Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

SMP 1 E Ready to Ever Better Screen Aid Search for Presentation BARTON KREUZER, SMPTE PRESIDENT Offers Suggestions across all lines of motion picture technology regardless of rigid departmental boundaries. ...” * And, “engineering in the studios should be divorced from opportunism and expediency that govern the conduct of many of our studios in their continued search for new and novel means of entertaining the public.” Sidney on Production Screen Directors Guild president George Sidney, at the suggestion of Dr. Frayne, gave the delegates seven suggestions for improving production facilities, and one more suggestion pertaining to exhibition. To save time and money in production, he called for (1) a reduction in size of all studio equipment, (2) practical directional sound equipment for production, (3) a device to reduce or minimize cable from shooting stages, (4) smaller stage lights, (5) improvements that would reduce heat levels from present high levels, (6) intrastudio standardization of production procedures, and (7) settlement on a uniform method for looping dialogue, now done differently in each studio. Pertaining to exhibition, he asked the engineers to devise something that is capable of making projection uniformly good so that good product will look its best in all exhibition areas. The presentations of the Society’s awards were made Tuesday evening. Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith, consulting engineer and a television pioneer, received the 1956 Progress Medal. Also cited by the Society were Charles C. Davis, sound engineer, Westrex Corp., the Samuel Warner Awards; Robert E. Shelby, vice-president and chief engineer, NBC, (posthumously) the David Sarnoff Award; Dr. Wesley T. Hanson, Jr., color research, Eastman Ko v dak, the first annual Herbert Kalmus Medal, and Donald G. Fink, director of research, Philco, the Journal Award. Dr. Alexander Ernemann, of Zeiss Ikon, Germany, designer of the Ernemann projectors, was awarded honorary membership in the Society. Officers Named . . . Frayne, retiring as president, tells coast convention society is constantly alert; Kreuzer elected new president of organization LOS ANGELES: A pledge that the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers “stands ready now, as it has always since its founding, to aid the (motion picture) industry in its search for improved means of presenting its product to audiences throughout the world,” was given here Monday by retiring president John G. Frayne, speaking at the first luncheon session of the Society’s semi-annual convention at the Ambassador Hotel. An Officer Previously Another feature of the luncheon was the announcement that Barton Kreuzer, director of product planning for the Radio Corporation of America, Camden, N. J., has been elected president of the Society to succeed Dr. Frayne January 1, 1957. Mr. Kreuzer, a Fellow of the SMPTE, has previously served the Society as treasurer, 1952-53; financial vice-president, 1954, and executive vice-president and chairman of the executive committee, 1955-56. He also is a member of the Institute of Radio Engineers. The five-day convention, the Society’s 80th, had as feature attractions the demonstration of MGM’s 65mm system, 20thFox’s CinemaScope 55 and six channel stereophonic sound. Fifteen technical sessions were held besides the equipment exhibits and the presentation of papers on the principles and applications of transistors in motion picture and television. Other highlights of the technical meetings were the first reports on the Ampex Videotape Recorder, a tour of the NBC color television studios in Burbank, and a field trip to the U. S. Navy Electronics laboratory at San Diego. George Sidney, president of the Screen Directors Guild, was guest speaker at the Monday luncheon at which Dr. Frayne gave his keynote address. Sees Interest Waning The retiring SMPTE chief devoted his remarks to a review of the technological “revolution” in the motion picture industry and said that today “interest in experimenting with radically new motion picture systems appears to be waning.” “Instead,” he said, “there seems to be a period of critical evaluation of the many innovations of the past three years. There is ample evidence of a tendency to reduce the number of different types of prints for the theatre.” Pointing out that many of the new systems under discussion two years ago had not lived up to advance reports, he said the “salvage value” of many of those proposals “has been discovered a posteriori to be in the effectiveness of the larger negative area available in the camera with resulting higher picture definition on the 35mm print.” The industry is showing less interest in developing new innovations in wide film systems, said Dr. Frayne, and is tending to instead “to reemphasize the standard 35mm medium with whatever embellishments can be retained without adding further to ultimate print and projection costs.” The reasons for “this period of technological self-analysis,” he continued, are primarily economic and in the fact that the engineers and executives of the industry failed to evaluate the long range effects of the various new systems. Dr. Frayne offered three suggestions to aid in the orderly technological progress of the industry: Engineering “should have a greater voice and influence in studio management circles. This might prevent the hasty adoption of new and untried ideas without first subjecting them to rigorous test and field trial.” “Encourage and extend the practice of having a competent and experienced motion picture engineer direct and coordinate all technical developments in every motion picture studio ... he should be responsible for the development and testing of all new integrated motion picture systems that cut Elected with Mr. Kreuzer to serve twoyear terms beginning January 1, 1957, were Norwood L. Simmons, chief engineer, west coast division, Eastman Kodak — executive vice-president; Glenn E. Matthews, research Eastman Kodak, Rochester — editorial vice-president; G. Carlton Hunt, president General Film Laboratories, Hollywood— convention vice-president ; and Wilton R. Holm, technical associate, E. I. duPont de Nemours; secretary. 20 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 13, 1956