And the Oscar goes to… Israeli engineers for film technology

Several Israelis will be awarded an Oscar this year, but not for a film.

Prof. Meir Feder, Dr. Zvi Reznic, Guy Dorman and Ron Yogev will receive a 2021 Academy Award for Science and Engineering for the development of technology that has influenced the film industry.

“It’s very emotional for me,” Feder said in a statement. “We knew it was a big technological accomplishment but we never dreamed of winning an Oscar.”

Feder and Reznic began developing their Amimon technology at Tel Aviv University’s engineering school, creating a wireless chipset that enables high-quality, on-set, encrypted digital video monitoring.

Ron Yogev (far right), Meir Feder, Zvi Reznic and Guy Dorman (far left), winners of the 2021 Academy Award for Science and Engineering (Courtesy Tel Aviv University)

The Amimon team was notified a year ago of the Oscar nomination, but “thought it was a gimmick,” said Feder.

They received the official notification of their win one month ago. The award will include an Academy plaque presented at the Scientific & Technical Awards online ceremony on February 13, 2021.

By using digital data transmission and compression algorithms, the Amimon chipset supports the creation of systems with virtually unrestricted camera motion, expanding creative freedom during filming.

Feder and Reznic founded Amimon in 2004, along with Dorman and Yogev, engineering a product that allows directors and film crews full control over all angles of filming.

“I’ve worn a lot of awards in academia,” said Feder, “but the Oscar is more famous than all of them. Everyone on the street knows what it is.”