Chapter 2 Page 5
Still flush with Film Effects funds they approached Bob Storer to see if he would sell the studio’s animation camera to them. An arrangement was worked out whereby they could purchase the animation camera and accessories on a time basis and in exchange would provide any titling or animation that Bob needed at a heavily discounted rate.
While Don and Charlie were engaged producing animated commercials, logos, etc. Gene worked to replace the original interface on the newly-acquired Oxberry and original system with a solid-state device.
It was always part of the design criteria when it was decided to build a commercially available system that it had to be reliable, efficient and readily operated and maintained by people who had little or no computer experience. It’s important to understand that at that time none of the operators of animation equipment and any contact at all with computers other than perhaps a bank statement that was incorrect. It was necessary at this time that any maintenance required on the system would probably have to be handled by phone from their office in Atlanta.
These constraints demanded that the electronics in the system be highly modular in order to be rapidly brought back into an operating condition in the case of a failure. They also demanded that the instructions used by the operators be in a language and form familiar to those doing conventional animation. Naturally, the software had to be bug-free.
Providence smiled once more when Cinetron was contacted by Tony Pilversack in response to a mailing that was done to drum up system sales. Tony represented Trafco, the Program Center for The United Methodist Church .