Technology Oscars for ARRI, DJI, Freefly, Intel, Nvidia Disney,...,
[15:54 Tue,4.February 2025 by Thomas Richter]
Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards not only the Oscars, but also the Scientific and Technical Awards for outstanding achievements in film technology. The winners must demonstrably have made a significant contribution to film production.
A focus of this year&s awards are techniques for camera stabilization and image denoising – in both categories there are several award winners. The gimbal pioneer Freefly is being awarded for bringing the first commercial electronic 3-axis gimbal to market in 2013 (www.slashcam.de/news/single/Laforets-Gamechanger--3-Achsen-stabilisiertes-Gyro-10551.html). Further awards also went to other gimbal systems, namely DJI for its Ronin 2, ARRI for the Trinity 2 System, Tiffen for the Steadicam Volt and Stabileye.
Awards for their contributions to improved image denoising went to the ML Denoiser from Wētā FX and Disney, Intel&s Open Image Denoise open-source library, and Nvidia&s new Denoising U-Net architecture.
The other award-winning technologies revolve around safety in fire stunts, the synchronization of moving microphones, and the construction and simulation of muscles, fat, fascia, and skin of digital actors.
Ziva Dynamics - Ziva VFX Ziva VFX is a system for constructing and simulating muscles, fat, fascia, and skin for digital characters. It offers a user-friendly interface based on physical metaphors and works with a robust, physically accurate solver. It is however now discontinued.
Wētā FX ML Denoiser The ML Denoiser from Wētā FX uses innovative optical-flow techniques to remove distracting noise from rendered images while preserving important details. This technology has significantly improved the quality of computer-generated images in film production by combining temporal filtering with machine learning.
Fire for Hire Naked Burn Gel This gel makes it possible to perform "naked burns," where the fire appears directly on the skin without endangering the actor. It has revolutionized the way fire stunts are implemented in films by providing a new, safe form of fire action.
Intel Open Image Denoise Intel&s Open Image Denoise is an open-source library that removes image noise from rendered images, especially in computer graphics generated by ray tracing. It offers an efficient API that works on various hardware platforms and has significantly improved image quality in CGI production.
NACMO Modular Motion Base Technology The modular motion base from NACMO enables the precise simulation of movements in six degrees of freedom (roll, pitch, yaw). This technology is used to create realistic movements for special effects, as required for vehicles, aircraft, or other dynamic scenes in films.
NACMO Modular Motion Base
Nvidia U-Net Denoising Nvidia has introduced the U-Net architecture for image denoising. This technology improves efficiency while preserving the detail of the images. It is widely used to remove noise from rendered images and improve image quality in film production.
Freefly Systems Mōvi Gimbals The Mōvi Gimbals from Freefly Systems offer handheld, motorized camera stabilization. They allow cinematographers to perform complex, stable camera movements even without the use of dolly or crane systems, offering a new dimension for creative camera movements and perspectives.
DJI Ronin 2
DJI Ronin 2 Gimbal System The Ronin 2 Gimbal System from DJI is an advanced three-axis stabilization system controlled by multiple sensors. It allows filmmakers to realize dynamic camera movements that remain stable even under difficult conditions such as in moving vehicles or during fast camera movements.
SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)
Action Factory Hydrogels Action Factory Hydrogels are specially developed gel materials used for longer and more intense fire stunts. They allow working with higher temperatures and longer burn times safely, making the execution of dangerous fire scenes in films safer and more efficient.
Walt Disney Animation Studios ML Denoiser The ML Denoiser from Disney uses a unique kernel-predicting convolutional network to reduce noise in animations and CGI images. This technology ensures improved image quality by removing image noise without losing important details and providing higher temporal stability.
Sound Radix Auto Align Post 2 Auto Align Post 2 from Sound Radix is software that allows seamless synchronization of multiple moving microphones and avoids phase cancellations. This technology not only saves time but also improves the sound quality of dialogues and music recordings in post-production.
ARRI Trinity 2 Head
ARRI Trinity 2 System The Trinity 2 System from ARRI combines traditional inertial camera stabilization with modern electronic gimbal technology. It allows extremely flexible camera movements that were hardly possible in previous film productions and offers cinematographers the freedom to achieve new creative perspectives and transitions.
Tiffen Steadicam Volt The Steadicam Volt from Tiffen is a motorized two-axis stabilization system that enables artificial inertia and adaptive feedback. This ensures that filmmakers can perform dynamic camera movements with a stable roll angle, which is essential for complex and demanding shots.
Tiffen volt Steadicm
Stabileye Three-Axis Camera Stabilization System The Stabileye system is a handheld, motorized three-axis camera stabilization unit that offers low latency and high precision. It makes it possible to perform stable camera movements even in confined spaces or in close proximity to actors, making it a valuable tool for dynamic film shots.