January 2003 - Nr. 1
Two German Firms to Receive Academy Awards
TWIG - The Academy Awards may be months away, but the suspense is over for many film artists working behind the scenes. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the winners of its technical achievement awards on Monday (January 6), and two of them are German firms.
The Munich company Arnold & Richter Cine Technik (ARRI) has earned an Oscar for its contributions to the further development of the movie camera. Software designer Thomas Driemeyer and his colleagues at the Berlin enterprise Mental Images will be honored with a certificate for technical achievement. Driemeyer’s product Mental Ray is used by major film studios to create realistic light effects in computer-generated film images. The software was used in both Harry Potter II and many Star Wars episodes. "This award means our work is getting special recognition," said Mental Images founder Rolf Herken after hearing the news. "Prominent film directors have been using our technology for years." The technical awards will be presented March 1 at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills.
