Timeline Analog 2. John Buck

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      Foreword by William (Bill) Butler

       After decades within the video industry, I landed at Memorex Corporation in 1970 - a critical time as it joined forces with the CBS Television Network to create a joint venture called CMX Systems.

       In the following year our amazing team discovered and solved the key problems associated with creating a digital video editing machine. They confronted the hurdles to building an 'electronic Moviola', like how to achieve frame-by-frame storage of sufficient analog video in a large random access memory system; how to record analog video in real time in a digital storage system with individual frame identity; and how to design a user interface that looked familiar to a film editor.

       The small group of engineers developed unique video processing and disc storage solutions over the course of 1970. Inventions like the brilliantly simple EDL (edit decision list) were so groundbreaking that they defined the editing industry for decades to come.

       Although received with great acclaim it quickly became apparent that CMX’s end product, the CMX 600, was too radical. I believe Joseph Flaherty and others at CBS knew this from the beginning but they needed the CMX 600 as a lever to get things moving.

       In the intervening twenty years, the editing industry reverted to a mix of analog and video machines built by former colleagues like Jim Adams and Dave Bargen as well as startups like Datatron and Convergence. This period also saw the emergence of Sony of Japan, first with its U-Matic and then 1” recorders that helped revolutionise access to broadcast images.

       We knew all along that the limiting factors in electronic editing were video memory and videotape recorders. We also knew that the principal of exponentially increasing chip memory density and speed, with decreasing cost, was eventually going to solve both.

       Moore’s Law held true and eventually the economic digitization and rapid processing of video became a reality. The videotape machine, which had supplanted film as editing’s medium, gave way to the personal computer as the preferred platform.

      This book, Timeline Analog 2, concludes with George Lucas’ plan to mesh technology and imagination to create affordable digital video production. One that CMX 600 had already led the way. Bill Butler, January 2018

      William (Bill) Butler's career spans 1955 to 1995 at Brush, Precision Instruments, Westel, Memorex, CMX Systems, Robert Bosch and Lucasfilm.

      Dedication

      The Timeline books are dedicated to Adrian Ettlinger (1925 – 2013)

      Adrian was a brilliant engineer, ground breaking inventor, astute observer and a much loved father during his life and career. In retirement he was a friend, advisor and mentor to me. Adrian is without question the father of nonlinear digital editing and his contributions to the editing field have been recognised by industry bodies and editors alike.

      Thank you Adrian, rest in peace.

      About the Author

      John Buck has been an editor since he needed a way to cut his Super 8 mm camera rushes. Using a splicer and cement, he cut together parodies of TV shows for screening in a home cinema, and eventually graduated to local filmmaker festivals.

      After being fired from his first full-time job as a junior advertising agency producer, John struggled to explain his skill set to the employment official. His father advised him to “get a job that people can understand what it is that you do”.

      The manager of a production company saw potential, and offered him a role as an editor on the midnight shift. John turned his Super 8 mm cutting abilities to ¾”, 1” and 2” tape. He edited everything from commercials to auctions. High fashion to sheep teeth.

      With a skill that people could understand he left Taimac, and began editing in earnest at local television station TVW-7. With a 6pm deadline, an accommodating boss and a talented senior editor to guide him, Buck became an editor. He took those skills across the country to a job on the international TV show Beyond 2000 where he helped create award winning programs.

      Eventually it was time to branch out on his own, but he was unable to afford the Avid that was so mesmerizing at a trade demo. Backed once again by his parents, he took a chance and bought a Media 100 digital nonlinear editing system. One unit became two, and three and four.

      A one man band became a thriving business.

      Thanks

      This book series would not have been possible without the help of many people. Everyone has my appreciation but a few people deserve an extra shout out.

      Candace Machein sent her father’s files to make sure Kurt was remembered. Joe Roizen’s family did likewise. Tom Werner, Bob Pargee and David Crosthwait shared material that others had trashed while Carter Elliot bundled up pamphlets and drove them to Fedex. Marc Wanamaker shared his amazing Hollywood archive.

      Egon Gräfen discovered archived KEM material, Heidi Heftburger found the best Svilova images, Ekaterina Gracheva did the same with Russian filmmakers.

      Bernd Perplies helped with German inventors while Håkan Lindberg shared his images of editing in Sweden, and Christelle Naili sourced the long lost Italian Moritone. Pauline Duclaud-Lacoste ensured her great great grandfather Georges Méliès was honored, while Bob Phillips shared his own photos of Jack Mullin and Bing Crosby. Sumio Yamamoto and Kyoko Takahashi found materials in Toshiba’s vaults.

      Sharleen Chen created the outstanding cover.

      Brett Wayn chimed in measured advice. Gene Simon, John Delmont, and Barry Guisinger added humor to their notes just when I needed it. Loran Kary, Glenn Reid, Nick Schlott and Ralf Berger patiently explained the challenges of writing software code.

      Steven Cohen reminded me, “Editors are people, editing systems are the tools, don’t mix that up".

      Phil Hodgetts gave good advice, John Maizels opened doors, Ron Barker pushed me to try harder, and Chet Schuler insisted on getting it right. Bruce Rady, Bernie Laramie and Bill Hogan remembered when others forgot. Steve Edelman filled in the gaps, Peter Barrett was enthused.

      The ladies at the Jerzy Toeplitz Library inside the AFTRS in Sydney found dozens of books, manuscripts, articles and trade magazines to check facts.

      The team at Stanford University had everything set for my short visit. Al Alcorn, Steve Wozniak and Steve Mayer replied when their inboxes must be full every day.

      The people who helped invent desktop video Eric Peters, Jeff Bedell, Tyler Peppel, Carl Calabria, Ivan Maltz and Randy Ubillos answered all of my questions, many that they had heard before, with a smile. They never let me doubt my plan.

      I have to tip my hat to the text editors, Bob Glover and Gary Buck. They improved the whole book series.They volunteered to read this book over and over, and diligently worked through the raw manuscript, corrected it and made great improvements.

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