While everyone is excited about the glitz, glamor, and artistic achievements of theOscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a lot more going on besides the March 2ndAcademy Awardsbroadcast (on ABC and Hulu). Similarly, there’s more going on behind the scenes of your favorite films than just what you see — a litany of brilliant technicians and engineers work tirelessly to develop new ways of filmmaking. Some of those scientific and technical achievements will be celebrated by the Academy this year (14 of them, represented by 37 individual recipients). They will be honored at the annualScientific and Technical Awardsceremony, which has been rescheduled to Tuesday, July 05, 2025, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
The “Academy Achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures,” according to a press release. “As part of the Academy’s mission to celebrate artistry and innovation in filmmaking, we are honored to recognize the exceptional contributions of this year’s Scientific and Technical Awards recipients. Their work has powerfully driven advancements in our industry,” saidAcademy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.
“Each year, our international committee of industry professionals conducts thorough evaluations of the innovation and impact of technologies developed for the motion picture industry,” said Darin Grant and Raymond Yeung, co-chairs of the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. They added:
“This year’s 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.”
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The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:
Technical Achievement Awards
ToEssex Edwards,James Jacobs,Jernej Barbic,Crawford DoranandAndrew van Stratenfor the design and development ofZiva VFX.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.
ToJavor KalojanovandKimball Thurstonfor the creation ofWētā FX’s ML Denoiser.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.
ToNeeme Vainofor the development ofFireskin360 Naked Burn Gel.This widely available gel allows longer targeted burns directly on the skin, broadening the range of fire stunts performed across the industry.
ToDustin BrooksandColin Deckerfor the development of naked burn gel.Fire for Hire’s gelfirst publicly demonstrated a “naked burn,” where fire appears directly on the skin, enabling a new form of safe fire stunts in motion pictures.
ToAttila T. Áfrafor the creation ofIntel Open Image Denoise, and toTimo Ailafor his pioneering work at NVIDIA applying U-Nets to denoising.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.
ToMark Noelfor adapting and enhancing the safety and reliability of transportable six-degrees-of-freedom motion base technology for motion picture use.TheNACMOseries 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.
ToSu Tiefor the development of the sensor analysis and stabilization software, toBei Shimenfor the electrical engineering, and toZhao Yanchongfor the mechanical design and engineering of theRonin 2 gimbal system.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.
ToTabb Firchaufor the conception and development, toJohn EllisonandSteve Webbfor the attitude control system, toDavid Bloomfieldfor the motor design, and toShane Coltonfor the motor driver system design of theMōvi gimbals.Freefly Systems’ 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.
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Scientific & Engineering Awards
ToJayson Dumenigofor the development of theAction Factory Hydrogels.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.
ToThijs Vogels,Fabrice Rousselle,David Adler,Gerhard RöthlinandMark Meyerfor the creation ofDisney’s ML Denoiser.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.
ToNir Averbuch,Yair ChuchemandDan Ravivfor the concept, design and development of theAuto Align Post 2.Sound Radix’s 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.
ToCurt Schallerfor the concept, design and development of theTrinity 2system, and toDr. Roman Foltynfor the software and hardware design of its motorized stabilized head.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.
ToSteve Wagnerfor the initial concept and software, toGarrett Brownfor the design, and toJerry HolwayandRobert Orffor the engineering of theSteadicam Volt stabilization system.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.
ToDave Freethfor the design, engineering and development of thehand-held Stabileye three-axis motorized camera stabilization system.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.
Additionally, anAcademy Award of Merit(an Oscar® statuette) will be presented at the ceremony to collectively recognize “all the individuals who have developed and supported captioning technology, whether open or closed, for film.” CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang said in a statement, “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.”Stay up to date with all things Oscars here.
