The winners of the Academy Awards for Scientific and Technical Achievements have been chosen.
The creators of two camera crane systems have been voted Oscars® by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar® statuette) and a special Academy commendation also will be among the 15 achievements to be honored at the Academy's annual Scientific and Technical Awards dinner on February 12.
Horst Burbulla will receive an Oscar for the creation and development of the Technocrane telescoping camera crane, which has redefined camera crane technology.
Oscar statuettes also will be presented to Jean-Marie Lavalou, Alain Masseron and David Samuelson for engineering and developing the Louma Camera Crane and remote system for motion picture production, which has served as the inspiration for many subsequent remote camera systems.
The Gordon E. Sawyer Award will be given to Takuo Miyagishima for his lifetime of technological contributions to the industry.
A special Award of Commendation is being given to Arthur Widmer for his lifetime achievement in the science and technology of image compositing for motion pictures as exemplified by his significant contributions to the development of the Ultra Violet and the "bluescreen" compositing processes.
The Academy's Board of Governors voted to award the Oscars and the Award of Commendation, as well as two Scientific and Engineering Awards, which will be presented in the form of plaques, and nine Technical Achievement Awards, to be presented as certificates, based upon recommendations from the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee, chaired by Richard Edlund.
Awards Administration Director Rich Miller said that, unlike other Academy Awards, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards do not have to have been developed and introduced during 2004. Devices are only considered for Sci-Tech Awards "if they have a proven track record of continued and successful use in the film industry," Miller said.
The Scientific and Technical Academy Awards will be presented at a gala black tie dinner on Saturday evening, February 12, at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.
Academy Awards for Scientific and Technical achievements for the year 2004 are:
ACADEMY AWARD OF MERIT
To Horst Burbulla for the invention and continuing development of the Technocrane telescoping camera crane.
With its electronically driven leveling head, adjustable moveable weight carriage, and lightweight, extremely precise telescoping beam elements that allow camera movement during shots, the Technocrane has redefined the state-of-the-art in camera crane technology.
To Jean-Marie Lavalou, Alain Masseron and David Samuelson for the engineering and development of the Louma Camera Crane and remote system for motion picture production.
