Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (1950-1954)

Engineering Little will be said here : projects planned and in progress are reported regularly in the Journal by the Staff Engineer. Henry Hood presented to the Board drafts of four Standards which were approved for transmittal to ASA. These proposed standards have appeared in the Journal and will be published as final when approved by the ASA. The advice and approval of the Board were sought regarding enlarging the scope of the Screen Brightness Committee. The new scope will appear in the April Journal when the complete roster of SMPTE Committees is published. Charles Townsend outlined several aspects of engineering related to television and film to which he suggested the Society should be certain to give attention. Axel Jensen clarified for the Board the duties and functions of the Joint Committee for Inter-Society Coordination which works to avoid overlapping of efforts among this Society, the Institute of Radio Engineers, Radio and Television Mfrs. Assn. and the National Assn. of Radio and Television Broadcasters. Publications Norwood Simmons' Editorial VicePresident's report was read, noting the excellent and vital work of Arthur C. Downes, Chairman, and the Board of Editors. Hard work by 1952's Convention Program Chairmen Geo. W. Colburn and Joe Aiken, with real help from the Papers Committee Vice-Chairmen, especially John Waddell for the International Symposium on High-Speed Photography, not only produced well-attended sessions but also apparently reversed the trend toward a smaller volume of worthy papers for the Journal. Greater and more varied efforts by the Papers Committee are expected to produce an increasing volume of material which the membership wants. Those wants will be better known when the results of the Membership Service Questionnaire are tabulated. On the basis of hopes for a reasonably greater volume of worthy Journal material for 1953, a budget was approved for 1328 pp. 194 Conventions Jack Servies reported that he felt that the Spring Convention is in good hands and that all information from Hollywood thus far indicates a large, varied and successful convention. News of developing plans appear in each Journal's story about the^73d Convention. Sections A report for the Atlantic Coast Section was read by its new Chairman, William H. Offenhauser, Jr. Reports for the other sections were also read. An increased budget was put forth in view of the accomplishments of 1952 and the plans for 1953, some of which are noted below in President Barnett's announced program. Geo. W. Colburn observed that the occasional reports of section meetings in the Journal had been very well received. It was agreed that a program of publishing the sections' quarterly reports, or preferably monthly meeting reports, would help keep the membership informed. Two such reports appear in this issue. New Plans So that the Society will be prepared, when it can afford such a program, the Board approved the appointment of a committee to examine the advisability of extending the Society's activities in order to promote more effectively the purposes for which this Society was founded, and particularly to examine the advisability of the Society's engaging in, promoting or financing scientific research, research fellowships and such other scientific projects directly promotive of the purposes of the Society. From the report by President Barnett, we have abstracted the introduction and the six points in the Society's program as it is presently expanded: The importance of long-range film and television engineering is exemplified by the film industry's thorough preparation for FCC theater television hearings that were renewed on January 26, and the list of well-qualified witnesses scheduled to appear, as an outgrowth of three earlier theater television channel appeals presented before FCC by the Society. Experimental channels secured by SMPTE gave studio and theater companies an