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

the industry make this a proper time to get under way. With the experience of the last few months to draw upon, we have prepared a "sales" folder which tells sustaining members what the Society is doing, and can do, for them. Personalized letters of transmittal, dealing with the specific interests of each member and firm, have been drafted. Public, Industry and Press Relations The Society's Plan for the current year emphasized the numerous public relations activities necessary to meet our mounting obligations and to serve the industry under the conditions that will exist for some years to come. For the first time in its history, the Society has embarked on a planned course of action in public relations. Briefly, these are the phases of the campaign : • A Technical Information Service, starting as a minor matter of answering mailed and phoned questions, has mushroomed into a major activity, both in time consumed and in importance. Headquarters has become the clearinghouse for technical matters. Much of the time of the Executive Secretary and the Staff Engineer is devoted to this necessary and important task. When the advice requested exceeds our province, we of course recommend that the services of a consulting engineer be obtained. • Another part of our public-relations effort is concerned with active participation with other technical societies and with trade and cultural groups with legitimate motion-picture and television interests. • As mentioned above, under publications and under stereo, we are endeavoring by the numerous ethical means to publicize the services and activities of the Society. Through carefully prepared addresses and a series of reports and trade press releases, we are performing an e*ential job while building up public knowledge and esteem for the Society. • The purpose behind this build-up is manifold. More information about the Society will attract new members. It will tend to arouse the interest of undergraduate engineers working in the industry. It acts to widen the influence, and therefore the value, of the Society. It bolsters prestige of individual members in their daily work. And already it has clearly strengthened the bond between the Society and the various segments of the motion-picture and t« I vision industry. President Barnett's May 5th address at Minneapolis is another important step in the campaign, and still another Society Speaker is featured at the Central Atlantic Optometric Assembly of May 29. This is part of a joint campaign of the motionpicture and optometric fields to educate the public about viewing stereo films. Still another speaker will star at the Convention of the American Psychological Association in Cleveland in September. As soon as is possible, the information available from the Convention will be integrated into the material already in preparation so that we can distribute the first booklets in nontechnical language on projection of stereo and wide-screen pictures. Another publication will follow on the production of these processes. Then will come the illustrated lectures on these systems. These efforts, in short, are but highlights of our daily campaign to have the Society take its rightful place at the head of our industry's technical groups. In that high position, the next three or four years will provide the Society with a remarkable opportunity to prove its worth. — Bayct Nemec. Central Section Meeting An afternoon, dinner and evening meeting was held on Thursday, May 21, beginning at 3:00 P.M. at the Western Society of Engineers in Chicago. Attendance at this very successful meeting was: 125 in the afternoon, 65 for dinner and 135 in the evening. Called "Applications of Magnetic Recording to Motion Pictures," the program had these features: "Magnesound Unit," Walter Vance, Victor Animatograph Corp., Chicago. "Movie Sound 8 Projector," LJoyd Thompson, The Calvin Co., Kansas City, Mo. 741