American Cinematographer - May 1988 - 89

Academy Gives Nod to Science and Technology
by David Heuring
Each year the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences acknowledges the de¬

vices, methods, formulas, discoveries

or

Left: The

Montage

Picture Processor
electronic film edit¬

in¬

ing system. Below

ventions of special and outstanding value to
the motion picture industry and used in the
movie industry during the awards year.
These awards are made by the Board of
Governors upon recommendation of a spe¬
cial committee, made up of outstanding
members of the motion picture and techni¬
cal fields, which is appointed annually by the

left: The Kinotone

Non-rewind Platter

System. Below
right: Gordon E.
Sawyer Award
winner Fred Hynes.

Academy president and dissolved at the
completion of its annual term.
Awards for Scientific or Techni¬
cal Achievement may be granted in any of
three classifications: Academy Award of

Merit,

an

Academy statuette given for basic

achievements which have

a

definite influ¬

upon the advancement of the industry;
Scientific and Engineering Award, an Acade¬
ence

plaque given for those achievements
high level of engineering and
are important to the progress of the indus¬
try; and the Technical Achievement Award,
an Academy certificate, for those accom¬
plishments which contribute to the progress
of the industry.
Another category was estab¬
lished in 1981 to recognize long-term accom¬
plishments by individuals rather than single
achievements. This is the Gordon E. Sawyer
my

which exhibit a

an Oscar statuette, which is named
in honor of the veteran sound director of

Award,

Samuel

Goldwyn Studios.
Fred Hynes, whose pioneering

of Todd-AO six-track sound and whose life¬
time of dedication to sound

recording have
improved the quality of motion picture pre¬

sentations, has been named the fifth annual

recipient of the Gordon E. Sawyer Award.
Hynes is a five-time Oscar winner in the best
sound recording category, for Oklahoma!,
South Pacific, The Alamo, West Side Story
and The Sound of Music.
Named for Scientific and

picture presentation. The system includes
plates or disks mounted on respective
horizontal arms of an upright support carry¬
ing a pair of turntables driven by respective
electric motors. The film is automatically
played out from the center of one roll,

film

Engi¬

neering Awards

were:
Willie Burth and Kinotone Cor¬

poration for the invention and development
of the non-rewind platter system for motion

transported through the motion picture

May 1988

pro¬

jector and wound onto the take-up disk. The
process is repeated for subsequent screen¬
ings without the need for rewinding the film.
This system has made possible a re¬
surgence in the construction of new thea¬
ters, providing the motion picture industry
with expanded venues for exhibition of new
films.
Colin F. Mossman and Rank Film
Laboratories' Development Group for a fully
automated handling system for improving
the productivity of high-speed film process¬

ing. The method handles 60,000 ft. rolls of

American

Cinematographer

87
American Cinematographer - May 1988

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