Motion picture director

This program opens with film clips from Robert Flaherty's "Nanook of the North," the first pure documentary film, and additional footage from "The Witch Doctor," a dramatization of the voodoo rituals of Haiti. Documentary specialist Nicholas Webster, who has directed over forty films to educate the public, explains that good documentary reportage dramatizes the actual. For example, in his film "Seizure," commissioned by the Veterans' Administration, he uses both professional actors and real epileptics to make his point. Scenes from this film also show how careful, creative editing can create a natural illusion. Examples of good editing are also evident in scenes from his documentary personifying the cotton picking machine and its impact on people in the south. Film editor and producer Phil Martin demonstrates a movieola for film editing, and during a mock filming session, a cameraman explains how to take light readings. Mr. Webster suggests that students interested in cinema get a broad educational background in college before concentrating on subjects related to film production.