EGH.
POLICY COMMITTEE
Thursday, November 14th, 1940

Note of a meeting held on 11th November to discuss the G.P.O. Film Unit

Present: Director General, Mr. Bamford, Mr. Beddington, Mr. Bernstein, Mr. Mercier.

AGREED :

1. It is necessary to maintain the G.P.O. Film Unit under the control of the Ministry to meet the increasing demands for direct production of films for the purposes of the Ministry's film propaganda, due to the present difficulties of the film industry. The Ministry is also pledged to maintain the Unit for return to the General Post Office, if required, after the war.

2. The Unit will operate under the title “Crown Films” with the existing trade mark. It will he administered as a section of the Ministry's Film Division. Stills and display work will be removed, and the work of the Unit will be confined to film production. The Unit will not carry out any work which can conveniently be undertaken by other sections of the Film Division, or by other Divisions of the Ministry.

3. The Treasury should be asked to allocate to the Ministry a total of not less than £100,000 yearly for the purpose of film production with some agreed margin for contingencies. This sum is based on a programme of 78 films yearly, including 5-minute and non- theatrical films made for the purposes of the Ministry or for other Departments. This sum will cover the cost of films commissioned by the Ministry from outside production companies and also the operational costs of production by the G.P.O. Unit.

4. The Unit should make and/or edit and/or cut a maximum of 23 films or 40,000 ft. of finished film per annum.

P.T.O.

5. No reliable estimate of operational costs of the Unit can he made at present. Standing charges are estimated at £7,500 per annum consisting of basic rent of accommodation to be provided at Denham £4,000 per annum, and quasi-permanent staff consisting of producer, production manager, business manager, clerk and two secretaries £3,000 per annum with incidentals say £500.

6. Immediate steps to be taken to obtain the necessary accommodation for the Unit at Denham, for which non-recurrent installation charges are estimated at £1,500.

7. The Unit to have a simple but adequate film costing system, to be set up by the Ministry's Finance Division and operated by an officer of that Division attached to the Unit.

8. Three months from starting on the new basis and thereafter quarterly, the Director-General to hold a meeting of all concerned to consider the Unit's output in relation to its costs.

F.P.