Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

AN EFFECTIVE civil defense in the United States rests ultimately on an informed American public — a public that understands the nature of the threat; a public that, individually and collectively, takes appropriate precautionary steps and knows vifhat to do and how to do it if disaster strikes. The task of getting civil defense information to 160 million Americans is the biggest public education program ever undertaken in our country. No Government agency could do it by itself. Every tool of mass public education has been and must continue to be brought into play. The Federal Civil Defense Administration, responsible for disseminating civil defense information by all appropriate means, provides the stimulus by formulating the basic objectives of the information program, assigning priorities and emphasis to various kinds of information, and devising ways of bringing the facts to the public either directly or through privately-sponsored information media. Fortunately, the FCDA, in carrying out the public education program, continues to get unparalleled cooperation from all mass information media — not the least of which is the contribution of the non-theatrical motion picture industry. In recognition of the tremendous value of motion pictures in stimulating public interest, moulding opinion, and developing instructional methods and techniques, the FCDA is using every possible channel to bring the civil defense story to the people through films. Since its inception, the FCDA motion picture program has, for example, arranged for the production of a series of eight official public education films. These eight films were financed and produced by private film companies with FCDA technical assistance and policy guidance, and are being marketed nationally through dealers at a special price of .| 19.75 per reel of black and white. Over 7,000 of these prints are reaching a nation-wide audience of 15,000,000 yearly, exclusive of TV. This program is noteworthy as one of the most effective motion picture endeavors in the non-theatrical field. Among the new films already in production by cooperating producers are a picture dealing with the role of civil defense in natural disasters (tornadoes, fires, explosions) and one on CONELRAD (CONtrol of ELec Mr. Radford is Chief of the Motion Picture Branch, Public A§airs Office, United States Federal Civil Defense Administration. FOR by RODNEY B. RADFORD tromagnctic R,\Diation), which describes the broadcasting system for bringing important civil defense news to the public during an emergency without helping enemy bombers reach their targets. In implementing another phase of its film production program, FCDA instituted a procedure for active cooperation with public service film sponsors. Private industry, foundations, advertising agencies, and associations seeking a public service vehicle have the services of an FCD.\ motion picture committee in developing civil defense scripts and films. This small committee offers the sponsor technical assistance and guidance, may lend technically accurate scripts, and has approved authority for the entire FCDA. It may purchase as many as 800 prints of any one sponsored subject, with the Motion Picture Branch handling all public distribution. All approved sponsored or producerfinanced films are automatically recommended for inclusion on the list of "Matching Funds" items. This means that State civil defense offices may purchase prints for use in informational programs, with half the print cost (standard laboratory cost) paid by FCDA, resulting in considerable free distribution for the sponsor, or print sales for the producer, as the case may be. In some instances, FCDA itself produces films on certain timely civil defense activities where it is determined that there would be no advantage to private sponsors or individual film companies. Seven such subjects are now in production. Prints of public service-sponsored films are purchased at laboratory cost. Prints of current producer financed films are purchased at a mutually agreeable price of approximately $27.00 per black and white reel. Another service performed by the FCDA Motion Picture Branch is the preparation and distribution to TV stations of selected materials, including spot announcements and the familiar "Take Cover" series. A few of the typical titles are : The House in the Middle, describing the thermal (heat) effects of atomic explosion; Operation Doorstep, dealing with blast effects of atomic explosion; and Emergency Action to Save Lives, which is in effect a pre-first aid type of instructional spot. The House in the Middle, which was originally produced and released by FCD,\ as a Bi/o-minute short, has been sponsored and revised by the National Clean-Up Paint-Up Fix-Up Bureau for release as a 14-minute color subject. Prints have been distributed to all FCDA regional offices and State civil defense offices. A problem of serious concern to the F"CD.-\ staff is growing out of its program of furnishing loan prints of sponsored films to operating TV stations throughout the country. The number of new TV stations being licensed is increasing at a rapid rate. All of these stations are interested in obtaining current civil defense films for their local audiences. The residt is a difficult distribution problem for the Television Branch, which is keenly sensitive to its responsibility of providing the public with all available civil defense information, yet hampered by inadecjuate resources and funds. One system being tried in cases where there are insufficient prints to go around is to distribute a limited number of prints through the seven FC;DA regional offices on a rotation basis directly to the local stations, or through States and cities as their procedures require. The prime objective is, of course, to assure initial distribution to target area audiences. Thereafter, priority is determined on the basis of local civil defense requirements and interests. 278 EcJucational Screen