Visual Education (Jan-Dec 1921)

12 Visual Education cational and theatrical films. This step would lead toward introducing noninflammable standard film for all uses so that inflammable film would eventually be eliminated, if necessary to guarantee safety. While non-inflammable film is equal in quality to inflammable, it is not quite equal in durability, which tends to be a drawback. The permanent adoption of non-inflammable film, however, would provoke new discoveries and solve this handicap. One of the seemingly strongest arguments presented in the defense of cinema safety is that the amount of raw material available is not sufficient to print all film for all uses on standard non-inflammable stock. If this is the case, then we cannot solve the problems of introducing the educational film in non-inflammable stock in either narrow width or standard size. If all non-theatrical institutions and organizations were to recognize and adopt the safety standard narrow width machines and use narrow width film exclusively, the same difficulty in providing raw stock would be evident. The matter of size is not so great as to make much material difference between the two films. It is true that for the immediate present more film is in use in the theatrical field than in the educational, and that a sufficient amount of raw stock is now available to print all educational films in non-inflammable.. But let us consider the future. Within five years, at the present rate of growth, the educational use of the film will exceed that of the theatrical field in the quantity of film in circulation and within ten or more years to come it will surpass it by a large percentage. The following summary gives an idea of the extent to which the educational field may grow. There are some 14,000 motion picture theatres in the United States according to late figures, while there are approximately 15,000 industrial plants, 40,000 lodges and clubs, 224,000 churches, 200,000 educational institutions and organizations, not to mention the innumerable private homes as possible places ultimately for the use of educational motion picture machines. If non-inflammable film can therefore take the place of inflammable film, it may be introduced in standard size and be included for theatrical purposes as well. If the raw material is not available in such quantities as referred to, then it is after all not a question of the film to answer the problems of successfully introducing the film for educational purposes, but apparatus which will protect against danger and fire and laws consistent with the present state and use of the film. NON-THEATRICAL OPERATORS The question of operators arises also. It is a problem of great importance, not only to have a capable licensed operator, but to have him available at any time and at a compensation which may be met by educational institutions. Only one who is capable, who has a full understanding of the value and properties of film together with mechanical and electrical knowledge and a sense of responsibility, should be permitted ,to operate a machine. It is necessary to determine the proper requirements to insure such qualification. Films should be exhibited as skilfully for educational purposes as for theatrical purposes. There are in every high school, boys who, with a little training, are capable of acting in the capacity of an operator. Boys having (Concluded on page 37)