Hollywood, Calif. – The International 3D Society presented Panasonic Corporation and Chris Condon with awards for “breakthrough” innovation and 3D achievement at the 3D Technology Awards last night at the Hollywood Mann Chinese Theatre.
“There was an excitement in the theater tonight reflecting the growing confidence that 3D is an art, a craft and a good business to be in”
The first 3D Technology Awards honored individuals and organizations whose contributions advance the stereoscopic medium. Eighteen different technologies were recognized.
Panasonic Corporation received the organization’s first “Charles Wheatstone” Award honoring its advocacy, technology and consumer engagement in the development of the stereoscopic 3D products. Chris Condon was honored with the “Charles M. Brewster” Award for lifetime achievement. Condon, whose work in 3D filmmaking spans 50 years, is the first individual to be honored for a lifetime of 3D innovation.
There were three categories of 3D Technology Awards presented: Century, Lumiere, and Gold. The Century Award is the highest honor for a company or individual recognizing major contributions over the past thirty years; Lumiere Award and Gold Award recipients are recognized for more recent accomplishments.
IMAX, RealD and Texas Instruments were honored with the Century Award. IMAX was honored for its “Solido Systems” technology, RealD for its “Cinema System” digital 3D projection technology, and Texas Instruments was recognized for its “DLP Cinema” technology.
Listed below are the Lumiere Award winners.
3ality Digital Autodesk Dolby Laboratories
Steve Hines In-Three MasterImage 3D
Nvidia Quantel Sassoon Film Design
Sony Pictures Imageworks The Walt Disney Studios XpanD
3ality Digital was honored for its Stereo Image Processor (SIP) technology; Autodesk for its “Maya” 3D visual effects software technology; Dolby Laboratories for its “Dolby 3D” system; Steve Hines and The Walt Disney Studios for the “Disney Dual Camera Rig”; In-Three for its “Dimensionalization” technology; MasterImage 3D for its “Digital 3D Cinema System”; Nvidia for its “3D Vision” technology; Quantel for its “Pablo” 3D color correction and finishing system; Sassoon Film Design for its “2D to 3D Conversion” technology; Sony Pictures Imageworks for its “3D Pipeline”; The Walt Disney Studios for its “3D Pipeline”; and XpanD for its “Active 3D Cinema System.”
The International 3D Society Gold Award recipients were: Colonel Robert Bernier for his “Optics” technology, IMAX for its “Solido Dual Strip 3D Camera” technology, andIRIDAS for its “Dual Stream” technology.
“There was an excitement in the theater tonight reflecting the growing confidence that 3D is an art, a craft and a good business to be in,” noted Jim Chabin, President of the International 3D Society.
Buzz Hays, Society Chair and Executive Stereoscopic 3D Producer for the Sony 3D Technology Center, Sony Corporation of America, added: “These innovators are helping pioneer the next generation of storytelling. Without them, we, as creators, would not have the bright 3D future ahead that we do.”
The 3D Technology Awards Show featured MasterImage digital 3D cinema system technology and passive glasses, as well as NEC projectors and equipment.
XpanD, Panasonic, and RealD are Platinum Sponsors of the 3D Technology Awards Show. NEC Display Solutions, Deluxe, and Texas Instruments are Gold Sponsors. Nvidia, In-Three, and Amazing 3D Post are Silver Sponsors. International 3D Society underwriters include Signature Sponsor XpanD and Founding Sponsors MasterImage 3D, Panasonic Hollywood Lab, The Walt Disney Studios, PIXAR, DreamWorks Animation (DWA), Dolby Laboratories, Sony Corporation of America, and IMAX; and Member Sponsors Discovery Communications, Autodesk, and DirecTV.