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The Hollywood Section of SMPTE^®, the organization whose standards work has supported a century of advances in entertainment technology, will host a demonstration of classic movie sound technology at its monthly meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, July 25, in Hollywood.

The event will include a live performance by Joe Rinaudo, founder of the Silent Cinema Society, on an American Fotoplayer (provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). The Fotoplayer is a type of player piano used in movie theaters during the silent era to provide sound effects and music.

Motion picture archivist Bob Heiber will deliver a presentation on restoring magnetic soundtracks from the 1950s. He will also screen sequences from 70mm Todd-AO and Cinemascope 55 productions, including Oklahoma and The King and I.

“Movie sound has undergone an incredible evolution since the early days of cinema,” said Jim DeFilippis, chair of the SMPTE Hollywood Section. “Our July meeting will provide a wonderful opportunity to experience what movies sounded like before the sound era, as well as when widescreen and stereophonic sound first hit theaters.”

The event is produced by SMPTE Life Fellow, Dick May.

What:  SMPTE Hollywood Section, July Meeting

Topic:  “The Sound of Movies”

When:  Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:30 p.m. — Reception, 7:15 p.m. — Meeting

Where:   Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), Linwood Dunn Theater,1313 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Free parking is available behind the building.

Price: Free for SMPTE members and nonmembers

Register:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/movie-sound-tickets-36229067115 

About the SMPTE^® Hollywood Section
The Hollywood Section of SMPTE^® was originally organized as the West Coast Section in 1928. Today, as its own SMPTE Region, it encompasses more than 1,200 SMPTE Members with a common interest in motion-imaging technology in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Hollywood Section offers free meetings monthly that are open to SMPTE Members and non-members alike. Information about meetings is posted on the Section website at www.smpte.org/hollywood.

About SMPTE^®
For more than a century, the people of SMPTE (pronounced “simp-tee”) have sorted out the details of many significant advances in media and entertainment technology, from the introduction of “talkies” and color television to HD and UHD (4K, 8K) TV. Since its founding in 1916, SMPTE has received an Oscar^® and multiple Emmy^® Awards for its work in advancing moving-imagery engineering across the industry. SMPTE has developed thousands of standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines, more than 800 of which are currently in force today. SMPTE Time Code™ and the ubiquitous SMPTE Color Bars™ are just two examples of SMPTE’s notable work. As it enters its second century, SMPTE is shaping the next generation of standards and providing education for the industry to ensure interoperability as the industry evolves further into IT- and IP-based workflows.

SMPTE’s global membership today includes more than 7,000 members: motion-imaging executives, creatives, technologists, researchers, and students who volunteer their time and expertise to SMPTE’s standards development and educational initiatives. A partnership with the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) connects SMPTE and its membership with the businesses and individuals who support the creation and finishing of media content. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.

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