The Academy Sci-Tech Awards Honor 14 Achievements — Including Disney and Wētā FX Machine Learning Denoisers
Recently, the Academy's Science and Technology Council approved new rules regarding human creative authorship in the creation of Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools.
More from IndieWire
Aspiring Horror Cinematographers: Learn How Ari Aster and Ti West Scare the Hell Out of You
From Animatronics to Wiki-Diving: How 'The Legend of Ochi' Created Its Title Character
'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,' said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a prepared statement. 'Also, 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.'
Winners of the Scientific and Engineering Awards (who will receive plaques) include:
Jayson Dumenigo for Action Factory Hydrogels, allowing for safer and longer burns at higher temperatures with quick turnaround times for fire stunt performances.
Thijs Vogels, Fabrice Rousselle, David Adler, Gerhard Röthlin, and Mark Meyer for Disney's ML (Machine Learning) Denoiser, which saves rendering time. This was first implemented on Disney's 'Ralph Breaks the Internet,' Pixar's 'Toy Story 4,' and ILM's VFX for 'Avengers: Endgame.'
Nir Averbuch, Yair Chuchem, and Dan Raviv for Auto Align Post 2, which creates seamless blending of multiple moving microphones during post-production, eliminating phase distortion.
Curt Schaller and Dr. Roman Foltyn for The ARRI Trinity 2 system, combining a traditional inertial camera stabilization system with electronic gimbal technology, allowing unprecedented freedom of camera movement.
Steve Wagner, Garrett Brown, Jerry Holway, and Robert Orf for the revolutionary Steadicam Volt stabilization system with its advanced two-axis motorized design, creating artificial inertia and simulated friction.
Dave Freeth for the hand-held Stabileye three-axis motorized camera stabilization system, facilitating subtle and dynamic camera moves closer to actors, and in tighter quarters.
Winners of the Technical Achievement Awards (who will receive certificates) include:
Essex Edwards, James Jacobs, Jernej Barbic, Crawford Doran and Andrew van Straten for Ziva VFX, a system for simulating muscles, fat, fascia, and skin for digital characters.
Javor Kalojanov and Kimball Thurston for Wētā FX's ML (Machine Learning) Denoiser, which prioritizes temporal filtering using innovative optical flow techniques to preserve crucial details. This has been used on 'A Minecraft Movie,' 'Avatar: The Way of the Water,' and 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,' among others.
Neeme Vaino for Fireskin360 Naked Burn Gel, which allows for longer targeted burns directly on the skin, broadening the range of fire stunts.
Dustin Brooks and Colin Decker for the development of naked burn gel, where fire appears directly on the skin, enabling a new form of safe fire stunts.
Attila T. Áfra for Intel Open Image Denoise, and to Timo Aila for NVIDIA applying U-Nets to denoising. Open Image Denoise is an open-source library, whose core tech is provided by U-Net architecture, which raises the quality of CG imagery.
Mark Noel for the NACMO series of modular motion bases, which dynamically control simulated actions and provide precise movements for enhancing special effects.
Su Tie, Bei Shimen, and Zhao Yanchong for the Ronin 2 gimbal system, which achieves three-axis stabilization through multiple sensors to create more complex and dynamic camera moves.
Tabb Firchau, John Ellison, Steve Webb, David Bloomfield, and Shane Colton for Mōvi gimbals, providing single-person or collaborative remote camera operation for difficult shots without dolly or crane-supported stabilized heads.
Best of IndieWire
Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See
'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie
The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘It Just Broke Me': Katee Sackhoff Explains Why She Lost ‘All' Of Her Confidence After Working On The Mandalorian
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. While Katee Sackhoff was certainly a well-known actor prior to 2020 thanks to Battlestar Galactica, Longmire, Riddick, 24 and various other projects, her profile definitely got a major boost from The Mandalorian. Following her animated outings as Bo-Katan Kryze in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Sackhoff brought her Star Wars character to life in live-action in the Disney+ subscription-exclusive show's second season, then returned for Season 3. In the midst of that though, there was something that triggered Sackhoff to lose 'all' of her confidence and doubt her acting abilities. The actress talked about this dark time in her life while she was chatting with her Battlestar Galactica co-star Tahmoh Penikett on The Sackhoff Show, where the two of them also reflected on how they were wrong to reject Edward James Olmos' advice when they were younger. Sackhoff informed Penikett that she 'just now figured out a process almost 30 years' into her acting career and hired an acting coach. When he asked her to elaborate, she started off by saying: … What had happened was I lost all of my confidence after Mandalorian… My style of acting has always just been your first instinct is the right instinct. Do that. Play the reality of the situation. And I've never really played a character. You know what I mean? I've always played two steps removed from myself, in a sense. Like, it always felt grounded in some part of my belly of who I was. Bo-Katan is nowhere near who I am as a human being. Her life, what she wants. I didn't understand her. As much as I understood her, I never felt her in my stomach. I never identified with her. I didn't know how to find her. It's one thing to voice a character across a handful of episodes of two animated TV shows (and later the anthology series Star Wars: Tales of the Empire), but playing Bo-Katan on camera marked a major turning point for Katee Sackhoff. More eyes were on her than ever, and while it may have looked on the outside like she was effectively playing the character, the experience was enough for her to start doubting herself because she wasn't able to connect to Bo-Katan on a deeper level. Sackhoff continued: It broke me. It just broke me where I started doubting everything about myself. I'm not a strong auditioner on tape and I was having to put myself on tape. I wasn't booking anything, and for three years, I basically didn't work… I broke down. I was crying one day with [Michael Trucco] at his kitchen counter. And he was like, 'You're going to be fine. You always work.' And I was like, 'I'm not okay, man. I'm not working. I'm so broken. I've got no confidence left. I don't know what to do. I'm lost.' Michael Trucco is another one of Katee Sackhoff's Battlestar Galactica cohorts, and she and him have remained close since the show ended in 2009. That's exemplified by how she was willing to be vulnerable in front of him about her acting struggles. She then told Tahmoh Penikett about how she was 'scrambling' at this point because she 'had no technique to fall back on,' which then led to a clash with her ex-manager: And the worst thing was my old manager would say things like, 'This is just easy for you. It's so easy for you. You don't even have to try. Just stop trying. You're trying too hard." And he would say, 'You're just better at this. Just stop.' And I I lost it at him one day and started screaming. I was like, 'Stop saying that to me. You're destroying me because you've told me my entire life it's easy for me and it's not fucking easy. And now I'm at a point where I'm falling apart because it's not easy, and you're telling me it's easy. It's so dismissive. From there, Katee Sackhoff hired a new manager, told him how she felt, and he set her up with an acting coach. That coach then told Sackhoff it wasn't her goal to teach her out to act since she already knew how to do that, but just to get the Kara Thrace actress back in her 'belly.' Evidently it worked, as Sackhoff sounds like she's in a much more confident place. Otherwise, I doubt she would have discussed this subject while Tahmoh Penikett was appearing on her podcast. That said, it's unclear when we'll see Katee Sackhoff reprise Bo-Katan Kryze again. Although The Mandalorian & Grogu comes out on May 22, 2026, but here's been no mention of her being in the cast. Still, given both Sackhoff and Bo-Katan's popularity, I have to think there'll come a day when she returns to the Star Wars universe, even if it's not necessarily tied to Din Djarin's story. Solve the daily Crossword
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Disneyland's Blue Bayou: Is This Restaurant Worth It?
If you've been on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland Resort, you've probably wondered about the restaurant that's literally inside the ride at the very beginning of your journey. As your boat glides through the slightly foreboding but kind of romantic bayou, you can spot guests eating at a Southern-inspired restaurant. Dark with beautiful twinkling lanterns, a huge willow tree, dressed up waiters, and a 'patio' overlooks the waters of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride — THAT is Disneyland's infamous Blue Bayou restaurant. It's a restaurant full of intrigue and mystery. And if you're anything like me, you've probably REALLY wanted to try eating here. ^ The view from my boat on Pirates of the Caribbean. Recently, the Blue Bayou has been popping up all over my FYP. As one of the more elegant and pricier sit down restaurants at Disneyland, people are wondering if the price point is worth it, what the vibes are actually like, or if the food is any good. *Editor's note: BuzzFeed was provided part of this trip free of charge; however, we were under no obligation to give a positive review. The writer paid for this meal.* Well wonder no more! I FINALLY got to dine at the Blue Bayou and it was quite the culinary and sensory experience. Here's how it all went: Reservations at the Blue Bayou get snatched up pretty quickly but guests are able to make a reservation online or through the Disneyland Mobile App up to 60 days in advance. I didn't have a reservation on a recent Disneyland trip but I kept checking the Disney app and was lucky enough to get a table for two the day before. Tucked away on a cute street in New Orleans Square, the Blue Bayou exterior blends in perfectly with the other store and shop fronts. The restaurant entrance is right beside the exit of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. My reservation was for 1pm and I would have been seated right away but I requested a 'waterfront' view, so I waited about 30 more minutes. After all, I wanted the FULL Blue Bayou experience here. We were seated in prime spots (aka right by the water with a perfect view of guests about to meet their destiny on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride) and two things stuck out to me: the cooler temperature and moody lighting of the restaurant. It was cool. You didn't need a jacket but it is distinctly cooler than other indoor rides or buildings at Disneyland. I'm not sure why this is — maybe to protect all the pirate animatronics from the hot weather? All I knew was that I was thankful for an escape from the steamy, sunny outdoors. And second, it was dark in a spooky but also kind of romantic way. The table candle lights, strung up patio lanterns, "fireflies" in the bayou, and occasional shooting star — it was a vibe for sure. I felt completely immersed in this new environment, that I kind of forgot I was in the middle of Anaheim and not in New Orleans. Sitting by the water only enhanced this experience. Back to the main event, the meal! First our drinks arrived. I ordered the Sweet Peach Iced Tea with Rum ($18.75) and my friend ordered a glass of prosecco, Le Grand Courtage, Grand Cuvee ($13.00). The Sweet Peach Iced Tea was perfectly sweet, slightly tart, and very refreshing. A little on the pricier side but I would definitely recommend it. By the way, the Blue Bayou is one of the only restaurants you can order alcohol at in Disneyland Resort along with Carnation Cafe, River Belle Terrace, Cafe Orleans, and Docking Bay. Then our appetizers came: we ordered the Crab Cakes ($18.00) and the Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad ($15.00). The crab cakes had a nice spice to them but they were a little dry. And personally, I like to eat my watermelon plain and by itself. I ordered "A Taste Of Blue Bayou" which included an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $79.00. This appetizer was the Fig and Prosciutto Salad and it was delicious — probably my favourite appetizer. The prosciutto was perfectly salty, balanced out by the smoothness of the Manchego cheese and herbed vinaigrette. Loved all the different textures in this. For our main, we split the Cajun Surf and Turf. And it's a good thing we did because this thing was I say too big? This came with bone in ribeye, clams, mussels, prawns, clams, potatoes and cajun butter. This dish was filling and decadent to say the least. The ribeye was cooked well and a little over seasoned. The prawns had a lovely smokey flavour to them— but some of the natural flavour was drowned out by the amount of sauce on it. The cajun butter was melt-in-your mouth delicious. Again, this dish was huge and we didn't even come close to finishing it. Hand included for size context. And finally, our dessert came. Now THIS was chef's kiss. It was the Brown Butter Banana Cake and it was the star of the meal. The cake is ooey gooey, caramelly, and soaked in bananas foster sauce. It's topped with candied walnuts and vanilla ice cream. I'm drooling just thinking about this! This would have gotten extra brownie points if the cake was warmed up. In total, our meal for two came to $154.90 before tip. That included two drinks, three appetizers, one main, and one dessert. I think next time we would order our own mains so that we could try more of the menu. The food was good, the drinks were great, the service was fantastic, and the atmosphere was one-of-a-kind. Overall, the best part of it all was the ~vibes~. When you're on a ride at Disneyland you're taken to a whole new world. Eating at the Blue Bayou was a beyond immersive experience where you get to indulge all your senses, especially your sense of taste. One of the most fun parts was watching the boats of riders pass by as we were enjoying our meal. They'd often wave at us and we'd wave at them. We were part of their ride experience and they were part of our dining experience. Mid bite, I'd hear screaming in the distance as the boats descended into their pirate adventure! Or some riders would scream at us, "What are you eating?" Hot tip: ride the Pirates of The Caribbean before you eat at The Blue Bayou for an extra immersive experience. Would I eat there again? Absolutely! What about you? Would you give it a try? Let us know your favourite foods to eat at Disneyland Resort. For more travel content with Tasty Trips, check out fun things to do in Aruba, the Banff Cocktail Trail, and some culture shocks about visiting Japan.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
ESPN details new streaming service, revamped app ahead of Thursday launch
After months of lead-up — and years of planning, strategic acquisitions and seismic changes to a consumer foundation it is built on — ESPN will launch its new direct-to-consumer streaming service Thursday, along with a reconfigured app to get customers to live sports and programming they have paid for. Advertisement The network going direct-to-consumer reflects a notable shift in its longtime strategy and a reflection of rapidly evolving consumer habits. At a media event on Tuesday, ESPN executives outlined subscription pricing and options, as well as details about the new features available through the app. Among the notable details: • Access to 12 ESPN-related networks for live games and other programming, through a monthly $29.99 subscription fee (or authenticating access fans already pay for through cable or cable-like subscriptions — at launch, ESPN has distribution/authentication deals with subscribers of Charter, DirecTV, Hulu, Fubo and Verizon). • When you're watching a game on the app, you can 'squeeze back' the video and reveal tabs to access stats, key plays, fantasy info (if you play games on the ESPN Fantasy platform), ESPN Bet integration (if fans have an account) and a 'shop' tab in partnership with Fanatics. • 'Verts,' a TikTok-ish vertical video product that will feed users highlights, viral clips and social content. • 'SportsCenter for You': AI-powered highlights personalized to individual fans, which will be run through the 'Verts' feed. • Multiview when watching live games through the ESPN app (fans already get this through AppleTV and YouTube TV, among others). Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
