Loudspeaker (Jan-Aug 1931)

Let’s H ave Co-ordination by P. A. McGuire I have long had a persistent and enthusiastic confidence in the projectionist and my faith in him has been confirmed in many ways. I have seen projectionists at meetings of the American Projection Society and on many other occasions, taking an interest in their work and seriously discussing its problems when the rest of the world, which was not attending a night club, was asleep. I have have heard projectionists on hundreds of occasions discussing technical matters which did not affect them financially at all, and personally only through the opportunity that improvement would present to enable them to do better work. The American Projection Society, to the best of my knowledge, was the first technical organization of the motion picture industry and has rendered a great service to the industry through its many discussions of the theoretical and practical problems of motion picture projection. The Society of Motion Picture Engineers has made some efforts to encourage interest in projection, but invariably the only papers and discussions on projection have been the work of practical projectionists. I would like to go on record here and state with positiveness that I never heard any discussions on projection during the meetings of the S. M. P. E. that had any real value, that did not come from such practical projectionists as George C. Edwards, Chauncey L. Greene, Herbert Griffin, Arthur Gray, F. H. Richardson, Lewis Townsend, Harry Rubin, etc. It is very satisfactory to observe that the S. M. P. E. seems to be making an earnest effort to put projection on a well organized and systematized basis and practical projectionists are being placed on the Projection Committee. The recent activity of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci F o r t y 1 nv o ences is particularly gratifying and splendid results are being secured through the work of Mr. Lester Cowan, manager of the Technical Bureau of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Mr. Cowan has brought into this field an enthusiasm, a persistence, an understanding and an ability to get results, which, I believe, mark a new era in the motion picture industry. It becomes evident that we have at last realized the interdependence of the various departments of the industry and the urgent need for coordination. We now have reason to believe that the high executives of the motion picture industry intend to give adequate moral and financial support to the work of the technical organizations of this industry. It is perhaps too much to hope that the industry will also give proper recognition to the work of the American Projection Sociey and the Projection Advisory Council. These organizations have done pioneer work in the development of certain important ideas. Disinterestedly they have worked to raise the standards of projection. I quote the following from a long article, “Let’s Have Co-ordination,” recently published in Theatre Management. “This is the day of electric entertainment and technicians must work to present motion pictures in the way that will be most satisfactory to patrons. Back of the artistic side of the motion picture industry is a vast technical field, whose work offers infinite opportunities for flaws and failures. No single department of the technical field should be permitted to secure results with undue sacrifice of any other department. “We all have but one purpose and that is to serve the public. No individual or organization has a superiority beyond the extent to which it can contribute to the quality of motion pictures as an indispensable and essential form of public entertainment and education. “If the technicians of this industry, working through their organizations and with the support of the ex