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

nomenclature and with the preparation of a bibliography ol this field. Joint RTMA-SMPTE Committee on Television Film Equipment This Committee is an outgrowth of negotiations in the Joint Committee on Inter-Society Coordination. As previously noted, the SMPTE realized late in 1949 that television interests in the Society had grown too large to be contained within the Committees on Television and on Theater Television. The latter was specific enough, but the handling of all other interests in a single Committee on Television was no longer practical. A few months prior to any definite action by SMPTE, the RTMA independently realized the need for technical committee activity in the field of television film-handling equipment, and so formed a very capable Subcommittee of Subcommittee 4 of RTMA Committee TR4, bearing the designation TR4.4.2. Thus, while SMPTE was making up its mind, the independently conceived RTMA SubSubcommittee came into being, squarely in one of the fields contemplated by SMPTE, and immediately gave evidence of energetic competence. The individual members of the RTMA committee might just as appropriately have been serving with SMPTE, since the same commercial" organizations and most often the identical persons are the ones most logically chosen whenever a competent Engineering Committee is formed in a specific field such as this one. As an example, seven of the twelve -man TR4.4.2 Committee were already SMPTE members, including the Chairman. Thus it was quite impractical for SMPTE to attempt the formation of an altogether different Committee to do this same job, even though this was obviously in a technical field where the Society was most expert. Hence the formation of the coordinating Committee, and the agreement with RTMA that this would henceforth be come a joint committee of the two Societies. Details remain to be worked out, since the formal procedures respecting membership appointment and chairman selection are not the same in the two sponsor organizations. Here too the JCIC will prove helpful. Dr. Frank N. Gillette of General Precision Laboratories continues as Chairman of the Joint Committee, with Dr. E. C. Fritts as Vice-Chairman, representing SMPTE. To the original membership of 12, appointed by RTMA, SMPTE added six more, from film and film equipment agencies not previously represented. A major project of this group is the preparation of a 16mm projector specification, incorporating the special requirements of television usage. Other projects include a standards proposal for dimensions of slides and opaques, and one for picture dimensions on 16mm and 35mm motion picture film. It should be mentioned here that among the new Committees originally considered by SMPTE in the field of television was one on Video Recording, listed as "under organization" in the April, 1950, listing of Committees of the Society. In discussions of this in the JCIC, it was agreed that aspects of this operation of interest to SMPTE would properly come before the Committees on Film for Television and Television Film Equipment. The SMPTE Committee on Video Recording was thus allowed to disband before the organization phase was completed. An IRE Subcommittee on Video Systems and Components is in potential conflict here, but it has been suggested through the JCIC that this latter group do no work on film handling equipment. Television Studio Lighting This is another of the new television committees resulting from the expansion of the old Committee on Television. Since this field is not in potential conflict with the technical committee work 172 September 1952 Journal of the SMPTE VoL 59