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

a great deal of work on test films, being presently concerned with the specification of new ones related to magnetic sound. Standards Committee This is the most venerable and honorable of all the Engineering Committees, going back to the very early days of the Society. Standardization in the first years was "Adopted in Committee of the Whole Society," as witness the first "Motion Picture Standards" published in the first volume (1916-1920) of Society Transactions.™ These apparently resulted from the recommendations of one of the four engineering committees of that time, in fields of Cameras and Perforations, Motion Picture Electrical Devices, Projection Machines, and Optics, respectively. In 1924, a Committee on Nomenclature and Standards was formed, this being changed to the present title in 1934. For many years, standardization proposals were developed by subcommittees of the Standards Committee, by subcommittees of ASA Sectional Committee PH22 on Motion Pictures and by any one of the several Engineering Committees of SMPTE. This finally led to the realization that the most competent people in particular fields have already been brought together in the respective Engineering Committees of SMPTE, so that it is most efficient to refer all Standards work projects directly to these Committees, rather than to appoint members of these same Committees as a subcommittee of the Standards Committee or of ASA Sectional Committee PH22.21 This procedure was first inaugurated by John A. Maurer and was further facilitated by his appointment of all Engineering Committee Chairmen as members of the Standards Committee. The balance of the Committee serves ex officio, and includes a representative of the Motion Picture Research Council, the chairman of ASA Sectional Committee PH22, the Past Engineering Vice-President of SMPTE and the Past Chairman of the Standards Committee. This insures a most competent and experienced group of engineers, well qualified to handle the policy-type matters which come before it, along with the processing of standards proposals. While the basic policies which are cited as examples throughout this report are the responsibility of the Engineering Vice-President, these are in general the result of discussions with the Standards Committee, and the determination of a consensus there. The dean of the motion picture standards business is generally recognized to be Dr. Emmett Carver of Eastman Kodak, who served as Chairman of this Committee for many years. Dr. Carver brings a very fine attitude of patience, impartiality and technical thoroughness to these deliberations, and his capabilities are universally respected by those who work with him in this field. Frank E. Carlson of General Electric has just completed a competent four-year term as Chairman of the Standards Committee, and has now been succeeded by Henry Hood of Eastman Kodak. Hood's recent appointment to fill the remainder of the current Engineering Vice-President term creates a vacancy here which has not been filled at this writing. Stereoscopic Motion Pictures The April 1952 Journal was the first to list this new Committee, formed since the first of this year. Started a few months ago as a task force to report on the extent of trade interest in the formation of such a permanent Committee, the group found the response was immediate and very enthusiastic. John A. Norling is the ambitious Chairman of this new Committee, and while it is too early to predict the relative importance and permanence of this group, present indications are certainly favorable. Two projects presently under way are concerned with stereoscopic F. T. Bowditch: Engineering Activities 171