The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

December, 1945 Page 379 Successful production of these pictures requires per- fect coordination by innumerable special departments. Some of these are—Directors, Writers, Art, Clerical, Research, Cutting, Camera, Music, Property, Blue- prints, Electrical, Sound, Construction. Two of the Unit's scenario writers went on a 1,500 mile anti-submarine bomber patrol. Another writer flew from the Unit to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, making notes while crouched in the nose of his plane, notes to be incorporated in a picture which will give ferry pilots a preview of the safest, fastest route to Alaska. In every case the Technical research on every project is carefully followed through, then when the film is in actual production expert tecTinical advisers supervise every shot. Another important and little known aspect of films is the Animation Department. Under the leadership of Major Rudolf Ising, recently head of M.G.M.'s Ani- mation dei)artment, a cor])s of expert artists take tech- nical problems and transform them into lively and easily understood visual education. Most of the actual acting in these training films is done by the enlisted men. Of course, there is a hand- ful of professionals like Lieutenant Ronald Reagan, Pfc. Alan Ladd, Pvt. George Montgomery, Pvt. John Beal, who. besides their regular fatigue and drill duties, also provide the necessary acting. But the bulk of the dramatics is done by amateurs, most of whom never appeared in anything more professional than a Ladies Aid Societ,\- Pageant. Daily, lowly privates are sum- moned to wardrobe to don the golden oaks of Majors, then, after ])erforming their stints, return to wrestling with pots and pans in the company kitchen. In fact, the First Motion Picture Unit is very firm about its personnel being Gl's-of-all-trades. A short time ago. a top scenario writer at M-G-M left the higher income brackets to enter the Unit as a private. He spent his first week doing garbage detail and labor. During his .second week, the writer was employed as an extra player in a scene before the cainera. As he left the set, after the day's shooting, a friend approached him, asked him how he liked the setup. "Oh fine, fine", said the writer. "I've got a three way contract here— writing, acting and KP"! But, just as the Unit expects its men to be expert film makers, it expects them, at the same time, to he good soldiers. Daily, there are close order drills, exercises with gasmasks and side- arms. Twenty-seven members of the Unit are in charge of the Flight Echelon. .\ unique feature of the First Mo- tion Picture Unit is the fact that it possesses its own airplane hangar, and five airplanes assigned to it by the AAF. These planes are .serviced by three officers, three clerks, twenty-one mechanics. They are used for aerial cinematography. Of the enlisted men in the Unit, one third are training for actual overseas com- bat. These men, from every corner of the nation, are rigorously schooled in use of fire-arms, in performance of Commando tactics—and lastly, in u.se of a special digest version of the Mitchell 35mm camera. Combat movies were being taken as far back as 1916, when Fox films sent a newsreel cameraman down to Mexico to shoot scenes of Pancho Villa in battle. Top: Photographing animated sequences which are used extensively in the Air Forces' training films. Center: The Spec'al Effects Department prepare to make a photographic wipe on a miniature screen. Bottom: In the cutting room the sound track and picture are matched before the final print is made on one of the training films made by the Unit.