Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930-1949)

specialist, camera man, director, editor, animators, sound technicians and processing technicians. Naturally he leans on others to the extent needed, but his is the final responsibility. The technical adviser is an expert in the content of the film. His basic responsibility is to make sure that the script and the resulting film are technically accurate and technically complete in all details. In addition, he must make sure that incidental things shown are right, that approved safety procedures are followed, that all clothing is properly worn, that security regulations are followed in what is shown, and that even little things like haircuts are strictly Navy. The training film which these two individuals, project supervisor and technical adviser, work on may be any one of several types: motion picture, photographic report, public information film, slide film or filmagraph. While this classification may sound illogical, the terms have grown in response to the Navy situation. Some of the terms are self-explanatory. Others need a word of explanation. A motion picture is any carefully planned, complete motion picture production, in live action or animation, designed for training purposes. A film on How to Get Usable Motion Picture Footage falls into this category. A photographic report consists of motion picture coverage of an actual operation or activity put together in the best way possible to give general professional information to Naval personnel. A film showing an actual amphibious landing, covered photographically as well as circumstances permit, is a photographic report. A public information film is any motion picture telling the public about any part of the Navy. The slide film needs no definition. The filmagraph is essentially the same as a slide film except that the still pictures and the sound are put on motion picture stock, and the resulting film is projected on a standard sound motion picture projector. With careful planning, standard opticals and the use of popped-on or dissolved-on items or labels, camera trucks and simple pans, the filmagraph becomes a simulated motion picture. For certain kinds of content, where continuous motion is unimportant or where motion can be simulated by simple techniques, the filmagraph is an excellent, low-cost teaching film. We have used the filmagraph, for example, to show how to bend oak timbers and to explain the Navy's part in our Revolutionary War. In the Navy the filmagraph has largely replaced the slide film. During the fiscal year now ending, of the films going into production 72% were motion pictures for specific training purposes, 10% were photographic reports for general training purposes, less than 2% were public information films, 16% were filmagraphs for specific training purposes, and none were slide films. Thus, Navy production consists primarily of films for training. These films follow a general pattern of production. At the outset someone in the Navy has a training problem which he thinks can be solved by a film. In consultation with a representative of his parent Navy Bureau and an educational specialist from the Naval Photographic Center a decision is made that a film will or will not help solve the training problem. If it is agreed that a training film is desirable, they prepare a production outline. The production outline is a detailed analysis of who will see the film, what the audience already knows, what they should know or be able to do after seeing the film, the content to be included, the technical photographic specifications and shooting locations. In other words, the production outline includes the basic specifications on which the script and film will be based. Every effort is made at this stage to insure that only needed films are requested Cronenwett and Timmoni: Navy Training Film Production 51