See and hear : the journal on audio-visual learning (1945)

Penn State production: artist Henry Varnum Poor confers with art professor Harold Dickson. ( C; () N 1 1 N I K I) F R <) M r H t PR 1-. C K 1) I N C PACK) sound stage provided the necessary acoustical treatment. When the equipment was installed, the unit was "in business", and ambitiously produced its first lip sync film, entitled Youllt and Production. Made to interest \oinig men and women in training lor industrial jobs, it was used extensi\el\ all o\er tlie slate of Penns\l\ania and was very succe.sslid in recruiiing studcnis lor ihc ^var training programs. I'hen came Caiislrui lum aj a Liglit An plane, a 25 minme film still popular and Drafting Tips, another 25 minute film usetl extensi\el\ in the programs and currently active. Sampling and 're.sting of Solid Furls lollowed, a 'iO minute job, and next a 20 miniiie health (ilni eniiiled liahy Care: Feeding. .All were post-narrated souikI lihiis. At ilie end ol the government wai training piograms, funds were cut oft, and the unit faced the problem ol continuing on its own. By Act of Congress, all of the ecpiipment used in these programs became the pioperiN of the college, but the wisdom of this action became more appaieiu when Penn Stale was given a contract In the L'. .S. i\a\y for instructional film research on July I, 1946 for a two year period. These production facilities were abscjlulely essential to the reseaich project, and the existence of the studio seasoned slalf was an impoitant factor in the choice of this college for the Na\\ research project. 'Thus the unit is contintiing to serve the go\ernmeiii as well as tlie cause of educational progress. With IuikIs pioxided by the Automotive Salct\ Foundation under the sponsorship of the .American Legion, a dramatic safely film was next produced entilled Teach Them to Drive. This film— the lecipieiu of the National Safety Council Award as the best trallii safety film in 1945— was produced under iJie direction of Frank S. Neusbaum, who also wroie the script. .\li. Neusbaum was loaned by the Dramatics Department of the college for this job, and following its successful release, he assiuned full time direction of the motion picture unit and took full responsibility for its operation. Thus by the middle of 1945 the motion picture service of The Pennsylvania Stale College began to slip into its normal place in the educaiional jjaltern cjf the state. 1 he siudio had fiom the beginning operated imder the Central Extension services of the college— it now began to take a place in the peacetime extension services. One ol the first postwar demands made on the tmit was b\ the State government in Harrisburg— a film was needed which would show the manifold operations of local government throughout the Commonwealth. The deadline seemed like an impossible one. but— the answer print was delivered one day early. A three man crew had done the shooting in five and one-half weeks, covering the state crosswise and up and down— Harrisburg, Allentown, Reading, Philadelphia, Lancaster, Edens'burg, Pittsburgh, Erie. Warren and a lot cif slops in between. Pennsylvania Local Government in Action was the first of what will probablv be a long series of films produced bv the college for the Commonv\ealth of Pennsylvania. As this article is being written pictures are in work for the Department of Highways and for the Turnpike Commission. Last month Construction Ahead was delivered to the Highw-ay Department—a twenty minute film showing how concrete roads are built. Many other State agencies have used or expect to use our services. In addition to the state government, a number of foinidations and non-profit institutions have availed themselves of our work. Last year we went into the safety field for a second lime and produced The Safest Way for the Traffic and Safety Engineering Deparimem of the American Automobile Association. The film, which teaches children how to plan their safest wa\ from home to school, is already being shown in schools in all parts of the United States. Films Serve On-Campus Depar+men+s ♦ tJii-campus deparimeiUb are just begiiniing to hiid the way to our studio. It sometimes seems that we are less well known at home than abroad, but this is probably cjur own fault, since we have been so busy making |)ictures that we have done very little in the way of publicity. Occasionally a story breaks which helps us, such as the Safety Council Award, or the fact that the War Dc]iartment is using a number of our films in the occupied couiuries for its democratization program. Motion picture production on a professional i)asis is still relatively expensive, and so only a few of our c ampus dej)ai tmenis have been able to afford the luxurv of "custom buili" teaching aids. The trend is beginning, however, and we are now engaged in sup]3lying manv services which are something less than full |)rochiclioii. Our recording siudio, for instance, does a great deal of disc work, in the absence of a radio station on the campus. We are likely to record anything from a master for a commercial pressing or a radio transcription to the final exam of a studeiu taking a course from the Linguaphone Institute. We provide sound recording and editing on many films which are being brought up to date— an example of this type of service is our work with our Psychological Cinema Register. lOA A SPECIAL REPORT