The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

T HE C I N E T E C H N I C I A N January — April, 194-1 The memorandum rightly points out that it would be a tragedy if this work were to be suspended or interrupted at the conclusion of hostilities. Wisely, the memorandum does not insist that the present Ministry of Information Films Division must remain as a peace-time coordinating body, but it is emphatic in its view that there must be some central State department which will continue and develop the work started during this war by the Films Division. After classifying the documentary film into a number of separate categories — scientific film, propaganda film, educational film, instructional film, newsreel, and the record film — the memorandum proceeds to discuss the question of audienci s. The spheres in which documentary films are most useful fall into two main classifications : (a) Films for general exhibition: — (i) In the public cinemas, (ii) Non-theatrically in factories, clubs and institutes, town halls, village halls, public libraries. (b) Films for specialised exhibition: — (i) In the classroom and lecture-room (ii) In the Technical College and Training Centre. The requirements of all these audience categories are thoroughly discussed, with particular reference to the requirements of schools. It is a lamentable fact that we in this country are still very far from the position where even school has its own film projector. Only in a minority of our schools are films used as an aid to education and there lias been little or no attempt to plan films as part of the normal education curriculum. Those two factors, projection equipment and planned film programmes, are inseparable. It is no good having one without the other. Every school should be provided with a projector, but at the same time they must be certain of having not only an ample supply of films, but an ample supply of the right type of films. With compelling logic the memorandum leads up to one of its main proposals — that there should be a committee composed of representatives of the appropriate Ministries, the Board of Education, the film makers, and specialised users of documentary films, including the teaching profession. The functions of such a committee are set forth in great detail, and one of its tasks should be to carry out a survey of requirements in the spheres of educational activity, with the object of estimating the degree of assistance which the film can provide in every type of school and college curriculum, and in even type of subject with which adult education is concerned. Tt is self-evident that the drawing up of a workable plan for the production, distribution and use of the film in all spheres of education is one of the tasks for which the proposed committee would be responsible, but before submitting the memorandum the authors investigated and have set forth a possible method of operation. After discussing problems of production, administration, finance and distribution, the memorandum suggests that the co-ordinating committee must remain as an advisory panel to whatever Government department is responsible. This department should function as a clearing house for the requirements of all Government and official bodies, without denying them the right to their own Films Officers where they have special film needs, as in the case, for instance, of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture. The committee should advise where necessary on the desirability or otherwise of films. It thus becomes in a sense the focal point of a pool consisting of all the units producing for it. and should maintain the closest contact with the film makers through their representatives on the committee, planning ahead sufficiently far for technicians to be used to the best advantage. In its final conclusions the memorandum visualises the proposed scheme as a permanent social service. Films become out-of-date like text-books and must be re-made. Policies and viewpoints change, knowledge increases daily and new films must be made to keep pace. Moreover, films from other sources must be integrated with those produced as part of a planned production scheme. Other nations can make their contribution to our education, as we can to theirs. In fact, the international use of film is one of the most important of its uses, and in the course of time copies of the documentary and educational films of other nations, translated where necessary, should be found in our film libraries. It is impossible to give more than a brief suminary of a report which is so thorough and comprehensive in its scope, and we strongly advise all members of the A.C.T. who are interested in this question to obtain a copy for themselves and study it closely. A.C.T. has produced this memorandum in no narrow sectarian spirit. We regard it as a useful contribution to a subject winch directly concerns a large body of people unconnected with our own industry. It is being circulated to all organisations concerned either with the teaching profession or with planning future lines of educational development, and we hope to secure the cooperation of many of these bodies in approaching the appropriate Government departments, particularly the Board of Education, with a view to inducing them to put into operation as quickly as possible some such scheme as has been proposed in the memorandum.