{"id":70232,"date":"2025-01-27T11:45:05","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T19:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=70232"},"modified":"2025-01-27T11:45:44","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T19:45:44","slug":"14-scientific-and-technical-achievements-to-be-honored-with-academy-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=70232","title":{"rendered":"14 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE HONORED WITH ACADEMY AWARDS\u00ae"},"content":{"rendered":"

Academy Award of Merit to be presented for captioning<\/strong><\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 27, 2025)<\/strong> \u2013 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 14 scientific and technical achievements, represented by 37 individual award recipients, will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony, which has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures. In addition, an Academy Award of Merit (an Oscar\u00ae statuette) will be presented at the ceremony to collectively recognize \u201call the individuals who have developed and supported captioning technology, whether open or closed, for film.\u201d The statuette will reside at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of the Academy\u2019s mission to celebrate artistry and innovation in filmmaking, we are honored to recognize the exceptional contributions of this year\u2019s Scientific and Technical Awards recipients. Their work has powerfully driven advancements in our industry,\u201d said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. \u201cAlso, we are deeply honored to present the Academy Award of Merit to the individuals who created and supported the development of captioning for films. This is an essential technology that plays a vital role in making the cinematic experience accessible to all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEach year, our international committee of industry professionals conducts thorough evaluations of the innovation and impact of technologies developed for the motion picture industry,\u201d said Darin Grant and Raymond Yeung, co-chairs of the Academy\u2019s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. \u201cThis year\u2019s awards encompass a wide range of film production advancements, from fire stunt safety, stabilized hand-held camera operation, and animation to post-production innovations in dialogue capture and CG imagery rendering systems. These vital technologies have expanded the visual possibilities of cinema, creating new and compelling experiences for moviegoers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Essex Edwards<\/b>,\u00a0James Jacobs<\/b>,\u00a0Jernej Barbic<\/b>,\u00a0Crawford Doran<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Andrew van Straten<\/b>\u00a0for the design and development of Ziva VFX.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ziva VFX is a system for constructing and simulating muscles, fat, fascia, and skin for digital characters. An artist-friendly interface that emphasizes easily understood physical metaphors, coupled with a robust, physically accurate solver, has enabled a broad range of studios to bring visually rich creatures to life.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Javor Kalojanov<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Kimball Thurston<\/b>\u00a0for the creation of W\u0113t\u0101 FX\u2019s ML Denoiser.<\/span><\/p>\n

This denoiser prioritizes temporal filtering using innovative optical flow techniques to preserve crucial details. Novel training strategies allow its machine learning algorithms to denoise computer-generated imagery to the most exacting standards.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Neeme Vaino<\/b>\u00a0for the development of Fireskin360 Naked Burn Gel.<\/span><\/p>\n

This widely available gel allows longer targeted burns directly on the skin, broadening the range of fire stunts performed across the industry.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Dustin Brooks<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Colin Decker<\/b>\u00a0for the development of naked burn gel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fire for Hire\u2019s gel first publicly demonstrated a \u201cnaked burn,\u201d where fire appears directly on the skin, enabling a new form of safe fire stunts in motion pictures.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Attila T. \u00c1fra<\/b>\u00a0for the creation of Intel Open Image Denoise, and to\u00a0Timo Aila<\/b>\u00a0for his pioneering work at NVIDIA applying U-Nets to denoising.<\/span><\/p>\n

Open Image Denoise is an open-source library that provides an elegant API and runs on diverse hardware, leading to broad industry adoption. Its core technology is provided by the widely adopted U-Net architecture that improves efficiency and preserves detail, raising the quality of CG imagery across the industry.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Mark Noel<\/b>\u00a0for adapting and enhancing the safety and reliability of transportable six-degrees-of-freedom motion base technology for motion picture use.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NACMO series of modular motion bases enables filmmakers to dynamically control simulated actions, providing precise movements, enhancing special effects, and enriching the visual experience for audiences worldwide.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Su Tie<\/b>\u00a0for the development of the sensor analysis and stabilization software, to\u00a0Bei Shimen<\/b>\u00a0for the electrical engineering, and to\u00a0Zhao Yanchong<\/b>\u00a0for the mechanical design and engineering of the Ronin 2 gimbal system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Utilizing three-axis stabilization through multiple sensors, the DJI Ronin 2 has achieved broad adoption. It is controllable from a diverse set of input devices, enabling filmmakers to create complex, dynamic camera moves.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Tabb Firchau<\/b>\u00a0for the conception and development, to\u00a0John Ellison<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Steve Webb<\/b>\u00a0for the attitude control system, to\u00a0David Bloomfield<\/b>\u00a0for the motor design, and to\u00a0Shane Colton<\/b>\u00a0for the motor driver system design of the M\u014dvi gimbals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Freefly Systems\u2019 introduction of handheld stabilized gimbals provides single-person or collaborative remote camera operation with various controllers, enabling previously difficult shots without dolly or crane-supported stabilized heads.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Jayson Dumenigo<\/b>\u00a0for the development of the Action Factory Hydrogels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Action Factory hydrogels are engineered to allow longer burns at higher temperatures with quick turnaround times, increasing the safety and efficiency of fire stunt performances.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Thijs Vogels<\/b>,\u00a0Fabrice Rousselle<\/b>,\u00a0David Adler<\/b>,\u00a0Gerhard R\u00f6thlin\u00a0<\/b>and\u00a0Mark Meyer<\/b>\u00a0for the creation of Disney\u2019s ML Denoiser.<\/span><\/p>\n

This sophisticated machine learning denoiser features a ground-breaking kernel-predicting convolutional network and temporal stability. It has been adopted far beyond its original domain of animation and is an essential tool for creating computer-generated imagery in feature films.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Nir Averbuch<\/b>,\u00a0Yair Chuchem<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Dan Raviv<\/b>\u00a0for the concept, design and development of the Auto Align Post 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sound Radix\u2019s Auto Align Post 2 allows the seamless blending of multiple moving microphones during film post-production, eliminating phase distortion, saving significant time over manual alignment methods and raising the reproduction quality of dialogue recorded on set.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Curt Schaller<\/b>\u00a0for the concept, design and development of the Trinity 2 system, and to\u00a0Dr. Roman Foltyn<\/b>\u00a0for the software and hardware design of its motorized stabilized head.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ARRI Trinity 2 is a body-worn system that combines a traditional inertial camera stabilization system with electronic gimbal technology, allowing unprecedented freedom of camera movement for acquiring shots with multiple transitions that are otherwise unobtainable.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Steve Wagner<\/b>\u00a0for the initial concept and software, to\u00a0Garrett Brown<\/b>\u00a0for the design, and to\u00a0Jerry Holway<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Robert Orf<\/b>\u00a0for the engineering of the Steadicam Volt stabilization system.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Tiffen Steadicam Volt revolutionizes inertial stabilization with its advanced two-axis motorized design, creating artificial inertia and simulated friction while providing adjustable tactile feedback. Different modes allow the operator to alter the physical feel of the rig. The Volt empowers filmmakers to achieve dynamic shots with more complex camera movement while maintaining a stable roll axis.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0Dave Freeth<\/b>\u00a0for the design, engineering and development of the hand-held Stabileye three-axis motorized camera stabilization system.<\/span><\/p>\n

The compact size and live adjustment of operating parameters of these devices facilitate subtle and dynamic camera moves closer to actors, and in tighter quarters than previously possible. Its low latency allows for instinctive operation whether controlled by a single operator or remotely.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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