From the Editors

From the Editors

Ingenuity and Enthusiasm

The accomplishments of the Local 695 members featured in this issue span fifty years, from Jimmie Songer’s work perfecting video assist in the late ’60s to Lisa Piñero’s efforts to make World War II communications gear functional for Fury. There’s a remarkable consistency in these efforts. In every case, success was the result of a focused determination and attention to detail. Jimmie Songer introduced new materials to viewfinder optics to gain sufficient light for his design and worked with electronic circuits so miniaturized that he needed a microscope just to follow the traces. Lisa Piñero brought in a consultant to assist in rebuilding and repurposing antique tank communications.

If there is any new development, it is the growing complexity of the process. As Mark Agostino relates, accomplishing Clint Eastwood’s goal of live-recording the Jersey Boysmusicians required deploying microphones in several adjacent rooms to capture audio simultaneously from both on-screen and offscreen musicians.

We applaud the commitment and ingenuity of all these 695 engineers practicing the craft at the highest levels of skill and professionalism.

Fraternally yours,
Richard Lightstone, Eric Pierce and David Waelder