April 4, 1960 – Ub Iwerks Wins a Technical Achievement Award
“To Ub Iwerks of Walt Disney Prods. for the design of an improved optical printer for special effects and matte shots.”
On April 4, 1960, the 32nd Academy Awards were held at the RKO Pantages Theater in Hollywood, Califomia. Having rejoined the Disney Studios in 1940 in a technical capacity, Ub Iwerks was awarded a Class III Technical Achievement Award for the design of an improved optical printer for special effects. This printer would be adapted for the creation of the sodium traveling matte process in 1956. This traveling matte process helped revolutionize the combination of live-action and animation, using a three-strip Technicolor camera and specially designed prism, and won Ub another Technical Achievement Award at the 37th Academy Awards in 1965.
disneydetail 