The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has announced that Technicolor has pledged a contribution to The Next Century Fund of the SMPTE Centennial Campaign. Technicolor's gift brings the campaign contribution total to nearly $1.5 million.
"We're pleased to build on our long-standing participation in SMPTE as a cornerstone contributor for their centennial initiative, which continues their important work in developing next-generation technologies by fostering cross-industry collaboration," says Vince Pizzica, senior executive vice president, corporate development and technology at Technicolor. "Throughout our own first century, which is also being celebrated this year, Technicolor has always been a big believer in the value of companies working together to develop open standard technologies which, in turn, drive innovation throughout the entire value chain."
The SMPTE Centennial Campaign has been established in recognition of the Society's 100-year anniversary in 2016. As part of this campaign, The Next Century Fund will support enhancements in standards system infrastructure and raise the level of support for the development of new standards, as well as support the adoption of existing standards throughout the world. Providing membership opportunities to new geographic areas and emerging media technology sectors, The Next Century Fund will secure a future path for sustainable growth. The Society will also use the funds to expand its offering of educational programs that advance the expertise of its members.
"Our industry is evolving, and new developments are challenging every aspect of the media workflow — from technology tools to business models," said Barbara Lange, executive director of SMPTE. "The generous gift from our newest donor, Technicolor, demonstrates a firm commitment to the Society from industry leaders, and it is a testament of the value SMPTE brings to the organizations we serve."
The campaign is led by an advisory committee chaired by Robert Seidel of CBS with members Wendy Aylsworth of Warner Bros., Randy Conrod of Imagine Communications, Bruce Devlin of Dalet, Richard Friedel of Fox Networks, Charles Jablonski of SMPTE, Peter Ludé of RealD, William Miller of Miltag Media Technology, Bob Ross of CBS, and Larry Thorpe of Canon. The Next Century Program Funding Committee is chaired by Matthew Goldman, SMPTE executive vice president, with members Ioan Allen of Dolby, Michael Bergeron of Panasonic, Peter Fannon of Panasonic, and Leon Silverman of Disney engaged in overseeing the investment of the fund.
The Next Century Fund was originally announced in October 2014 at the SMPTE Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition with cornerstone pledges from The Walt Disney Company, Panasonic, and Dolby Laboratories. All of these have now begun to fulfill their commitments, allowing SMPTE to begin investment in the initiatives outlined in the campaign plan.
Further information about the SMPTE Centennial Celebration Campaign is available at www.smpte100.org. The complete list of SMPTE sustaining members is available at https://www.smpte.org/sustaining-member-list.