Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 20, 1967)

ptt Blin SCHOOL PROD'N (Continued from Page 1) ronto Board’s teaching aids department under Lou Wise, who described the response as “quite good.” A highlight of the meeting was an address by Dr. Lewis Forsdale, professor of English at Teachers’ College, Columbia University, who coincidently addressed a regional SMPTE conference while in Toronto. Annual film workshops for teachers have become a fixed commitment for Wise’s department, each workshop incorporating eight or nine sessions covering both artistic and technical aspects of cinema. Practical demonstration is made possible by facilities which the Board has built up. “We concentrate on 8 mm.,” Wise said, “for reasons of economy and the fact that 8 mm. stock and equipment has become quite sophisticated, incorporating magnetic tracks and so on. Some quite respectable student films have resulted.” Cited as a prime example by Wise was a 25-minute production called Dear Sir, made by a team of Harbord Collegiate students under Ron Dagilis, then the school’s vocational guidance director. After Wise had discussed their project with them on a couple of occasions, the students wrote an original script, filmed it as a dramatic piece with dialogue, wrote original background music which they themselves recorded and produced a finished print entirely on their own. Several additional prints have since been made as a result of interest by Kodak which has been using two prints as demonstration reels illustrating to sales prospects how much can be done with ‘8 mm. “The film also has been entered in the Kodak Teen-Age Awards competition,” Wise said, “and it’s interesting to note that when it was screened during an October audio-visual conference at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, a leading New York City educator asked for a print so that he could show it throughout his own school network. People from the University of Montreal also want a print after seeing it as part of Kodak’s exhibit at Expo.” Wise stressed that his department’s aim in screen education is to nurture an overall appreciation, understanding and _ proficiency. “We're not trying to make cinematographers out of anyone —there are Ryersons and UCLAs for that,” he said. “Writing is a vital part of film-making and unique in its form. Music is composed and arranged in a special context. There’s also the somewhat unique aspect of creative team-work in which students learn to work together artistically.” December 20, 1967 The activity of Wise’s department is being reflected across the country, as far as can be ascertained, and in some measure derives from the explosion of student film action in the US where university and school boards are receiving practical and financial assistance from private sources. An example is the Third National Student Film Festival being held in Los Angeles Jan. 19-21, cosponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America, the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts and the US National Student Association. Winning student films will be shown and prizes presented at this time and at a subsequent conference, April 17, in New York’s Lincoln Centre Philharmonic Hall. Four $500 grants, contributed by the MPAA, will be awarded to each of the first prize winners in four categories: animation, documentary, dramatic and experimental. Meanwhile the University Film Producers Association and McGraw-Hill have presented their annual Motion Picture Scholarship Competition awards, with the first prize of $1,000 going to Ted Perry of the University of Iowa. Sponsored by McGraw-Hill and administered by the UFPA, the scholarship competition is open to continuing graduate film students in UFPA-affiliated university film departments. In February (10-12), New York’s Park Sheraton Hotel will be the scene of “A Happening for Young Film-makers” (Young Film-maker’s Conference) sponsored by Fordham University and aimed at highschool students and teachers “concerned about filmmaking.” Student-made films will be screened and discussed, demonstration workshops will be held and only “supporting roles” will [| be played by “famous directors [7 9) and film-makers.” This is the kind and scope of organized student film activity} educators such as Wise are hop-! ing for in Canada. A meeting of key administrative people was planned for late in December to formulate plans for same. “We are hopeful,” said Wise, “that something organized and continuing will develop.” THEATRES OPENED (Continued from Page 1) was Loew’s and Phil Ulster’s 7 & 27 near Toronto. Under way are Monel Properties’ Centennial twin in Calgary, e Purnell and Famous’ Park Plaza in Red Deer, Alta., and D. Palasty’s drive-in at 100 Mile House, BC. Reopened during the year were the Anchor, Chester, NS; Caprice, Perdue, Sask.; Bow, Bowness, Alta.; Windsor; Winnipeg; anc Centre, Saint John, NB. i Se CANADIAN FIL (Ae SS eee es 2 UIELSEN : Season's Greetings THEATRE HOLDING CORPORATION LIMITED TORONTO ie, y “a WAI oe \Wagon