Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1925)

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68 Transactions of S.M.P.E., March 1926 Movies are the art of jDictorial movement. In movies all the principles of the still picture lives. Line, light and dark remain. Color prevails with the addition of action. The movies do not displace the still but supplement and co-ordinate with it. There is no more conflict or competition than between your thumb and forefinger. The field of usefulness of the motion picture or picture movement is distinct from the field of the still. Millions love movies. Originally the novelty of movement in pictures was sufficient to attract; now merit plus movement are essential. In the spring of this year I made a survey on the use of the motion picture for teaching. While doing this bit of research I visited many schools and talked with many school people in different cities. These include New York, Newark, Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. I was in communication with many other cities and educators. In the following cities the work of visual instruction by means of motion pictures is being conducted successfully: Washington, D.C.; Meriden, Connecticut; Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; Newark, New Jersey; New York, New York; Detroit, Michigan. The following universities are taking a definite interest in the use of the motion picture for teaching, endeavoring to evaluate it and to have it function to its best advantage. The Universities of Utah, Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas, Iowa State College, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas. There is not room in this brief report to present all the facts. They lead to three conclusions: 1. That there is a place for the motion picture in the scheme of education in the United States. 2. That there is a genuine need for such an efficient tool as the motion picture under the prevalent practice in American schools. 3. That there is a demand in the school systems of the country for the motion picture as a visual aid to instruction. Among the recommendations made are the following: The pictures should be essentially those subjects which may be visualized best through motion picture action. The field of the still picture should be avoided; A printed teacher's guide should accompany each reel; . Research to evaluate the motion picture for teaching should be conducted and the findings be announced publicly and serve as a guide to future production; "