British Kinematography (1950)

18 BRITISH K1NEMATOGRAPHY Vol. 16, No. 1 Force Cinema Corporation, the British Sound Recording Association, Army Kinema Corporation, the Royal Navy Film Corporation, the Royal Photographic Society. Opinions are therefore at the service of the varied committees covering manufacturer, distributor and user. I would like to remind you that when the Theatre Division was inaugurated over five years ago on the 13th June, 1944, our present Deputy Vice-President, Mr. E. Oram, presented a short paper on " Standardisation and the Kinema," in which he urged full Industry participation in the task of preparing a series of kinematograph standards. Owing to a previous appointment Mr. Oram is unable to be present this morning, but he sends his regrets and a message to the effect that the question of industry standardisation is still very close to his heart, and he hopes that this morning's meeting will show the great amount of work carried out ; further, that it will encourage all interested parties to give full support in the future. We have with us Mr. M. J. Parker, of the British Standards Institution, who is secretary to the Kinematograph Industry Committees, and who will take part in the subsequent discussion. STANDARDS AND THE EXHIBITOR Leslie Knopp, Ph.D., M.Sc, F.B.K.S. I DO not think the members of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association, who are astute business men, would devote time and money to the advancement of British standards unless they felt assured that they were fulfilling a useful and necessary service to the kinematograph industry. But as consumers they are quick to appreciate the advantages which standards can offer — not only in the standardisation of physical dimensions, which is of itself of considerable importance to ensure interchangeability or proper fitting of replacement parts, but in the specification of quality, performance and test. Thus, by demanding that equipment, fittings or accessories shall comply with the appropriate British Standards Specification, the purchaser is able suitably to safeguard his interests. Where an industry has an international character, international standards are of considerable importance. Through the International Standards Organisation a very large measure of agreement has been reached with the representatives of the kinematograph industry in foreign countries ; and thus films and much of the equipment associated with kinematography can be used universally. STANDARDS FOR PROJECTION EQUIPMENT S. A. Stevens, B.Sc, M.B.K.S.* THE advantages of standardisation of electrical plant in the kinema do not appear to be so obvious to the projectionist as some other forms of standardisation, with the result that the work being done in the B.S.I, at present is the concern of technicians, manufacturers and purchasers, with the man who has to use the equipment as a seemingly disinterested party. Thirty years ago, dimensions were an important feature in standardisation of of electrical equipment ; plugs and sockets and conduit threads were the sort of components undergoing standardisation. In this past period some rather curious things occurred with regard to standardisation and commercial greed. There was at one time a metal-filament lamp manufacturer who made lamps that would fit any holder, but made holders that would only take his lamps. If it were not for standardisation, this sort of thing would go on to-day, perhaps in not so obvious a way but certainly more insidiously. * Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. Ltd.