Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

18 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE Volume XII, No. 4 Young America Films Young America Films, Inc., 18 East 41st Street, New York City, has announced the following 8-point editorial policy in the production of its materials : 1. We believe that educational motion pictures and slidefilms are an integral part of the school’s curriculum material ; that to be useful they must be based on fundamental curriculum requirements ; and that their content must be selected, organized, a n d presented in such a way as to make them an essential part of the curriculum unit. Because educational films must be produced and used as an integral part of the curriculum, we shall use the term Curriculum Films as a general term of identification. 2. We believe that curriculum films are most effective when they are made for a specific subject-matter area, and for a specific school-age group. For that reason, each of our curriculum films will have its emphasis directed to one specific subject-matter area, and will be graded to the interest level, learning rate, and comprehension level of a specific schoolage group. 3. We believe that curriculum films can be real experiences to students, and that such films make their greate.st educational contributions when the teacher uses them as a basic learning experience, not as a “supplementary aid.” Curriculum films do not merely add a little more of the same thing to what is taught in other ways and with other materials. Curriculum films lay a foundation of sensory experience in the student’s mind which is basic to the development of meaning. Far from merely “supplementing” books, curriculum films lay a foundation for better learning from books, maps, graphics, and other curriculum materials. They develop a “readiness” for reading, expression, conduct, skills, and other activities in the curriculum. 4. We believe that curriculum films make their gi’eatest contribution when they are made to do what motion pictures can do best. We will not produce motion pictures in areas which can be treated better in slidefilms or other visual forms, nor will we produce motion pictures or slidefilms in areas where books, magazines, maps, excursions, and other teaching materials are more appropriate for the kinds of learning that are called for in the curriculum. In preparing our films, we are thoroughly cognizant of the fact that the curriculum film takes its proper place alongside other curriculum materials, all of which the teacher will use in their proper place to help students achieve a richer and deeper appreciation and comprehension of the topic or the unit. 5. We believe that curriculum films must be produced to meet the needs and wants of the schools, and not for the purpose of thrusting upon them what we think they should have. We will not hesitate to explore new areas of film-making to meet these needs, nor will we avoid making films in subject-matter areas either because of production problems or because these areas have been avoided in the past as controversial. 6. We believe that, to be effective, curriculum films must be made in terms of the students for whom they are intended, not in terms of pure subject-matter. This means that the film cannot be made as a subject-centered treatise, but that its subject-matter must be organized and presented in accordance with the way students learn. As a corollary to this, we believe that curriculum films should be made in short units which fit conveniently into class schedules, and which give due consideration to the attention span of the audience. For this reason, most of our films will be ten minutes in length, but in no case longer than twenty minutes. If a subject requires longer treatment, it will be organized and presented in short film units. 7. We believe that curriculum films are at their educational best when they stimulate participation and activity among the .students. For this reason, we will give particular attention to organization and presentation, and will use those techniques which encourage class participation and which stimulate activity, reading, discussion, and a sense of responsibility for further learning and application. 8. We believe that teachers welcome help in using curriculum films as effective classroom teaching tools. For this reason, we will prepare teachers’ guides to accompany each of our films, so that teachers may quickly grasp the fundamentals of good teaching methods in relation to our films. We look confidently to the day when curriculum films will be such an integral part of classroom teaching that teachers’ guides will not be necessary.