Filmstrip

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Filmstrips were a form of documentary multimedia shown in primary school. The filmstrip was a spool of 35 mm positive film with images arranged sequentially for presentation to an audience. Filmstrips were shown mostly to the baby boomer generation schoolkids of the U.S. and U.K. during the 1960s, 1970s, and the early 1980s. Though some filmstrips were animated, most were more like slide shows. Coronet Instructional Media was one of the leading producers of filmstrip presentations, and science constituted one of the leading subjects.

The instructor would turn on a film projector that would show the first slide. The instructor would, then, turn on a 33 RPM record or cassette tape, containing narration. At the appropriate point a tone would sound, signalling the instructor to advance to the next slide. During the 1970s, advanced projectors became common that would detect the tone and automatically advance the frame. However, if improperly setup the narration and film can be out of synchronzation.

Early celluloid filmstrips had a habit of melting or combusting from the intense and sustained heat of the projection lamp.