Honoring Society’s Centennial Celebration, SMPTE Next Century Fund Will Support Next-Generation Standards, Membership, and Education Programs
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — April 12, 2015 — The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers(R) (SMPTE(R)), one of the worldwide leaders in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, today announced that Technicolor has pledged a contribution to The Next Century Fund of the SMPTE Centennial Campaign. Technicolor’s gift, formally recognized today at the 2015 NAB Show’s Technology Summit on Cinema, produced in partnership with SMPTE, 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.
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About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers(R) (SMPTE(R))
The Oscar(R) and Emmy(R) Award-winning Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers(R) (SMPTE(R)), a professional membership association, is one of the leaders in the advancement of the art, science, and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem, worldwide. An internationally recognized and accredited organization, SMPTE advances moving-imagery education and engineering across the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. Since its founding in 1916, SMPTE has published the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and developed more than 800 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines.
More than 6,000 members — motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students — who meet in Sections throughout the world sustain the Society. Through the Society’s partnership with the Hollywood Professional Alliance(R) (HPA(R)), this membership is complemented by the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide the expertise, support, tools, and infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television programs, commercials, digital media, and other dynamic media content. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.
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