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

It would be well to mention here that an average of 80,000 ft of motion picture negative was coming to NPC from Navy sources all over the world each month before the outbreak of the Korean war. Since then, the shipments of original unprocessed negative stock has risen to 200,000 ft a month. In every case where security permits, a fine grain of selected footage of timely public interest is sent by the Department of Defense to the newsreel and television pool in New York. Duplicate negatives of this timely footage are then purchased by production organizations from a commercial printing laboratory in that area. Your initial request for cooperation will bring a full set of instructions from the Department of Defense. The necessary, but small details, will not be given here. The most important facet of this situation is this consideration: if Navy footage is required, your production will be impracticable or impossible without official cooperation from the Navy. You will need to furnish a statement of your intent to produce and distribute for public consumption, a feature or short subject motion picture or television show based on some phase of the Navy. Your script will be included, and pertinent information as to the type of assistance required, i.e., stock footage, sound effects, technical advice, clearance to board Naval vessels or aircraft, or to borrow military equipment needed for authentic scenes, or actions. In any event, security must not be compromised, the cooperation must not interfere with private enterprise, it must not interfere with military operations or the command concerned, and it must not cost the taxpayer or the government anything. An excellent illustration of such cooperation was the recent request by a major Hollywood studio wishing to photograph aviation activities aboard a carrier. No such ship was immediately available for use on the West Coast but the camera crews were able to board a flattop on its way to Korea and do their necessary photography before the ship reached Hawaii, at which point the commercial crews departed. Discussion M. R. Klein (Director of Army Film Library Services) : Does the Navy instructor use a teaching technique in using the training film prior to showing the film? And also as a follow-up after the film is shown? In other words, are pertinent questions about the film prepared as part of the teaching technique in using your film? W. R. Cronenwett: If I might comment as a former enlisted man, I saw a great many training films before I got into my present work. The Bureau of Personnel Training Division strives in every way to prepare a "package," so that the film or other visual aid is not the sole teaching medium, but exists as one of the teaching tools with which the Navy instructor works. We have made films for the trained and untrained instructor, who then knows — before he ever meets an audience — what he should do, how to bone up, the questions to ask, what questions he might be asked, and the answers. The film, the instructor's booklet, the other visual aids, the instructor — the human element — meld to train the fleet as best we can. I hope I've answered your question. Howard Johnson (Federal Civil Defense Administration): Referring back to the production aspect of your paper, I think there are three points that require re-emphasis — three significant contributions of the Navy training film program. A good many of us will agree, I think, that the storyboard concept of planning a film is important in the documentary training film area; secondly, that most training films are one reel in length, which is important for curriculum integration, important for proper film utilization aboard ship or the shore station; and thirdly, that most Navy training films are documentary training films, in the best sense. I would like to have you comment again on the emphasis of the storyboard planning for film production and its value. LCDR Cronenwett: We find that in working with many people in the Navy 56 July 1952 Journal of the SMPTE Vol. 59