ACADEMY'S TECH COUNCIL ADDS FOUR

Beverly Hills, CA — Thad Beier, Elizabeth Cohen, Don Hall and Jim Houston have accepted invitations to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Science and Technology Council.

Beier, the head of CG at Digital Domain, was awarded an Academy Technical Achievement Award (shared) in 1998 for the design and implementation of the ras_track tracking software, a device which allows the user to determine the position and location of the camera and objects in a scene by tracking points in scanned sequence. Beier has been a member of the Academy's Visual Effects Branch since 1999.

Founder of Cohen Acoustical Inc. in 1982, Cohen's work is focused on high-quality media over photonic networks. She has been an associate member of the Academy since 1996.

Hall, a sound editor on more than 90 motion pictures spanning five decades, was the recipient of the Academy's John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation in 2005 for his outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy. He currently serves on the Academy's Board of Governors, representing the Sound Branch; this is his 14th year as a governor. Hall has been a member since 1964.

Chair of the Council's Image Interchange Framework project committee, Houston is a two-time recipient of the Academy's Scientific and Engineering Award (shared) – in 1991 for the design and development of the “CAPS” production system for feature film animation, and in 2006 for the design and development of the Rosetta process for creating digital YCM masters for digital film restoration. Houston has been an Academy member since 2008.

The 2009–2010 Council co-chairs are Academy governor Bill Taylor (Visual Effects Branch) and Ray Feeney, the 2006 recipient of the Academy's Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar® statuette).

The Council's other 19 members are: Academy Governors Richard Edlund and Bill Kroyer, Peter W. Anderson, Clay M. Davis Jr., Jonathan Erland, Phillip J. Feiner, Richard B. Glickman, David W. Gray, Douglas Greenfield, Rob Hummel, Brad Hunt, David Inglish, George Joblove, Tad Marburg, Takuo Miyagishima, Daryn Okada, Rick Sayre, Garrett Smith and Barry S. Weiss.

Established in 2003 by the Academy's Board of Governors, the Science and Technology Council provides a forum for the exchange of information, promotes cooperation among diverse technological interests within the industry, sponsors publications, fosters educational activities and preserves the history of science and technology of motion pictures.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

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