Honorary Membership

Honorary Membership in the Society recognizes individuals who have performed eminent service in the advancement of engineering in motion pictures, television, or in the allied arts and sciences. Such contributions shall represent, substantially, a lifetime's work inasmuch as Honorary Membership shall be the supreme accolade of the Society.

In recognition of his enduring contributions to audio production and presentation technologies. His innovations at Dolby Laboratories and involvement in SMPTE, AES, and ICTA have established new standards and fostered collaboration within the professional community. His vision and leadership have created groundbreaking audio formats that have become industry standards. Allen has received numerous accolades, including Scientific and Engineering Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the AES Silver Medal Award, and both the SMPTE Progress Medal and Samuel L. Warner Memorial Medal. He has transformed entertainment technology with his relentless ingenuity. His achievements inspire engineers, filmmakers, and creatives worldwide.

Ioan Allen was a leader in the development and introduction of most of the sound-on-film formats from Dolby Laboratories from 1972 onwards. He has for many years been active in standards activities within SMPTE and ISO-TC36, and led the introduction of wide-range electro-acoustic characteristics standards for analog film. As engineering director motion pictures for SMPTE he was heavily involved in early digital cinema developments and standards. He also led the industry in developments such as the transition to dye-soundtracks for analog film, and the creation of TASA, the procedure for measurement and constraint procedures for movie trailers. He has been recognized many times for his contributions to the film industry. He has received five awards from the Motion Picture Academy, including an Oscar. He was presented the Silver medal by the Audio Engineering Society (AES). He was awarded an Icon award by the ICTA. Previously from the SMPTE he received the Samuel L. Warner Award, and the Progress medal.