I first met Melvin Sokolsky about fifty years ago. I was about eighteen and wanted to become a photographer, so I figured I could learn the craft if I worked for another photographer. I was Melvin's first assistant and though I didn't know that much, he thought that I had promise and kept me on.

Eventually, I started getting some work from NBC, so I moved on, but I still kept in touch with Melvin, and did some work for him from time to time.

After getting out of the army in 1965, I looked up Melvin and I helped him with a number of projects. At this point, I was losing interest in photography and becoming interested in electronics and the early beginnings of computers.

One day, Melvin approached me with an idea. He had been doing TV commercials and was unhappy with the way the currently available zoom lenses worked. TV commercials had very tight timing requirements and it was very difficult to incorporate a zoom move in a way that was accurate and repeatable.

I gave it some thought and suggested that it might be possible to build some sort of a computer-controlled zoom lens that could be programmed to make moves that were accurate and reproducible. The result is the story that begins here.

Melvin worked on the lens with me, contributing many of the design ideas in areas of requirements and operation. During the development, Melvin used the lens for many of his TV commercials. After each use, we would discuss possible improvements.

But there was something even more important. Melvin was my advocate. During the development of the lens, there were times that I would run into a seemingly unsolvable problem. But it was Melvin's faith in my abilities that kept me going until a solution was found.

If we needed money for the development, Melvin came up with the money. If I needed a machinist or access to a piece of equipment like a camera or a lens, Melvin made that happen. And he was the one who convinced others like Doug Trumbull and Riddley Scott to use the lens in their work.

In the end the lens was used to shoot the opening scene of "The Godfather."

I guess if the computer-controlled zoom lens had been a movie, Mel Sokolsky would have been the producer. If the lens had won an Academy Award, both our names should have been on it.

So, many years later, I'm finally getting the chance to say thank you for everything.

--

Question: What is the greatest discovery of the 21st Century?

Answer: That people will pay money for the noise that their phone makes when it rings.

Post a comment about "A note of thanks to an old friend"

Stumble It!

Copyright 1958-2007 Tony Karp