Learning with the Lights Off: Educational Film in the United States

by Devin Orgeron (Editor), Marsha Orgeron (Editor), Dan Streible (Editor)

A vastly influential form of filmmaking seen by millions of people, educational films provide a catalog of twentieth century preoccupations and values. As a medium of instruction and guidance, they held a powerful cultural position, producing knowledge both inside and outside the classroom. This is the first collection of essays to address this vital phenomenon. The book provides an ambitious overview of educational film practices, while each essay analyzes a crucial aspect of educational film history, ranging from case studies of films and filmmakers to broader generic and historical assessments. Offering links to many of the films, Learning With the Lights Off provides readers the context and access needed to develop a sophisticated understanding of, and a new appreciation for, a much overlooked film legacy.

544 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2011

Reviews

[Buckey Grimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of "Educational Film" until quite recently has been the one area of film that has been the most under researched and analyzed of all the Film Genres by Historians and researchers. The published essays in this book cover all facets of the Educational Film, everything from Health and Hygiene to Race Relations and success and failures of the various Educational Film systems. The Editors have given us a wonderful myriad of subject matter to digest, the essays are sharply written and provide us with a wealth of thought provoking data. It should indeed generate more studies into the various facets of Educational Film and its impact on our society.