The exact structure of Film Division in 1946 is not known though the elements of Production, Distribution and Technical Services were clearly present. However it had evolved a structure by 1960 that was to largely remain until 1990.
During 1960 to 1989 the Film and Television Division was one of the largest divisions in COI. Its name was to change slightly from time to time, for the purposes of this account it will simply be referred to as Film Division. Memory suggests there were some 200 staff in the division, most at COI headquarters and others at out stations including the Central Film Library in Acton. Also at Beaconsfield Studios that had previously housed the Crown Film Unit. A considerable area of the site now housed the COI and Crown Film Unit film archives.
The production side of the division consisted of two production areas. The Home Film Production area, that comprised film production activities for all departments of government except the Foreign Office, the Commonwealth Relations Office and the Colonial Office. Production for the latter departments comprised the Overseas Television Services. Confusingly a few documentary films as distinct from television programs that were sponsored by the overseas departments were made by Home Film Production Group.
The Home Film Production Group was sub divided into documentary films, short public service films (known as Television Fillers) and the production of television and cinema Commercials, the latter were part of paid campaigns run by the COI Advertising Division. The three areas were grouped under the control of a Head of Home Film Production. In 1960 this person was Charles de Vere Beauclerk who was succeeded in 1962 by Frances Cockburn who had worked in the documentary film industry as a film editor before joining the COI in the 1950s.
The Overseas Television Services Group was relatively new, from about 1956. It was under the control of a Head of Overseas Television Services. In 1960 this was Raylton (Ray) Fleming who had worked in the documentary film industry (sometimes with Frances Cockburn) as a production manager and also as a film director
Aside from structural distinctions the production groups were quite separate units. Home Documentary Films, Television and Cinema Commercials and Television Fillers Group and the Overseas Television Services were so separate and distinct that there was little communication between them except through Frances Cockburn and Ray Fleming.
As well as the production units an extensive distribution operation had been built up from the inception of the Film Division. It was divided into two parts. Overseas Distribution and UK Distribution.
Overseas distribution handled distribution of television programs, a television newsreel and a supply of short news items to many television stations around the world. It also handled an extensive distribution of documentary and feature films whose distribution rights had been acquired by COI with sponsorship from the overseas departments, since their subjects were helpful to the projection of Britain.
All these materials were distributed free of charge through embassies and high commissions although some of this was to change in later years.
A technical services unit operated the two cinemas and a closed circuit television operation that provided a television viewing facility in the cinemas and offices of senior staff. There was a single editing room. The unit was responsible for the archive and storage vaults at Beaconsfield studios on the outskirts of London.
Finally an Administration Unit that looked after the staffing and administration requirements in the division. It was also responsible for the two budget officers who negotiated prices with production and facility companies and issued contracts. In total somewhere over 200 staff.