International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1932)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

— 462 line for those firms charged with the production of educational films. Additionally exploiters should have the choice of not projecting new reels or doing so as they wish. It goes without saying that all producers of educational films should be allowed to circulate their product, even if through those organisations which are officially charged with the distribution of educational films in the public cinemas, for if this is not possible, a complete monopoly absolutely opposed to the idea of culture and knowledge itself will be the result. One objection to the obligatory projection of educational films in public cinemas is that they only interest a small portion of the audience and that those who do not like the cultural film, leave the hall when one is put on. It is true that in the beginning of cultural films, the public, prompt to criticise, showed its feelings towards these films, but it has gradually become used to such films and now objects to the educational film being left out or hurriedly projected. Is it possible at the present time for producers to make cultural and popular education films ? On this point there can be no doubt. From investigations made in various countries, it is clear that producers can expect a profit on such pictures. The possibility is not perhaps absolutely complete at the moment, but it is certain that the future will present completely satisfactory financial prospects for educational film production. Educational films will inevitably enlarge their field of influence at any rate in those countries where they are already favoured. Countries where projection of educational pictures is compulsory offer a certain market for producers and consequently a certain profit. The same thing is assured in countries where a system of detaxation is in force, as the cinema managers are induced to shown such films, for financial reasons ; since the more educational films in their programmes, the less tax they pay. From the beginning the I. I.E. C. has upheld the idea of the preference for educational films. It may be said that this preference already exists in part, and that it is now necessary to perfect and complete it. In this connection, the complaints of producers are only justified in part. If the possibility of doing good business exists, it is their duty to raise the standard of their product to meet with the aesthetic requirements of the public. Many means of attaining this result have been considered. Perhaps there is really need to consider only one outside of fiscal preference : would it not be possible to oblige producers to produce a number of educational films in direct proportion to the number of theatrical films marketed by them ? On this as upon all other allied matters, the I.I.E.C. invites opinions — those of all interested, producers, amateurs, educators, etc. all who will certainly benefit the future of the cinema.