Sep 4, 2009–The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on Friday disclosed the 11 scientific and technical achievements that are under consideration for Sci-Tech Academy Awards. Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic is the only company with two projects under consideration.
The Academy announces the list at this time of year so that anyone who claims to have developed these or similar technologies can submit claims of prior art to the organization.
Digital
The most recognizable items on the list are enabling technologies for digital intermediate, which has revolutionized creative post-production (the specific credits are still TBD, per the Acad); and Lucasfilm's Imocap system for getting performance capture data under first-unit conditions (Lucasfilm Entertainment).
The other achievements on the list are: the development of Fujicoor ETERNA-RDI digital intermediate film (Fujifilm USA);; relighting for virtual characters (USC ICT); ambient occlusion (Double Negative VFX); point-based color bleeding (Pixar Animation Studios); OBAQ/DOALL (Industrial Light & Magic); Film Master (Digital Vision Ltd.); System 5 (Euphonix, Inc.); Rigtight (1stCall Studio Equipment); Heden Lens Motors with two-stage friction drive planetary torque amplifier (Heden Engineering AB).
The Scientific and Technical Awards presentation banquet will be held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Saturday, Februray 20, a month before the big Oscar telecast.
