairs on projection equipment. Tin' Ntylixt'd layiiiit in these pages shows the physical facilities, personnel required, forms developed to insure efficient operation, and a flow chart for all films and equipment provided to using units by a Film and Equipment Exchange. The facilities and procedures were di\eloped over a four year period of trial and error, and were accepted as uniform procedures after a thorough field test in the world's largest film and equipment distribution activity. By a study of the layout, it can be seen th.it adequate provision has been made in tlie physi( al facilities of all Central and Sub-Film and Ecpiipment Exchanges for the performance of the following funcuons: 1. Administration of the library, including coordination with all using units, correspondence with higher echelons, and preparation and distribution of information on films and on libraiy service. 2. Receipt of all requests for films and projection equipment, booking of films and equipment, and preparation of necessan, forms for delivery of requested films and e()uipment. 3. Storage of films. 4. Storage ol projectors and screens, (over) Comparison of W. D. Film Showings per month per 1000 Troops in Continental il, S. Shovini pir IQOOTrsops lUJ III! 1943 Marck 1945 ARMY PICTORIAL ISSUE 55