REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF MOTION PICTURES. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Office of Motion Pictures, 

 Washington, D. C, September £9, 1923. 



Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of the work of 

 the Office of Motion Pictures for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1923. 

 Respectfully, 



Fred W. Perkins, 

 In charge Oflce of Motion Pictunres. 

 Hon. Henry C. Wallace, 

 Secretain/ of Agriculture. 



The past year has been notable in the motion-picture work of the 

 Department of Agriculture. Just 10 years after the department had 

 begun to experiment in this field came two developments that indi- 

 cate the definite adoption of the " silver screen " as an important 

 instrument in our extension, educational, and publicity work. The 

 first development was the occupancy by the motion-picture office and 

 laboratory of a modern fireproof building which gives immeasurably 

 better facilities for this work than the old quarters in the basement 

 of an office building. The second development was one of the steps 

 in the general reorganization of the extension and publications work 

 of the department and resulted on July 1, 1923, in giving the film 

 work definite status as the Office of Motion Pictures, a separate unit 

 reporting to the Director of Extension Work. This changed status 

 should result in the films becoming more representative of the work 

 of the department, as well as in the production and distribution of 

 films more sensitive to the needs of the extension and field workers 

 who have direct contact with the general public. 



Other definite accomplishments in the motion-picture work during 

 the year included the following : 



Completion of 28 new motion pictures. 



Revision of 43 old films. 



Beginning of editorial or production work, or both, on 25 new films. 



Addition of 229 new prints, totaling 323 reels, to the department's stock. 



Circulation of department filnis through extension workers and others to a 

 partially reported audience of 4,460,077 and to a total audience that is esti- 

 mated at not less than 7,000,000. 



Authorization of sale of 294 prints, totaling 357 reels, of departtnent films to 

 cooperating or outside institutions, at a cost to purchasers of $14,280, compared 

 with $9,845 in the fiscal year 1922 and $6,179 in the fiscal year 1921. 



GROWTH OF FILM DISTRIBUTION. 



An outstanding development is the striking increase in the known 

 audience reached by the films. Every user of our films is asked to 



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