Focus: A Film Review (1950-1951)

230 FOCUS FILM COURSE By ANDREW BUCHANAN No. 7— THE EDUCATIONAL FILM Today, “visual aids” in education receive such prominence that it would be excusable to regard them as new, whereas films for educational purposes have been in circulation during the last twenty-five years. However, it is only since the last war that serious steps have been taken in this country to equip schools with projectors, and supply them with the right kind of teaching films, and film strips. Unexpectedly, the educational film bristles with problems. First, there is the film-maker’s attitude towards it. If he has wide technical experience in making films for public consumption, he will probably regard the production of an educational film as the simplest job in the world, but unless he has studied the art of teaching, he will find it the most difficult, because it needs to be so simple. In this specialised field, it is not enough to be technically proficient. Indeed, many usual practices must be forgotten, for the teaching film demands neither swift tempo, clever camera angles, trick effects, nor dramatic lighting. Instead, it needs to be presented slowly. Every scene must be straightforward, and, above all, the film should never be overloaded with facts and figures, for these cannot be easily memorised. On the other hand, the teacher should learn as much as possible about film production, and how to present teaching films to the best advantage. Apart from mastering projection, there is the question of introducing a film so that it becomes an integral part of a lesson, and not an additional novelty. Also, giving a talk after the film has been shown, with or without the aid of a film strip (which recapitulates the important points seen on the screen), needs very careful planning. Some teachers still regard film as an intruder into the classroom which seeks to make them redundant, whereas it can never be more than an aid to teaching. It is true that whilst a sound film is being projected, the teacher loses touch with the pupils, but the link is reestablished when the film is discussed immediately after being seen. In some ways, the silent film is superior to the sound film, for it enables the teacher to describe the action whilst it is being projected. Today, there is a plentiful supply of teaching films for all age groups, and they are giving a new meaning to geography, natural history, botany, many technical subjects, and any lessons which require to be demonstrated. Film can, by the employment of actual scenes, slow motion photography, and animated diagrams, illustrate and simplify lessons in a wonderful way. Religious instruction by film should be the next development. I am not in favour of films which present Biblical stories in the theatrical manner, though they have their uses. It is the factual film which is going to be of the greatest service to religion. Church ritual, history, training for various Vocations, religious events in other lands — all can be clarified by film. It is important, too, to realise that whilst an eminent authority on this or that subject cannot be expected to visit schools all over the country, he can, by appearing in or describing a film, actually enter every classroom possessing a projector. Unfortunately, the educational film is the Cinderella of filmdom. Though its financial position will improve in the future, when all schools have projectors, and all teaching authorities and teachers are conscious of the value of film, today production is not a good proposition because returns are so small. Added to this, educational films have to be made within the commercial industry which is