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

editorial Best? VV E wish we had the answer to that question. There just isn't a simple formula for finding the best film. So far as we know, there isn't anyone or any group that can pick out the best film for you to use. This is something that everyone using a film has to do for himself. The most that we and others can do is to try to help. The reason that everyone who uses films has to be a part of the selection process is that there is no "best" in an absolute sense. "Best" is relative. "Best" can only be found in terms of what you want or expect the film to do, and to whom you want it to be done. A film titled, "Fish", for instance, might be the best one for ^ you to use if you were trying to get people to go to Maine to do ^L/'|-i|^|-| their fishing, but that same film would likely be of little or no " ^ A-li.V-'Xl value for teaching fish anatomy to a ninth grade biology class. Purpose is of prime importance,— not only the purpose for which T^|1.^Y^ a film was produced, but more important, the purpose for which -T IIXXJ. it is to be used. Intelligent selection of films (and all other audiovisual materials Tq used for a purpose) is a complex process. Purposes of the user Ao must be known, and then judgments must be made about the effectiveness of particular films in fulfilling those purposes. Sometimes tentative evaluation can be made on the basis of written descriptions, upon the recommendations of others, or upon the reputation of the producer. But experience has pretty well shown that "best" films are found only by preview or by trial and error use. There is no simple procedure, no short cut, to finding best fihns. But we can help. A first step is knowing what materials are available from which a selection can be made. This has been the important helping function of the previous thirty six editions of The Blue Book; and this 37th Edition continues the tradition and extends it. What an abundance of excellent new materials are being produced each year! We are reminded that in the first twenty or so editions of the Blue Book there was room to list each year all the existing non-theatrical films. It was an annual cumulative listing. Now just the listing of new materials fills the complete book. Listing all materials available has become the task of the Educational Media Council, an organization of thirteen national groups and associations. The undertaking is now so extensive it requires substantial subsidization from the United States Government. So the 37th Edition of the Blue Book lists only recently produced materials. But the aim is the same as for the first edition: to help you select the best materials for your purposes. This year, for your comments and reactions, we are for the first time giving special r» 1 ^ n 7 attention to the Blue Ribbon Award Winners from the recent I^aUl C Keea fourth American film festival of the Educational Film Library Association. These winners were judged "best" by competent juries,-"best" on the basis of the stated objectives of the producers. They may or may not be 'Tjest" for you in terms of your purposes; but these are films and filmstrips deserving your and our special attention." "// you could use a complete listing of all the productions shown at the American Film Festival, send a dollar to cover costs to the Educational Film Library Association, Inc., 250 West 57 Street New York 19. Educational Screen and Audiovisual Guide— August, 1962 435