BEVERLY HILLS: The first Oscar recipients of the new year have been announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The developers of the Arrilaser film recorder, produced by Germany's venerable Arri camera company, will receive an Award of Merit Oscar at the academy's Scientific and Technical Awards banquet at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on February 11. They include Franz Kraus, Johannes Steurer and Wolfgang Riedel.
The Arrilaser film recorder is used in the post-production phase of a motion picture to convert film to a digital format for editing and blending of visual effects and other elements. It is also used for restoring old films.
The academy lauded the Arrilaser for being a "compact, user-friendly, low-maintenance device" that offers "outstanding speed, exposure ratings and image quality."