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

Professional Quality for School-Made Films Colonel J. H. Jocobsen gives acting direction to Northwestern Military and Noval Academy cadet, for role in film "Time of Your Life." When Colonel J. H. Jacobsen shows a group of Northwestern Military and Naval Academy alumni and prospective students the film "Time of Your Life," it is with a special pride, for in addition to being headmaster of this military prep school at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, an army officer and an Episcopalian priest, he is also the producer of this 26 minute sound-color documentary film. When he became headmaster some year ago. Colonel Jacobsen began to take his own publicity still shots. Soon his growing interest in photography led to the purchase of a 16mm motion picture camera. He developed the habit of carrying his 16mm camera to all outdoor events. Parades, football, tobogganing, skating, baseball, sailing and other outdoor sequences soon totaled over 4,000 feet of exposed footage. As the footage mounted, Colonel Jacobsen began to toy with the idea of creating a film about Northwestern using the best of these sequences. Working with a limited budget, his goal to produce a professional, polished film on this restricted budget seemed impossible until he discovered that professional producer services such as editing, sound recording and titles could be purcliased singly or in combination from qualified labora By Susanne Clark Geo. W. Colliurn Laboratory, Inc. tories or producer service organizations. ' After rough editing his footage, he took the remaining 2,000 feet and his ideas for a script to the Geo. W. Colburn Laboratory, Inc., where he found the total tab for the finished film would depend solely on how much or how little of the work he performed himself. He found there was not just one but many ways to solve his film problems effectively. After every phase of the motion picture from script to finished film was reviewed, Colonel Jacobsen selected the following professional services to complete his film: Script: Because a film script is a highly skilled form of writing involving technical know-how. Colonel Jacobsen worked closely with an assigned professional writer and an editor. They viewed the footage together and decided what additional sequences were needed to round out the story. Photography: Since interior photography of sequences including Colonel Jacobsen and school activities were needed, Colburn sent a camera crew to Lake Geneva for two days of location work. Workprint: Because original film is irreplaceable, a workprint copy was made. The editors cut, paced and arranged sequences using this workprint as they created the film story. Talent Selection: Auditions were held to select a narrator. The voice was to be that of a cadet at the academy who appeared throughout the film. Selected for the part was Ezra Stone who played Henry Aldrich on radio for many years. Recording: After the script and talent were approved by Colonel Jacobsen, the narration was recorded. To provide authentic music for one of the sequences, the academy's bagpipe troop came down to the studio for a special recording session. Editing: Experienced editors did the creative and exacting work of editing the film to the script. Titles: Main, credit and end titles were designed and photographed by the Laboratory's art staff. Music and Sound Effects Selection: An experienced music editor carefully selected music for the title and end sequences and three "bridges" from the large stock music library maintained by the Laboratory. Approval Showing: By "interlocked projection," workprint, voice track and music track were combined and shown for Colonel Jacobsen. Some minor changes were made and final approval was given. Rerecording: Voice, music and sound effects tracks were blended smoothly onto a single "mixed" track for making the final composite sound prints. Matching: \t last the original film was taken from the vault, matched frame by frame to the edited work])rint. The matched original along with the mixed photographic sound track was used by the printing department for making the first answer print and all subsequent release prints. "Answer Print": This first color print combining sound and picture was delivered to Colonel Jacobsen just 60 days after his first planning session. "Time of Your Life" had such a favorable reception that the academy ordered also black and white prints for TV use. Though the film was shown on 12 local TV stations, Northwestern found that their best response by far came from showing the film to selected groups . . . parents, alumni and prospective students. Alumni in distant parts of the country used the film to interest boys in the school. Colonel Jacobsen has had many favorable reactions from people who have seen the film. So far only one dissenter stands out in the group: His four year old Chicago nephew who lisped after seeing one strenuous marching sequence, "I wouldn't like to go to that school. They never let the boys sit down!" Five years after Northwestern completed the first film, it was decided to revise it in order to keep pace with the changing times. To place more emphasis on Colonel Jacobsen's spiritual leadership, sequences showing him in army uniform were replaced by new sequences showing him in the clericals which he now wears around the academy. New buildings and other improvements were also incorporated. By making these few changes. Northwestern had updated their motion picture at very reasonable cost. Colonel Jacobsen has now produced a second film, "Summer Sailors," in which he did all the photography. The Colburn organization again handled editing, music selection, recording, narration, artwork, titles and release prints. By careful pre-planning and working closely with the Laboratory, it was possible to conserve costs even further on this film. 584 EdScreen & AV Guide — December, 1 957