MOTION PICTURES. 529 



Another field of effort to which continuing attention should be 

 ^iven is the establishment of State film " libraries " or distributing 

 centers. The great majority of our films are still distributed from 

 Washington to all sections of the United States. Distribution should 

 be decentralized and should be handled within each State by the 

 agricultural college extension division. Such an arrangement would 

 reduce transportation expenses, make the films more available on 

 short notice, and allow local needs to be given better consideration. 

 Several States have developed their distribution systems to a good 

 degree of effectiveness, and their examples should be followed in the 

 other States. So far as Department of Agriculture films are con- 

 cerned, the way to the establishment of State libraries is open 

 through the plan allowing purchase of prints of our films at tho 

 laboratory charge. 



BETTER QUALITY IN FILMS. 



The qualifications of a good educational motion picture are that 

 it teach a worth-while lesson clearly and efficiently, that it be correct 

 as to facts and at the same time interesting enough to arouse and 

 maintain interest, and that in every other way it be properly repre- 

 sentative of the institution responsible for it. 



In the past year these qualifications have been more nearly ap- 

 proached through a new system of criticism of scenarios and review 

 of the finished pictures. At the direction of the Assistant Secretary, 

 a scenario review committee was appointed in the division of meth- 

 ods of the Office of Extension Work, and this committee has func- 

 tioned admirably in criticizing proposed pictures from the extension 

 viewpoint. Previous to this criticism the scenarios are reviewed as 

 to subject-matter by the originating bureau and other bureaus inter- 

 ested and are reviewed as to motion-picture technique in the Office 

 of Motion Pictures. When the scenario is submitted for final ap- 

 proval prior to the actual production of the film it thus should have 

 passed through criticism from every necessary angle and should be 

 truly representative of the Department of Agriculture. 



In the production of the film a subject-matter specialist should 

 work with the motion-picture director and photographer, and thus 

 the needs of both subject-matter and motion-picture technique should 

 be supplied. 



"WHien the pictures are completed they are now submitted for 

 review and criticism at meetings to which all bureaus in the depart- 

 ment are invited to send representatives. This plan also was adopted 

 at the direction of the Assistant Secretary and has proved to be a 

 wise one in giving the films the benefit of criticism from various 

 standpoints. There is no question that these new methods of criti- 

 cism and review will result in better films so long as the criticism 

 continues to be broad and liberal. 



The number of new films completed in the past year, 28, is two 

 below what has come to be regarded as possible with our present 

 equipment and personnel. This results largely from the fact that 

 more attention was given to qualit)^ rather than quantity, and it is 

 believed that this should be a continuing policy. There is a large 

 demand for new films, especially from the State agricultural col- 

 leges and extension divisions, but increased production should not 



