Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: John Pytlak's Passing

This is topic John Pytlak's Passing - A Year On in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-31-2008, 05:00 PM:

It's about a year since John's passing, and I I just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten him, and never will do. I first read his work in SMPTE journals around 4-5 years before I joined F-T, had the great privilege of meeting and spending an evening with John at the AMIA conference in 2003 and exchanged emails with him regularly thereafter. His passing was a huge loss to everyone here. John hasn't, and never will be forgotten.

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 08-31-2008, 06:48 PM:

I met John only three or four times at Showest but we emailed on a few issues and I relied on his counsel from many Film-Tech posts. The info he provided was always well thought out and accurate.

I too have thought of him many times and miss his well reasoned posts loaded with good info. He was a truly nice and gentle man. Some things aren't right and his passing was one of them. I miss him.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-31-2008, 06:57 PM:

I also think of John and his family often. Like Jim, I miss John...he was a great personal friend.

Coincidently, I had another telco with Betsy, John's widow, today. Over the past year, I have tried to keep in touch with John's family to see how they are doing and give my emotional support to them.

They are all doing as well as expected. Betsy has a few medical issues and is dealing with them. The rest of the family are doing good.

Hopefully, Leo Enticknap will soon post about the tribute to John at the AMIA conference in Rochester, NY.

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 09-01-2008, 02:34 PM:

Also it's great that John Pytlak's spirit and knowledge live on in his extensive articles and papers that remain indispensable for those learning the craft of cinema presentation.

The John Pytlak Memorial Fund is another positive legacy and he is further remembered on the BKSTS Wallchart Film Handling for the Projectionist, having been a member of that Society for many years (as well as of course, so many others).

No doubt he is being actively remembered in many other ways too [Smile]

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 09-02-2008, 08:52 PM:

I will never forget how nice and willing to help a anyone John always was.

I called him up at Kodak when I was about 15 and he sent me a stack of old "film notes for REEL people" magazines. He was always happy to answer any question and was a true champion for film technology, and film projection.

I miss John.

Posted by Tom Doyle (Member # 1474) on 09-08-2008, 02:46 AM:

I never met John in person, but whenever I e-mailed him with questions about Kodak film, he would take the time to write very detailed responses.

I've learned a lot from him. He was one of the most prolific and knowledgeable posters on this forum. In fact, whenever I'm searching for info here, I inevitably find him chiming in on a topic with very useful information. I continue to learn a lot from him on a regular basis.

"He's not dead, he just hasn't posted lately!"

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 09-08-2008, 10:41 AM:

Several years ago, I attended a convention where John presented a fairly complex lecture on film. He was well prepared, kept things in perspective and made the whole subject understandable for people who use the stuff every day, but generally don't know much about the chemistry and physics behind the medium.

Away from the formalities, John was just as friendly and enthusiastic.

Probably what speaks as much for John as anything, is the fact that nobody has emerged to fill his shoes. One would think that Kodak has as much interest in staying on people's radar as ever, but there's sure a big hole here, and I'm not sure anyone has tried to address that.

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 09-08-2008, 11:05 AM:

The LinkMaster of Film-Tech will never be forgotten. It's really sad that he is not here among us today providing all sorts of info as he usually did. We really miss him.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 09-08-2008, 11:50 AM:

I am not one to go all sentimental on something like this, but I gotta admit that when I'm in a theater watching a movie on film that looks really really good, I can't help thinking "John Pytlak would approve". [Smile]

Posted by Paul Turner (Member # 832) on 09-12-2008, 12:20 PM:

As someone who basically converts building spaces that were never designed to be cinemas into cinemas, I often have some hard choices to make when it comes to the presentation. The years of reading John's comments have often helped me decide between what was the cheapest way to solve a problem, or what would enhance the experience for my patrons. Though I may not intone his name when I decide to have an intermittent rebuilt over installing automation, I believe his life's work is a harmonic that subtly resonates in the back of my mind when I make a decision. You may not know it to look at my booth, but there are times I get home pretty late because I took a couple hours at the end of the night to "un-McGyver" something I did to keep a show on-screen. I can't deny his influence plays a part in making another pot of coffee and warming up the soldiering iron.

Posted by Frank Bruno (Member # 1871) on 09-16-2008, 01:17 AM:

For some reason I thought I remembered him mentioning being a Democratic delegate, but I've been unable to find said mention. I'd always meant to drop him a pm or e-mail asking about that.