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Academy Award for Technical Achievement
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The Technical Achievement Award is one of three Scientific and Technical Awards given from time to time by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (The other two awards are the Scientific and Engineering Award and the Academy Award of Merit.)[1] The Technical Achievement Award is an honorary award that is given annually to those whose particular technical accomplishments have contributed to the progress of the motion picture industry.[2] The award is a certificate, which describes the achievement and lists the names of those being honored for the particular contribution.[2][3] These awards are usually given at a dinner ceremony held weeks prior to the Academy Awards broadcast and a brief excerpt is shown in the Oscars telecast.
Winners
The tables below show the honorees as listed in the Academy Awards database.[4]
1930–1950
| Year | Recipient(s) | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1930/1931 (4th) | Electrical Research Products, Inc., for moving coil microphone transmitters | Sound |
| RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., for reflex type microphone concentrators | Sound | |
| RCA-Photophone, Inc., for ribbon microphone transmitters | Sound | |
| 1931/1932 (5th) | Eastman Kodak Company for its Type II-B Sensitometer | Laboratory |
| 1932/1933 (6th) | Fox Film Corporation, Fred Jackman and Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., and Sidney Sanders of RKO Studios, Inc., for their development and effective use of the translucent cellulose screen in composite photography | Special Photographic |
| 1934 (7th) | Columbia Pictures Corporation for their application of the Vertical Cut Disc Method (hill and dale recording) to actual studio production, with their recording of the sound on the picture One Night of Love | Sound |
| Bell and Howell Company for their development of the Bell and Howell Fully Automatic Sound and Picture Printer | Laboratory | |
| 1935 (8th) | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for the development of anti-directional negative and positive development by means of jet turbulation, and the application of the method to all negative and print processing of the entire product of a major producing company | Laboratory |
| William A. Mueller of Warner Bros.-First National Studio Sound Department for his method of dubbing, in which the level of the dialogue automatically controls the level of the accompanying music and sound effects | Sound | |
| Mole-Richardson Company for their development of the "Solar-spot" spot lamps | Lighting | |
| Douglas Shearer and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department for their automatic control system for cameras and sound recording machines and auxiliary stage equipment | Stage Operations | |
| Electrical Research Products, Inc., for their study and development of equipment to analyze and measure flutter resulting from the travel of the film through the mechanisms used in the recording and reproduction of sound | Sound | |
| Paramount Productions, Inc., for the design and construction of the Paramount transparency air turbine developing machine | Laboratory | |
| Nathan Levinson, Director of Sound Recording for Warner Bros.-First National Studio, for the method of intercutting variable density and variable area soundtracks to secure an increase in the effective volume range of sound recorded for motion pictures. | Sound | |
| 1936 (9th) | RCA Manufacturing Co., Inc., for their development of a method of recording and printing sound records utilizing a restricted spectrum (known as an ultra-violet light recording) | Sound |
| Electrical Research Products, Inc., for the ERPI "Type Q" portable recording channel | Sound | |
| RCA Manufacturing Co., Inc., for furnishing a practical design and specifications for a non-slip printer | Laboratory | |
| United Artists Studio Corp., for the development of a practical, efficient and quiet wind machine. | Stage Operations | |
| 1937 (10th) | John Arnold and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Camera Department for their improvement of the semi-automatic follow focus device and its application to all of the cameras used by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio | Photography |
| John Livadary, Director of Sound Recording for Columbia Pictures Corporation, for the application of the bi-planar light valve to motion picture sound recording | Sound | |
| Thomas T. Moulton and the United Artists Studio Sound Department for the application to motion picture sound recording of volume indicators that have peak reading response and linear decibel scales | Sound | |
| RCA Manufacturing Co., Inc., for the introduction of the modulated high-frequency method of determining optimum photographic processing conditions for variable width soundtracks | Laboratory | |
| Joseph E. Robbins and Paramount Pictures, Inc., for an exceptional application of acoustic principles to the soundproofing of gasoline generators and water pumps | Stage Operations | |
| Douglas Shearer and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department for the design of the film drive mechanism as incorporated in the ERPI 1010 reproducer | Sound | |
| 1938 (11th) | John Aalberg and the RKO Radio Studio Sound Department for the application of compression to variable area recording in motion picture production | Sound |
| Byron Haskin and the Special Effect Department of Warner Bros. Studio for pioneering the development and for the first practical application to motion picture production of the triple head background projector | Special Photographic | |
| 1939 (12th) | George H. Anderson of Warner Bros. Studio for an improved positive head for sun arcs | Lighting |
| John Arnold of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for the M-G-M mobile camera crane | Camera Cranes | |
| Thomas T. Moulton, Fred Albin, and the Sound Department of the Samuel Goldwyn Studio for the origination and application of the Delta DB test for sound recording in motion pictures | Laboratory | |
| Farciot Edouart, Joseph E. Robbins, William Rudolph, and Paramount Pictures, Inc., for the design and construction of a quiet portable treadmill | Stage Operations | |
| Emery Huse and Ralph B. Atkinson of the Eastman Kodak Company for their specifications for chemical analysis of photographic developers and fixing baths | Laboratory | |
| Harold Nye of Warner Bros. Studio for a miniature incandescent spot lamp | Lighting | |
| A. J. Tondreau of Warner Bros. Studio for the design and manufacture of an improved soundtrack printer | Laboratory | |
| For important contributions in cooperative development of new improved Process Projection Equipment: F. R. Abbott, Haller Belt, Alan Cook, and the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company for faster projection lenses; The Mitchell Camera Company for a new type process projection head; Mole-Richardson Company for a new type automatically controlled projection arc lamp; Charles Handley, David Joy and the National Carbon Company for improved and more stable high-intensity carbons; Winton Hoch and the Technicolor Motion Picture Corp., for an auxiliary optical system; Don Musgrave and Selznick International Pictures, Inc., for pioneering in the use of coordinated equipment in the production, Gone with the Wind | Special Photographic | |
| 1940 (13th) | Warner Bros. Studio Art Department and Anton Grot for the design and perfection of the Warner Bros. water ripple and wave illusion machine. | Stage Operations |
| 1941 (14th) | Ray Wilkinson and the Paramount Studio Laboratory for pioneering in the use of and for the first practical application to release printing of fine grain positive stock | Film |
| Charles Lootens and the Republic Studio Sound Department for pioneering the use of and for the first practical application to motion picture production of CLASS B push-pull variable area recording | Sound | |
| Wilbur Silvertooth and the Paramount Studio Engineering Department for the design and computation of a relay condenser system applicable to transparency process projection, delivering considerably more usable light | Special Photographic | |
| Paramount Pictures, Inc., and 20th Century Fox Film Corp., for the development and first practical application to motion picture production of an automatic scene slating device | Stage Operations | |
| Douglas Shearer and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, and to Loren Ryder and the Paramount Studio Sound Department for pioneering the development of fine grain emulsions for variable density original sound recording in studio production | Sound | |
| 1942 (15th) | Robert Henderson and the Paramount Studio Engineering and Transparency Departments for the design and construction of adjustable light bridges and screen frames for transparency process photography | Special Photographic |
| Daniel J. Bloomberg and the Republic Studio Sound Department for the design and application to motion picture production of a device for marking action negative for pre-selection purposes | Laboratory | |
| 1943 (16th) | Daniel J. Bloomberg and the Republic Studio Sound Department for the design and development of an inexpensive method of converting Moviolas to Class B push-pull reproduction | Sound |
| Charles Galloway Clarke and the 20th Century Fox Studio Camera Department for the development and practical application of a device for composing artificial clouds into motion picture scenes during production photography | Photography | |
| Farciot Edouart and the Paramount Studio Transparency Department for an automatic electric transparency cueing timer | Special Photographic | |
| Willard H. Turner and the RKO Radio Studio Sound Department for the design and construction of the phono-cue starter | Sound | |
| 1944 (17th) | Linwood Dunn, Cecil Love, and ACME Tool and Manufacturing Company for the design and construction of the Acme-Dunn Optical Printer | Laboratory |
| Grover Laube and the 20th Century Fox Studio Camera Department for the development of a continuous loop projection device | Sound | |
| Western Electric Company for the design and construction of the 1126A Limiting Amplifier for variable density sound recording | Sound | |
| Russell Brown, Ray Hinsdale, and Joseph E. Robbins for the development and production use of the Paramount floating hydraulic boat rocker | Stage Operations | |
| Gordon Jennings for the design and construction of the Paramount nodal point tripod | Photography | |
| Radio Corporation of America and the RKO Radio Studio Sound Department for the design and construction of the RKO reverberation chamber | Sound | |
| Daniel J. Bloomberg and the Republic Studio Sound Department for the design and development of a multi-interlock selector switch | Stage Operations | |
| Bernard B. Brown and John P. Livadary for the design and engineering of a separate soloist and chorus recording room | Sound | |
| Paul Zeff, S. J. Twining and George Seid of the Columbia Studio Laboratory for the formula and application to production of a simplified variable area sound negative developer | Laboratory | |
| Paul Lerpae for the design and construction of the Paramount traveling matte projection and photographing device | Special Photographic | |
| 1945 (18th) | Loren L. Ryder, Charles R. Daily, and the Paramount Studio Sound Department for the design, construction, and use of the first dial-controlled step-by-step sound channel line-up and test circuit | Sound |
| Michael S. Leshing, Benjamin C. Robinson, Arthur B. Chatelain, and Robert C. Stevens of 20th Century Fox Studio and John G. Capstaff of Kodak Company for the 20th Century Eastman-Fox film processing machine | Laboratory | |
| 1946 (19th) | Harlan L. Baumbach and the Paramount West Coast Laboratory for an improved method for the quantitative determination of hydroquinone and metol in photographic developing baths | Laboratory |
| Herbert E. Britt for the development and application of formulas and equipment for producing cloud and smoke effects | Stage Operations | |
| Burton F. Miller and the Warner Bros. Studio Sound and Electrical Departments for the design and construction of a motion picture arc lighting generator filter | Lighting | |
| Carl Faulkner of the 20th Century Fox Studio Sound Department for the reversed bias method, including a double bias method for light valve and galvanometer density recording | Sound | |
| The Mole-Richardson Company for the Type 450 super high-intensity carbon arc lamp | Lighting | |
| Arthur F. Blinn, Robert O. Cook, C. O. Slyfield, and the Walt Disney Studio Sound Department for the design and development of an audio finder and track viewer for checking and locating noise in soundtracks | Sound | |
| Burton F. Miller and the Warner Bros Studio Sound Department for the design and application of an equalizer to eliminate relative spectral energy distortion in electronic compressors | Sound | |
| Marty Martin and Hal Adkins of the RKO Radio Studio Miniature Department for the design and construction of equipment providing visual bullet effects | Stage Operations | |
| Harold Nye and the Warner Bros Studio Electrical Department for the development of the electronically controlled fire and gaslight effect | Stage Operations | |
| 1947 (20th) | Nathan Levinson and the Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department for the design and construction of a constant-speed sound editing machine | Sound |
| Farciot Edouart, C.R. Daily, Hal Corl, H. G. Cartwright, and the Paramount Studio Transparency and Engineering Departments for the first application of a special anti-solarizing glass to high-intensity background and spot arc projectors | Lighting | |
| Fred Ponedel of Warner Bros. Studio for pioneering the fabrication and practical application to motion picture color photography of large translucent photographic backgrounds | Special Photographic | |
| Kurt Singer and the RCA Victor Division of Radio Corporation of America for the design and development of a continuously variable band-elimination filter | Sound | |
| James Gibbons of Warner Bros. Studio for the development and production of large dyed plastic filters for motion picture photography | Lighting | |
| 1948 (21st) | Marty Martin, Jack Lannan, Russell Shearman, and the RKO Radio Studio Special Effects Department for the development of a new method of simulating falling snow on motion picture sets | Lighting |
| A. J. Moran and the Warner Bros. Studio Electrical Department for a method of remote control for shutters on motion picture arc lighting equipment | Stage Operations | |
| 1949 (22nd) | Loren L. Ryder, Bruce H. Denney, Robert J. Carr, and the Paramount Studio Sound Department for the development and application of the supersonic playback and public address system | Special Photographic |
| M. B. Paul for the first successful large-area seamless translucent backgrounds | Stage Operations | |
| Herbert E. Britt for the development and application of formulas and equipment producing artificial snow and ice for dressing motion picture sets | Stage Operations | |
| André Coutant and Jacques Mathot for the design of the Eclair camerette | Camera | |
| Charles R. Daily and Stephen Csillag and the Paramount Studio Engineering, Editorial, and Music Departments for a new precision method of computing variable tempo click tracks | Editorial | |
| The International Projector Corporation for a simplified and self-adjusting take-up device for projection machines | Photography | |
| Alexander Velcoff for the application to the production of the infra-red photographic evaluator | Projection | |
| 1950 (23rd) | No award | — |
1951–1970
| Year | Recipient(s) | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 (24th) | Richard M. Haff, Frank P. Herrnfeld, Garland C. Misener, and the Ansco Film Division of General Aniline & Film Corporation for the development of the Ansco color scene tester | Laboratory |
| Fred Ponedel, Ralph Ayres, and George Brown of Warner Bros. Studio for an air-driven water motor to provide flow, wake, and white water for marine sequences in motion pictures | Stage Operations | |
| Glen Robinson and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Construction Department for the development of a new music wire and cable cutter | Stage Operations | |
| Jack Gaylord and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Construction Department for the development of balsa falling snow | Stage Operations | |
| Carlos Rivas of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for the development of an automatic magnetic film splicer | Editorial | |
| 1952 (25th) | The Projection, Still Photographic, and Development Engineering Departments of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for an improved method of projecting photographic backgrounds | Special Photographic |
| John G. Frayne and R.R. Scoville and Westrex Corporation for a method of measuring distortion in sound reproduction | Sound | |
| Photo Research Corporation for creating the Spectra color temperature meter | Photography | |
| Gustav Jirouch for the design of the Robot automatic film splicer | Editorial | |
| Carlos Rivas of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for the development of a sound reproducer for magnetic film | Sound | |
| 1953 (26th) | Westrex Corporation for the design and construction of a new film editing machine | Editorial |
| 1954 (27th) | David S. Horsley and the Universal-International Studio Special Photographic Department for a portable remote control device for process projectors | Special Photographic |
| Karl Freund and Frank Crandell of Photo Research Corporation for the design and development of a direct reading brightness meter | Photography | |
| Wesley C. Miller, J.W. Stafford, K.M. Frierson, and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department for an electronic sound printing comparison device | Sound | |
| John P. Livadary and Lloyd Russell and the Columbia Studio Sound Department for an improved limiting amplifier as applied to sound level comparison devices | Sound | |
| Roland Miller and Max Goeppinger of Magnascope Corporation for the design and development of a cathode ray magnetic soundtrack viewer | Sound | |
| Carlos Rivas, G.M. Sprague, and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department for the design of a magnetic sound editing machine | Sound | |
| Fred Wilson of the Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department for the design of a variable multiple-band equalizer | Sound | |
| P.C. Young of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Projection Department for the practical application of a variable focal length attachment to motion picture projector lenses | Projection | |
| Fred Knoth and Orien Ernst of the Universal-International Studio Technical Department for the development of a hand portable, electric, dry oil-fog machine | Stage Operations | |
| 1955 (28th) | 20th Century Fox Studio and the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company for the new combination lenses for CinemaScope Photography | Lenses and Filters |
| Walter Jolley, Maurice Larson, R.H. Spies of 20th Century Fox Studio for a spraying process that creates simulated metallic surfaces | Props | |
| Steve Krilanovich for an improved camera dolly incorporating multi-directional steering | Camera Cranes | |
| Dave Anderson of 20th Century-Fox Studio for an improved spotlight capable of maintaining a fixed circle of light at constant intensity over varied distances | Lighting | |
| Loren L. Ryder, Charles West, Henry Fracker, and the Paramount Studios for a projection film index to establish proper framing for various aspect ratios | Projection | |
| Farciot Edouart, Hal Corl, and the Paramount Studio Transparency Department for an improved dual stereopticon background projector | Special Photographic | |
| 1956 (29th) | Richard H. Ranger of Rangertone, Inc., for the development of a synchronous recording and reproducing system for quarter-inch magnetic tape | Sound |
| Ted Hirsch, Carl Hauge, and Edward H. Reichard of Consolidated Film Industries for an automatic scene counter for laboratory projection rooms | Laboratory | |
| The Technical Departments of Paramount Pictures Corp., for the engineering and development of the Paramount light-weight horizontal-movement VistaVision camera | Camera | |
| Roy C. Stewart and sons of Stewart-Trans Lux Corp., Dr. C.R. Daily, and the Transparency Department of Paramount Pictures Corp., for the engineering and development of the HiTrans and Para-HiTrans rear projection screens | Special Photographic | |
| The Construction Department of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for a new hand-portable fog machine | Stage Operations | |
| Daniel J. Bloomberg, John Pond, William Wade, and the Engineering and Camera Departments of Republic Studio for the Naturama adaptation to the Mitchell camera | Photography | |
| 1957 (30th) | Charles E. Sutter, William B. Smith of Paramount Pictures Corp., and General Cable Corp., for the engineering and application to studio use of aluminum lightweight electrical cable and connectors. | Stage Operations |
| 1958 (31st) | Willy Borberg of the General Precision Laboratory, Inc., for the development of a high-speed intermittent movement for 35mm motion picture theatre projection equipment | Projection |
| Fred Ponedel, George Brown, and Conrad Boye of the Warner Bros. Special Effects Department for the design and fabrication of a new rapid-fire marble gun | Stage Operations | |
| 1959 (32nd) | Ub Iwerks of Walt Disney Productions for the design of an improved optical printer for special effects and matte shots | Laboratory |
| E.L. Stones, Glen Robinson, Winfield Hubbard, and Luther Newman of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Construction Department for the design of a multiple cable remote-controlled winch | Stage Operations | |
| 1960 (33rd) | Arthur Holcomb, Petro Vlahos, and Columbia Studio Camera Department for a camera flicker indicating device | Photography |
| Anthony Paglia and the 20th Century Fox Studio Mechanical Effects Department for the design and construction of a miniature flak gun and ammunition | Stage Operations | |
| Carl Hauge, Robert Grubel, and Edward H. Reichard of Consolidated Film Industries for the development of an automatic developer replenisher system | Laboratory | |
| 1961 (34th) | Hurletron, Inc., Electric Eye Equipment Division, for an automatic light changing system for motion picture printers | Laboratory |
| Wadsworth E. Pohl and Technicolor Corp., for an integrated sound and picture transfer process | Laboratory | |
| 1962 (35th) | Electro-Voice, Inc., for a highly directional dynamic line microphone. | Sound |
| Louis G. MacKenzie for a selective sound effects repeater | Sound | |
| 1963 (36th) | Douglas Shearer and A. Arnold Gillespie of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios for the engineering of an improved Background Process Projection System. | Special Photographic |
| 1964 (37th) | Milton Forman, Richard B. Glickman, and Daniel J. Pearlman of ColorTran Industries for advancements in the design and application to motion picture photography of lighting units using quartz iodine lamps | Lighting |
| Stewart Filmscreen Corporation for a seamless translucent Blue Screen for Traveling Matte Color Cinematography | Special Photographic | |
| Anthony Paglia and the 20th Century Fox Studio Mechanical Effects Department for an improved method of producing Explosion Flash Effects for motion pictures | Stage Operations | |
| Edward H. Reichard and Carl W. Hauge of Consolidated Film Industries for the design of a Proximity Cue Detector and its application to motion picture printers | Laboratory | |
| Edward H. Reichard, Leonard L. Sokolow and Carl W. Hauge of Consolidated Film Industries for the design and application to motion picture laboratory practice of a Stroboscopic Scene Tester for color and black-and-white film | Laboratory | |
| Nelson Tyler for the design and construction of an improved Helicopter Camera System | Photography | |
| 1965 (38th) | No award | — |