The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 176 The Educational Screen SCHOOL MADE MOTION PICTURES By HARDY R. FINCH Head of the English Department Greenwich High School, Greenwich, Conn. Nebraska School Films Activities An enthusiastic account of a public relations film ap- peared in a recent issue of The Nebraska Educational Journal. Because it tells how a film of this type may be made on three hundred feet of 16mm. color film, portions of the article by W. J. Frenzel of Holdrege, Nebraska, are quoted below. Mr. Frenzel's account follows: WE filmed a movie! Yes, and it was fun. Many were the laughs, moments of anxiety, and even of dis- tress. But make a movie we did—300 feet of action in color of regular school activities. It was decided to do something dilTerent—something to acquaint the public with school activities in such a way that the school was brought to our patrons. One of the teachers suggested a short movie of school activities. Her argu- ment stressed the permanency of the project. The novelty of such an attempt appealed. All teachers then entered into the spirit of the project and each assumed an active responsibility. Each teacher planned grade activities which her class might demonstrate. A local camera enthusiast contributed time and camera. A photographer loaned photo flood lamps. The scenario was written by a committee of teachers. Objectives set up for the project were divided into two groups: namely, teachers' and pupils'. The teachers' objectives were: (1) To furnish the public evidence of actual class- room activities. (2) To utilize various class possibilities in dramati- zations by the pupils. (3) To instill knowledge of "behind the scenes" movies in the pupils. (4) To set up learning about the profession of pho- tography. (5) To publicize the school. The pupils desired: (1) To learn fundamentals of filming. (2) To learn about photography. (3) To "act" in movies. Rehearsal of each "skit" before actual filming made it possible to check time and film footage in order to utilize every bit of "space" allotted to each scene. To give sequence to the film, a visitor, Mrs. Anderson, ac- companied her son Bobbie to school. There Mrs. An- derson sees . . . (1) Playground activities under supervision, includ- ing safety in play. (2) Second grade reading seatwork, health inspection by the school nurse, and individual free activities. (3) Reading activities and playing store in the first grade. (4) Group singing, rhythms, playing house, and in- dividual mental recreations by the kindergartners. (5) In grade three, a library project with a real ex- cursion to the public library. With a question box on the making of school film productions, conducted by DONALD A. ELDRIDGE, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. (6) In the fourth grade, the preparation of a health food (chocolate pudding), and editing and printing their monthly paper. (7) Various interesting methods of studying a geog- raphy unit in grade five. (8) In the sixth grade a study period in which refer- ence material was used and in which students who finished early occupied their spare time in room duties. (9) The girls' gym class demonstrating a folk dance and a healthful exercise. (10) A general assembly, in which the student pro- gram consisted of the flag pledge, singing by the school chorus in their white robes, and exhibitions by the boys' gym class. Thus, some activity of every grade or group was included in the film. After the filming, began the editing, the developing, the splicing, and then the film was completed. To add to the eflfectiveness of the production, a coinmentary was written to be included during the projection of the film. This is given by means of a luicrophone and loud- speaker attachment to the projector. Students and patrons alike have asked for repeated showings. So, we have accompli.shed what we set out to do—to bring to the public, in a dramatic manner, some of the things that are being done in a modern school. The cost was nominal and many people now know what is going on in an elementary school today. QUESTION BOX ON SCHOOL FILM PRODUCTION Question: How can we provide for smooth tran- sitions between scenes in our films? We know how the fade-out, fade-in. wipe, and dissolve are used by pro- fessionals, but we understand that most such effects are produced in the laboratory and we cannot afford this expense. Is there some way we can accomplish this with a minimum of cost and labor with a camera that is not equipped with special attachments? Answer: The facie, wipe, and dissolve are indeed the three chief transition devices, and you are correct in assuming that in Hollywood, at least, most of these are achieved by laboratory processes. As in so many things, the amateur, particularly the amateur of limited financial resources, must improvise. A useful gadget is a fade-out device which may be pur- chased to fit any camera. This simply provides a means of gradually decreasing the exposure until the light is completely excluded. This fade-out effect can be improvised without any attachment, however, by gradually closing the diaphragm of your lens. If the subject is very bright, so that there will still be an image even with the diaphragm at the smallest opening, it is necessary to finish the fade by covering the lens with a piece of dark cardboard to effect a completf: black-out. When a tripod is used—as it should be under all circumstances—this is easy to do smoothly with a little practice. A fade-in can be accomplished by reversing the process; i.e., start with the lens covered, remove the covering gradu- ally, meanwhile opening your diaphragm to the point of (Concluded on page 178)