Ten years after the initial rollout of laser cinema projectors, the technology and the people who developed it are being honored with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scientific and Technical Awards. Sixteen people from seven companies will be recognized on February 23. I am humbled to be recognized for my pioneering utilization of semiconductor lasers for theatrical laser projection systems. My advocacy and education to the cinema industry while at Laser Light Engines contributed to the transition to laser projection in theatrical exhibition. The other honorees are:
Gregory T. Niven for his pioneering work in using laser diodes for theatrical laser projection systems. At Novalux and Necsel, Niven demonstrated and refined specifications for laser light sources for theatrical exhibition, leading the industry’s transition to laser cinema projection technology.
Yoshitaka Nakatsu, Yoji Nagao, Tsuyoshi Hirao, Tomonori Morizumi and Kazuma Kozuru for their development of laser diodes for theatrical laser projection systems. They collaborated closely with cinema professionals and manufacturers while at Nichia Corporation Laser Diode Division, leading to the development and industry-wide adoption of blue and green laser modules producing wavelengths and power levels matching the specific needs of the cinema market.
Charles Q. Robinson, Nicolas Tsingos, Christophe Chabanne, Mark Vinton and the team of software, hardware and implementation engineers of the Cinema Audio Group at Dolby Laboratories for the creation of the Dolby Atmos Cinema Sound System, which has become an industry standard for object-based cinema audio content creation and presents a premier immersive audio experience for theatrical audiences.
Steve Read and Barry Silverstein for their contributions to the design and development of the Imax Prism-less Laser Projector. Utilizing a novel optical mirror system, the Imax Prism-less Laser Projector removes prisms from the laser light path to create the high brightness and contrast required for Imax theatrical presentation.
Peter Janssens, Goran Stojmenovik and Wouter D’Oosterlinck for the design and development of the Barco RGB Laser Projector. Its novel and modular design with an internally integrated laser light source produces flicker-free uniform image fields with improved contrast and brightness, enabling a widely adopted upgrade path from xenon to laser presentation without the need for alteration to screen or projection booth layout of existing theaters.
Michael Perkins, Gerwin Damberg, Trevor Davies and Martin J. Richards for the design and development of the Christie E3LH Dolby Vision Cinema Projection System, implemented in collaboration between Dolby Cinema and Christie Digital engineering teams. The Christie E3LH Dolby Vision Cinema Projection System utilizes a novel dual modulation technique that employs cascaded DLP chips along with an improved laser optical path, enabling high dynamic range theatrical presentation.
Bill Beck is a co-founder of the Laser Illuminated Projection Association.