The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

January — April, 1944 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 3 cinema-going public as well as to the schools, relying on the theatrical distribution which the films thereby received to bring in an adequate return. Even though they were re-edited this ■method could not fail to impair the films' suitability for school use. Other producers sold copies of their films at exorbitant prices in an attempt to meet production costs. The schools could not afford to buy, but could only borrow copies when they happened to be available from the few film libraries existing. A third type of producer was the industrial sponsor, making films for prestige purposes on subjects allied to his industrial activities. Where such films had general appeal, their sponsors made copies of them available to educational establishments, in many cases free of charge. Here again, however, the films were i.ot made primarily for school or college use and made their way into published lists of " films suitable for schools " only for want of something better. After pointing out that before the war the documentary film had to rely mainly on haphazard and uneo-ordinated commercial sponsorship, the memorandum insists that a body with similar functions to those of the present Films Division of the Ministry of Information is essential t-o act both as sponsor and co-ordinator after the war. If the Ministry of Information itself is to continue, the present Films Division with its terms of reference expanded to peace-time needs would be suitable. If it is not, the choice lies between attaching the present body to some other appropriate Ministry or creating a wholly independent Government Films Department. Direct Government sponsorship is indispensable if the anticipated demands of all users, particularly the schools, whose requirements are additional to the war-time programme, are to be adequately met. The wide scope of the work undertaken by the Films Division of the Ministry of Information may not be generally realised. It has developed a great network of non-theatrical distribution, and in each of its twelve regional centres there is a Films Officer. There are approximately 140 Mobile Projection Units and nine portable 35 mm. outfits for larger shows. Between September 1st, 1942, and August 31st, 1943, an average of 4,985 shows were given each month. The programmes are carefully selected and the requirements ol different types of audience are taken into consideration. Over the year, audiences at nontheatrical shows reach an approximate total of eighteen million people. (Continued overleaf) THE THEATRE Provides Studio Projection Service at any time to suit your convenience TWO DOUBLE HEADS FULL RANGE SOUND MIXING PANELS FOR TRACKS SEATING FOR 100 PERSONS 86, WARDOUR STREET, LONDON, W.I TEL.: GERRARD 5223