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

Further along engineering lines, the Society is a member of the Inter-Society Color Council and is represented there by a delegation of which Ralph M. Evans of Eastman Kodak is Chairman. Society representation is similarly provided on the U.S. National Committee of the International Commission on Illumination, with Ralph Farnum of General Electric as Chairman. The most extensive of these extra-society engineering activities, however, is that with The American Standards Association, this being discussed in the following paragraphs. American Standards Association This is an association of standardizing bodies in many fields of industry, sponsored by industry, and issuing socalled American Standards. These Standards do not of themselves have any force in law, but are generally recognized as representing best practice, and so are frequently incorporated in purchase specifications by agreement between individual buyers and sellers. Elaborate safeguards are provided in the preparation of these standards, insuring the very careful review of all standards proposals by a sequence of authorities terminating in a Standards Council. Provision is also made for the periodic review of all existing American Standards so that obsolete material does not remain on the books. Standards in the field of motion pictures and in those aspects of television assigned the Engineering Committees of SMPTE are processed through ASA Sectional Committee PH22 on Motion Pictures, presently under the chairmanship of Dr. D. R. White of Du Pont. This ASA Committee is authorized to consider proposals received from any reputable source, but, in practice, almost all of these originate in SMPTE or in the Motion Picture Research Council. In line with the simplification previously discussed, Committee PH22 seldom conducts a technical study in the entire Committee, since the representation is necessarily so broad that adequate technical coverage of any one specialized field is not possible. Subcommittees used to be created to enlist such talent as needed, but this is now handled through the Engineering Committees of SMPTE. Thus with respect to the processing of American Standards, Committee PH22 is largely a policy group, concerning itself more with the need for a particular standard and whether or not an adequate consensus has been reached, rather than with the technical content. With the recently increased interest in world standards through Technical Committee 36 on Cinematography of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/TC36), PH22 has now assumed an important new responsibility. The Secretariat of this International Committee is held by the ASA, and the responsibility for expressing the U.S. viewpoint, both respecting world standards proposals and in replying to the proposals of other nations, naturally channels through PH22. Policy matters are decided there, and technical studies requested of the SMPTE Committees where needed. The first international meeting of ISO/ TC36 was held in New York City on June 9, 10 and 11, 1952, with PH22 playing an important part in heading the U.S. delegation. U.S. proposals for consideration as International Standards were first recommended by the Engineering Committees of SMPTE, and the Chairmen of the committees concerned with these recommendations were included in the U.S. delegation headed by Dr. White. The Engineering VicePresident of SMPTE was chosen as chairman of this first formal meeting of ISO/TC36, and is most appreciative of having been given this opportunity to work with this very sincere and highly cooperative group. Delegates from Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom worked with the U.S. F. T. Bowditch: Engineering Activities 175