FILMS IN THE ARMY

Korero (AEWS), Volume 2, Issue 4, 28 February 1944, Page 30

FILMS IN THE ARMY

A KORERO Report

The drawing above shows a picturetheatre of a type now familiar to thousands of New Zealand service-

men in the Pacific. Indeed, wherever a sizeable body of troops establishes a camp which is something more than a bivouac, a picture-theatre of sorts usually comes into being. The minimum requirements are a shelter for the projector and two trees for hoisting the screen.

The development of the 16 millimetre projector, which can be carried round •almost as easily as a portable typewriter, has in this war enabled the cinema to go with troops right up to the combat

Films have three uses in the Army : training, education, and entertainment. Training films are the concern of “ G ” Branch and are distributed by it through the A.E.W.S. film organization. Educational filmsmainly documentaries and news reels—are the concern of A.E.W.S.

In New Zealand few entertainment feature films are available in 16 millimetre, but in the Pacific 16 millimetre entertainment films are made available for showing to New Zealand units by the American Special Service Division. 1 he National Patriotic Fund Board also has some 35 millimetre entertainment films and maintains three 35 millimetre projectionists in the Pacific.

The A.E.W.S. films staff have been trained at a course at Army H.Q. and have qualified by examination to hold appointments as 16-millimetre projectionists. In accordance with the practice of the British Army, the projectionists receive certificates of qualification in three grades. Only small classes are taken, and the syllabus covers a wide range, the object being to give each operator a good background of knowledge on the history of the film and methods of teaching by visual aids.