17 Sci-Tech Achievements receive Academy nods

Jan 05, 2001 by Ian Evans

On March 3rd, 2001, the Academy will be holding an awards ceremony to celebrate the scientific and technical achievements that help create the movie magic. Recipients are classed into three categories and will receive an Oscar®, a plaque, or a certificate.

Academy President Robert Rehme announced that Rob Cook, Loren Carpenter and Ed Catmull of Pixar will receive an Oscar for their working in developing the Renderman software and added “This is the first Oscar ever given specifically for the development of computer software.”

The Renderman software allows multi-element computer-created scenes that can be seamlessly and invisibly composited with other footage. Besides the two Toy Story flicks, the software has been used in films like Titanic, The Matrix and Gladiator.

Here is the complete list of achievements:

Academy Award of Merit (Oscar Statuette)

To Rob Cook, Loren Carpenter and Ed Catmull for their significant advancements to the field of motion picture rendering as exemplified in Pixar’s Renderman.

Their broad professional influence in the industry has inspired and continues to inspire and contribute to the advancement of computer-generated imagery for motion pictures.

Scientific and Engineering Awards (Academy Plaques)

To AKAI Digital for the design and development of the DD8 Plus digital audio dubber specifically designed for the motion picture industry.

To Fairlight for the design and development of the DaD digital audio dubber specifically designed for the motion picture industry.

To Advanced Digital Systems Group (ADSG) for the design and development of the Sony DADR 5000 digital audio dubber specifically designed for the motion picture industry.

To Timeline, Incorporated for the design and development of the MMR 8 digital audio dubber specifically designed for the motion picture industry.

The above four digital audio dubbers have afforded the post-production community a faster, more cost-effective means of playing back hundreds of digital audio tracks for pre-mixing or final mixing in creating motion picture sound tracks. They also offer individual track slipping in multiple track configurations, random access recall, and both destructive and non-destructive editing capabilities, eliminating the requirement for razor blade conforming.

To Joe Wary, Gerald Painter and Colin F. Mossman for the design and development of the Deluxe Laboratories Multi Roller Film Transport System.

This release print system at Deluxe Laboratories utilizes a revolutionary design allowing for higher print volumes, reduced space requirements for loop racks and elevators, and safer operation.

To Alvah J. Miller and Paul Johnson of Lynx Robotics for the electronic and software design of the Lynx C-50 Camera Motor System.

This camera motor, operated with programmable microprocessors, achieves an unprecedented range of precisely controlled speeds in stand-alone cameras or when sychronized to motion-control systems.

To Al Mayer, Sr. and Al Mayer, Jr., for the mechanical design, Iain Neil for the optical design and Brian Dang for the electronic design of the Panavision Millennium XL Camera System.

This camera brings the full uncompromised performance of larger heavy-duty cameras to the lightest weight category with ruggedness and advanced features previously expected only in specialized or effects cameras.

Technical Achievement Awards (Academy Certificates)

To Vic Armstrong for the refinement and application to the film industry of the Fan Descender for accurately and safely arresting the descent of stunt persons in high freefalls.

Considered a standard of the industry, the Fan Descender provides a means for significantly increasing the safety of very high stunt falls. The system permits falls to be made under controlled deceleration and with a highly predictable stop