Movie Makers (Jun-Dec 1928)

purchased an outfit, and became quite proficient as a cameraman through practice in my home, on my family, the golf links, etc. Then one day I filmed a very interesting phase of construction work. The film turned out well and I began to realize the possibilities of using the camera to advantage in connection with my work. After that whenever I knew some particularly interesting work was to be done I tried to be there with my camera. It wasn't always possible for me to be on hand so I instructed some of the men in the use of the camera, and aroused their interest. We have shot several reels of interesting film which have proved of great value to us, but, as I say, we have not as yet organized any system. That will come when we have a bit more time to work it out and I hope it will be soon." In 1921 there was founded in New York a rather unique organization called the New York Building Congress, and of this organization Mr. Voorhees was the first president, in which capacity he served for five years. The Congress is composed of the five major elements of the building industry — financiers concerned with building, architects and engineers, contractors, mechanics and manufacturers of materials. The New York Building Congress is the first organization to bring all of these five elements together. One of the interests of this Congress is an apprenticeship training system for mechanics, and of this Apprenticeship Commission Mr. Voorhees is now president. To this work also he brings his belief in the educational power of the movie and is promoting an educational film library for the school of apprentices. All parts of the Congress are contributing to this library either through suggestion or actual films. Manufacturers of material display the uses of their wares via the film, labor contributes its suggestions, construction problems are filmed by architects and engineers and the contractors also pass along valuable information, so that the apprentice may become thoroughly conversant with the various problems. The Board of Education cooperates with the Apprenticeship Commission by placing teachers of manual training, mechanical drawing, etc., who have been recommended by the Congress, into the various schools so that the pupils will have only the best preparatory instruction. Mr. Voorhees is tremendously interested in this work and especially in the building up of a comprehensive film library which will aid the apprentices in visualizing the rHE NEW TRAVELERS INSURANCE BUILDING, HARTFORD, CONN Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker, Architects Promoting the use of motion pictures in the Engineering Department at Princeton is another of this amateur's movie interests. He is helping the department to build up a library of films, and also to make contracts for borrowing films relating to manufacturers' products, and so forth. In talking with Mr. Voorhees one is impressed with the integral part movies assume in his various interests, and of how convinced he is of their growing power to educate along almost every line. He believes, of course, that to reach their zenith they need guidance. He believes that today their crying need is to be taken up seriously in the universities, and that if someone could be found to do for the movies what Professor Baker has done for the drama in the famous "47 Workshop" at Harvard, and is now doing in the Yale Theatre — that is, train future dramatists not only to write, but to produce, to design scenery, direct, costume, and to thoroughly know the business from all sides — their progress would be rapidly upward. Undoubtedly that day is coming. Educational moving pictures are claiming more and more recognition, and as they come to be studied generally in colleges and universities, they will win for themselves a more important place, and will rapidly become a part of the curriculum. This event can be hastened by the recommendation and backing of the officers problems to be met on all sides. Mr. Voorhees is the secretary of his class at Princeton, and in this connection his interest in films again stands out. "I have been getting films of each reunion since our twentyfifth," he said, "and adding a few feet each year to the original film. I also piece in short shots of interesting college events. For instance, last year I was fortunate in obtaining a film recording Slagle's run at New Haven in slow motion. Such bits add greatly to the interest and historical value of a cumulative film." and members o f t h e Amateur Cinema League. There is nothing like publicity to force an idea into the minds of the right officials and the way for each individual to help is to spread the idea whenever he has a chance, as Mr. Voorhees has done. The League is to be congratulated on having for its officers men who are outstandingly successful in both their vocations and their avocations, and who are enthusiastically interested in the present development and the future of the amateur movie. Such a man is Mr. Stephen F. Voorhees. 530