SMPTE

Technologist Jack Watts began his career in post-production in the Republic of Ireland. In 2013 he joined Technicolor in London where he was head of technology and development. He moved to Deluxe in London is 2015 as part of the joint venture between the two digital cinema business units at both companies. There he primarily focused on mastering solutions for digital cinema, and then eventually, the interoperable master format. There he acted as an internal consultant to the technical operations, client services and business development teams. Externally, there was also the need to consult the business’s premium studio clients.

Barbara H. Lange became executive director of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in January 2010. “I can’t believe how fast time has passed,” she told me. “We’ve done quite a bit over the decade.” That is an understatement. In that time the Society has digitized SMPTE’s journal, conference papers, and standards to create the digital library that provides end-users access to SMPTE’s breadth of intellectual property, as well as being a sustainable revenue stream for the organization. In addition, the Society expanded its educational offerings by increasing the number of webcasts, virtual courses, and even conference programs that it delivers with excellent technical content. Today, more people are registering to attend SMPTE webcasts than ever before.

In what could be the first real breakthrough in event cinema, TimePlay will provide its proprietary mobile platform to support The Vista Project student film competition. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers is a key partner in The Vista Project. TimePlay’s globally patented IP, allows moviegoers to control how stories unfold on the cinema screen in real-time. The deadline for submissions to the contest has been extended to November 15.

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers is celebrating its Centennial with celebrations worldwide. The celebrations include honoring SMPTE's Founders' Day and the 100th anniversary of its incorporation – July 24 and August 10, respectively. The festivities, which include cakes ornamented with the SMPTE logo and messages of well wishes, actually began in 2015 during the biennial SMPTE technical conference in Sydney and continue with global celebrations held by SMPTE Sections and partner organizations.