Tel Aviv University Team Receives Prize for Significant Technological Impact to Film Industry.

The American Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the Academy Award winners in the Scientific & Engineering category for 2021: Prof. Meir Feder of the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University, and his former student and co-founding partner of the startup company Amimon, Dr. Zvi Reznic. Amimon’s senior executives Guy Dorman and Ron Yogev also share the Award. Amimon was founded in 2004 by Prof. Meir Feder, Dr. Zvi Resnic and Noam Geri (also a TAU graduate).

Watch TAU Prof. Meir Feder’s reaction to winning an Oscar:

Used in the Global Film Industry

Every year, in addition to the winners of the traditional Oscar Awards, the American Academy of Motion Pictures announces winners in various scientific and technical categories, honored for their substantial impact on the global film industry. Last night, the Academy announced that the wireless video technology developed by the Amimon team, and implemented through Amimon’s chip-set, is the winner of the prestigious Award for significant scientific and engineering contribution to the film industry.

Prof. Feder says that the prize-winning technology is now used throughout the global film industry. He explains that the technology is able to transmit very high quality video shots, reliable and without delays, from a large number of cameras, in real time, to monitors on the set. This provides the film’s director and the control crew full control of all shooting angles simultaneously.

Joseph Pitchhadze, a film creator from The Steve Tisch School of Film and Television explains that “The main importance of Prof. Meir Feder’s technological development is shortening the set building in Multi Camera productions. This novel technology saves production time and frees significantly more time for the creation itself.”

The Academy Award Committee stated: “By using novel extensions of digital data transmission and compression algorithms, and data prioritization based on error rate, the Amimon chipset supports the creation of systems with virtually unrestricted camera motion, expanding creative freedom during filming.”

Proud Moment for TAU

Prof. Feder: “This is a very exciting day for me, and a proud moment for Tel Aviv University. We developed the basic technology in 2004-2005, when everyone thought that the task was very difficult or even impossible. We knew that it was a real technological achievement, but never imagined we would win the Oscar for it. About a year ago, the Prize Committee notified us that we had been nominated, but I thought it was just a gimmick.

“About a month ago, I suddenly got an official email from the Academy in Hollywood, informing us that we had won the Oscar. We were elated. I have won many academic awards, but the Oscar is certainly the most famous, an award that every person in the street knows. For me and the great team who took part in developing the technology, this is an enormous achievement and I feel very proud.”

Featured image: The Happy Team (from left to right): Guy Dorman, Dr Zvi Reznic, Prof. Meir Feder and Ron Yogev