THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA: 1942 TO 1970 by ALEXANDER McGECHAEN B.A. , University of British Columbia, 1970 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS In the Faculty of Education (Adult Education) .. We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard: THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA JULY, 1971 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. ' Department of Adult Education The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada Date August 13, 1971. ABSTRACT This study presents an historical survey of the activities of the National Film Board in British Columbia. The programs of the Board are organized into a number of different categories according to the purpose of each program, its structure, the educational techniques used, and the type of audience to which each was directed. The programs fall into six major categories: General Interest, Enrichment, Instructional, Package Program Kits, Leadership Training and Community Development. The study describes four different methods of film distribution used at various times in British Columbia in the period 194 2 to 1970. These were: Film Circuits, Public and Deposit Libraries,.and Direct Distribution to the public from National Film Board offices. Each method reflected the Board's interest in making the maximum number of films available to people. In the early years> when the Board lacked the resources to handle distribution on its own, it relied on various agencies within the com• munity such as Film Councils; however, as the Board grew it assumed more control over distribution until it reached the point where it handled most of its own film distribution. The work of the local Representative is examined in order to trace the evolution of his role as an adult educator. The study shows that during the past 28 years the role of the Representative has undergone three stages of development: (1) From 1943 to 1947 he was an exhibitor who travelled to various communities screening NFB films. (2) In 1948 his role changed and he became more concerned with organizing various kinds of adult education programs. (3) Recently, his role has begun to change again and he is now more of a Community Development worker, assisting various special interest groups to develop programs for change within a community. Throughout this study an attempt has been made to determine the importance of the National Film Board to adult education in British Columbia. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF FIGURES . ....... ; vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY . ...... 2 SOURCES OF INFORMATION ........ 4 PLAN OF THE STUDY .- . 5 FOOTNOTES ............. - 7 II. HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD 8 CANADIAN FILM FROM 1896 TO 1938 8 THE GRIERSON REPORT 11 STRUCTURE OF THE NFB 14 FILM PRODUCTION FROM 1939 TO 1946 , 15 DISTRIBUTION 18 The Circuit Programs 20 THE FILM COUNCIL MOVEMENT .................... 27 THE EVOLUTION AND FUNCTION OF THE DISTRIBUTION REPRESENTATIVE 29 THE EFFECT OF DIRECT DISTRIBUTION ON THE NFB REPRESENTATIVE . 34 PROGRAMS AND PROGRAM EVALUATION 36 FOOTNOTES 41 ii Chapter Page III. HISTORY OF NFB DISTRIBUTION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 45 THE CIRCUIT PROGRAMS FROM 1943 TO 1947 ; 45 THE FILM COUNCIL MOVEMENT FROM 1947 TO 1963 . i ; 47 DEPOSIT LIBRARIES FROM 1947 TO 1970 .......... 49 NFB REGIONAL AND DISTRICT OFFICES 50 PUBLIC LIBRARIES FROM 1951 TO 1963 ........... 53 DISTRIBUTION TRENDS FROM 1957 TO 197 0 55 Distribution Outlets 55 Film Councils 5 6 Deposit Libraries 56 Regional and District Offices 57 Public Libraries 58 TRENDS IN ADULT SHOWINGS FROM 1957 TO 1970 . ; 59 FOOTNOTES i 71 IV. THE FILM IN ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM 73 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM ....... < . 73 THE STRUCTURE OF THE FAE 74 THE AUDIO-VISUAL GUIDE 75 FAE PROGRAMS 76 1. Film Series - General Interest 77 2. Enrichment Programs . ; 79 3. Instructional -Programs 81 4. Package Program Kits ................... 83 iii Chapter Page 5. Leadership Training Programs 87 6. Special Programs . .... 8 9 PROGRAM EVALUATION 92 THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE FAE TO ADULT EDUCATION 94 FOOTNOTES 96 V. NFB PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT B.C. .... 98 FACTORS AFFECTING THE INITIATION OF PROGRAMS ; 99 THE RURAL PROGRAMS ..... .................. 102 1. Film Series - General Interest 102 2. Enrichment Programs 105 3. Instructional Programs 106 Social Studies 106 The Film As Art 109 4. Package Program Kits 110 5. Leadership Training Programs Ill CHALLENGE FOR CHANGE INB.C 113 Programming From 1966 to 1968 ... 114 Programming From 1968 to 1971 116 PROGRAM EVALUATION 121 The Role of the NFB Representative in Program Evaluation 121 Program Evaluation by Adult Education Departments . 125 FOOTNOTES 130 iv Chapter Page VI. SUMMARY ; . 133 General Interest Film Series 133 Enrichment Programs 133 Instructional Programs 133 Package Program Kits 134 Leadership Training Programs 134 Community Development Programs 134 CONCLUSION * 138 THE FUTURE OF THE NFB . 142 FOOTNOTES . 144 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................ 145 ANNOTATED FILMOGRAPHY 153 APPENDICES 159 A. Membership Form For the Greater Vancouver Audio-Visual Co-ordinating Committee 16 0 B. FAE Organization Structure 162 C. AVCC Committee Membership 163 D. Listing of FAE Package Programs ................ 164 E. Film Evaluation Form - Vancouver Public Library 167 F. Film Evaluation Form - NFB - Odeon Theatres . 168 G. NFB Program Listing - All About. Canada ......... 169 H. NFB Program Listing - McLaren Festival ......... 171 I. NFB Program Listing - The Family - Where Are We Going 173 J. NFB Program Listing - Mass Media and You ....... 175 V Page K. NFB Program Listing - The Medium, The Message and You 177 L. NFB Program Listing - Explorations in Sound 179 M. NFB Program Listing - Challenge For Change: School District 61 181 N. Evaluation Form for Challenge For Change Program - Summer 1970 ; 183 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Percentage Distribution of Films By Outlet 61 II. Promotional Screenings 1957 to 1962 62 III. Trends in the Number of Films Distributed By Each Outlet, Expressed as a Moving Average 63 IV. Trends in the Number of Active Distribution Outlets, Expressed as a Moving Average ....... 64 V. Comparison of Trends in Adult Showings With Trends in the Provincial Total 65 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Graphic Comparison of Number of Active Film Council Outlets With Number of Films Distributed - 1957 to 1970 . ; 66 2. Graphic Comparison of Number of Active Deposit Library Outlets With Number of Film Distributed - 1957 to 1970 67 3. Graphic Comparison of NFB Regional and District Office Outlets With Number of Films Distributed - 1957 to 1970 68 4. Graphic Comparison of Number of Active Public Library Outlets With Number of Films Distributed - 1957 to 1970 69 5. Graphic Comparison of Number of Adult Showings With Total Showings For B.C. - 1957 to 1970 70 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT S Many people have contributed a great deal to this study and the author would like to take this opportunity to thank them. In alphabetical order they are: Miss Rhoda Baxter of the Fine Arts and Music Division of the Vancouver Public Library who made all of the FAE files available for this study; Mr. Jan Clemson, Distribution Representative for the NFB in Vancouver who supplied much of the program material listed in Chapter V; Miss Catherine Firth, Film Librarian in the Board's Vancouver office who, as always, happily tolerated frantic telephone calls from the author enquiring about important details of the distribution system; Mr. Bill Gallant, Chief of the Research and Reports Division in the Board's headquarters in Montreal, who sup• plied the statistical data on the Board's distribution system in B.C.; Mr. Peter Grant, NFB Distribution Repre• sentative for the Vancouver Island region, who supplied program outlines used in Chapter V; Mr. Dooley Gray, Special Projects Officer for the NFB, who,/ihimself, is writing ai". history of the National Film Board and gave this author much valuable information on where to find material on the Board; Mr. Wally Lee, Regional Supervisor for the Board in B.C., who supplied reference material for the study; Mr. Bill Mullen and Mrs. R. Cormier, both with the Person• nel Division of the NFB, who supplied job outlines for the Distribution Representatives which spanned a ten year period; also, many thanks go to Mr. C. W. Marshall, now retired from the Film Board, who supplied the author with first-hand information about the early history of the National Film Board in B.C. Finally, special thanks go to my wife, Pat, who criticised points in the study, cor• rected my cavalier spelling, and spent long hours typing up the final draft. She is the only person I know who can decipher my handwriting. CHAPTER I I. INTRODUCTION Ever since 1878, when Eadweard Muybridge first pieced together some time-lapse photographs to create a moving picture, people have been fascinated by the magic of film. Unlike any medium before it, film has the capacity to make.life seem more real than reality. It can record a moment out of life which can be stored and then played back later for others to see, appearing exactly as it originally happened. As an informational device film appears to have no equal except television. There are no language barriers with film; it seems to be able to communicate with all people.