A unique opportunity presents itself for your consideration.
My name is Jon Truckenmiller, and for the past 29 years I have been fortunate to serve as the engineering team leader for one of Hollywoods preeminent video postproduction facilities. Due to an illness in my wife's family we have chosen to escape Southern California and return home to Kentucky, leaving my position as Senior Vice President -Engineering, Crest National.
I was presented with the opportunity to join Crest National Film Laboratories in 1976 when the owner had the foresight to realize that a marriage should exist between the world of film production and emerging video technologies. Little could he have realized what the years would bring. As we started the video organization, bulky two inch quad machines were the format of choice. Shortly thereafter, we marveled at the options one inch helical scan recording would bring. Yes, it was the beginning of the format wars, with one inch Type A, the Sony Omega wrap, and Bosch Type B finally being sorted to SMPTE Type C. Heavy 3/4" Sony VO2800 cassette machines allowed for "off-line" editing and CMX PDP/11s were the choice in the on-line bays.
Telecine, the art of converting the film frame to the television image, was at the time almost a Rube Goldberg process, simply point a projector into the guts of a television camera. Leading the way I was challenged to deliver the best picture quality possible, and I delivered. With the addition of light filtering, improved optics, enhanced electronics and stepping motor control for stability, Crest National premiered the Solid State Electronic Liquid Gate. A process removing up to 95% of image impairments during real time transfers.
We were there at the birth of Home Video and the BetaMax/VHS format war, serving major Hollywood studios with their need for masters, release copies and edited sub-masters for the new Cable Channels and Home Video mass duplication. Technology gave us the Rank Cintel flying spot scanner with all forms of computer control used to manipulate the on screen image, and we broke the race to deliver 625 PAL video masters for the international marketplace directly from Hollywood.
Audio at Crest National was never a stepchild to the visual image. Mono sound rapidly gave way to stereo (even in 2" quad) and I created several full service audio bays capable of editing and conforming from 35mm magnetic film in stereo, 3 track, 4 track, and 6 track formats. Audio work was performed on 24 track Dolby equipped recorders, then being laid back to all tape formats for international and domestic release.
Time passing would bring us the "D" format, digital wars. D1, D2, D3, Digital BetaCam, D5 and HDTV would all emerge as formats to transition the facilities too. The analogue world gave way to SDI and the digital infrastructure was created. Crest National and I delivered.
From the creation of the Cineglyph film scanning system, to Omneon full production servers, the theme was the same. Design and implement quality systems, plan and train personnel in the daily operation, fully document all systems for ease of maintenance and consider future technology for growth and ease of implementation.
Complex systems were exciting challenges, and at one point our facilities spanned a five building complex in central Hollywood. Crest National even became a Los Angeles City Council designated Cable Television Franchise holder to allow for above ground (pole mounted) fiber optic data and signal distribution cabling. The designs rendered always maintained a careful layout of ground systems, multi thousand KVA power distribution services, technical isolation, backup power systems (both conventional UPS and engine driven generators), and over 1500 tons of HVAC services.
Oh! And along the way, why not create a three projector Cinerama theater with seven channel audio for the 50th anniversary of the film format that swept the world in the 1950s. Or develop a system to transfer 65/70mm, large format film, and design, build and equip a highly acclaimed audio environment to premiere SACD multichannel audio to the studios, producers, engineers, talent and audiophile community.
The challenges presented by customers and the daily management routine at Crest National was always diverse, from my engineering efforts to marketing and sales, the opportunities presented themselves in so many areas and were made part of my career. Calling on my background experiences or research/learning efforts through the years, allowed me to lead and direct the team at Crest National. Wheather creating promotional films, videos, demos, brochure photography, web development or even the creation of price lists to brainstorming new services to offer, then executing the plan, these were all tasks I enjoyed meeting head on.
A traditional resume could make it difficult to envision the scope of my career at Crest National. Please enjoy browsing the web sight and gain insight into the challanges I've answered and let it allow you to imagine the future to come. The opportunity to utilize my talents and abilities presents itself and is available in many forms as a contributing member of your team.
Thanks for your consideration!
Jon Truckenmiller
You can reach me at 502 253 5766 or on my cell 502 558 1139.
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