Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930-1949)

tracks, spectral requirements of light sources and projection screens and lightsource color measuring instruments as applied to photography. A subcommittee under Lloyd Goldsmith prepared a very complete table on "Characteristics of Color Film Sound Tracks,"2 and another subcommittee under Carl Overhage published an excellent 72-page treatise on "Principles of Color Sensitometry."3 These two examples illustrate very well the important work in fields other than standardization which is being done by the Engineering Committees of the Society. Curiously enough, the one proposal for standardization which this Committee has received in recent years was necessarily postponed until the trade situation is further clarified. It was pointed out to the Committee that several sorts of color film are presently on the market, each balanced for photography with an incandescent tungsten light source of a different color temperature. Standardization on a single color temperature would obviously provide for simpler stocking of film and of light sources, and so would seem a proper subject for consideration by the Committee; moreover, if the lower color temperature could be made standard, lamp life would be much prolonged. It was soon agreed, however, that standardization was not appropriate at this time because many economic factors remain to be clarified before the best balance between picture quality, film speed and light color and intensity can be determined. The Society has no right, nor in fact does it have the power, to force a single standard where substantial unanimity cannot be secured; nor are the facilities available to conduct extensive technical studies under Society auspices, and so assume the responsibility for securing the one best answer to a complicated problem such as this one. C. Francis Jenkins, first president of this Society, gives excellent precedent for this present-day action in an address on "Society History"4 delivered in 1918. Reporting an unsuccessful attempt "to adopt an alleged ideal specification for a projection machine" on account of the objections "by makers of diverse models," he concluded as follows: "It did one thing, however, well worth while. It clarified the atmosphere and made more distinct to. me and perhaps to others of us, the objects for which this Society was organized and even more strikingly the things for which it is not organized. "For example, the Society of Motion Picture Engineers is not a judicial body to settle controversies between conflicting interests or to promulgate recommendations which make for class-discrimination. If our Society ever degenerates into a contest between factions each trying to use the Society for personal advantage, then our usefulness is ended and our organization will soon break up as others in the motion picture industry have already done. "What we did organize for was to set our official seal on standards generally recognized as standards; and second, and perhaps best of all, to put into permanent form for world-wide distribution, the specialized knowledge which our members, experts in their particular line, are so unselfishly furnishing for this purpose. And while the official stamping of generally acknowledged standards is a necessary duty, for myself I have found the most interest in our meetings has come from the valuable papers read and printed, and I don't believe the limited time of our meetings can be spent in a more worthwhile manner." Film Dimensions This is a relatively new Engineering Committee, established in 1948 by the preceding Engineering Vice-President, John A. Maurer. The Society has been active in the field of film dimensions from the very beginning, however, as F. T. Bow ditch: Engineering Activities 163