The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

108 THE CINE -TECHNICIAN November— December. 1045 WORKERS' FILM ASSOCIATION 6th ANNUAL FILM SCHOOL by ERIC J. PASK The School this year at the Highcliffe Hall Hotel, Cliftonville (owned by the Kent Co-cp) was attended by representatives of Trades Councils, Trade Unions, Divisional Labour Parties, Education ( !ommittees and Co-operative Societies. I attended as a representative of the A.C.T. Laboratory Committee, with Mr. Frank Sainsbury to represent the General Council. The School was officially opened by Mr. J. Taylor, a former Chairman of the Association, followed by George Elvin, who addressed the School on "The Workers in the Film Industry," which was of great interest to those who were not employed in the industry, and took away the false impression of large salaries and glamour, which the majority of people associate with films. He pointed out that it is only now that laboratory workers have been able to obtain a minimum wage of t4 per week for fully-graded employees in the lowest paid jobs. Frank Sainsbun gave a talk on Sunday morning; his subject. " Films for Schools," gave rise to quite a lot of discussion. Everyone agreed that the Government should sponsor the production of films for education ; this should not be left to the Rank organisation. Arthur Elton, on Sunday afternoon, was very critical of many of the films so far produced for the Workers' movement, which he described as old-fashioned and reactionary. He suggested that Trade Unions should make films about their own industries and that the Co-ops should make films about international problems. In discussion, mosl people agreed that a great deal more needed to be done in films by the movement. Other speakers during the week included .Montagu Slater, who spoke on " Scriptwriting for Films of Social Import." George Sewell, a.r.p.s.. gave instruction on the use of lt'nmn cameras, writing of a script, camera angles, use of filters, etc. An interesting lecture by Mr. Sidney L. Bernstein, late of M.O.I, and the Film Section. S.H.A.E.F., on "The Film and International Relations." told of the important part M.O.I. films had taken in the war. Mr. Hill, a repatriated prisoner of war, who was an R.A.F. cameraman and was shot down over Germany, told us something of the work of the R.A.F. Film Unit. He explained that for reconnaissance photography Technicolor was best, as this showed up the camouflage where monochrome would not. Also, that Kodaks had made a negative stock witb a speed greatly in excess of Super Pali, which had enabled the R.A.F. to take those remarkable shot-, of the night raids on Germany which we had all seen on the newsreels. We are all used to hearing music as background to films, both feature and documentary, but few of us realise the amount of work this entails. All this was explained to us by Dr. Ernest Meyer, the well-known composer of music lor the film^. in his lecture " Music and the Film." Mr. Alfred Luck, one of the members of the Workers Film Association, gave instructions on the use and care of 16mm projectors, also on thi selecting pi a programme, the arranging of a hall, and the publicity lor the show. The W.F.A. have available projectors and projectionists, as well as a large library of films. Friday morning we had a Students' Conference which reviewed tbe work of the W.F.A. and discussed proposals for the 1946 School. The sugg stion that the W.F.A. should produce films was popular. Everyone agreed that the Co-operative Societies should own cinemas in which these films could be shown in addition to the usual feature films. Alderman J. Reeves. M.P., pointed out that the main object of the W.F.A. was the distribution of films for non-theatrical performance — i.e.. 16mm which could be shown in any suitable hall. The Conference was followed by an addn ss from Alderman J. Reeves on the film as an instrument of education and public enlightenment. In his opinion the Government should continue to produce and distribute films, as the M.O.I, has during the war. He would substitute for tbe Ministry of Information a Ministry of Culture and PublicInstruction, which would also encourage the appreciation of Ait. Music and the Theatre. The Government would have to subsidise British films, and he supported the A.C.T. recommendation of the nationalisation of the British Film Industry. He also said that something must he done to cut down waste in the industry. There should also be a National Organisation composed of the Labour Party, Trade Unions and Co-operative Societies to undertake the production and distribution of films. To conclude, a word of appreciation to the projectionists o| the W.F.A.. who provided us with a film show ever} evening.