”DON’T BOTHER ME, I’M LEARNING“ 1982 EARLY PERSONAL COMPUTERS DOCUMENTARY COMMODORE PET XD49294

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This colored documentary from 1982, presented by CRM/McGraw-Hill, Inc., promotes the teaching and use of computers in the hopes of educating, inspiring, and entertaining all members and ages of the community. Initiatives such as the “Computer Town USA” project, a computer summer camp for youth, and a public access computer center have been founded and are donating time, expertise, and resources for youth and senior centers around California. The computers shown in the film are primarily the Commodore PET, which is shown at 4:37 in a library with optional cassette tape drive. An 8-bit Atari 400 or Atari 800 is shown at 5:15 and 9:44 and 17:00. The units at 8:18 may be Commodore Vic-20s. The computer shown at 13:16 is a rare Sol 20 computer; this was the first fully assembled microcomputer with a built-in keyboard and television output, what would later be known as a home computer. Repeated close-up scenes of different faces, and them playing various games on computers (00:33). “RUN” written on screen (01:48). “Don’t Bother Me, I’m Learning. – Computers in the Community” title banner (01:51). Footage of computer technology (01:56). Footage of video games (02:15). A blue sky with clouds (02:29). Moving geometric computer-made graphics (02:36). A graphic of a brain and the human head (02:47). A day in Menlo Park near San Francisco, California (03:07). A young boy running (03:46). Children using computers at the Menlo Park public library (03:54). The founder of the ‘Computer Town USA’ project explains the objectives of the project, while children practice using computers in the library (04:12). Young people, mostly African Americans of the ‘Herbert Hoover Boys Club’ ride their bikes (05:33). The club’s learning center’s representative explains the purpose of the center, while children use computers donated by the Computer Town USA project (06:04). Scenes from the senior citizen center in Menlo Park (08:02). Seniors learn using computers (08:17). An elderly man from the senior citizen center speaks about his learning experience (09:03). Continued footage of seniors using computers (09:24). A graphic illustration of an older woman using a computer (10:32). The founder of the ‘Computer Town USA’ project explains further about the project’s objectives (10:42). A graphic illustration of houses and a road (10:56). A husband and wife walk to their house, where the husband’s office is also located due to computers (11:14). He explains his decision to quit commuting to his office and work from home using a computer (11:52). His wife works with him as his assistant, while their daughter observes (13:03). An instructor is teaching two young girls to draw with a graphics plotter on the computer (14:28). Idyllic landscape scenes from a computer camp location in the Santa Barbara Hills (15:26). Children play on the camp site (15:53). A ‘Computer Camp’ sign (16:23). A group of youngsters enter a trailer functioning as a computer room (16:28). The camp director explains the way of the camp, while the camp-participants use the computer (17:00). A few kids are sailing on the campsite lake (17:47). A graphic illustration of the campsite (17:55). A wife, husband, and their daughter; the founders of a public access computer center in San Francisco (18:13). The wife teaches a class of students to use computers (18:27). She explains the objective of their center (18:58). Computer- and electronics-inspired posters (19:54). The wife continues speaking about her experience with computers (20:08). A graphic illustration with animated drawings (20:31). A young girl using a computer to draw (20:51). The wife and husband using computers in their at-home office (20:55). A non-verbal boy using a computer to communicate (21:05). The sign of the computer camp in the Santa Barbara Hills (21:17). Graphic illustrations (21:28). Repeated close-up scenes of different faces, and them using computers (22:05). “Don’t Bother Me, I’m Learning” title banner (23:22). This film was produced by David Shepardson and directed by Karan J. Carlson. Rick Cimino was the narrator. Graphics by Jeff Leedy, David Fox, Bob Johns, and Jim Haygood, with Steve Michelson as photography director and executive producer. A One Pass Production. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit